jkOnTheRun review- Incase Sling Pack

I have a thing for gadget bags, there I’ve admitted it and can now get help.  I don’t want help, though, I want a good bag to carry my gear with me and the one I’m trying now may well be the one.  Not THE one mind you, but the one.  The Incase Sling Pack is what I am using to carry my big 17-inch MacBook Pro around and so far it’s doing a pretty decent job.  It’s thin and light when empty and not much thicker when loaded which is a big requirement of mine.  Read on to see if the Sling Pack might work for you.

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Fig. 1: Incase Sling Pack empty

Normally I prefer backpacks to carry my notebooks and gear but the Sling Pack has just the one shoulder strap that fits across the chest.  It’s easy to throw on and clip the big plastic clip to wear it over the shoulder but to be honest I wish the shoulder strap was longer.  It’s adjustable but still can press into the side of my neck when the bag is loaded and a longer strap would prevent that.  It’s not a deal breaker but something I’d change if I was Incase.

Incase makes a lot of different bags and cases and everything I’ve heard about the high build quality is true with this Sling Pack.  The ballistic material will likely last forever without showing any signs of wear and the zippers are very heavy duty.  The stitching is durable and all seams are perfectly joined as they should be. 

The Sling Pack is the only bag of this type I’ve seen that will fit up to a 17-inch MacBook Pro.  The bag has a snug interior pocket for the laptop that is covered in fake fur to protect the notebook.  The fur is overkill, soft cloth would have worked just as well.  The big MacBook Pro fits in this pocket just right as the bag is no wider than it needs to be to fit it which is one of the reasons I like it.  I prefer narrower bags and while the Sling Pack is longer than some bags it is no longer than it needs to be to fit the 17-inch model as I have.  It would easily fit smaller laptops.

Cimg0848Let’s take a tour around the bag so you get familiar with all the pockets this thin bag has to store all your gear.  The front of the bag has only a single pocket with zipper closure.  The pocket is as wide as the entire bag and about six inches deep.  It contains two smaller pockets on the back of the pocket to help keep accessories organized.  I use this front pocket to store the second MacBook Pro battery which is fairly large and I put the EV-DO modem in one of the smaller pockets on the back of the front pocket.  The rest of the bag front is unfettered which adds to the slim profile of the Sling Pack.

Cimg0855_2The very top of the bag has a sturdy handle next to the top pocket for the notebook.  This pocket gets the same good zipper closure and once you open the pocket you find the main compartment with several interior pockets.  The notebook furry slot is to the rear of this pocket so the heavy notebook rides directly on your back for comfort.  In front of this slot is the main area for putting anything you wish as it is as deep as the bag is tall.  The front of this compartment has a small zippered pocket on the inside of the bag front that lifts up to expose three business card pockets and two mesh pockets.  There are also two detachable key rings (Fig. 5) to keep them out of the way as they are covered up when that little pocket I mentioned is dropped back in place.

Cimg0844The back of the bag is padded with mesh to keep your back cool while carrying gear and it is quite comfortable.  The shoulder strap is very wide and sturdy and other than my desire it was a bit longer is quite functional.  There is an interesting pocket at hip level in this strap for an iPod or other small gear (Fig. 2).  This pocket sits on top of some padding in the strap and I find it too tight a fit for much as a result.  I don’t like using these pockets for music players because when I set the bag down and forget about the wires I end up pulling my ears off. One feature I love about the back of this bag is that the left padded support has a near hidden zippered pocket (Fig 3).  My Booq bag has one too and I find it extremely useful while traveling for putting things like boarding passes where they are easy to get yet hidden from view.

Incase sells the Sling Pack for $79.95 and it seems worth it to me.  I bought mine from Apple online and paid the same price for it with free shipping.  I find it well suited for quick jaunts around town although hooking/ unhooking the single shoulder strap can be trying when the bag is full and heavy.  I can easily see using this bag on trips though if I need to carry the MacBook Pro.

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Fig. 2: Audio player pocket

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Fig. 3: Hidden document pocket

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Fig. 4: Main compartment & laptop slot

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Fig. 5: Card pockets, key rings

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Fig. 6: Sling Pack fully loaded with gear.  Note the slim profile.

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Fig. 7: Incase Sling Pack alongside Booq Boa XS for size comparison.

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