Customer Reviews Timbuk2 Especial Stash Messenger Medium

I purchased this bag to have as a carry on bag for my work laptop, iPad, chargers and accessories required for work. The bag is large enough for all the above and a book. My only complaint is the strap and the limits that it has for carrying options. The materials are all heavy duty and look great.

The bag is great. Love the daisy chain to attach keys, badge, etc. High vis liner is nice. The bottle slot only holds a small bottle securely. Now for the strap. Everyone complains about the immovable pad. That's because it is a true messenger bag meant to be worn cross body (like in the picture) not on the same shoulder as the bag hangs. That's why it's immovable. It's the only bag I own that is comfortable for crossbody wear. I guess they could point that out to people looking to buy. Now the bad thing about the strap. The adjustment buckle. The magnetic release and all sounds great but doesn't work. It's not needed because as soon as you pick up the bag, the strap loosens itself. It's constant frustration having to pull it tight every time you use it. Once on, it's pretty solid. I have commuted to work with it and it doesn't move and feels secure. Crossbody so it doesn't sway. Other than that, and the scuffing of the material, I haven't been able to find a replacement. Neither Tom Bihn or Waterfield designs can match it.

The bag is much nicer in person than expected. It's roomy and allows you to carry many necessities. The only downside for me, is that the padding on the strap is in a fixed position and does not allow for adjustment so the bag can be carried in different positions. Not sure why they did this but it's restrictive. Future iterations should allow for the pad to be adjusted along the strap. Otherwise, I'm very impressed with this bag.

This is my first Timbuk2 bag. I've wanted to buy one for years but kept waiting for the "right" one. It was love at first sight and I'm committed but not without some issues. I read enough about the shoulder strap to be forewarned but I felt that since I haven't experienced the other Timbuk2 messengers, how could I miss something I never had? I can see now that it's not a deal breaker but I'm left wondering what could have been? Overall, this bag is solid. One note, the zipper for compartment for the laptop is tighter than you think for a 15" MacBook. I have a 16" MacBook and it's way too big. It still fits in the iPad compartment so I'll use the zipper area for my iPad if necessary. I won't be carrying both at the same time anyway. Overall, it will be perfect for what I need it for, but could have been perfect for everything If the strap and zipper pocket were better.

I'm a professor, and have had a number of Timbuk2 messengers, that I use around campus. Lately I've been riding my bike to work, and it's been raining a lot, so I've wanted a waterproof bag. I really like the look, design and size of this bag. The one thing I don't like is the style of the strap. I don't wear this while riding, I put it in a panier. And I don't like wearing a bag cross-body most of the time (esp when I'm wearing a sport coat). So I ended up grabbing the shoulder strap off my older bag, and it works surprisingly well (even though it doesn't look as nice or match). Since the square connectors on the bag are at an angle, the clip connectors on the older strap hook into the top "corner", which is great. I would love it if there was an option for a different strap that was designed like the other messengers.

Holds me neeeded objects very well. Compartmentalization is very well thought out. The main issue is the shoulder strap...the pad gets sloppy due to its proximity to the fold of the bag when not being used. And when you choke up on the slack of the strap it inevitably loosens up due to fastener of the length of it. Not sure why that part is lacking because i would assume that has a bearing on the overall use of the bag - comfort.

I use the bag to transport my work computer and odds and ends. The materials the bag is made from are awesome, nice to touch, quality, heavy water resistance in my opinion. Whats not great, bag could use more organizers inside but super minor quibble. The big dislike is the shoulder strap, its not adjustable enough. I don't ride bike and don't plan to so why not a strap for those of us who walk? The strap is barely adjustable concerning the padding, does not work the greatest if not used cross body, Timbuk2 make it work as a regular shoulder bag too, why be so limited? Also put in a dedicated portable battery pocket! Would I bug again, absolutely but strap is heading to trash as soon as I get a better one that works.

I've used a classic messenger for years. It's my go to business travel bag. The style and design of the bag is great but it will require an adjustment period. Normally, I wear the bag draped across my shoulder vs. cross body. This strap is shorter and the way the shoulder padding sits, it fits better draped across the body. If you're wearing a heavy winter coat, it could take some getting used to. I was confident from the design of my classic messenger the internal pockets and organization would be great. The laptop pocket, bottle holder and luggage pass-through strap are key features for me. Unfortunately, the pass-through strap doesn't quite fit over the handle of my carry-on.

Great stylist bag. Its water proof. Perfect amount of pockets to stay organized. The only minus is the strap. It is not easy to adjust on the go You have to wear it like a bike messenger bag. I wish the strap pivot so that you can wear it over one shoulder. (A great strap for a messenger bag is Peak Design messenger bag)

The bags quality exceeded my expectations. Great quality inside & out. Enough pockets in all the right places. The strap was easy to use & comfortable. The only downside was the over all size of the bag. I need to tote around two medium sized textbooks, two notebooks, a laptop, a 20 oz liquid container, other school items, & small random things, but the bag could not fit all that. A large would have done the job, unfortunately this bag isn't available in a large.

Mostly office transport use. Had a small "Closer" bag, but was to small for use, so upgraded to the Especial Stash. Nice bag with plenty of well thought out zipper pockets and internal storage. Only flaw is that the strap is designed primarily for over the shoulder messenger use. Would be good to be able to adjust the padded section of the strap.

This is the best I have been looking for for years. Timbuk2 take notice and improve. PROS: Best materials, internal and external Weatherproof tested SEXY: stylish from the board rooms to trains to dates. Just right size. Any bigger capacity will make it too heavy for one shoulder to carry. CONS (this is a near-perfect bag, don't be discouraged by the long list): -Buckle good but needs a person to carry the wright while adjusting. Location of the buckle can dig into collar bone if padding is not straightened. -permanent strap on the left shoulder, switching shoulder is possible but worn on the other side will have the padding on the abdomen part of the belt. the advantage for this is wearing on left shoulder keeps bottle up in the external pocket. Belt sometimes twists and needs straightening - hand handle is small. When the bag is full does not give confidence. Expected a robust one. - Front pocket losses volume with content inside, leaving the main compartment unable to expand forward much, so space is pretty narrow. If one keeps front two pockets free of rigid large objects, the main compartment takes in much more. - The 'concealed' inner pocket behind the computer compartment is puzzling. Can't find the purpose for that. - When the bag is full the organizational pockets are warped or crammed inside or obstructed and hard to reach. Again, this is one stylish and near perfect messenger back. For the price, it feels well worth its value. Thank you TMBK2.

I've been looking at this bag for a while and have been comparing it to other bags from various competitors. I always seem to come back to Timbuk2 bags for a variety of reasons: workmanship, cost, esthetic, etc. I like the messenger look without it being too hard core. I absolutely love the layout of this bag. It's not over engineered... I don't need all those sub pockets and pen holders that never hold the pen anyway. So I like the minimal design. My favorite feature are the two exterior pockets. Right now I keep my notebook in one and my MacBook charger on a reel in the other. Very easy to get to and access. Also keeps those bulky items from consuming too much space in the main compartment. Time will tell on the weatherproof material. I like it, but I live in a drier climate (lots of snow tho) so we'll see next winter how it fares. My one complaint - the strap. It is constantly twisted. It's a poor design. No matter what I do when I go to pick up the bag it's kinked and twisted. I find that now part of my routine I need fuss with aligning the strap. The other issue is that it's great to extend while full and wearing with the quick release but nearly impossible to tighten. I have to bend at the waist, take the pressure off and shimmy the buckle... should be easier. Oh, and I love the quiet magnetic latches...

I've been using this bag for commuting for about two weeks now, walking and taking public trans to work with my laptop, lots of papers, and a jacket or umbrella in the bag. Pros -- Messenger bag design, quality and appearance. I switched to the medium-sized Especial from the medium-sized Command Messenger which I used for many years and looks a bit frumpy these day but is still the gold standard in terms of commuting messenger bag design and quality. The Especial is a lot sleeker and more stylish, but still has all of the space, compartments and zippered pockets that I need as a commuter. It has a slightly smaller capacity overall than the Command messenger, but I can still cram everything into it. I also really like the quality and material compared to the older Command messenger cordura type material. Cons (and there's a big one) -- Strap is a disaster. It loosens on its own when taking the bag on and off, and it's very difficult to adjust/tighten because it's so unnecessarily complicated. Why? Another problem is the strap padding is fixed in place and can't slide (unlike my Command messenger strap) to allow adjustment in how the back sits across your back -- the Especial strap location requires the bag essentially to be worn vertically across the middle of your back. Also unlike the strap on my Command messenger, the Especial's strap is fixed and non-removable so I can't replace it if Timbuk2 releases a better design. Additional cons include the lack of a top carry handle -- when you take the bag on/off, there's no handle to grab. Also, the water bottle pocket, which most people use for a cell phone or wallet including myself, is on the left side of the bag (unlike my Command messenger where it's on the right side). That means you can't reach that pocket while wearing the bag because the pocket is up between your shoulder blades. Three stars because the strap is so bad.

Good quality & external zipper w/ key leash is nice, but there some things that detract from it's over all usability. My other Timbuk2 bag is 19 years old and has been to 72 different countries, but started to so its age so i splurged on the Especial Stash Messenger Bag. My top 4 complaints, water bottle slot is in the middle of my back, instead of left hip, pockets under flap outside bag are too loose and I'm afraid my phone/passport would fall out and don't use it, when there is a little weight in the bag the padding is not on the shoulder, and there are no internal bottle type slot to put my sunglasses case so I always have to dig around in my bag to try and find them.

I was impressed when I first received this bag. However, after using it for a few days, I ran into multiple issues with the strap loosening. Additionally, the pad is non adjustable, which was difficult when I wanted to carry the bag differently. The outside is beautiful, but it feels like it will scratch easily. I've only used Timbuk2 messengers for work for almost twenty years. I don't think this will hold up for too long. I switched for a customizable bag.

I use the bag for work travel. The strap is designed to wear one way only and it is annoying. Otherwise the bag is great, especially the outside compartment. Would be great to buy an alternative strap, but I did not find one in the accessories section.

I really want to like this bag more because the quality is so good, but there's some odd design choices. 1. The fixed location of the pad and crossbody strap is annoying at times. 2. When you put the bag down it flops over and since the laptop sleeve doesn't close, your laptop is not that secure. 3. If the strap/handle on the back was moved up just a bit it would carry much better. The quality of this bag is great though. The contrasting inside is nicely done. I'd recommend it but be aware of the design quirks as it's not an inexpensive bag. If those are show stoppers for you go with a more traditional messenger that has more adjustability (I still have a 25 y/o timbuk2 messenger).

Bag was nice, but bigger than I expected. Bag looked great, but I actually returned it and ordered the Commute Messenger Bag 2.0 and like the size of that much better.

Unfortunately, I'll be exchanging this bag because it is too narrow for what I wanted to use it for. I really wanted to like this bag, but it doesn't work for me.

I use this bag for work and personal use. I wanted something water/weather proof, good looking, durable and functional which this bag is. I don't use this bag while riding a bicycle. Things I like: water/weatherproof; 17" laptop fits inside comfortably; reasonably attactive; brightly-colored interior Things I don't like: strap pad is immobile; handle is awkward to use; bag is poorly balanced on body and by itself; dull styling; expensive

This bag is the perfect size and weight for my daily commute. Unfortunately, I very disappointed in the strap design. It's nearly impossible to tighten the strap once you have the bag over your shoulder and there is weight (laptop, files, lunch and a water bottle) in the bag. Further, the strap pad is fixed in place so the bag needs to hang nearly perpendicular to the ground when worn on the right shoulder, which renders the water bottle pocket nearly useless. I will remain a fan of Timbuk2, but will definitely fashion a more effective strap from replacement parts available at Timbuk2.com.

I was expecting a little more width. Two open pockets under flap need some sort of closure. Any tips of how I could secure contents. Great bag other then that... Please let me know if someone comes up with any ideas....thank a million, Zeke

Pros: - Waterproof - Good pocket layout - Design aesthetic - Magnetic clips - Construction quality Cons: - Smaller than you would think - Strap design is significantly worse than classic messenger (I'm considering getting a classic messenger strap to go with this bag) - Water bottle holder is too small for larger bottles. Overall: The strap design is my main gripe with this bag, I want the ability to move the cushioned area of the strap as well as the quick detach and adjust of the classic messenger. If it was a bit bigger and had a classic style strap it would essentially be perfect. Addendum: bring back the top waterproof zipper of the premium messenger.

I just got this bag in the mail. At first glance it was perfect. Then I started trying to adjust the straps. Only then did I realize what a previous reviewer meant about "can only be worn cross-body"; the strap is designed so that all the padding is near one of the attachment points. If you want to use it as a shoulder bag (or across your body so that the bag is at your hip), the edge of padding is right on your shoulder, not doing any good at all. I'm so disappointed. This bag is being returned tomorrow.