Rothco Canvas Travel Portfolio Crossbody Shoulder Bag - Durable Messenger Bag for Men & Women - Perfect for Business, School, Commuting & Travel Accessories

Why I bought it:My iPad Mini goes everywhere with me, and I needed someplace to keep it so that both hands would be free when not in use. I had an old fanny-pack which fit the iPad Mini and which I tended to sling over my shoulder as often as wearing it, but it wore out. Knowing that over-the-shoulder was the way to go, I tried this product. I have had it three days, so stay tuned on reports regarding durability.Material and Design:A nice thick brown canvas, as expected in a military type bag. Keeping the military appearance is that the exterior has a pleated look. The most functional men's clothing ever designed and produced is the military BDU, and this bag looks very much like the external thigh pockets found on those. I use it very much as I used those: Stuff I need to carry and be able to access when walking or sitting. The interior of everything is lined with a satiny nylon fabric, which gives a bit of water protection, and makes sliding the contents in and out easier than if just rough canvas.Strap:The woven canvas strap is the right size and feel. I wear the strap long enough (and I am tall) over one shoulder and over my neck (messenger-bag or cross-body style) so that the bag is against my lower back and out of the way (the strap can be adjusted long enough that I could hang it to mid-thigh level) when I am on my feet. When I get in my car, I slide it around to my left front side, so it is accessible while seated. The shoulder strap is detachable and on swivels.Belt Loop:You could attach this to a belt with the very wide loop sewn on the back. The belt-loop is actually more than wide enough for use on, say, a tool-belt; but is more likely to be intended for use on military style web-belt.Main Compartment:The perfect size for my use with an iPad Mini-- exactly the right width and depth to hold the tablet in its shell, with smart cover, and making it easy to store and access. Not too loose, nor too snug. It is actually thick enough for two, so a writing note-pad could be kept there with the tablet or e-reader.* With this, I bought a 90 degree ear-bud jack. I have a great pair of ear-buds, and have learned that the straight-in plugs will soon break unless using the 90 degree adapter. This is a perfect combination so I can control and listen to my music (or if using a set designed with microphone-- to chat with Siri, or answer a Skype call) while I walk. With the main flap closed and latched in place, there is no stress on the ear-bud jack when using the adapter.Latching Flap:The main pocket (and all else) is protected by a latching flap. The flap itself has an external zippered pocket that is the right size for car keys or a pack of king-sized cigarettes. I carry e-cigs in their cigarette pack-sized charging case there. The plastic latch is on an adjustable compression strap, so you can cinch it down to match how you have stuffed your bag.Hidden Back Pocket:There is zippered access on the exterior of the back of bag (the part that lies against your body) for a flat pocket that is the length and width of the bag itself. In it, you could store a checkbook, reading glasses, sunglasses, toothbrush, tube of paste, comb, and anything else of similar length (as long as it is thin) or all of the above at once.Under-Flap Pocket:If you unbuckle and raise the main flap, it exposes the outside of yet another flap which can be opened sideways to expose the credit card storage area (and more). On the exposed side is an un-zippered pocket large enough for a man's wallet, a ring of keys, and a cell-phone. I keep all of those in that pocket. This interior flap is held in place by a wide canvas and Velcro strap at the top.Credit card pockets (and more):I refer to what is exposed when the interior flap is opened.Six credit card slots, the lowest of which has a clear plastic cover for photo-ID, are on the interior of the flap. As noted in another review, the top five of those credit card pockets are too deep. If credit cards were square, they would be just right. I'm not using them for anything, since my wallet fits in a pocket already mentioned, above, and that gives me more options.A zipper opens a flat pocket behind those credit card slots, which are just right for my collection of: USB e-cig charger, thumb drives, and "Lightning" cable.Along the fold of that inner flap, there is an un-zippered pocket about the right size for a passport. A long loop is stitched into that fold to hold a pen. The pen loop is unusually wide, and would hold a marker, or perhaps a small flashlight if that was needed.On the right side, opposite the opened flap, are two more tiered pockets (it looks like three in the image)-- just the right size for holding 3" by 5" note cards-- which I often use. There is also an un-zippered pocket behind those.Pros:* It perfectly serves my intent of buying something to carry my iPad Mini over my shoulder.* It also carries everything else I normally want with me, and allows me to empty my pockets.* The large open pocket under the flap enables me to stop sitting on my wallet (and my back is thankful for that).* That I can carry my wallet in it means I do not have to "move out" of my wallet and "move into" the bag.* It is a great price.Cons:* The interior credit card storage area is useless for credit cards because they are too deep (minus one star for that).* My decision to keep my wallet in it means that opening the flap to withdraw that so as to make a purchase probably makes me vulnerable to "man-bag" comments (no one would comment when removing an iPad from it)!Neutral but worth mentioning:* In the current socio-political environment regarding 'conceal and carry' and 'gun control' issues, the bag could serve as a place for a concealed handgun, and looks like it; despite not being a very practical design for that. You may want to be extra casual if entering a bank with this over your shoulder. As I mentioned, I wear it resting against my back. If I wore it to the side, under my left arm, it might appear to some as if I might "draw" at any moment.To be determined-- "How well will it hold up?"I am not likely to be disappointed. At the price, it serves my expectations and desires such that if it starts to come undone in, say, a few months, I will order several to have on hand. The canvas is sure to last, but the nylon linings and stitching thread could be the weak points. If it turns out that I become disappointed, I will update.Quick Review: After a year or so, this bag is still better than I expected for all the reasons outlined, and it still looks brand new. Excellent!I bought this thing for two reasons:1. I carry a rather unreasonable amount of stuff (in part because have been spoiled by the capacious pockets found on bike jerseys and in part because I have stupid allergies that require me to carry an Epi-pen).2. I inevitably forget to take some small piece of said unreasonable amount of stuff out of my pocket at the airport, resulting in a nerve-wracking security-gate experience for me and longer wait times for everyone else ... and that's no fun.The obvious solution was to acquire a variant on the 'European shoulder bag' concept. However, I had some pretty stringent requirements:1. It had to be small, but at the same time tall enough to hold my Epi-pen.2. It had to have a removable shoulder strap.3. It had to be durable.The first two requirements pertain to bike-friendliness: I wanted to be able to drop my "shoulder bag" in one of my bike's panniers with my school stuff without it taking up too much space. The removable strap just makes it easier to do that.The third pertains to the fact that I can be pretty hard on my stuff. It's not that I don't know how to take care of things, just that I'm very often outdoors cycling, hiking, and so forth. I didn't want to have to obsessively babysit some dainty man-purse; I wanted something that could keep up.I've had my Travel Portfolio Shoulder Bag for a couple weeks now, and I'm pretty impressed with it. It's about the perfect size -- holds wallet, phone (HTC Inspire, for size reference), keys, Epi-pen, and inhaler with ease, and even offers room for a small paperback book if I'm feeling ambitious (and literary).It takes up very little space in a bike pannier, but it also has a nifty strap on the back that allows me to lash it to the outside of the panniers, the bike itself, or just about anything else.Its construction is solid, and it's made of heavy canvas. Strong cotton web straps -- the same stuff they use to make those flat cotton lead lines for horses, by the way -- complete the picture.A staggering array of interior pockets of different sizes is coupled with two external zip pockets -- a small one on the top flap and a large one that runs the length of the back. An integrated pen holder ensures the security of your favorite writing implement. The largest inside pocket is, as I've mentioned, capacious enough to tote a small paperback (or your travel journal of choice, or possibly even a 7" tablet PC).The bag's hardware also appears durable. The snaps on the strap are metal and seem solid; same goes for the D-rings to which they attach.When I ordered this, I felt a little iffy about its vertical orientation. In fact, I've now determined that said orientation is actually ideal. It allows you to sling the strap across your body so the bag tucks under your arm, where it fit snugly, for security. I am still able to use mine on the bike as a sort of "mini-messenger bag," cinching the strap up so it fits closely and doesn't swing around at speed.Likewise, if you're an idiot like me who can't ever put anything down at a restaurant because you'll leave it behind when you go, you can simply leave this thing on all the time. It's small enough that it doesn't get in the way.I suppose I could complain that this bag could be lighter or made of water-resistant fabric or something, but at its price point, that seems ridiculous (and, frankly, I like the look and feel of the fabric that makes up most of the bag). Simply put, I can't imagine a better-designed, better-built necessity-portaging device than this. If I can find a similar one made of leather, I might add one to my wardrobe, but I'm very happy with this bag.Five stars, flat out. Rarely am I as surprised by the quality and utility of a product as I have been with this inexpensive little bag.This is the third one I have bought. I love them. Smart looking and hard wearing. ONE MAJOR PROBLEM: it is very easy to drop your wallet down into the space between the pockets. I nearly lost my wallet twice before I twigged on sealing this dangerous gap with heavy duty velcro.This item arrived and had generally poor construction. Back strap did not extend to an appropriate length for me and it was generally uncomfortable. Within days, removed the bag and had a cascade of change and my car keys tumble to the floor. Lining to interior pocket had torn open, perhaps from contact with the keys and has now rendered this item useless. I would most definitely not recommend this item. Junk.Very good value for the price.I am using it when travelling or cruising. Very handy with space for a 7 In tablet in the main pocket and still many other pockets for your important stuff. Good secure pocket for your passport and other useful pockets.J'ai été décue par la qualité du tissus qui était finalement de la grosse toile rude, décolorée, je ne l'ai conservée que quelques mois!not completely as describe but perfect