Timbuk2 Rogue Backpack Review

The Timbuk2 Rogue. Chair with sheepskin not included.

I'm a bit of a frugalite. Or I'm just lazy, not sure which one. But I don't like to buy new stuff. If I can keep using the item that I have I'll happily continue it, even if it's not perfect. One example of this was my backpack. I own a gray school backpack that I've been using since either college or high school. While it's quite worn, it hasn't fallen apart and all the zippers work. The only parts that have broken are one strap had the plastic buckle crack so I have that tied in a non-adjustable knot. And the elastic band that crisscrosses on the back side lost all its elasticity so I ripped that off and kept using it. So maybe I'm a creature of habit.

Anyway, this backpack was very functional, and to be honest I felt this hipster-hipster pride when biking to work in my jeans and regular shoes and regular backpack, going as fast as a lot of other bikers with their clip in shoes and hipster fixies with special biking backpacks. When it rained I would stuff my backpack in a white kitchen garbage bag and use packing tape to tape the front of it so only the straps would be showing. It worked, but let's be honest, it was annoying.

Finally I decided that enough was enough and I didn't care if I was being hipster; I started looking for a waterproof bicycling backpack so I could ditch the kitchen trash bags once and for all. I browsed Amazon, eBags and quite a few other sites to see if I could find a bag that wasn't crazy expensive and would be waterproof. I finally landed on the Timbuk2 Rogue laptop backpack. I liked that I could fit a laptop in it, and it looked pretty cool, and most importantly it was waterproof. It wasn't too expensive and I felt like I could definitely justify purchasing it.

Main compartment with laptop sleeve on the right and small pen pocket on the left.

Getting that backpack has been probably one of the best decisions I've made in terms of biking. Not just because of the laptop and waterproof thing, but I didn't realize how low my school backpack sat on my back. I knew that trying to carry my laptop in the old one seemed reallyyyy heavy. When I put the new backpack on in my living room to test it, I was shocked, SHOCKED at how light everything felt, even with my laptop inside. This backpack sat up right on my shoulders, and so when biking the weight was pushing down on my back, not pulling down on my shoulders.

It also comes with a small chest strap, as well as ample straps to secure your bike locks or other gear on the outside of the pack. There is a water bottle holder which is deep enough to hold my tall thermos without having it fall out onto the side of the road. Some reviewers have said they wished it had a water bottle pocket on both sides, but it doesn't really bother me. I will say that I haven't utilized the gear straps on the back or the side yet at all. Maybe I need some carabiners to hook on the loops?

You can attach your U-lock to this on the outside.

Water bottle pocket on one side tall enough for a tall container.

Overall I am really impressed and honestly don't know how I've gone without for so long. This backpack has made biking with gear a ton easier and I benefit from it every day. It goes to show you that sometimes specialized equipment does actually have a function aside from providing hipster cred ;)

Not sure why a bottle opener was deemed a necessity, but it could come in handy someday and it looks kinda cool.