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

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.