I'd been using a Tom Bihn briefcase (not sure they make the model anymore), which I really liked except that the floppiness of it made it hard to get things in

I'd been using a Tom Bihn briefcase (not sure they make the model anymore), which I really liked except that the floppiness of it made it hard to get things in and out of. It eventually started to crunch my shoulder on trips, too. A few months ago, though, I switched back to a backpack: the Cannae Legion Elite Day Pack (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C05CRI0 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C05CRI0). It's a little much around the edges (there's a LOT of MOLLE on there!), and I'm still figuring out the best use for the helmet flap, although I think it'll work well for a jacket when traveling. Lots of pluses, though: the laptop slot perfectly fits my 15" MBP, and the interior is large and roomy with just enough straps and pockets to fit the few small items I have so they don't rattle around and just enough open space to let the rest of my stuff fit without having to play Tetris to get something in or out. There's a small zipper pocket on the upper flap that fits headphones and other important small items, too, and the design of the pack means I can just open the top and slide things in and out without impedance, or open it a lot wider for packing.