For day to day travel in the city, a messenger, tote or even a canvas rucksack should serve you well, but when it comes to travel, a rucksack with some support and technical elements can go a long way when you’re en route. Backpacks tend to gradually phase themselves out as people tend to get older for fear of still looking like they’re headed to school but that’s not to say Porter, Duluth and Seil Marschall haven’t been doing some terrific things to cater to the older folk who can’t do without. While the aformentioned certainly look great, our shoulders, lower backs and wallets sometimes require something with a little bit more form and function.
Our search eventually led us to the Côte et Ciel Rucksack which is more of a two-in-one backpack designed to house a Macbook and a ton of other peripherals in separate front and back compartments. The front, main compartment opens like a large duffle making it quick to load and unload whereas the rear, cleverly hidden with a concealed zipper, provides easy access to a soft cotton inner-lining for laptops. But if that won’t suffice in protecting your Mac, the exterior shell made from durable, water resistant CetCcycle (recycled PET bottles) certainly will.
The chances are you’ll never be hard pressed to find a backpack. Or even a good, technical backpack at that. From a utilitarian perspective, one from Mountain Equipment Co-Op or L.L. Bean should, by all accounts, last you a lifetime. Though some days you may not always want to look like you just crushed the Elgin Hiking Trail in 45 flat. For all other occasions, we’re big believers in canvas with some leather a la Duluth, but for those prone to overfilling, over-packing and over organizing, Côte et Ciel is the truth.
Available here or direct from Côte et Ciel.
Ando says: 
Axel Stern 
