This laptop sling bag transforms into a camera bag

This stylish sling might look small, but its customizable design has enough space for more than essentials. It's an office-friendly bag for your work-week that's just casual enough for after hours and weekends.   

The bag is currently a Kickstarter project that ends on Monday, Dec. 3 at 10:59 a.m. ET. and is well past its modest $5,000 funding goal and the company is ramping up production to ship to backers in January. There are a few left at its $89 early bird price, but it only bumps up to $99 once they're gone. The retail price is expected to be $119, which is still a deal considering this bag's quality. 

The sling doesn't have a big storage area like a messenger and is shaped more like a backpack and stays close to your body. The single-strap design makes it easy to get into the bag without taking it off your back. Expandable pockets on each end give you space for a water bottle and umbrella. 

The sling's strap is wide and it's well padded, so even with the bag fully loaded, it's still comfortable. 

The strap is wide enough that you can shorten it and use it somewhat comfortably as a shoulder bag when you're not traveling far with it. 

The padded grab handle is nice for when you're getting on and off public transit or walking down an airplane aisle or simply picking it up to put on your back. 

NIID used a Fidlock magnetic buckle, which makes it a breeze to get the bag on and off without putting your arm through the strap and over your head. 

Just pull up on the bead attached to the buckle and the strap comes apart. Bring the buckle back up to the attachment point and it magnetically locks securely in place. 

This little zippered pocket is handy for ID, train tickets and the like, but it's upside down when you're wearing it, which makes it difficult to see into the pocket and things could accidentally fall out when you open it.

The problem with a single strap is that biking, running or even just walking quickly can cause the bag to slide around. The Decode has a stabilizer strap that tucks into a small opening in one of its side pockets. 

The strap just hooks onto a loop on the main strap. 

Though it's not specifically a camera bag, the Decode can pull light duty as one. A third zipper pull on the main compartment allows you to get into the side to pop out a camera take a shot and pack it back up again without taking the bag off. 

A padded divider is included to create a section for your camera or anything else you want to separate. 

The divider attaches with Velcro so it's easy enough to rip out again and again for different layouts or just take it out altogether.  

The zipper pull has a loop on the end that can be put through a loop on the bag and clipped to keep people from easily accessing your camera.  

There are a two compartments in the Decode Sling: a 15-liter main compartment and a dedicated laptop/tablet compartment. The latter will hold up to a 13-inch MacBook Pro. I used it with a 13.9-inch Lenovo Yoga C930, which fit perfectly. 

You don't need to take the bag off to get your laptop out. 

Though it is a bit easier to put your laptop back in the bag with it off your back. 

Dual front zippers give you greater access to the main compartment. The bag itself is made from waterproof coated polyester with a nice soft feel to it and it held up in a recent downpour as I ran for a train. 

A zippered pouch on the inside of the main compartment gives you someplace to stash cables, batteries or whatever else you keep in tiny stretchy pockets. There is no key leash, though, which is what you'll typically find in this kind of pocket. 

The pouch material is stretchy, too, so you can store larger items inside. 

Tucked under the top of the main compartment are elastic loops. I used them for pens and charging cables. 

The double zippers go all the way down and around the bag to let you open it up wide for packing and unpacking. 

Basically undoing the zippers deconstructs the bag. 

You can fold it up for when it's not in use. Or if you have room in your luggage, you can pack it to use when you reach your destination. 

The Kickstarter ends on Monday, Dec. 3 at 10:59 a.m. ET. and is well past its modest $5,000 funding goal and the company is ramping up production to ship to backers in January. There are a few left at its $89 early bird price, but it only bumps up to $99 once they're gone. The retail price is expected to be $119. 

Need something right now? Check out our gallery of laptop bags big and small. 

Or if you need something bigger for travel that can still accommodate your laptop, tablet and other gear, check out our travel bag roundup .