Tom (Designer and CEO) and Nik (our Production Engineer) have designed three new accessories — Modular Pockets & Straps — for the Smart Alec that offer additional (and customizable) organization and carrying capacity.

1″ Gate Keeper Straps:
You can replace the front bungee included with the Smart Alec with these straps (or leave the bungee in place and install the straps over the bungee). Useful for securing large/bulky items to the front or top of the Smart Alec: a yoga mat, snowshoes, raincoat, Christmas trees, or anything else too big or wet to go inside. Available individually or in sets of two or three; the Smart Alec has webbing loops for accommodating up to five 1″ Gate Keeper Straps. Wondering how many you need? Tom uses two 1″ Gate Keeper Straps to secure his snowshoes to the front of a Smart Alec. $5 for one; $10 for two; $15 for three. Available for pre-order and ships by mid-January.

Two 1″ GateKeeper Straps securing a pair of snowshoes to the front of the Smart Alec

Upper Pocket:
Adds an extra 2+ liters of volume to the Smart Alec. Inside there are four small organizer pouches sized for the things to which you need quick access: smartphone, keys, multitool, flashlight. Two interior O-rings so you can attach keys or pouches or what-have-you. It should be noted that in situ the six Gate Keeper attachments make the Upper Pocket look somewhat like the paw of a polydactyl tiger. Just saying. $40-$45, depending on whether you choose the 1050d Ballistic Nylon or 400d Dyneema/nylon version. Available for pre-order and ships by late January.

Upper Modular Pocket in Steel

Lower Pocket:
Adds an extra 3+ liters of volume to the Smart Alec. Fits two 1-liter water bottles, or one water bottle and other stuff, or just a lot of other stuff. Inside are two o-rings and an open-top organizer pocket sized for a wallet. $40-$45, depending on whether you choose the 1050d Ballistic Nylon or 400d Dyneema/nylon version. Available for pre-order and ships by mid-February.

Lower Modular Pocket in Cardinal, secured to a Black/Black/Steel Smart Alec

Note: Tom updated the design of the Smart Alec in October 2012 and added 1″ webbing loops to the top of the bag to accommodate the Upper Pocket and additional 1″ Gate Keeper Straps. If you purchased your Smart Alec pre-October 2012 and it doesn’t have the upper/top 1″ webbing loops, you won’t be able to attach the Upper Pocket to your bag. You will, however, be able to use the Lower Pocket and the 1″ Gate Keeper Straps (secured to the bottom half of the Smart Alec). Some earlier Smart Alecs (pre-2009 more or less) had 5/8″ webbing loops; very early Smart Alecs had no webbing loops. None of the new accessories will work with these older bags.

With Upper Modular Pocket and Lower Modular Pocket

The Swift is now available for order — and in-stock and ready to ship — in solid Hemp/Recycled Rubber. $110.

Note: this may be your last chance to order bags in Hemp/Recycled Rubber. Though we’ve used this wonderful fabric for years and it has been quite popular, the manufacturer has decided to no longer produce it. Currently available in Hemp/Recycled Rubber are the: Swift (Forest/Hemp), Imago (Cardinal/Hemp/Steel and Aubergine/Hemp/Steel), Little Swift (Hemp/Hemp), Clear Organizer Wallet, and the new Swift in Hemp/Recycled Rubber.

From all of us here at TOM BIHN: Happy New Year!

There’s so much in the works that we’d like to share with you: new designs, new fabrics, new videos, but one of our resolutions is going to be less hinting. We’ll start that… tomorrow.

The 3D Dyneema/nylon Organizer Cube is a one-compartment organizer cube made of our ultralight 200 denier Dyneema®/nylon ripstop. Our 200 Dyneema®/nylon fabric is custom produced just for us by a mill in Japan. Its great tear strength and surprising abrasion resistance comes from the grid of white Dyneema® yarns woven approximately every .25″ / 6 mm parallel to both the X and Y axes (the weft and warp), forming the distinctive “ripstop” pattern (the Dyneema® yarns don’t accept dye and hence remain their natural white color).

Two O-rings on the left and right exterior sides of the 3D Dyneema/nylon Organizer Cube allow you to clip a Key Strap to the 3D Dyneema/nylon Organizer Cube and attach it to the O-rings inside your larger TOM BIHN travel bag, messenger bag, briefcase, laptop bag, knitting bag, or backpack.

$26. In stock and ships within one business day. Colors: Steel, Ultraviolet, Wasabi, Iberian

Specs:
#5 YKK Aquaguard® water repellent coil zipper with plastic sliders
Dimensions: 7″ x 4.3″ x 2″ / 180 x 110 x 50 mm
Weight: 1.73 oz / 49 grams
Volume: 60 cu. in. / 1 quart / 1 liter (ASTM Standard Measure)

Steel

Tethered to the Co-Pilot via a Sapphire Key Strap

Ultraviolet

Wasabi

Iberian

We’re just one of the companies featured in the American Made Holiday Gift Guide 2012 by Made in USA Challenge. Check it out.

Our Tri-Power Safety Whistle is designed to give you the best chance for survival in a disaster or life-threatening situation. Based on years of experience and testing in search-and-rescue situations, this Safety Whistle should be an essential item for any person looking for an inexpensive but effective tool for being rescued.

It’s waterproof.

Designed by search-and-rescue professionals, this is the whistle of choice for the US Army Corps of Engineers, US Forest Service and National Parks Service, US Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary, and NASAR (National Association for Search & Rescue).

Front has the TOM BIHN logo and a reminder that three sharp blasts signals for help. Back features a compass. Clips to the o-rings inside of our bags. Available in Orange, Red, Blue, and Black. $6. In stock and ships within one business day.

Our choice? The Tri-Power Safety Whistle in Orange. It’s highly visible.