<p>Okay so this isn't vital, but I want to order a North Face bookbag and a water filter for college tonight. What North Face bookbag is the best and what web site is reputable/has good deals on them. Also where can I find a good pitcher water filter on the net?</p>
<p>I've no knowledge on North Face bags - I'm a JanSport person - so sorry there.</p>
<p>As for the water pitcher w/ filter, you should go to your local Target or Wal-Mart and get it there. If you really insist on ordering online, then check Amazon.com. Both Brita and Pur make pretty good pitchers.</p>
<p>Brita makes a Space Saver version that fits very well in smaller dorm fridges...I don't know about buying it online, but it's definitely a good idea</p>
<p>Brita also has water bottles. That it filters it as you drink it. Pretty efficient if you ask me.</p>
<p>I had the Brita water bottle, but I stopped using it because the filter kept falling off the lid everytime I sipped from the bottle. It became a real nuisance after a while. I don't know if the bottle has been redesigned since...</p>
<p>Get yourself a Timbuk2 bag</p>
<p>you wont be sorry.</p>
<p>ouu, i have a nice northface from <a href="http://www.ebags.com%5B/url%5D">www.ebags.com</a></p>
<p>i think it's free shipping, too.</p>
<p>mine's called the "vault"; it's lasted me for about 2 years without any trouble, and it's just the right size for my books, notebooks, laptop (a 12" ibook), and even food and other junk. i'd buy it again in a snap.</p>
<p>yea the "vault" backpack is pretty good, it fits my 15 inch widescreen laptop easily.</p>
<p>I have a JanSport Odyssey 38 from eBags. It's massive, and holds everything I need really well. The bag itself is really comfortable.</p>
<p>Ironically, the only complaint I have is that it's huge. I am pretty small (like 5'6" and kind of thin), so I look sort of stupid when carrying the fully loaded bag. I get a lot of "wow, that's huge backpack" comments.</p>
<p>Hey, I've got the Odyssey 38 too! It's a really nice backpack, especially since you can convert it for the outdoors as well.</p>
<p>It never stick out when I'm wearing it. But then again, everyone in my school has so many books that almost everyone has a huge backpack.</p>
<p>Is it necessary to get a water filter? I normally just drink water straight out of the tap.</p>
<p>well, water tends to be different in different areas, in terms of bacteria and chemical content. By drinking the same tap water over time, you've become immune to this particular water. If you're moving to another area, you can get sick from drinking unfiltered tap water there, as you are not yet immune to its contents. Eventually, you will build up the immunity after awhile, but there will be some uncomfortable side effects on the way.</p>
<p>Thats not really a huge problem with the water at a vast majority of universities out there.</p>
<p>What is a problem is water taste (everything from old pipes to the quality of water from the souce). If your home water tastes drastically different, you probobly wont get used to the water (because you simply will drink other tihngs). The brita style filter container lets you clean up the taste so you will like it better.</p>
<p>Also, you won't have a tap in your room so if you have a bunch of water in the filter pitcher in the fridge, you dont have to leave to get a drink.</p>
<p>Oh and btw..I'm coming from Toronto...I don't know if water here is cleaner than in other places, but TONS of people drink straight out of the tap. If I'm not mistaken, actually most people do that.</p>
<p>oh, I drink water out of the tap, as do most all the people I know (living just outside minneapolis.</p>
<p>There is a suburb near us though that has another water source (we get water from minneapolis which comes from the river mostly) and their water is absolute crap for drinking unless they have found a new source in hte last few months. I'm sure most people there still drink it but the brita filters must be much more common.</p>
<p>Personally I'm going to school in chicago and my water will probobly be just fine so I will probobly just get a normal pitcher or keep a few nalgenes in the fridge for water.</p>
<p>Are the Timbuk2 bags worth it? They seem nice and I have a small one but the big one is like $100 and then the laptop part is an additional $40 or so. Ideas?</p>
<p>I have the medium which is the best student size IMHO (the large is fricking huge). It's $80, custom built to your specifications (the only upgrade I suggest is the shoulder-strap pad) and has definately outlasted any bag I have ever owned at the same time as getting more use than any bag (I've carried it to every class in high school for 3 years while most of my previous bags got opened and closed a few times a day at the locker). </p>
<p>They are one of the few companies out there that really does do a lifetime warranty for a good product. Its not a shoddy, highly limited warranty, its very plain and simple: "if somethign goes wrong with it, we fix it or rebuild it". The bags are definately worth it.</p>
<p>I dont know about the laptop sleeves. They seem nice (though you can get bags with built in laptop areas too) but they are expensive. it wouldnt be hard to buy a sleeve somewhere (~$20) else or make your own if you need laptop protection. I just have another bag for my laptop, it is a small laptop bag from Gap that was on sale. It has room for the laptop and various cables and adaptors.</p>
<p>I'm trying to decide between The North Face's Yavapai and Borealis backpacks. Anyone have any advice? I'm leaning toward the Borealis because it has a padded hip belt, but any recommendations or advice would be welcome!</p>
<p>zeusviolin - the yavapai has a hip belt too. </p>
<p>I was wondering if anyone could a further comparison, especially in the department of capacity. the borealis is listed as the bigger bag on ebags.com, howver in their photos the yavapai looks bigger. i personally want the bigger bag. any help would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Come on, anyone?</p>