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The answer is yes with the JanSport To Dye For backpack.

One look at this pack at first and you’d think it was just a plain white school backpack. It has all the features you find in most JanSport packs including padded shoulder straps, large main compartment, front pocket with organizer, and padded back panel. In fact, it is actually the iconic SuperBreak with a special edition tie dye label.

But this pack actually comes with more - a Tulip® Tie-Dye-Kit. The kit includes three dye colors in separate dispensers, plastic protective gloves, a table cover, zip ties, and instructions. Everything you need to customize this backpack with your own tie-dye design. So if you’ve been looking for a backpack that you can tie-dye for school, college, or everyday, look no further than the JanSport To Dye For backpack - available now at eBags.com!

T’is the season to give and get…

Greetings eBags Nation!

Will here (picture below), speaking to you today on behalf of eBags.

I wanted to take a second to let you in on something pretty great.

We want to add a little color to your Black Friday and help us welcome 5 new flavors to the eBags Packing Cube family; Aquamarine, Eggplant, Peony, Tangerine, and Canary.

New Packing Cubes Colors

In correspondence with the new colors of our renowned Packing Cubes, we’re announcing the eBags Cube-A-Day Give Away just in time for the holidays. A catchy little title, we know. It’s easy to enter and best of all, free. All you have to do is:

• · Like Bags by eBags on Facebook
• · Follow on Twitter
• · Leave a comment here with what you would use your packing cubes for

Easy as pie… Pumpkin or Pecan Pie, given the season. We realize, too, that not everyone is on Facebook and Twitter. If that includes you, make your comment on this blog post EXTRA good! If you don’t win on a particular day, try again the next day for another chance!

Every day, I will pick one lucky winner AT RANDOM. So be ready with your shipping address.

We will be starting this giveaway on November 25, 2011 (Black Friday) and ends December 9th, 2011! See official rules below for more details.

Good luck! - Will

The Fine Print:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. INTERNET ACCESS, AND A VALID E-MAIL ADDRESS ARE REQUIRED TO ENTER. eBags Cube-A-Day Give Away (“Sweepstakes”) begins at 12:01:01 AM Eastern Standard Time (“EST”) November 25, 2011 and ends at 11:59:59 PM EST on December 9, 2011 (“Entry Period”).

ELIGIBILITY: Open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry, excluding employees of eBags.com (“Sponsor”), its respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, related companies and advertising and promotion agencies, and the families and/or household members of each of the above. Sweepstakes void where prohibited by law.

__________________________

UPDATE:

Thanks, all, for participating in the fist Cube-A-Day Give Away! All of our winners have been contacted. Please stick around and keep eyes peeled for our next Bags by eBags give away! We have some big plans in 2012!

Happy holidays and thanks again for making this one so much fun!

Will

If you’ve got a law student on your holiday gift list this year, you might want to give them something that will help them in their school and career pursuit. Below are some great holiday gifts for law students that will help them look professional now and in the future.

Briefcases: Whether carrying books to class or important papers to court, a briefcase is the perfect gift for law students who want to look professional, successful, and ready to work hard. Today’s briefcases take many different forms depending on the user’s style. Traditional briefcases and attaches are ideal for formal business occasions. These are most often made from high quality leathers and give their carriers a truly executive appearance. For a more casual look, consider leather messenger bags which are still career-appropriate but slightly less formal. Leather messenger bags also have the added benefit of often including dedicated laptop sleeves perfect for students who prefer to carry computers or tablets on campus and beyond. Wheeled cases are a great choice for students who want to carry a lot without strain on the back and shoulders.

Padfolios: A leather padfolio makes a statement when you’re taking notes of any kind. A law student will appreciate the professional look that a padfolio lends when in case, taking notes on a case, and interviewing for jobs. Padfolios not only include a notepad and room for loose papers, but they also often include holders for pens and room for business cards. Padfolios are also often an affordable holiday gift for law students.

Writing Instruments: A pen is a must in school and in career when you need to take notes or jot things down and a computer just won’t suffice (or a computer isn’t nearby). A stylish writing instrument makes an excellent gift for professionals including lawyers and, of course, future lawyers. Some pens are simply stylish while others, like the Nite Ize Inka Pen, are high tech offering interesting features such as watertight construction and the ability to write at any angle wet or dry. Not only are these gifts functional, but they are also conversation pieces for the recipient.

Heading back to campus can sometimes be tough, but finding the perfect backpack can be even worse. Fortunately, I’ve found a backpack that’s absolutely perfect for back to campus; this bag includes features you didn’t even know you needed! Here are my top 5 reasons why the Dakine Campus Pack is perfect for back to school.

1. Padded Laptop Sleeve: For almost any college student, this feature is always at the top of the list. The Dakine Campus Pack has a padded laptop sleeve that fits most 15″ laptops. Unless you carry and store your laptop separately in a sleeve or hard case, this feature is absolutely necessary in protecting your laptop while commuting.
2. Insulated Cooler Pocket:Back-to-back classes can be a nightmare, especially if they’re right during lunch or dinner time. Dakine has come up with a clever solution to this annoyance by incorporating an insulated cooler pocket right into the backpack, so that you can take your snacks and drinks (or even lunch!) with you and keep them at the proper temperature.
3. Color Combinations: The Dakine Campus Pack comes in 12 different color combinations. The bright colored hardware on these bags makes them stand out, regardless of whether you’re walking through campus or heading home through the airport.
4. Fleece Lined Sunglass Pocket:Its always scary placing your sunglasses in your bag for fear of scratches from pens, pencils, or whatever other pointy objects you may be carrying. Dakine has virtually eliminated this problem by encorporating a fleece lined sunglass pocket into this bag!
5. Padded Shoulder Straps: When you’re carrying textbooks, this is a feature you absolutely need. Trust us, you’ll be thanking us come midterms!

A backpack as comfortable on campus as it is on the trail is not only versatile, but also invaluable. Such is the JanSport Agave. This pack is full of features you’ll find useful for days at work or school and weekends on the trail.

The first feature that’s hard to miss in the JanSport Agave backpack is the presence of two main compartments. This means you not only have room for your books, but also your binders and folders when on campus and clothing, hiking, and camping gear when you’re out for a day or overnight hike.

An internal sleeve can be used to hold your laptop (fits many 15″ laptops) or a 3 liter hydration bladder. Dual side water bottle pockets will help you stay hydrated no matter where you take your pack and a front utility pocket has an organizer to keep your pens, pencils, cell phone, medications, and other small items handy.

There are additional organizational elements in the JanSport Agave pack including an ice axe loop, daisy chain quick clip points, and a V-loft pocket. With all these features you’d think this pack would weigh you down. However, AirCore shoulder straps, a sternum strap, and side compression straps all keep the pack close to the body and distribute the weight for a more comfortable fit. A breathable mesh back panel also helps you stay dry no matter if you’re trekking in the wilderness, rushing for train or bus, or running from class to class.

The JanSport Agave backpack is available on eBags.com in 4 colors and, for a limited time, one discontinued color. Customers agree that the pack has many handy features and they love the size. Read more of what customers are saying and more information about this pack on the site.

It’s Back to School season and parents nationwide will be out searching for school supplies including new school backpacks. If you’re one of these parents and you’re looking for girls backpacks, you’re in luck. Today we’re featuring our favorite girls backpacks for Back to School. And if you think they’re all pink and covered in flowers, think again. Today’s backpacks for girls range from the cute to rocker to sporty and there’s a pack out there for just about any style.

High Sierra Swerve Laptop Backpack	Roxy Noble Trek	Wildkin Mermaids Sidekick Backpack
OGIO Convoy Pack	Three Lace Backpack	Sherpani SONOMA Backpack

A recent National Retail Federation survey shows that parents this Back to School will be searching far and wide for bargains on school essentials. If you fall into this group, today’s post should help. We’re featuring school backpacks under $20.

Just because you or your kids need a backpack to hold books, pens, notebooks, and more, doesn’t mean you need to spend an arm and a leg. Below are our affordable picks in school packs.

Everest Classic Backpack	Miquelrius Jordi Labanda Disco school Chic Backpack	Everest Backpack with Front Mesh Pocket
JanSport SuperBreak (Clearance)	Everest Classic Backpack with Side Mesh Pocket	Lucky Bums Lucky Bug w/Dragonfly (Toddler: 1-3 years)

“Under $20″ price good on 8/14/11 before coupons, promotions, tax, and shipping. Subject to change and availability.

Ever been caught out in the rain without an umbrella to shield your backpack or tote? Or how about that time you had to slam on the brakes and your backpack went flying off the seat and into the dash? In a perfect world, we would be able to avoid instances like these and keep our laptops safe. Many of us, however, are guilty of simply throwing our laptop into our bag on the way out the door and calling it good. This method is usually fine until your backpack suddenly goes tumbling off a table or chair, or you get caught in a sudden rainstorm with your laptop barely protected by a drenched bag. After having to get a cracked screen repaired or waiting in line at the Apple store for hours to repair water damage to your computer, you’ll probably be wishing you had a laptop sleeve.

Laptop sleeves are designed to protect your computer from damage caused by every-day actions, and are typically made from one of four materials: rubber, leather, synthetic fabric, or vinyl. Even if you carry your computer in your backpack, your laptop can still be damaged if something spills on your backpack and water seeps into your screen or hard drive. Rubber and leather styled sleeves are designed specifically to provide a water resistant layer around your laptop. Leather laptop sleeves tend to be of higher quality and are therefore a bit more expensive than other types. Synthetic and vinyl laptop sleeves come in a wide range of colors, patterns and styles and are typically inexpensive but made to be replaced more frequently than higher quality sleeves.

While all laptop sleeves are made to fit snugly around your computer and protect it from potential bumps and bruises, there certainly isn’t one universal design. Many designs offer a generic fit in order to fit a number of different computers, while others are made for specific models. While all are essentially designed to be placed in a larger bag, many models have detachable carrying straps so that the sleeve can be carried independently from a larger bag, some may have zippers as opposed to Velcro, and others may even have multiple pockets. Here are some of my favorite laptop sleeves for back to school, broken down by  caregory. Enjoy!

Basic Sleeves with no Pockets or Shoulder Strap

I love these laptop sleeves by cinda b and caselogic because they are both simple and sleek while allowing you to showcase your personal style. I personally own the cinda b sleeve and I absolutely love it- I get compliments on it all the time! These sleeves are just 2 examples of the hundreds of sleeves you can choose from to protect your laptop and make a statement at the same time!

Sleeves with Shoulder Straps

Laptop sleeves with shoulder straps are great because they can be used inside a larger bag if you have additional books or materials to carry, or they can be used alone if you only need to take your laptop and a few files or a notebook. Most have detachable shoulder straps so that the sleeve is more compact if used in a larger bag.

Sleeves with Pockets

Choosing a laptop sleeve with pockets is useful for carrying multiple electronics at once, or when you want to store your laptop, power cord, and other accessories all in one package. Laptop sleeves with multiple pockets are nice on long trips when you want to keep your notebook, ipod, headphones and adaptors all organized in one place.

Here are some of my Favorite Novelty Sleeves:

For a truly no-nonsense laptop backpack, check out the new The North Face Mainframe backpack. This bag really packs in the features without adding bulk or sacrificing comfort.

Don’t let the low profile design fool you. Features like the zippered laptop compartment with document holder, large main compartment, power cord pocket, stash pockets, and side water bottle pocket allow for maximum organization whether you’re headed to school or work. A comfortable padded Airmesh back panel and FlexVent™ injection-molded shoulder straps with foam help keep you comfortable when wearing this pack. Finally, a padded, stowable hipbelt helps stabilize the bag particularly when you are on the go.

Like The North Face’s other classic packs (for example, the Surge), the Mainframe is quite versatile. Not only does it give you the storage and features you need for campus, it can also work well as a daypack for short hikes and for other everyday uses.

The North Face Mainframe is available on eBags right now in 5 colors including the Black/Acoustic blue pictured here.

A quick “how to” guide to help you choose the right school backpack

You might think there’s not much to shopping for school backpacks, but you’d be wrong. As anyone who’s stared at rows of bags wondering “How do I pick the best school backpack?” will tell you, today’s packs not only vary greatly in price, quality, and appearance, but also in features. And while price, quality, and appearance are important, it’s the right features that will help you get through the school day easier, more comfortably, and more organized.

So what should you look for in school backpacks? Here are the top 5 features:

Laptop Sleeve: If you’re going to be carrying a laptop, netbook, or iPad, look for either a utility pocket that will fit your laptop or a fully padded laptop compartment for the best protection. Many backpacks have built-in padded laptop sleeves designed to hold your device in place and protect it from occasional bumps. Use our Laptop Bag Finder to narrow your search to only backpacks in which your specific computer or tablet will fit. The Laptop Bag Finder can be found in the upper right corner of any laptop category.

Grab Handle: Watch for a grab handle on the top of your pack. This handle is a convenient way to lift a heavy bag and move it without stressing the shoulder straps.

Organizer Panel: Look for an organizer panel or pocket inside the pack. It will help you organize smaller items that you need to find quickly and easily: phone, pens, cables, calculators, keys, etc.

Accessory Pocket: Be sure to check for an accessory pocket for the small things you want to keep close at hand. Examples of items you can stash in an accessory pocket include sunglasses, iPod, and phone.

Water Bottle Pocket: Everyone needs water on the go. Look for a convenient, dedicated pocket for your water bottle. Some backpacks have a mesh pocket on the side designed to hold reusable bottles. Need a good water bottle? Check out our selection from brands like CamelBak.

Don’t forget that eBags is your home for Back to School backpacks and bags. We’ve got the largest selection of backpacks online from top brands like JanSport, High Sierra, The North Face, OGIO, Under Armour, and Nike. See all our school backpacks here.