I have been announcing a few unsurprising things recently. I'm about to drop another not-surprise - I'm as geeky about my packs as I am with what they carry. I have been in a constant struggle to find the perfect backpack for my tech needs. It needed to have enough pockets to be organized, enough padding to protect the contents, enough space to haul everything, and enough style to keep me fly! That criteria has been impossible to satisfy. Here's a list of what I wanted to carry with me:

You can see how finding the right pack to fit that list, plus other things I may run into along the way, might be challenging. I was able to find bags that worked with the computing items pretty well, though every bag I had felt like overkill or a purse. For the camera stuff, I couldn't find anything that I was happy with. Micro four thirds is a great camera system and no one makes a bag to match its size. This left me with two bags I had to tote with me if I thought I would need a camera and computer, neither of which I was too fond of.

I hadn't heard of the brand Cocoon before. I actually found them looking for bag organizers because I had enough packs and had given up on finding the perfect one. If you haven't seen this company, familiarize yourself with who they are. What Cocoon offers is a creative weave of gripping elastic straps inside your bag. When I stumbled onto their website, I found the inserts to make my bag more organized, but I also found they make bags with their organizers built in! Needless to say, I was drooling. It looked like I had found exactly what I was looking for.

I took about an hour on the website going over the specs of each bag. I think there was extra pressure because I felt if I did this right I was finally going to have the perfect bag. After laboring over the choices, I decided to go with the SLIM Backpack for laptops up to 15.6". I placed my order and fell asleep quicker knowing happiness was on the horizon.

Holy buckets - it's here! Did I make a terrible mistake? Will it be everything I've built it up to be? I guess we'll find out.

The first thing I noticed: it looks like a backpack. That's a good thing; subtlety is ideal. The next thing I noticed was how well it was put together. In my search I've bought Timbuk2 bags, but I've also purchased cheap bags because they have a pile of pockets and that's what I want. This is much more of a high-end offering than you'll find casually browsing Target or an office supply store. I was also happy to see it has waterproof zippers. I don't spend much time in the rain, but when I do, it's never the time I've decided to bring an umbrella. Between the zippers and the waterproof fabric, I feel my gear is protected from the elements.

Another thing - this backpack is THIN. Really, extremely thin. The 15" laptops I brought to college would fill this sucker up (though, by today's weight standards and thickness, that was more of a desktop than a laptop - we're talking inches thick and weight in pounds over 5). Honestly, it made me nervous. Nothing I have to go into the bag is extremely thick, but when stacked, I wasn't sure how it was going to work. I left the tag on, just in case.

Finally, I had to stick my fingers in the mesh. It was awesome! Sure, I'm 12-years-old, and I bet you'll do the same thing.

Now we get to the fun part of the backpack: the utility! I did notice how soft the inner material is for your tablet and laptop (the small Asus laptop fit in the tablet sleeve pretty well, in case that's a question you had). I also appreciated that the bag had a flap on the side of the pouch opposite of the back. For whatever reason, that separation is appealing to me. This got me excited so I gathered my things and got ready to go. Taking everything I wanted to fit into this bag and setting it next to it (the laptop, tablet, and tripod are not pictured) was a bit overwhelming. I couldn't fathom it working as well as I had initially hoped when I ordered this bag.

But the show must go on! I started with the exciting stuff. The elastic bands have rubber ridges and as I slid things like my camera, lenses, and slick battery pack into the grid, I became more and more confident that things weren't going to come loose and fall to the bottom of the pack. In fact, I think this bag works best at its fullest. The more items you have, the less they will jostle and the better it will hold things in place. That being said, I don't think I could have added much more to the top of the bag. As I zipped it up, it was pretty clear that there isn't more room for gear in that pocket.

I moved to the back main pouch to put my computer and tablet there, along with the tripod and an HDMI cable and I was greeted with a benefit of having the Grid-It® system built into the bag. Even though all my gear in the front of the bag is lumpy and has all sorts of things poking into the next compartment, the system requires a rigid surface behind the grid to work, so when I slid my laptop into the sleeve against the front of the pouch it was like there was nothing in the pouch in front of it. It comforts me a bit to know that my laptop will have pressure dispersed if something presses against the front of the bag instead of having a single point of force against it. The tablet worked as well as a tablet does. The small tripod and HDMI cable were not a problem at all.

And all of a sudden I had a table with only a full backpack on it. I was pretty dumbfounded. It worked exactly how I had dreamed!

After using it for a while, the only major let down of this bag is that the straps feel like they are not up to par with the rest of the pouch. When you put them on, the foam is a little thin and flimsy, and it shifts around inside it's area. There's also no chest strap (as much as you made fun of that guy in high school, it really does help if you're walking or on a bike). I feel they are connected well to the pack. It's not that I'm worried they'll come off, just that they could be a whole lot better, especially considering the quality of the rest of the pack.

In case it wasn't obvious by the title of this post, I love this backpack. It's slim, light, holds all my gear, and most importantly, does so in a secure and organized fashion. If you want to do something like this but have anything larger than a pretty recent 15.6" laptop or have a full sized camera system, I'd look at other bags (by Cocoon still, of course). I ordered this bag on a whim - I didn't read any reviews or research Cocoon or their elastic system at all. The elastic weave made sense enough that I was willing to try it. I'm beyond pleasantly surprised with how effective the Grid-It® system that Cocoon offers is. It's not a huge backpack by any means, and you definitely should consider that if you're in the market, but because of the system in front, I was able to fit a surprising amount of gear into the bag. And it's not terribly expensive. It easily rings in under the Timbuk2 and North Face bags I have.

If you're in the market for a bag to organize and carry your gear, I highly recommend checking these bags out!

Chances are, if you are reading this blog post, you are aware of what a straight razor shave is.  For men, it is the terror of dragging a single bladed knife (fondly referred to by some as a cut-throat) across the face and neck.  I have been shaving for 11 years and in that time constantly searching for the best shave.  A couple of years back I found this article and it changed my life.  Being a millennial, I assumed the world of shaving was limited to overpriced disposable razors and messy, stinky shaving creams, and noisy electric razors because that's what I saw my dad use and that's what the TV told me worked best.  If you are like I was and have no idea what else there is, make sure you click on that hyperlink.  Since reading that article, I had been using a safety razor and shave soap.  That's a fine way to shave, and if you haven't tried it, it's worth the look.  This winter I finally mustered up the courage to try shaving with a straight razor.

I'm going to admit something to you right off the bat here - I haven't been using my straight razor for two weeks yet, but I already know it's how I intend to shave until they come up with a better option than there is right now (for the record, right now is 1/6/14).  When I shave now, I use a Dovo Shavette (the straight razor equivalent of a disposable), a (admittedly cheap) brush from Amazon, and Taylor of Old Bond Street shave soap.  I used the same soap and brush while using the my safety razor, and I decided not to invest in a cheap fixed blade straight razor or invest around $200 on something I was unsure of.  The Shavette was the perfect way to go for me.  It's cheap, sharp, and I couldn't recommend it more if you are thinking about trying a straight razor out.  

But why should you try shaving with technology that's older than your father?  Glad you asked.

First of all, it's not as dangerous as you'll let your imagination tell you it is.  In my almost two weeks, I have not cut myself once.  That's an amazing feat for me.  I don't know if I have ever gone more than two days without nicking some bump or pressing too hard.  I have no evidence for why this is, though my best guess is that the blade is totally under the shaver's control.  It's not fixed to a handle or a series of other blades.  You can wield it like a foil - agile and accurate, instead of the club that is a modern day Gillette or Schick.

It also (has been claimed by others that it) is the closest shave a man can have.  I'll admit another something to you - I'm not completely practiced yet.  Most of my shaves are pretty good, definitely passable at work, and every once in a while I will get it just right and find that there is merit to the claim that this is the closest shave possible.  I have been able to shave smooth to the point that there is no evidence of a beard to the touch.  That's pretty darn close, especially considering I was in no pain afterwords, not even razor burn.  I'll be sure to update my readers on whether or not I am able to achieve this. 

One of my favorite parts of waking up and shaving with a straight razor is that it makes me feel like James Bond every morning.  Granted, this is a very superficial value to hold, but it has been shown many times that what you think of yourself directly affects your happiness and success.  Waking up and feeling like a world-famous gentleman affects the way I operate throughout the day, and I like it.

Finally, the straight razor shave is the most intimate thing I have ever done for myself, and it's likely to remain that way.  When learning how to shave with a straight razor, I had to learn my face.  That sounds silly, but it actually made me realize that I couldn't pick my own face out of a lineup if I were blind.  I had to learn every curve, every pit and bump.  I had to pay attention to which direction my beard grows in.  I need to know where the skin is soft and malleable and where my face is ridged and unforgiving - where it is tough, and also where it is sensitive.  I had to learn to fear myself, and then I had to learn to use it to keep my face smooth yet safe. 

Ladies, this is something you should learn to do too, not for your own legs and underarms, but if you ever want to win a man over.  I've seen a bunch of lists that are something along the lines of, "Blow Your Man Away with these 10 Sexy Moves."  I promise that if you have seen this list and, "Give him a straight razor shave," was not on there, it was either written by a another woman who sleeps with bros from bars and calls it research, a bro who goes to bars to sleep with chicks, a man-child who can not yet grow a beard, or a hipster.  Regardless of what you have read, giving your man a hot foam, straight razor shave is one of the most arousing acts you can give to a man (assuming you don't slice his face).  Understand and respect the complete trust a man has in another person who offers to shave his face, let alone with a straight razor - don't abuse it.  If you want to learn how to give a shave, here's a pretty decent and short video.

So gentlemen, do yourself a favor and learn how to shave using a straight razor.

For those who don't know, I love listening to, and making music.  My obsession started with a Sony Walkman tape player and a cassette (what 5-year-old could afford a CD player?!) of Elton John's greatest hits (proudly, my first music purchase).  From then on I was consumed by music.  By the age of 8 I was making mix tapes from the radio to take with me on my Walkman; by 13 got my first Discman and had rigged up a surround sound system for the room I then shared with my little brother (my first purchase in the CD realm was the only relevant Eiffel 65 album).  My first MP3 player came into my life at 15 which opened up endless possibilities along with the internet.  Now we have subscription music, so I can listen to anything at anytime.

The problem I have found is that the more I listened and became involved with music and its creation, the more picky I became with how the music sounds.  My first headphones were cheap because I was making purchases with allowance and money from my birthday and holidays, and also because I didn't know any better.  What's bass, right?  Well, now that I am working and have been exposed to more great and terrible sounding systems, I am beginning to place a higher value on great sound. 

On a trip to LA recently, I was given the opportunity to try out some Panasonic RPHJE120.  A good friend and fellow musician had me try them out.  They were great!  They were lightweight, incredibly comfortable, and they had a pretty full sound for a pair of $7.00 headphones.  By far the best sounding value headphones I had tried.  I was ecstatic, purchased a pair, and then read reviews of just about every other headphone set under $15 dollars.  I purchased quite a few in my excitement.  I ended up with a couple pairs of Sonys, a pair from Skullcandy, a pair of HTC (who then owned a stake in Beats) earbuds, and a pair of Monoprice 9927s.  Monoprice?  That was my reaction too, but they had pretty solid (in fact, sometimes unbelievable) reviews, so I went for it.  What's an extra $10 in the quest for the best headphones to throw in a briefcase?  Turns out, it was the best decision I made.

I have spent enough time with all of these headphones to say that the Monoprice 9927 Enhanced Bass Hi-Fi Noise Isolating Earphones are the best pair of headphones I own compared to how much I paid for them - no doubt.  I liked them so much that I am compelled to do a full review.  Here we go!

Initial Impression and Unboxing

These headphones are cheap, right?  Well, don't expect much from the packaging.  It's a really basic package with the headphones, the plastic form, and the headphones.  That's it.  No instructions, no warranty, no warnings, no stickers, not anything else.  It was a mix of everything I had hoped for from all the other headphones when I opened them.  It made me feel confident that all of my money was spent on the headphones.

Taking the Monoprice headphones out of the box, they made the impression of any other cheap pair of earbuds.  The earbuds are a soft plastic and the cord is covered in woven fabric.  The only thing that was different was the way the cord came out of the earbud.  I opted for the black pair.  They come in a chrome finish, but I try to avoid things I know will collect fingerprints.

Fit and Comfort

The problem with Monoprice not including instructions is that these earphones are the first headphones that I've used that aren't just jammed in your ear or clipped to it some way.  After a minute or two of some creative problem solving, I was able to figure out how these little guys are designed to sit in the ear.  They are designed like in-ear monitors.  You have to rotate the earbuds into your ear, where they nestle snug in your ear cavity.  I was surprised at how well this design works.  I could make all sorts of sudden movements with my head (think System of a Down or Coheed and Cambria) and they refuse to move; they are even resistant to pretty decent tugs if you get stuck on your backpack or jacket.

With all of my Sony over the ear headphones, comfort became a huge issue, with or without my glasses on.  For me, having anything sit on the crotch of my ear begins to hurt after a while.  Fortunately, because the cord is so light, I have yet to notice the cord even wrapping over my ear.  Also, since they don't use pressure against the walls of my ear canal as the way they cling to my head, I have also found them to be more comfortable than the just-jam-it-in earbuds.

One thing I have had to adapt to is the way the cable sits on my ears.  At first I ran the whole thing between my shoulders because I would put the headphones in and then throw the whole cord over my head, putting the split in the back of my body.  This worked, but if I wanted to do anything on my phone while they were plugged in, the headphones would tug.  I solved this by keeping the cord in front, like all other headphones are designed.  Do it that way; there's no reason to fix something that isn't broken.

Sound Quality

This is really where the Monoprice stands out in my book.  The quality of sound that Monoprice has put into these cheap headphones is really amazing.  I do all of my headphone listening through my HTC One and my iPod Nano (the watch edition).  First of all, these are definitely the most clear sounding headphones.  One of my complaints with most cheap headphones I use is that some sounds wash together or get drowned out by other sounds or frequencies.  They are truer to the music than my nicer over the ear headphones, which really surprised me.

One thing I love about these headphones is the quality of the bass tones.  One thing I've noticed about all headphones is that the level of quality seems to be directly proportional to the amount of bass sound the headphones put out; that's the myth that Beats and other headphone manufacturers is exploiting.  The Monoprice earbuds put out enough bass, but what they do very well is define the bass tones.  The kick drum and low notes are very well defined, are perfectly audible, and do not compromise the sound quality of the mids or highs in any way.

It has been a joy to listen to my music through these headphones.  It's like upgrading my headphones to HD.  I get to hear much more.

These Monoprice are loud enough.  Think cheap earbud loudness - it's exactly what you would expect.

Features

Well, this is really the only place I am left wanting more.  It's really just a great sounding, cheap set of headphones.  There's no inline microphone and no volume control.  Just headphones.

Noise isolation is noise isolation.  It's pretty good at isolating the noise.  Again, very comparable to every other set of cheap noise isolating headphones

Other Thoughts

The only other complaint I had was that the fabric cord has to be the most tangle-prone cord I own.  Even the best simple coil would come out of my pocket or backpack a complete mess.  The only way to avoid spending your listening time untangling this cord is to wrap the cord and secure it like I've done in my picture or like it is done in this video.  A little extra time spent making sure it's done right when you put the headphones away, the less time you will spend unknotting your headphones when all you want to do is listen to that glorious music.

Conclusion

It's a pretty easy conclusion for me.  These are the only headphones I own that I would recommend to anyone.  They are cheap and durable enough for a child, but the fidelity is high enough that I would recommend these to audiophiles who are looking for an pair of lighter headphones to which are easier to carry around everywhere.  I haven't tried all budget earbuds, but I have tried a lot of highly recommended headphones, and these are the unequivocal best headphones.

If you want to pick up a pair for yourself (and you do), I purchased them through Amazon.com.  They can also be purchased through Monoprice's own website.  If you have friends, bulk ordering through Monoprice can save you money as well.

If you have any favorite cheap headphones or if you have tried a pair of the Monoprice 9927 (or 8320 for silver), let me know in the comments below!  Thanks for reading.