Week of 19 July, 2009 - 00:00 to 25 July, 2009 - 23:59

Tom used the Synapse on a recent overnight trip to Canada to see the band Bellowhead perform.

Here's what he carried:
In the main compartment, a very light fiber-fill sleeping bag and a clean t-shirt. In the lower front compartment went the 3D Clear Organizer Cube which fit perfectly along with an extra pair of socks. In the left side front compartment went a light-weight down vest; in the right side front compartment went a very light wind/rain shell and a light fleece hat. Slipped into the center front pocket was a stainless steer 1 liter water bottle. In the small zippered pocket near the top, a passport and iPhone were stored.

The Synapse will be available for pre-order soon; in the meantime, we'll continue to post updates on its progress. We recommend checking out Bellowhead - they are amazing live.

Designed for use as a TSA 3-1-1 liquids bag for air travel, the 3D Clear Organizer Cube also makes a great bag for storing computer accessories/cables, as shown by these pictures posted by maverick in the TOM BHN Forums:

The Large Cafe Bag is now in-stock in all colors: Black/Steel, Black/Wasabi, Steel/Sapphire, Cocoa/Wasabi, Cocoa/Olive, Navy/Cayenne, Olive/Cayenne, Olive/Wasabi, Kelly/Steel, Plum/Olive, Plum/Wasabi, Storm/Sapphire, Sapphire/Steel, Linen/Olive, Punch/Wasabi, and Punch/Steel.

Above: a photo from reinaltong's Large Cafe Bag photo set on Flickr.

Tom is putting the finishing design touches on a new backpack named the Synapse. The Synapse should be available for pre-order within a month and will ship within 2-3 months. While the design is largely completed, Tom needs to do a little bit more tweaking here and there to make the bag actually manufacturable. More pictures of the Synapse will be posted once the bag is available for pre-order. In the meantime, discuss the Synapse in the TOM BIHN Forums.

Specifications:

Volume: total 19 liters (1160 cu.in.)

Front pockets only (all four combined - too small to measure separately by the ASTM standard): 6 liters (360 cu.in.)

Main compartment only: 13 liters (800 cu.in.)

Over-all external measures:
390mm (15.3") tall
280mm (11") wide
200mm (7.9") thick

"First off, thanks for getting everything delivered in two days- just in time for my 6 day trip. This was my first Tom Bihn purchase and in addition to the steel/solar Tri-Star, I also ordered the absolute strap, packing cubes, and a Brain Cell for a Macbook. I have to say this is the highest quality travel bag I've ever owned. The design and attention to detail are brilliant. No matter the circumstances, there was always a handle or zipper right where I needed one. At times, it almost seemed an extension of myself. I never found myself 'hunting' for anything."

Read jehowe's entire review of the Tri-Star in the TOM BIHN Forums. Then, see the Tri-Star for yourself or watch James Martin's (About.com Europe Travel Guide) video review of the bag.

The Buzz sling bag - with a built-in laptop compartment sized specifically for the 15.4" MacBook Pro and other similarly sized laptops - is now shipping in colors Black/Black/Black, Black/Steel, Black/Steel/Indigo, and Black/Olive/Plum.

Related: Watch the GottaBeMobile video review of the Buzz.

"Back in Seattle now after five weeks living out of the Tristar along with a medium cafe bag. I can unequivocally say that this is a perfect bag for the way I travel. It turned out to get a bit heavier over the course of the trip--collecting conference materials and a few souvenirs added a couple of pounds to the total weight. So, I would estimate that I was packing close to 20 pounds by the end. I ended up stashing the backpack straps for the last few days and just using the Absolute shoulder strap since I was in and out of busses, metro, and trains for those days and found it easier not to get it on and off my back repetitively.

The bag swallows up a remarkable amount of stuff, as attested by my packing list earlier in this thread. It looks neat enough with the backpack straps stowed to blend in when staying at a business hotel but is compact enough to be convenient to live out of in tiny European B and B rooms, too. Being tidy and compact had some other advantages, too. My husband and I were staying at one small hotel and wanted to stash our bags for a few hours after checkout. The owner was just explaining to another couple why they didn't have room for bag storage when we came down to ask for the same favor. Looking at our Tristars, he said it would be no problem. Sweet..."
- Posted by flitcraft in the TOM BIHN Forums.

Below is an email we recently received from customer G. -

"Dear Tom and Friends:

My new Zephyr bag arrived just two days after my order, thank you for great service/price in shipping!

As for the bag... One would assume that designing a bag to carry things is not something that would take years....alas, I see now why these bags are so good. Intelligent design & Superior materials.

On arrival of my bag yesterday, I transferred everything from my old (& larger) [manufacturer name withheld] bag to my new Tom Bihn. Wonder of wonders....there remains a huge amount of empty volume and the bag now seems very much lighter! A wonder of physics & geometry Tom!

I see now that it does take time, probably an excruciating amount of angst as well, to constantly design/re-design to configure volume usage, center of gravity, zipper trails, pocket dimensions, strap points, construction details and on and on..... whoa.... I see now a glimpse of the "Zen of Messenger Bag Building".... Thank you Tom and friends. Thank you for making the best bag I have seen with the utmost quality. Thank you moreover for making these in our country. Yes, it does feel right.

Over 60 of my colleagues must use bags such as these on a daily basis in our work and I am the first that I know to carry a Tom Bihn. After the word gets out, I don't think I'll be able to say that again....

Have a wonderful weekend...."

The Tri-Star is sold out in Indigo/Solar and Black/Steel, and colors Crimson/Steel and Steel/Solar are going quickly. Our Seattle factory is working on the next batch, but the Tri-Star is a complex bag and it takes at least several weeks to make. If you need a Tri-Star before late August (when backorders for Indigo/Solar and Black/Steel will ship), we recommend ordering soon.

Tom Bihn Tri-Star Carry On Bag - First Look Review from James Martin on Vimeo.

- Posted by James Martin, About.com Europe Travel Guide Need ideas as to where to take your new Tri-Star? See these wonderful videos of Italy - Puglia in Springtime and Inside the Manduria Archaeological Museum, also by James Martin.