I’ve been a big supporter of SLAPPA ever since I reviewed my first backpack from them in 2006, and though it might seem like we’ve done nothing but blindly promote their products since then, the praise has been well deserved. In the four years since receiving the Velocity SPYDER Pro for review, the bag hasn’t exactly been treated with tender loving care. And yet, despite being jammed to capacity (and beyond) and dragged through airport security more times than I’d care to count, it still looks brand new. In other words, it definitely held up its end of the bargain in terms of quality.

Nevertheless, when SLAPPA offered to send over their new M.A.S.K. custom build backpack for review, I jumped at the opportunity – not because I needed a replacement, but because it offered something that their other bags (and to my knowledge, no other bag on the market) didn’t: customizability. With the M.A.S.K., you build your bag from the ground up, like choosing the color of your inner lining and selecting removable faces that offer different looks and functions. For instance, the KOA features three pockets perfect for a camera, some extra lenses, and a few other accessories, while the High Five is a more traditional, all-purpose front pocket. Better yet, they’re a breeze to take off, so if you need to switch faces on the fly, it’s as easy as zipping up a jacket.

To make each bag even more unique, you can also personalize the inside with a wide variety of removable inserts (15 in total with a promise of more to come in the future) ranging from SLAPPA-themed prints to original artwork. And since they’re attached with Velcro, they’re easily interchangeable, especially if you remove the face of the bag beforehand. In addition, the M.A.S.K. boasts the ability to go straight through airport scanners, although I wasn’t able to test if it really works. Then again, the chances that a TSA agent will actually let you go through without removing your laptop are pretty slim, so I’m not too sure how helpful this feature will be to those looking to cut a few seconds off their travel time. You’re willing to try, however, because if SLAPPA says that it works, then I’m inclined to believe them.

After all, this is the same company that swears by the quality of its products, and they haven’t disappointed yet. The M.A.S.K. is water resistant, puncture proof, and nearly indestructible (I was tempted to light it on fire but was afraid I’d burn down my apartment in the process), and it features more room than most people know what to do with. If there’s anything negative to say about the bag, it’s that it’s a little on the bulky side, making it a questionable carry-on item depending on just how much stuff you’ve managed to cram inside it. That’s hardly a bad problem to have, especially when you consider that the SLAPPA M.A.S.K. will not only endure years of abuse, but can change along with your individual needs as well. And with that kind of value, it’s easy to see why we’ve become such loyal supporters.

I’m a traveler. I travel 1-2 weeks per month, sometimes more. And when I travel, I usually take along 2 laptops, at least 4 external hard drives, jump drives, my iPod, several CD-ROMs, and all the cables and accessories to go along with those items. My needs are great, and my expectations from my travel bag are greater. This is why I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the SLAPPA BulkHead 4:1 PRO Laptop Travel Bag.

First, a more solidly built travel bag I am yet to find. While it definitely has a very comfortable feel, you can tell SLAPPA put a lot of thought into protecting your gear. And talk about space! It’s almost deceptive how much space you really have. To my surprise, I had no issue loading this thing up will all my gear. And the best part, it detaches into 4 separate compartments. Only taking one laptop on this trip? Remove the 2nd laptop compartment and you’re ready to go. And, that second compartment can act as its own laptop bag. It has its own shoulder strap. Very convenient. One complaint with the 4 separate compartments is the two in front are difficult to get back on once you remove them. I would suggest not taking them off unless you don’t plan on putting them back. Other than that though, this thing is sweet.

I was a little concerned with the weight of the bag, even before my gear was loaded in it. To my surprise, it was not an issue. The shoulder strap is very comfortable and easily adjustable. The bag settled in on my side and I saw little difference carrying it around compared to my old backpack. This impressed me as I was expecting to be uncomfortable carrying so much on one shoulder.

Finally, any concerns about taking this on a plane can be put to rest. It fits perfectly under the seat in front of you or in the overhead bin. Even if you carry two laptops.

So, to sum up the SLAPPA BulkHead 4:1 PRO Laptop Travel Bag in a few words, I would say sturdy, tons of space, comfortable, versatile, and reliable. How many bags out there can go from two laptops will all your gear, to one laptop with all your gear, to one laptop with no gear, to just your gear? All of that with an extremely sturdy frame and a very comfortable carry. There’s only one bag I know that does all that and it’s the SLAPPA BulkHead 4:1 PRO Laptop Travel Bag.

I’ve owned a pretty dependable laptop bag for about five years, so when SLAPPA’s Aura Pro-Tour backpack arrived at my doorstep, it had some big shoes to fill. Not that my previous backpack was without its flaws, mind you; it just…worked. Well, the Aura Pro-Tour works even better, and my old bag has officially been retired to the basement.

This thing is solid, which is to be expected from a SLAPPA bag. Made of Ballistix water- and tear-resistant nylon, the Pro-Tour will keep your laptop and all your gear well protected, which is of course priority #1 for any quality bag. And with 1700 cubic inches of available space and six storage pockets, I had no problem fitting all my junk inside, with room to spare: 15-inch laptop, iPod, headphones and earbuds, network cable, more random chords and cables, some DVDs, two books, a notepad, a couple of magazines, and several pens and pencils. That may seem like a relatively short list for such a big backpack, but the Pro-Tour sets itself apart by offering a removable inner bag for digital gear and/or SLR camera storage. I loaded the bag up with my Nikon D40, additional lens, point-and-shoot camera, Flip video camera, extra batteries and memory cards, and two chargers, slid the bag into the backpack’s main compartment behind the laptop storage area, and I was ready for anything. I can’t tell you how cool this feature is, considering in the past I wasn’t able to bring my SLR with me on a plane unless I checked my suitcase, because I had to carry my laptop and the camera/accessories in separate bags. Having one bag for both makes the Pro-Tour a keeper for any photographer, aspiring or otherwise, plus it’s still small enough to qualify as a carry-on.

I should mention that, when I had my laptop and camera equipment both loaded into the Pro-Tour, there wasn’t a whole lot of extra room for some of the items I previously listed, since the removable gear bag fits in the area where those things would otherwise be stored. That, of course, isn’t a complaint, just a reminder that this do-it-all bag has its limitations. As purely a laptop bag, the Pro-Tour offers great protection and should be plenty big enough for all of your extra items. As an all-in-one travel bag for gadget geeks with a bunch of equipment to lug around, SLAPPA’s Pro-Tour backpack is unbeatable.

Since I am what one might call a low-tech computer guy – 14” laptop, no PSP, no crackberry, not even an iPod – I chose one of SLAPPA’s “smaller” bags — the Ballistix Aura Shoulder Bag — and I’m still pretty sure I can fit my two-year-old son in this thing. There are two spacious pockets in the main storage area, each of which could easily fit my laptop (they’re wide enough to fit one up to 17” in length), and just above it, at the joint of the flap, is a long rectangular pocket which is great for storing cables or a power cord. The inside front has one deep square pocket and two smaller pockets for the aforementioned PSP, iPod, or crackberry. There are two utility pockets on each side (my mouse fits perfectly in them), two zippers on the back that open into the same storage space (if someone can explain why anyone would use both zippers at the same time, I’m all ears), a handle and thick shoulder strap, and the case locks together through two hefty, metal clamps. This bag is so well padded that you could probably drop it from space and your laptop would emerge without a scratch. At present, I’m using roughly 50% of the space and storage options available to me. My old laptop bag looks positively pitiful by comparison.

I don’t even know if kids today will get the “Matrix” joke in the subject line, but, seriously, the Ballistix PTAC Matrix Laptop Shoulder Bag has got just about everything you’d possibly need in a bag. Let’s run through the bullet points, shall we?

It’s made of water and tear-resistant nylon, so your computer’s safe if you get stuck in the rain again; it has a quilted inner lining with what’s described as “super-cush laptop padding,” so it can handle some bumps and bruises without doing any damage to the machinery inside; it fits both 15.4″ and 17″ notebooks (which is a little unfortunate in my case, since my lowly little 14″ baby doesn’t need nearly as much space as has been provided for it); most importantly, though, it’s loaded with compartments, though the nicest is clearly the one for your electrical cord, which is located at the top of the bag rather than on the sides. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been poked by the cord…but no more, my friend! The mirror-plated alloy clasps may feel like a bit much for those of us who don’t need their bag to look all shiny, but the adjustable shoulder strap is certainly more than comfortable enough.

As a writer who finds himself traveling around the country for business on occasion, the best bit about this particular model is the amount of space that’s available for you to carry items other than your laptop. I’m a TV critic, and I can’t begin to tell you how many press kits and DVD screeners will fit in this thing, but, y’know, whatever your line of work, if you you travel often and regularly find yourself picking up new materials along the way, this model may well keep you from having to carry a second bag on your next trip.