When this journalist used to go to school in America, he was told he had a locker. He never really found it, truth be told, and so he carried every back-breaking book in a bad that he’s still surprised held, bringing what was essentially his office (for homework, anyway) everywhere he went.
How he wished backpacks were built then the way they are now.
This week, one such backpack is making this journo walk— sorry, stumble down memory lane, as Everki announces it has a backpack designed to carry most of an office in the space of hand luggage, with the bag able to be carried, held, and rolled to where ever it needs to go.
Called the “Atlas”, it’s a backpack that adds in a large compartment for a computer, flaps and pockets for magazines and small documents, an easily accessed phone pocket, and even a pocket with some RFID protection built in aimed at blocking counterfeit card readers from scanning information directly from smart documents and cards, such as credit cards and passports with electronic identification inserts.
The outside colouring is designed to be professional, with black being the name of the game, while the inside is bright orange to help you find everything on the inside, as well as telling you when something is left open and unzipped.
Everki has also had a good think about the materials, and while they’re not going to survive a heavy rain storm, we’re told the ballistic nylon exterior is water-repellant, and should prevent your wares from being damaged by the odd spot of rain, as well as any drinks you may or may not accidentally spill.
Wheels are also a big part of this design, but there’s an element of protection for this section when not in use or handled as a backpack, with a velcro enclosure to protect the wheels from leaving marks on your clothing. When they are in use, however, you’ll be able to hold the bag with a light handle that Everki says is still quite durable.
“We’ve been designing bags for the mobile professional since 2005 and we’ve heard what our clients’ needs are in terms of organisation, mobility and control,” said Everki’s Vyrio Ngo.
“Our customers want the superior organisational control of a backpack, with the traveling ease of a wheeled bag. That’s the beauty of the wheeled Atlas. It’s the best of both worlds.”
In this country, the Everki Atlas will carry a recommended retail price of $399, making it a rather pricey bag, though it is one that should let you roll everything you hold dear down a road. It’s not the first of its kind, but Everki is hoping its combination of toughened materials and assortment of pockets will make it stand out.
We’ll be taking it for spin shortly, so expect a review in the coming weeks. Until then, we’ll just recall what it was like to pack every book into one big bag to carry, and wonder what it would have been like to roll them all down the corridors instead.
