I have kind of an obsession with computer backpacks. I've owned a number of them and spent countless hours looking at pictures and reading reviews. I've never been completely satisfied with a bag but I think that has ended. I happened across this Outdoor Products bag at an REI when shopping for other things. I couldn't believe it. Someone had finally made my perfect bag. In fact, it's perfecter, because it has features I never thought of.

What makes this bag so great?

- Pockets, pockets, pockets. This bag has tons of pockets. It has a large pocket organizer area with a mix of elastic and zippered pockets that are inside the bag. The pockets are labeled so you can remember where you stashed all of your little things. This is perfect. It also has 3 small zippered pockets around the exterior.

- The laptop compartment is isolated and padded. You don't want your laptop jostling around with all of the other stuff in your bag. You also want quick access to it as it's the thing you'll be pulling in and out all the time. And you don't want a big hemisphere zipper that goes all the way around the bag to get at it. It also has a removable padding insert so it will securely hold anything from a 13 to a 17 inch laptop. Again, a perfect solution.

- Sunglasses pocket

- Elastic mesh pouch for a water bottle

- Flat bottom so it is freestanding

- What they call a "quick stash pouch". This is the exterior, front flap you can see in the picture. This is an expandable area you could quickly toss something without fussing with the zippers.

- The back is well padded with channels for airflow.

- One of the coolest features and something I've never seen before is the "retractable check-in slider". This is a pocket running down the center of the back of the bag (against your back). Inside the pocket is a stiff, airline ticket sized wallet that holds a ticket and ID. The wallet has a loop to pull it out and is permanently attached to the bag with an elastic band. There is no risk of losing it or it being stolen. It's hard to describe but it is absolutely the best solution I've seen to what to do with the stuff you need to access when flying.

- There's also a "hidden" pocket on the back for valuables. It's actually the underside of the padding and is inaccessible while you are wearing the bag.

The only design flaw I've noticed is the elastic cell phone holder on the shoulder strap. It's a good idea to give you a spot to put the phone where you can reach it while wearing the bag. The problem is it's too high on the strap and hard to reach.

This bag is a hidden gem. I've never seen it mentioned the many times I've gone searching for the perfect bag. There are hardly any pictures or good information about it on the net. There's actually a cardboard product booklet attached to the bag that does a great job of highlighting it's features with pictures. It's too bad the company doesn't digitize this and make it accessible online. Outdoor Products' website has the tiniest pictures. Their marketing department gets a big fail. (BTW, the most detailed online review and pics you'll find if you google it is for an older version that's quite a bit different. Be sure to compare any pictures you find to the one here. It's easy to tell.)