My trusty Combi Urban-Sling Diaper Laptop bag has been developing a tear at the top and is starting to look a little ratty. That and the demise of my Olympus XA, which I attribute to rough handling in the non-padded outer pocket of the Combi, has forced me to buy a new bag.

I decided on the CaseLogic LNM15F Sport Messenger Bag, which has a nice padded section for laptop, and ample space in the main pocket for a good-sized camera and extra lenses. It’s also got a nice soft pocket that my fifth-gen iPod fits in perfectly. Plus it’s got a 10-year warranty (do people ever use these?), so if a strap breaks, I can get a new bag. I’ll leave the tags on it a few days to make sure it is the one I want, but I am pretty sure it’s a keeper. I might put a little extra padding on the bottom for camera gear, and maybe some padded separators between individual items (camera body, extra lens, etc.) but for the most part, it’s good.

Emptying out the old bag was interesting. I found several things that I had forgotten about. Some stuff was stuff I need and will keep: camera flash manual, lens blower brush, plastic bags, gauze bandage, pack of tissues that they always hand out in Japan. But some stuff I just tossed: old eye drops, Claritin from 2002, random tissues, old receipts, and miscellaneous papers. But my main stuff that fits nicely in the new bag: iBook, folders with papers, iPod, Flashdrive, Bluetooth adapter, MooCards, moleskine, and a pen.

Getting rid of the old Combi bag will be sad. That thing has gone through a lot! Plus the layout is great. It’s got an insulated pocket for keeping a can of beer bottle of milk cold, is a nice size for a laptop, and the shoulder strap was contoured and fit pefectly. It just needed a little more size for a camera, and some extra padding. Hate to throw it away, but I gotta clear the clutter!