Carrying a laptop in the rucksack

[el-amigo]

Do you have any experience with carrying a normal (14" - 15") laptop in your backpack for one or multiple days?
What essential steps do you do to protect it from crashing, water and rain?
My idea is a dry bag around the machine, or a dry bag liner into the pack, it is good for waterproofing.

Any opinions, advices?

[crashdive123]

I only carry my laptop when I am on business trips. I have never taken it hiking. I sort of like getting away from some of the "electronic leashes" that are part of, and necessary for my "business life".

[el-amigo]

I don't mean it only for hiking, rather when I go to work and home. Public transport and quick rains could make damages on my machine.

Rain is the biggest threat.
My second idea is a good and waterproof map-case.

[crashdive123]

Gotcha. I've not used one, but they do make laptop dry bags. http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/vibe-e02...bag-red/127833

[el-amigo]

So the idea is good.
Now I have to find it somewhere in Hungary.

[Rick]

I've never carried one in anything other than a laptop briefcase for all the reasons Crash outlined. You want to make certain any bag you get will have sufficient padding to prevent impact damage. You also want to make certain you have something like LoJack for Laptops installed. I've seen more laptops walk off that were in bags than out of offices. If yours is a Mac then you have the option of remotely accessing it. Otherwise the LoJack is a good investment if you carry it a lot.

http://store.lojackforlaptops.com/st...=1340973956699

[intothenew]

I have never carried one backpacking, the smart phone takes care of anything I would need then. But, I do carry a netbook most of the time when out on the motorcycle. That can be two to three weeks at a time. I have a padded case and then insert that into a trash compactor bag and tie a knot. I have never had any signs of water or dust penetrating that. At the end of the trip, that bag is used for its intended purpose and replaced with a new one.

The bikes, and a backpack to some extent, will chafe any bag. So I took the disposable route rather than replace a dry bag not if, but when, it wears a hole.

[hunter63]

I just use a padded laptop case when traveling, seem to work OK, hadn't thought about getting wet as it would be "in" what we were traveling in, or 'there".

[el-amigo]

Finally I found the perfect solution: The North Face Recon daysack.

It is a handy rucksack in the city, I can carry my small 14 inch notebook in its water packet -with all of my necessary equipment for work-, and it is really good in the woods for hiking too. On the first day a heavy rain caught me, but my notebook was dry inside the bag without any raincover. Certainly I will buy one in the future.

Here is a link for the pack.

[crashdive123]

Glad you found something that works for you.

[el-amigo]

Glad you found something that works for you.

Thank you, it is always good to find your calculations. I'm getting to be a rucksack maniac...
There were very good, but more expensive Osprey 25-50l rucksacks too.

[JPGreco]

I travel relatively often with my laptop. All I have is a regular backpack with a laptop pocket. Its worked fine for years now. Though I've never had to go farther than my car to the hotel lobby usually, so rain protection has never been a concern.

I do wrap all my gear in my coaching bag though since it sits on the field with me in any weather. Every item in the bag is individually wrapped in plastic bags to resist as much water as possible. Its not really water proof, but it works. Usually in that bag is extra sweatshirt, pants, cellphone, and some other basic items.

If I walked around the city a lot, I would wrap all items in my backpack or whatever I used to carry stuff around. I would also invest in an umbrella. You can easily attach a collapse able umbrella to most back packs.