A bag is definitely not just a bag when you’re commuting in all weather conditions, biking to work, carrying a lot of expensive gear and trying to look professional and stay organized all the while. These next-level backpacks, tote bags, duffels and briefcases are full of all kinds of cool features, like built-in solar chargers, bike safety lights, crash sensors, theft-proof locks, access from virtually any angle, extra durable materials and every manner of pocket, compartment and gear tie-down you can possibly imagine.

Aster: The World’s Safest Commute Backpack

Aiming to improve visibility, reduce accidents and save lives, the Aster commuter backpack features rear, front and profile lights as well as automatic brake lights and integrated turn signals. Not only will drivers in vehicles see you from all angles, you’re less likely to end up with a door in your face, too. The backpack includes a USB-rechargeable built-in battery that powers the lights for 10-15 hours of commute time. It ships with an app called Lumos Aster for additional functionality like low battery alerts and anti-theft protection features. A crash sensor inside the bag will alert your emergency contacts if something happens to you. Plus, it’s got a helmet holder, lock strap, whistle buckle, bottle pockets, shoe compartment and a rain cover. The bag opens completely so you can grab whatever you need without pulling everything else out.

SlingFin Honey Badger Backpack and Bicycle Pannier

Wear it as a backpack or a bicycle pannier. The SlingFin Honey Badger backpack is as tough as its name suggests with a semi-rigid external skeleton made of recyclable high density polyethylene that helps carry weight more comfortably than a fabric bag. The back and straps are made of padded mesh for airflow between the wearer and the pack, and the lid is magnetic. Throw an LED light or even your phone with the flashlight on inside, and it dramatically increases your visibility at night. It comes with a 25-liter dry bag that can be used to protect your belongings inside, or alone as an ultralight pack. The exterior is as customizable as you want it to be – you can draw right on it.

12L Cargo Motorcycle Tail Bag

If you get around on a motorcycle, you need tough waterproof gear that won’t bulk up your silhouette. The 12L Cargo Tail Bag by Shaun Lee is great for both everyday use and overnight trips, compressing down to a packable size that sits low on your seat.IT’s made of waxed canvas and metal attachment hardware with a waterproof zipper, hidden pockets and a removable cargo net for outerwear and water bottles. When it’s empty, it rolls down to a quarter of its size secured with clips. Attachment straps secure the bag to your bike without a specialized rack system.

The NOMATIC Travel Bag

Designed for a 3-7 day trip, the NOMATIC combines the best features from a backpack, duffel bag and luggage in the bid to be “the most functional travel bag ever.” It fits a whole lot more than you’d imagine, especially since it comes with a vacuum compression bag for your clothes. Other features include a laundry bag, shoe compartments, an RFID safe pocket, laptop and tablet slots, water bottle pocket, roller bag sleeve, TSA-approved lock, built-in cord management, a valuables pocket, notebook pocket, easy access pocket for boarding passes and other essentials, and more. It’s also water resistant, and meets carry-on size requirements.

The Everyday Backpack, Tote and Sling

The ‘Everyday’ set by Peak Design includes a backpack, tote bag and sling packed full of features that will please both professional photographers picky about their camera bags and everyday users. Available in 20L and 30L sizes, the backpack includes easy-access side zippers, a dedicated laptop sleeve, subdivided interior side pockets, outer side pockets, built-in expansion and lots of straps for bulky items like tripods. The tote has similar pockets and external carry abilities as well as dual side access and a flex-fold interior divider system. Need something even smaller? The Everyday Sling is super compact, but has many of the same features as the other two bags.

Next Page - Click Below to Read More:
Its In The Bag 13 Ultra Functional Backpacks Totes For Busy Urban Lifestyles

There’s no missing cyclists – or the zone of space you need to safely pass them – when they’ve got a ring of red light encircling them as they ride down the road. Michelin’s new open-source project, Bikesphere, features a light sensor and proximity detecting sensor that work together to monitor the environment around a cyclist and react accordingly if a car gets too close, pointing a double laser spotlight on the ground to define a safety area.

As it stands, riding a bike in an urban area can be a risky proposition, with more than 5,000 avoidable accidents happening every year due to cars passing cyclists at an unsafe distance.

During the day, the Bikesphere works like a normal light-detecting bike lamp, turning on when you go through dark areas as needed. By night, it’s ready to defend you, projecting a single-lined sphere for the entirety of your ride. When it can tell a car is coming, the light turns into a double line and starts to spin faster to alert both the cyclist and the driver.

Bikesphere is the first crowd-sourced idea to come to fruition through Michelin’s #TrendyDrivers movement, which aims to change the habits of drivers to make the roads safer. When an idea is approved, they fund the project to get it off the ground. Ultimately, the Bikesphere will be made public, so anyone who wants one can purchase the common components and download the plans to print the rest using standard 3D printers.

The East Coast Greenway is already a third of the way to completion, and when finished will stretch from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida, passing through 16 states and 25 cities along the way.

Developed by the non-profit East Coast Greenway Alliance, the aim is to provide a continuous and ever-changing set of views and experiences to travelers on foot or in non-motorized vehicles.

Its creators note that the “route has been chosen to provide the traveler with an ever-changing, interesting and scenic landscape, whether urban, suburban, small town, industrial or rural,” accessible to cyclists, walkers, joggers and runners. Along the way, the Greenway also syncs up with public transportation at key spots, allowing easy access and egress for people seeking to pursue one stretch of it or another.

“It’s about seeing America at the right speed, where you can take in all of the culture around you. And you don’t have a windshield between yourself and the community.” While the project has been in the works for years, new funding and permissions gained in the last year have propelled it forward more quickly, helping its facilitators connect the dots along the nearly 3,000-mile route.

Its shape inspired by goats, the creatures that helped humans discovered coffee, this modern-day drinking horn is curved to make drinking easier and capped to let you take your java on the road.

Designed by desnahemisfera in cooperation with Equa, the Goat Story drinking device comes equipped with a leather holder to act as a heat barrier while walking or a stand while sitting.

The travel-ready cup also comes with a short and long leather carrying strap, which can also be combined to form an even longer version.

From its creators: “As easy as 1-2-3, your GOAT STORY coffee mug will be able to stand on your office desk and it will be at a hand´s reach all the time. Just take the handle off, turn it around, place the mug in it. Voila! The ergonomic shape will help you drink your coffee. Have we mentioned that it won’t fall over?”

“It comes with a cross body strap, which lets you carry your business case in one hand while replying e-mails on your phone, in between sips. Also, you can use the shorter strap to attach it to your bag or carry it around your wrist and keep your hands free.”

Proposed by a landscape architect from Edmonton, Alberta, this 7-mile urban project may not be as far fetched as it first sounds – in many regards it is simply a linear extension of an ice skating rink or more pragmatic variant of for-fun skateways found in Holland and Russia.

For the many cities in the United States, Canada, Northern Europe and elsewhere that are only warm (and thawed) enough for comfortable biking half of the year, designs like The Freezeway by Matt Gibbs could provide a means to modify extant bike pathways to get exercise, have fun and commute to work during colder months. The process is not as simple as pouring ice on existing paths – issues of grade, embankments and connections would need to be addressed – but the concept is gaining momentum and these problems all have solutions.

The idea has local appeal for places like its architect’s hometown, which is ice cold for much of the year and dark to boot, providing an excuse to get outdoors as well as a way to move about the city. It also has potential international appeal as a tourist attraction and urban icon akin to the High Line in New York, Garden Bridge coming to London, Sea Wall in Vancouver and other one-of-a-kind landscape projects around the world.

More details from the designer: “By shovelling a mapped out route, the space between snow banks could be flooded, perhaps by a fire hydrant at first (though it’s not ideal), creating a web of trails to explore on skates, requiring minimal expenditure …. This space could eventually be animated by lights and music. If popular, it could incrementally expanded every year.”

More on the advantages for and beyond commuting: “This project is not meant to be a tax payer’s burden. The Freezeway is meant upgrade city infrastructure for a multitude of uses, potentially doing wonders for the redeveloping City’s core, our international reputation, as well as attract investment into the City. The proposed route exists entirely on existing City infrastructure; the land is already secured. The numerous character areas along the route could be developed in phases, lending themselves well to private funding/sponsorship, like Calgary’s GlobalFest, or Vancouver’s Festival of Light fireworks shows, funded by donations of over 1 million dollars annually. The design team is currently exploring numbers.”