Tom Bihn: Over 25 Years of Design Experience. I began designing and making my own outdoor equipment when I was just a kid: I wanted some of that cool stuff made from nylon, down and aluminum like I saw in those catalogs but could not afford. My mom taught me how to sew and my brother & I fixed-up an old Singer machine my grandmother gave me.
	My first pack I designed & made went with me to the Sierra when I was only eleven years old. I learned alot: not just making that pack, but carrying it all those miles.
When I was thirteen, the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island was the testing ground for a big external-frame pack I had built, plus a down sleeping bag, down vest & raingear. (I fell in love with the Northwest on that trip.)
	When I was seventeen the Michelin man look was in and I was making and selling down jackets, vests and sleeping bags. My friend John Bates climbed Denali with a sleeping bag I made for his trip around that time, and people were begining to see that "outdoor" gear was useful around town, too.
In the past few years I've turned my skills to more "urban" designs. The criteria are surprisingly similar to those for mountaineering equipment: a bag still must be functional, light weight, weather-proof & comfortable. But the packs and bags we use everyday for school, work and play see even more abuse than the stuff we take to the mountains. And they have to look good, too.
	Now I make my home close to the mountains I love in Port Angeles, Washington State. I get to test my outdoor designs almost in my own backyard!