re: the bag situation
4 September, 2008
Someone needs to become an enterprising individual and come up with a comfortable way to carry books that is geared specifically toward law students. Law books are huge. Law books are heavy. And to top all of that off, I consider my laptop indespensible – I take notes on it in class, I take notes on it when I study, I use it for research, etc.
I need one bag to hold all of that in. Not a backpack and a laptop case plus another bag for when I have to carry everything at once. Not one that rolls on the floor. Just one bag that I can wear comfortably and carry everything I need. A classmate of mine and I had this discussion yesterday – we think someone could get rich cornering this market. Any takers?
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terra nullius 
Check out the Herve Chapelier 925 Shopping bag. It’s a tote made of durable Nylon. I bought one my senior year of undergrad and it’s still in commission now as a 3L.
The large size easily fits my Macbook, power cable, pencil case, bottle of water, and 3 medium texts (think not the ginormous con law sized books) plus a supplement or two and a note pad or a few folders. I can get everything I need for a day where I have 3 classes into the bag. The straps are long enough to comfortably fit on your shoulder and on a woman of average height, it hits at just the right place on your side that you can kind of rest your arm on it while you walk!
It’s a bit spendy but SUPER durable. Here’s the manufacturer’s website. It’s the 925 bag and comes in a variety of sizes and colors.
http://www.hervechapelier.com/famille.asp?idcat1=1&intitCat1=Bags&idcat2=1&intitCat2=Shopping%20bags
hmmm…how many books at once are you wanting to carry? I’m thinking some sort of sling…..
The carry-on luggage has been what I see people use, and then a laptop bag. It might be bulky, but that way you won’t hurt your back from the weight.
Have you considered booq bags? (wwwbooqbags.com) They are way way roomier than they look (and they look pretty roomy) and they have a padded laptop compartment. Doesn’t solve the discomfort if you are carrying everything at once (because that shit is heavy) but it will fit everything in.
I’ve used my Swiss Gear backpack with padded laptop compartment for three years. Its bulky and unstylish, but functional!
We use lockers like in high school. I only take the books I need for that class to class and go to the locker between every class.
I also don’t take my books home.
OH! And a second on the Swiss Gear front!
I got my casebooks taken out of the binding and three-hole punched at Kinkos. For three casebooks it cost me about $30 total. Now I just bring the particular sections that we are reading in class with me, and leave the remaining bricks at home. It makes for a much lighter hike to the subway! Several of my classmates remarked that they’d do it except they want to sell their books back, but I think that the hole punches may even be an advantage to selling the books on e-bay… Just an idea! (I got it from Planet Law School)
North Face makes a backpack with a laptop sleeve in it- it fits 2 large texts, a charger, a bluebook, and a lunch, and is still easy to carry. Plus has a slot for my nalgene!
You may look like you’re fresh from REI, but I love mine.
Caveat: Some of their bags are horribly ugly, upon further inspection. The Sweeper, however, is prettier in person.
Wow, thanks so much to everyone for your input!
Jansen, we have lockers too…but with crowded halls, only ten minutes between classes (if the professor actually lets out on time), and the fact that the classrooms are on the second floor and the lockers are in the BASEMENT…well, I don’t always have time (or energy) to make three or four trips a day like that. Heh.
Ah, our lockers are on the same floor as the classes, and the classes are rarely back to back.
Get the books cut!
I might have to do that…I’m not sure how I feel about it, though. I had a hard time hilighting and writing in my books the first week. I’m just a book dork like that…