messenger bag/backpack recs?

[swan_tower]

My beloved Timbuk2 messenger bag is kind of dying. The bag itself is still pretty solid, but the waterproof lining on the cover has at this point cracked in enough places that just sticking electrical tape over the splits is no longer going to cut it.

The problem is, Timbuk2 doesn’t seem to make this bag anymore. It’s their convertible messenger bag/backpack — I don’t remember the product name anymore, but I don’t see anything like that on their site. (If I’m just overlooking it, do point me in the right direction!) Who else makes a good, solid product in that vein? My three requirements are 1) waterproof, 2) with a protected laptop compartment, and 3) convertible.

Mind you, there is an argument to be made that I’m better off with an actual backpack and an actual messenger bag as separate things, because this was never ideal as a backpack. But it was dead useful when I did my research trips for the Onyx Court books, because I could put it on my back while hiking ten or fifteen miles around London, and then switch it to a messenger bag to look more professional when I met with people. I’m not doing that type of trip these days, so the need is less pressing than it used to be. But still, I’ve gotten used to it, and don’t want to give up without at least a bit of a fight.

Originally published at Swan Tower. You can comment here or there.