picture coming soon!

Although I've been waiting to post this review for far too long, the good news is that I am still just as enthusiastic about my new courier bag as I was the day I first laid hands on it. On a visit to Toronto a couple months ago, I decided it was time to look into finally getting a new bag. The old hand-me-down, left-shouldered Timbuktu bags I'd been using weren't cutting it, especially since I had to wear them with the strap upside down in order to use them on my right shoulder. Not a problem with the Push the Envelope bags; the owner offered to reverse the strap on any bag I wanted while I waited. I picked a medium, right-shouldered black bag and opted to have it customized with sparkly 50s diner booth style vinyl (also done while I waited).
The bag has held up very well, and has a number of features that blew me away. The part that impresses people the most – and which totally sold me on the bag – is the shoulder strap system. Whereas most bags that I've seen have a thick shoulder strap and a tiny chest strap, the straps on these bags are of equal size and lay evenly across the chest. Finally, I don't have some unwanted bizarre bra action every time I strap in! It's no surprise, then, that these bags are designed and made by a woman – it's the most comfortable fit I've ever had in a bag. These straps are also made of that durable synthetic material, instead of the softer stuff that tends to fray, and the shoulder strap is amply padded. The buckles on the straps are heavy duty too, with clips to hold the loose ends in place on the large straps. The large buckles make a Y shape with the shoulder strap, making it very easy to clip the bag on from either side. The compression straps are also cleverly designed. There are two sets of buckles on each side, allowing for a quick and easy transition from a minimal load to an overflowing bag. Basically, one set of clips reach to a buckle near the mouth of the bag for a larger load, while another set of clips located on the same strap can be hooked to the buckle near the base of the bag for a quick switch to a smaller load, at which point the clips at the end of the straps can be hooked to the top buckles and kept out of the way. There is also a soft handle at the top of the bag.
The quality of the material is generally high. The exterior fabric is durable and seems to stay fairly clean. The lining is made of waterproof PVC and is thick enough to avoid punctures from whatever sharp objects I've thrown in my bag so far. The stitching has also held up very well. I was also impressed with the well-planned reflective strips on this bag, particularly the one that runs sideways along the bottom for visibility from following traffic. The other strip runs attractively from the top to the bottom of the flap, highlighting the shiny "push the en velo pe" logo. For a smaller bag, this one provides a variety of pockets.
The central part of the bag has one letter-sized pocket in the back, two large stuffing pockets on the side which are very useful for a sweater or a can of beer, and one zipping CD-sized pocket (I can probably fit 10 in there) in the front. The front panel has two mediums sized open pockets, a big zipping pocket, a medium open pocket, a small open pocket, and two pen pockets. I can fit a lot in this small bag, and in many different ways. The only problem with the bag being so compact and its pockets being so ample is that the main compartment can get completely taken over by the bulging pockets.
Overall, I am very satisfied with this bag and have recommended the company to friends already. So far, though, I'm the only one on this side of the Canadian border I've seen sporting one. The longer I have it, though, the more I'm kicking myself for not getting a larger one instead. I definitely use this bag beyond its intended carrying capacity. I might invest in a larger Push the Envelope bag one of these days, especially if I wind up in Toronto again. Picture yet to come, but check out the website: pushtheenvelope.com.
leslie