Neoprene Laptop Bag.

Have no use for your old wetsuits? Try this, make safe secure, soft and waterproof bags out of old
wesuits.

Anyway the result is lush soft and bouncy, waterproof, and orange. All things I like, plus it will
stretch to fit two notebooks and a burrito. I got overzealous and even built a matching ipod case
that has seen dozens of falls cradling my music machine.
While I don?t think it is enough to start an O?Neill wetsuits type business, it is a fun bag, gets very
noticed (by hipsters not thieves) and makes me feel like I foiled the landfill again. All that and it
only took about 4 hours.

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Step 1: This is what you are aiming at.

a snug fitting, squishy bag for your precious electronics.

hailtothkngbby says: Dec 4, 2007. 5:02 PM

Amazing! I love this one. Yes it is illegal to scavenge anything from shopping carts, and authorities can impose severe fines on a person caught doing so, but c'mon, once they see how cool your laptop bag is, they'll probably bring you shopping cart straps to make them one. My only regret is not having any wetsuits to destroy, hmmm, freecycle, anyone?Ha!

neetrihtneves in reply to hailtothkngbbyAug 20, 2011. 1:05 AM

www.seattlefabrics.com. Dude, really. This place has it. Neoprene, heat seal-able fabrics, nylon webbing, buckles. Plus, nobody's baby has to fall out of a shopping cart!

BeanGolem in reply to hailtothkngbbyFeb 4, 2009. 11:24 AM

I recently acquired one from a little beach-side surf/bike/skate rental tent for 10 bucks. The suit itself is pretty beat up, but the neoprene is almost all intact. Scavenging from shopping carts may be illegal, but if they don't catch you in the act, there's no way to prove that you didn't just find the individual parts by themselves.

keeplong in reply to BeanGolemJun 22, 2009. 8:50 AM

(removed by author or community request)

galenorama in reply to keeplongJun 27, 2009. 4:25 PM

Looks great! I will definitely keep you in mind when I need a new bag. Thanks

hailtothkngbby in reply to keeplongJun 23, 2009. 1:22 PM

huh?

RynTheTyn says: Sep 7, 2009. 9:01 PM

If you don't have any abandoned shopping cart belts, you can get straps and closures at any fabric store. I made a neoprene case a few years back from stuff I got at the fabric store, it's been pretty funny how many people have asked me where I got what seems to me to be an obviously homemade case (same goes for my homemade neoprene ipod case, and homemade neoprene camera case).

neetrihtneves in reply to RynTheTynAug 20, 2011. 12:54 AM

Here in Seattle, we have a place called Seattle Fabrics. It's a place where you can get hard-core adventure fabrics, high dernier, ballistic-type stuff. Cordura, Gortex, etc.. they have webbing, outdoor threads, needles, connectors and fasteners. If you need to build a sail for your boat, or seat covers for the deck, yadda, yadda, yadda., they've gotcha covered. Perhaps there is something similar near where you are? I've gone to regular fabric stores, and the sweet lady behind the counter is always so sorry that she can't help me. They just don't have the beefy stuff. Check out www.seattlefabrics.com. Be careful, it's easy to get distracted by all the cool stuff!!! Oh, they have some great heat-sealable fabrics that you can do with an ordinary household iron, plus guides on how-to, for free with purchase. That's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, anyday!

jcomtw says: Aug 2, 2010. 8:36 PM

yeah.. I am sure it is waterproof and stretchable property for your laptop computer. Choose the material of bag is a important thing and it can avoid damaging and protect from dust, scratches and fingerprins for your laptop computer. Reference at this: http://www.jcomtw.com/neoprene.php or http://www.jcomtw.com/category/neoprene-laptop-bag.htm

kukopia says: Apr 25, 2010. 12:10 PM

It'd be more waterproof and a LOT easier to make if you use one (big) piece big enough for the front, back and flap.

hailtothkngbby says: Jun 23, 2009. 1:23 PM

Okay, someone needs to remove keeplong's spam. Solong keeplong!

verne says: Apr 2, 2009. 4:39 PM

Waterproof? My wetsuit isn't...

dfurtman in reply to verneApr 27, 2009. 4:28 PM

Agreed.. wetsuits are not waterproof... I dare you to hold your laptop under running water with this case.. I'm just gunna stand over here and laugh as you nuke your laptop... -Damien

devywhop in reply to dfurtmanMay 10, 2009. 12:13 PM

Yeah maybe if you had an old dry suit laying around but if you have one I guarantee you're using it.

blah12344321 in reply to devywhopMay 24, 2009. 5:03 PM

cubixy is right. thats why they make white water dry skirts from neoprene

cubixy2k in reply to devywhopMay 21, 2009. 1:13 PM

The material itself is waterproof. Getting flushing in an out it due to the openings for your hands/feet/neck/zipper

verne in reply to cubixy2kMay 24, 2009. 5:15 PM

Well, I do think that in the end, the neoprene will soak up some water, it feels pretty heavy when I take it off after surfing. @devywhop I also thought of that, too bad that the people I know that own one, have no intent of sharing it with me ;) I also think that nowadays there are nicer waterproof zippers then the ones used on dry suits. Maybe a true waterproof laptop bag is a nice subject for a contest or something...

jonnybeats in reply to verneAug 8, 2009. 1:16 PM

Yeah, nice instructable but the sad point is that wetsuits are designed to let water in but not out, the water let in is to warm up from your body heat. The material is there to keep you warm and not dry! Sorry but nice try anyway. If only there was a different material.....

pmowers in reply to jonnybeatsOct 23, 2010. 8:56 AM

I think that it depends on the thickness of the neoprene to some extent. I can spend 6 hrs up to my waist in ice cold water (trout) wearing my 5 mm neoprene waders and stay dry, other than perspiration.

Actually, if you do not have a wetsuit but know a fisherman, you might be able to get a pair of chest waders. They usually develop a rather irritating leak in the crotch seam or get a hole in one of the knees. I took a piece from one of mine and glued a velcro closure on to make a "cozy" to keep the coffee in my french press warm. :)

galenorama says: Apr 16, 2009. 7:16 PM

Fabulous! Too bad I absolutely can not sew! You should have seen my last project (ahem, disaster)!

Sandisk1duo says: Mar 15, 2009. 3:09 PM

how durable is it?

redsox31977 says: Jan 30, 2009. 10:48 PM

What a great idea too bad I will never even attempt to build it myself.

bicostp says: Mar 3, 2007. 4:55 PM

Nice! I think I'll do something like this to make a rain cover for my existing laptop bag. (Moving a ton of stuff between bags all the time gets annoying.)