How to properly carry a FW in a backpack (Is bending an issue?)

Framework Laptop 13
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I used to and will soon again be commuting to my office via bike and train on a daily basis. Before I got my current FW13 I had two Thinkpads (L380 and t490s) which both died of flexing after a few years. I am pretty sure this happened because I had them in my backpack and often stuffed groceries, weekend luggage etc. into it. The laptop was located in its compartment at the back of the bag and due to the other luggage it was bent outwards. The same thing would happen whenever I bend down to tie my shoes or sit on a (sportive) bike: My back bends and the laptop in the bag will follow that bend to a certain degree, depending on its flexibility. Or if I have my bag on a train, standing on the floor between my legs, and by accident I hit the back side with my foot…

Now I have been doing a lot of research on proper laptop backpacks and cases that could avoid this issue. However, I could not find a single bag that adresses this. They are all well padded and I could find one brand (Minaal) which makes backpacks where the laptop is held in a flexible construction at the middle of the backplate, so that it is even less exposed to shocks than in constructions that rely only on foam. But no solution against bending (except for Peli-Cases…)

I also ordered a laptop case that was labeled as hard-shell (Smatree Hard Shell Laptop Sleeve Case), but I could easily deform it with my hands and the Laptop was moving around in it a lot, so I decided against that.

Now I am not sure if I am too concerned with this. Do you have any recommendations on how to handle this topic? Maybe even somebody from the (mechanical) devs who could explain which impacts are critical and which aren’t?

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I carry my 11th Gen for only some 2 x 12 hours per month

I have a cotton padded bad with two pockets.
The laptop goes in the back pocket and I place a 3mm 3 ply piece of wood in the other pocket.
This then goes in my padded backpack, at the back.

The laptop has it’s back to my back and the screen to the second pocket that has the plywood, which in turn faces the innards of the backpack, therein I carry food and clothes etc.

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This is what I use in my bag. It might be overkill, but I have a tendency to overstuff the bag:

Edit to clarify - I sandwich the laptop between the carbon fiber sheets.

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thanks a lot for your replies :slight_smile: Good to see that I’m not the only person concerned with this…

The solution with stiff sheets around the laptop seems very doable, I guess I will try this out. Will post an update here when I’m done!

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As mentioned I only have a stiff sheet on the screen side to lower any uneven pressure.

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Been using a framework every day since they launched - I just throw it in my backpack never had any issues.

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Yes :slight_smile: it’s not the backpack that’s an issue but what else you stuff in it, especially next to the screen, and of course if you drop the rucksack with no padding between the ‘end’ of the chassis and a concrete floor.

I have the screen and bottom edge protected as I’m sometimes/often not that careful.

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I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the Framework bending, its aluminum iirc.

However I have had some scares with my bag being crushed during airline flights and being pleasantly surprised.

My go-to bag is a little OP though, I carry it in the laptop / weight pouch, of GoRuck GR2. It’s one of those BIFL products and the rear pouch is “lined with kevlar” so I’d probably find a broken screen before I find a bent chassis.

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