Crumpler's Quarfie [Affiliate Link], a small messenger bag, is not designed to be a netbook or sub-notebook carrier. It lacks a dedicated internal pocket and the padding you'd expect in a netbook bag. However, it's close to the perfect size for carrying a netbook and a few other accessories.

One of the things you notice about Crumpler's bags is that they're solid. The stitching feels robust, the latches are firm and the zips aren't flimsy. With the Quarfie, the entire construction felt like it would make a good home for some cockroaches after a nuclear war. In other words, we suspect that this is a bag that will outlast your netbook.

The internal space of the Quarfie is surprisingly generous given the external footprint. At the very front of the bag is zipped section that could easily accomodate the power supply for our test netbook, a Dell Inspiron Mini 10. There are three smaller pockets behind that where we could store cables, a compact digital camera and a few other bits and pieces. In the main section we held the netbook, a Kindle, a Moleskine notebook and a few papers. Even with all that packed, the Quarfie wasn't bulging.

The front of the bag closes with a single latch. It felt very solid but even if it was to ever break, Crumpler offers a lifetime warranty on its bags. That's impressive when you think of what punishment most bags sustain through their life.

Our chief criticism of the Quarfie is the shoulder strap. There's no padding and with about 2kg of gear in it, it became uncomfortable during a long commute spent standing on a train. However, there's plenty of room for adjusting the length. If anything, the strap may be too long and you may find that you need to cut the end of the strap off and melt it to prevent fraying.

The one thing we'd suggest, should you choose a Crumpler Quarfie for carrying your netbook, is to put some soft of padding in the base. If you're like us and in the habit of plonking your bag down rather than gently placing it then it's likely that your netbook will meet with some percussive impact.

The Quarfie retails for $95AUD and comes in brown, red and black.

By Anthony Caruana