Practicality and Functionality
There is nothing more frustrating than a product that claims to have all of the bells and whistles yet fails miserably when it comes to real-world use. That is not something that you will have to worry about with the Checkpoint Flyer, as the design team clearly understood the importance of creating a laptop bag that was practical.
The Checkpoint Flyer has a trifold design with the laptop case fitting securely between the front flap and the main compartment. On the front flap, you will find two contoured pockets that are secured with the familiar YKK splash-proof zippers. Inside each pocket you will find one of the “o-rings” that are designed to use a variety of clip-on accessories, such as the key strap that you will find included in the larger of the two pockets. The top-to-side zipper design allows for easy access and makes these pockets a great place to store items such as a small book to read on the plane, power cord and mouse for your laptop, and your cell phone. However, these pockets are not padded so be sure to use caution when deciding what items you will keep in these front pockets.
On the back side of the main compartment, you will find two pockets that provide a convenient place to store items that you need to access quickly. The larger pocket will comfortably fit a magazine, newspaper, or file folders. The bottom of the larger pocket is equipped with a zip-open slot that allows you to secure the bag over the handle of your other luggage. To the right of the large pocket, you will find a narrow pocket that provides a convenient location to hold your boarding pass, iPod, cell phone, or other small items.
One of the more practical design elements of the Checkpoint Flyer is the fact that you can easily access the inside of the main compartment without having to unclip the front flap, as it can become quite frustrating to have to unclip the front flap when you need to retrieve something from your bag.
Inside the main compartment, you will find two additional “o-rings” and two large Dyneema pockets. When coupled with accessories such as the packing cubes, you can even use this compartment as your overnight travel bag. In my daily use, I found the main compartment perfect for stashing my work laptop along with the Horizontal Freudian Slip that kept all of my papers organized.
On the front side of the main compartment, under the front flap and behind the laptop case, you will find two additional zipper pockets. Each pocket is lined with the Dyneema nylon that you find inside the main compartment, as well as one “o-ring” in each pocket. Being tucked away behind the laptop case means these pockets are not entirely convenient – it would be nice to see zipper access from inside the main compartment – but do make a nice place to store small computer-related items, such as a mouse, USB cables and VPN token.