Customer Reviews Timbuk2 Especial Scope Expandable Pack

The look of the scope expandable is great but it has some major design flaws. I should start off by saying my previous commuter pack was the Timbuk2 especial tres roll-top (great bag!) and weatherproofness of a pack is always my main concern then internal organization, and lastly style/comfort. I would have purchased the shelter roll-top but there was a review that said the magnetic buckles for the main compartment come undone (and lack or internal organization if I'm being honest). The things I liked about the scope were that it had a lot of internal organization but the green mesh organizers seem like that could damaged easily. In additional I liked the depth of the water-bottle / u-lock side pockets but there were very narrow. At best I can fit my 20 oz klean kanteen. Anything wider wont fit inside the magnetic compression straps. The main negative of the scope is that weather resistant zippers become less weather resistant when you fill the bag up with stuff especially the so called "waterproof" back panel pocket. What happens is the weather resistant material that covers the zippers stretch outs when you fill the backpack which exposes the zipper to the rain). Therefore, I have to use a rain cover for a backpack that should be close to weatherproof. Very frustrating! Second gripe about the back is that the expandable function of the bag when open makes it less water resistant. The reason for this is the material is not the same as the external material of the rest of the bag. Furthermore using the expandable space makes it very top heavy. Thus, this space is only good for lite things such as sweater. Next, the quasi-waterproof laptop compartment is very narrow and can only hold ultra thin laptops without a case! Furthermore, the laptop compartment is very hard to open all the way. You can open it 90% of the way then the zipper handle gets caught up where the bottom shoulder meets the bag. Finally, no waste strap. Timbuk2 please do better..

Bought this for a job. Then I realized that I needed it for a trip. So I loaded it up with my stuff for a few days. Realized it expands. The only problem is that it expands from the top. So, it becomes top heavy. otherwise it works great.

The bag is well laid out with enough space to organise your daily belongings. I travel to work every day and needed a backpack that could handle my needs. The scope fits this perfectly. What would have been great would've been when the bag gets bigger to carry more gear that the bottom also extends not just the top. Compression straps would also help and a waist band. When you drive a little off road over bumps then the bag jumps up and down thus a waist band would be a good idea to stop this. If you don't go over bumps then not a problem. Very happy with the bag

A friend bought this backpack and I borrowed it for a trip. I had to buy one. This is the perfect expandable backpack so I only traveled with two carry-ons when I recently went to spain. Took my remote office and clothes.

Bought as a Christmas gift for my husband and he loves it. His only mention was that he'd like a few more compartments but he said it's great otherwise. He has a heavy work laptop that he has to cart around and said this bag makes it feel like it's not even in there!

This is my second of these bags, the other one lasted a good 6 years. It's a fantastic layout and the expander is really good for when you're just going to be a little bulkier. The double sleeves is great for a laptop and iPad combination. Really easy to handle through TSA.

Really nice pack. Use it for work including business travel. Lots of places to organize things - including laptops and iPads. Also good and modern looking. Very happy so far.

Bought this bag for my boyfriend and he really loves it! It's able to fit all his belongings for weekend trips and the green is amazing!

I love my new bag! As someone who uses it for both work and travel, I appreciate how versatile it is. The expandable feature is especially useful when I need to pack more items for a longer trip. The backpack is also very comfortable to wear, even when it's fully loaded. Although it is a bit bigger and longer than other bags I have used in the past. The quality of the materials is top-notch and the design is sleek and modern. It has become my go-to carry on bag for trips.

Been toting this thing around for four years now. It's held up very well and can fit all sorts of things in one go (laptop, charger, lunch, workout gear). In fact, I'm submitting a warranty claim which is the impetus for me to write this review - it's so good that I want to keep using it. I'm sticking with this bag until I find another bag that functions just as well and is as durable.

I can fit the 16' MacBook Pro on with a separate sleeve in the main compartment. In the dry compartment fits but is difficult to take out.

Great bag! Slim enough to hold a laptop and not look bulky, but also expands to hold a weekend's worth of stuff if desired. Seems pretty weatherproof and durable. Professional looking in a way earlier messenger bags were not.

I bought this backpack for grad school in Chicago weather and so far has been extremely durable. I love the waterproof laptop compartment for when the weather is bad, and I don't worry about leakage. I like the shape as well because it keeps it against your back and upright which creates less strain. I think its worth the price tag so far as long as it lasts me for years and years to come.

I have had this bag for 3 years. I use it daily for my workbag and travel with it as my go bag. The bag is supper tough and keeps out the weather. I love this bag.

Overall satisfied with the initial quality and look, now is just wait to see how long it will last. Hope there will be more color options in future.

If you're a built guy I would reconsider this back pack, the shoulder strap gap is pretty narrow so the straps are always pulling outward. This has made me stretch out a few shirt collars by accident. Definitely built well but it's not for everyone.

I have had this bag for the past 6 years. It's stood by me in college when I was Commute via bike and train... and now, at my first job. The bag is made well. Have been knocked around quite a bit. The look is great. Very sleek and professional. The inside construction is nice regarding the laptop pocket and small compartments. I don't use the waterproof slot at all really. I've used it a few times before. I wish they would have made thr top part of the bag out of that waterproof material as it has freyed pretty early in its use. Cons: 1. Durability of the Waterproof lining put at the top and around the bag 2. Narrow straps dig into shoulders, especially with a heavier load. Is terrible in the summer because the material digs into your skin if you're not wearing a pretty thick shirt. I'm thin though, so idk if this impacts at all Overall this bag is definetly worth the money. Look it over and see if this is a construction you could utilize. I would only buy this bag at a discount, like I do most things lol.

I bought the Scope as a long-term commuter backpack. All in all it's a great bp for the price and has an absolutely beautiful design. Nevertheless, there are a couple of downsides I see after using it for a couple of weeks: * it's not as spacious as I thought it would be. even with the top part being expandable the main pocket feels small. * the materials are not as weather-proof as I thought they would be. I used it under mild rain and some of the leather in the strap is starting to peel off. this is not good as I intended it to be my ride or die in rainy/misty san francisco. Beyond this, the Scope has been great. The smaller pocket fits small books and all of the pencils I need for when I'm out or traveling. The pads in the back make the weight feel less than it really is. In summary, if you're looking for an awesome-looking laptop backpack you can take to work, and you're not too worried about heavy rain/ rough weather wearing off the material, get it, don't think twice. Otherwise, consider getting a larger design like e.g. the Clark.

Good bag with a nice amount of storage. However, I wish it had a way to adjust the straps and option for a hip belt. Regardless of the small problems it has, I would definitely purchase it again.

This is a solidly made backpack, but I miss a lot of the features that the old Especial backpack had. I bought an older version of this backpack around a decade ago which is only now finally start to break down some. Hence why I'm getting a new one. The old version had a lot of great features. It had a key fob inside one of the pockets. It had reflective hits on the outside for when you're biking at night. It had a slick small hidden pocket on the side that rests against your back for a phone or passport. It had a waist strap so the backpack would rest more on your hips for when you had it on for a while. It had a cool big Velcro pocket which was nicely camouflaged into the design. And it had a little pocket towards the top which was great for sunglasses. Oh! And the side pockets were wide enough for a U-bike lock. It was a really great backpack for bicycle commuters. I honestly wish Timbuk2 just kept making that backpack. But I bought this one because even though it doesn't have any of these features, I know it will last another decade or so.

The bag is great but the exterior has started to peel off which is really disappointing!! The external laptop sleeve is great. It has the right amount of slots and I like the way it expands.

Great backpack for travel and everyday use but exterior has started to delaminate and the backpack is no longer waterproof. I'm sending it back for repairs and I'll be curious to see how Lifetime Warranty is defined. More durable exterior material would increase its longevity.

The exterior skin peals off with minimum daily use. Basically useless unless you don't mine your backpack shedding everywhere while you're out and about. Timbuk2, please change the exterior material for this backpack and I'd happily buy another one.

I wouldn't have a problem with the price, though the quality really is not there to warrant such a high price. Timbuk2 Has been hanging onto this terrible PVC "weather proofing" For about a decade now, and it has severely cut down on the length of time you can successfully use your bag in bad weather. Rather than incorporate the PVC within the fabric, like so many other high-end bags from Patagonia, Arcterex, etc It's simply a layer of PVC on its own floating over top of a regular nylon bag. This is akin to sewing a garbage bag over your T-shirt and calling it a raincoat. Because of this cheap ineffective method, the plastic begins to crack, tear and peel away- after six to 18 months of daily use. it happened to one of the Parker bags that I had, and now it's happening to this one The only reason I bought this one is because of their warranty- I ended up mailing them the poorly made Parker bag back, and they sent me a gift card for the retail value. Which I had to use on another Timbuk2 product. Then this one did exactly the same thing. Once the plastic cracks rain can get inside and it's just a normal backpack that looks uglier because of the cracked plastic hanging off of it. And this is true across the entire fleet of "weatherproof" bags. They all have exactly the same "weatherproofing" and they all crack and peel within a year or two. Also, another stupid thing that they do over and over again with the expandable storage bags. The expandable storage is always at the top of the bag. It could just as easily be placed at the bottom of the bag, but time and time again, when they offer a bag that can expand to hold more, the expansion is always located at the top, making it awkward and top heavy. Why on earth with somebody make a bag where the, most storage is available at the top; by your neck, rather than lower on your back where it would offer more stability. It looks bad, it feels unwieldy - It's honestly so stupid.

I swapped out my Timbuk2 Spire 1.0 bag for the Especial shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, so it hasn't seen as much use outside of a few days trips. The padded laptop sleeve is incredibly solid and weather proofed, it's organization features are fantastic. However, with as little use this bag has had, the weather proofing materials on the bag are flaking off terribly. According to the local Timbuk2 store it's natural wear and tear and not covered under the lifetime warranty. If I did want the weather proofing to be replaced I'd have to send the bag in and pay out of pocket. While this bag has some great features when it comes to expansion, organizing and a highly protective laptop sleeve, I can't recommend it based on how terrible the materials have held up with very little use.