Travel Smarter: The Smart Backpack That Transforms into a Mobile Office

Our pals at This is Ground recently launched a "smart" backpack that will make you feel like the coolest, most in-the-know traveler out there.

Crossing town (or the globe) with a laptop, iPad, headphones, and WiFi port can weigh you down — but it's a reality for many, especially those who work from the road. Any given digital nomad out there is probably schlepping office supplies worth thousands of dollars. A reliable backpack that protects your gadgets and makes them easy to access is worth investing in. 

Los Angeles-based leather accessory brand This is Ground recently launched the Swiss army knife of backpacks: The Venture Backpack is not only nice to look at, it's made from soft vegetable-tanned Italian leather (in five colors) and has a host of built-in features that are no-brainers once you've tried them.

The body of the knapsack is divided into two spacious sections, the larger of which zips all the way down and morphs into a TSA-approved tray for your computer. The process of opening your bag, taking your laptop out of its case, and putting it in a plastic bin that's held countless dirty shoes is a thing of the past. Within this section you'll also find two padded pockets to hold and protect your computer and iPad, the second of which has a special microfiber lining to keep the front of your tablet shiny and clean. A padded leather bumper around the zipper ensures your devices won't get scratched.

Attached to the front of the bag is a pocket designed to hold a phone, stylus, pens, cords, and other odds and ends. For an extra $175, you can opt for the pocket-sized Karma Go, a handy WiFi hotspot that can get up to eight devices online at the same time. What you won't see is a hidden tracking device powered by Tile, which ensures you can locate your bag (and gear) at all times.

The Venture will cost you about as much as a designer handbag, but we'd say it's well worth the price of handsomely and carefully storing the tech items you could never leave home without.

BUY IT

Available online at thisisground.com. Pricing starts at $725 for the mini; $750 for the regular. Karma WiFi is an additional $175.

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