Expandable Trek Backpack

Reviewed by Daniel Mackenzie

Brenthaven Retail Store 200 W. Holly Street Bellingham, WA 98225 Toll-Free 1-888-212-5301 Fax 360-752-3362 orders@brenthaven.com Brenthaven Corporate 300 Harris Avenue Bellingham, WA 98225 http://www.brenthaven.com/ $100 USD, $100.06 CND, 70.94 Euro, 49.49 GBP   Strengths: Lots of padding, protects your notebook, lots of pockets, good quality zippers, comfortable.   Weaknesses: Slides down your shoulders and can get uncomfortable.

Introduction

Many companies that produce laptop protection make backpacks but some of them aren’t very good. Your laptop bounces around and it can be uncomfortable. Not with this one. The Expandable Trek is an excellent backpack for anyone with a need to travel with their laptop. Loads of pockets and space also make it easy to take along your peripherals.

 

Getting Started

There isn’t too much to say here. You just open up the back compartment and slide your laptop into the padded area. That’s it. Then, just put it on your back. You can adjust the straps on the backpack easily by pulling on them. The helmet carrier on the front of the backpack can be taken off and put into a small compartment in the bottom if you don’t need it.

Using the Hardware

I have had a very good experience with this backpack. All of the zippers are good quality. None of them have jammed or gotten stuck. This is one thing I hate about cheap backpacks is the zippers. They get stuck and then you can’t get at what is inside. Anyway, almost every pocket comes in handy. The two pockets on the side can be used as water bottle holders, the one on the very front can be used for pens, pencils and other things like that. A compartment can be expanded or collapsed as needed for extra space. In the main compartment, there are four open pockets, the laptop area and extra space for books, notes, etc. These four pockets can be used for extra peripherals and smaller things. They just come in handy. Also, on the top of the backpack, there is another fleece-lined pocket. Delicate things like glasses or watches can be stored here.

 

Okay, lets talk about durability. I take this backpack to and from school every day and it still looks brand new. It is made of strong, durable fabric that can stand up to falls, being dragged across the floor and being kicked occasionally. It is excellent. The padding hasn’t worn out at all and it’s comfortable. Unfortunately, after a while of wearing it, the backpack begins to slide down your shoulders. This can get annoying and uncomfortable. I haven’t yet found a way to counter-act this but I’m sure there is a way.

 

Conclusion

Overall, this is an excellent backpack. It provides great protection to your laptop and anything else in the backpack. The padding is comfortable most of the time and it is lightweight. Anyone who is looking for a good backpack, laptop or not, should check this out. Great job Brenthaven!

 

Recommendation

Anyone who needs a new backpack would benefit from this product. It even works better if you have a laptop.