By Eric Widuger
This backpack was gifted to me by Mike V (a fellow hiker!) for the purpose of a hiking-focused review (if you want to know how it performs in an everyday and/or travel capacity, ask them folks on the forums!).
I like bags that solve problems.
Most frameless, ultralight hiking backpacks are inherently problematic: the minimalist design hopes limiting features will reduce weight, and, in turn, make it a more comfortable carry - which would be like removing the air conditioner from your car with the hope it allows you to go fast enough to cool yourself down.
So what's wrong with UL packs?
It's hard to find stuff. Roll-top designs are difficult to access during use, and you have to stop hiking, plop the bag on the ground, and sort through it, feeling with your hands for the small item that probably settled down at the bottom of a deep main compartment.
They may look like dry bags, but aren't as waterproof. Items stored in outside pockets remain susceptible to the elements, and if the bag's seams aren't taped or sealed, it requires a secondary "liner" back to keep water out, which also makes things even more difficult to access.
They're hot, lumpy, and tip over. Lack of a frame, or even a simple foam back panel, means the bag doesn't stand up on its own, it doesn't breathe well, and your back will feel everything poking into your back through the thin, all-fabric back panel.
Organization not included. Ultralight frameless backpacks are essentially dry bags with shoulder straps, and the only additional organization is on the outside of the pack, where things can get wet. To separate the contents, you'll have to buy stuff sacks, pods, or packing cubes to help keep like items together. It adds weight and cost, and, in the end, the money and weight savings are undermined by the additional gear you needed to buy in order to stay organized. Otherwise, your small stuff will mix in with your big stuff, and it gets frustrating trying to find anything in a hurry.
The Paragon 2.0 solves quite a few of those problems!
Before we dig into the nitty-gritty, here's a list of what I packed inside my Paragon 2.0 and carried along on my hikes:
Side Kick: car/house/office keys, wallet, sunglasses, pocketknife, pens, comb, lip balm, bandages, lens wipes, contact lenses, pillbox, camera (inside a soft case), charging cables, power bank, wireless earbuds.
To store extra clothes, I use a Mesh Travel Laundry Stuff Sack (Aeronaut 30) and inside of that goes my rain jacket, rain pants, rain mitts, ankle gaiters, warm hat, warm gloves, microfiber towel, sun hat, and bug head net.
Few things hit the spot more than a hot drink after a cold hike, and the one luxury item I carry with me is my coffee kit, stored inside a Grab Bag (Small). It contains my cookpot, lid, backpacking stove, fuel canister, spoon, instant coffee, lighter, and collapsible silicone mug.
My 3 water bottles were tucked into an unzipped front pocket, I kept snacks and drink mixes in the small interior pocket, and my maps tucked into the laptop sleeve.
Any remaining capacity in the top half of the main compartment is reserved to stashing my puffy coat. I dress in layers on winter hikes and once I get moving, I shed my outermost layer and will continue hiking wearing the fleece hoodie underneath to regulate my body temperature and reduce sweating.
With a full pack, I took the bag out for 15 miles of hiking, and here's what I learned:
You can access your contents without stopping to take the bag off. The panel-loader design is accessed via zippers and includes a new style of high-visibility zipper pull (as well as webbing loops at each end of the zipper path) that makes the zippers easy to find and easy to open - even in cold weather while wearing gloves. Unlike a roll-top bag, you can slip off a strap while wearing it, swing the bag in front of you, and access the compartments without stopping to take the bag off.
Weather-proofing is built into the zippers and fabric. While the bag isn't submersible, it is pretty darn water-resistant, thanks to the typical coated fabric they use, along with the addition of Aquaguard zippers.
It can stand up on its own. The 2.0 adds a foam-padded laptop sleeve against the back wall of the main compartment. Do I take a laptop hiking with me? Nope! But the foam that laptop sleeve is made from helps add rigidity to the bag, makes it more self-supporting, and also creates a nice place to store flat items like maps and guidebooks. Tip: pack your heaviest items flat and into the bottom of the main compartment - when I used the outside front pocket to store my water bottles, it made it front heavy and the bag would tip forward when placed on the ground.
It breathes. The single biggest improvement, and why I wanted to test this pack to begin with? The vented mesh back panel. I took this pack out with me for close to 15 miles of hiking over the course of 2 days. I did manage to work up enough a sweat to make the bottom third, all-fabric seciton damp to the touch, but the top two-thirds does breathe well enough to limit excess perspiration and prevent heat rash (a common problem for anyone who's tried to wear the Daylight Backpack or Luminary 12/15 out on a hot day).
It's easy to stay organized. The design is simple: two good-sized compartments, a small inside pocket, and an open-top padded laptop sleeve. The front outside pocket is big enough to carry 3 water bottles and keep them someplace within quick, easy reach. I kept my snacks and drink mix in the small pocket, maps in the laptop sleeve, and everything else in the main compartment. For a great 2 bag system, use the included Gatekeeper Waist Strap to turn a Side Effect, Side Kick, or Side Hustle into a fanny pack - I did this so I could keep one of my three water bottle and my camera in front of me and easy to reach at all times.
Thick straps weigh more, but allow you to carry the bag further and longer. This backpack uses the best [edgeless] shoulder straps Tom Bihn makes. Be sure to take the time to adjust their length so the bag not only carries weight well, but the straps can flare at an angle corresponding to the width of your shoulders. I had to wear the pack a little lower than I normally wear my hiking backpacks because I have broad shoulders. Once I made this adjustment, the pack wore very comfortably.
Bright colors make things super easy to find. The orange lining makes it very easy to see down into the deepest corners of the bag and I can't say enough how much a difference it makes to use a bag with high-visibility lining. It makes it very easy to see all the contents at a glance. Same goes for the brightly colored zipper pulls. Nary a once did I ever have to fumble around trying to figure out where the zipper pulls were hiding.
What didn't I like? Not much, man.
The pack really could use a dedicated spot to store a water bottle upright. On my second day hiking with the pack I got caught in light snowfall. I was storing water bottles in the front pocket to keep them accessible, but since they were tall, I had to keep the pocket unzipped. Once it started to snow, I had to move the bottles into the main compartment. Maybe that's solved with a simple outside mesh pocket, like the Addaxes have. Or maybe it's more like the interior divider built into the front pocket of the Paradigm/Paragon.
The new "Pull du Jour" zipper pulls are awesome, but I wish they came in more colors than black and orange. I like these so much I now buy them instead of the older style pulls when upgrading recent bag purchases. But I wish they offered the same amount of color choices as the older style zipper pulls (Black, Coyote, Iberian, Island, Ultraviolet, Wasabi). Maybe in time they will.
Bring back the option to upgrade to a whistle sternum strap. Almost all of my hiking is solo, and as someone who doesn't carry any sort of personal locator beacon, or satellite communicator, the only things I have on me to call for help are either my cell phone or my voice. I'll probably write customer service to see if they've got one left over, and if not, try and source out an aftermarket whistle sternum strap.
This bag is a great example of how this company is not only willing to hear customer feedback, but use it to improve their bags and make better designs, which in turn just make happier customers (myself included!).
I would never have purchased the first version of this bag with the intention of using it for hiking, but the 2.0 version added enough upgrades that it performs just as well as some of my dedicated outdoor gear.
For those interested:
The bag was tested on Blackwell Forest Preserve's McKee Marsh Trail (Warrenville, Illinois), and on the Scuppernong Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (Eagle, Wisconsin).
Thank you again Eric for your review!
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We’re kicking off the year with our second Trinity pre-order! We’re thankful for all your support and patience. This 3-in-1 backpack, shoulder bag, and briefcase took us 5 years to imagine, design, and create, so we’re very excited to open up another opportunity for you to get one. If you’re still unsure whether the Trinity is the right bag for you, last summer, we made a lot of videos highlighting the features of the Trinity, check them out here, here, and here. We will also have more content coming onto our social media accounts, so stay tuned! The Trinity will be available in 9 colorways — we added an Acai option this time.
We’re also bringing back the Night Flight Travel Duffel for pre-order! This was the most pre-ordered bag in our company’s history, and we’re excited to relaunch it. If you’re still deciding whether this is the right bag for you, check out some of the videos we’ve made here and here. Featuring three additional new colorways in Acai, Wisteria, and Sakura, the Night Flight Travel Duffel will be available to pre-order in a 14 colorways.
Given the complexity of the bags, we are currently estimating production time to be 10 weeks, so you can expect your bags to be ready late April/early May.
In case you missed it, we debuted two new seasonal 200d Halcyon colors, Wisteria and Sakura 200d, back in December in the Small Travel Tray, Large Tray Tray, and Rogue Sacoche. Inspired by some of our favorite spring blooms, Wisteria and Sakura have already become favorites on the Production floor. We originally got these dips along with Cerise and Seafoam last year. The plan was to choose our top two, but we had a very hard time narrowing down to two colors, so enjoy these bright and happy hues. You can expect to see more Wisteria and Sakura coming soon (more on that below).
For all the jewel tone fans, we’re excited to share that Acai is here to stay for a little longer – we have more coming to the factory! Check out everything that is available to shop in Acai now. Here are some of our favorite Acai combos:
We’re beginning our color selection process for the next few seasons. Have some thoughts or wishlist colors? Drop them in the comments below!
Some of you have been asking us about the status of bags that haven’t been available for a while now, so we’re excited to share that the following bags will be making a big return soon!
*Grab Bags will be returning mystery style, similar to our Mystery Organizer Pouches – more on this coming soon!
All of these bags will be returning with new colorways. We will be sharing updates first with our email list, so make sure you’re signed up!
Our CEO, Cindy, recently traveled to Fukui, Japan, where she visited the mill responsible for weaving our Halcyon fabric. This mill, a second-generation family-run small business, currently led by Mr. Nakamura (second from the right), is committed to weaving top-notch industrial-grade fabrics. A highlight of the visit was witnessing the hands-on involvement of the Nakamura family in ensuring the exceptional quality and continual innovation of their products. The unique yarn used to weave Halcyon was also invented in-house by the founder (first from the right). We’re excited to continue our partnership together and continue making and delivering exceptional bags to you all.
We’re finalizing a new tote bag design, and we’re excited to share more very, very soon. Additionally, we’re also working on a new travel backpack design — stay tuned!
]]>We grew our team...
We welcomed some new designs…
We brought some things back…
We also had to say goodbye to some….
We switched some things up…
We made our palette a little more colorful…
We gave back…
And we celebrated a bit…
We’re very thankful for the year we had and are excited for what 2024 has in store! We would like to extend a sincere thank you to our dedicated team and to you - our customers - for making 2023 a truly memorable year. We look forward to continuing to offer products that bring you joy and convenience. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to what the coming year has to offer!
Cheers to 2024!
It’s that time of year again – the holiday season! We’ve compiled a list of gift ideas for all the wonderfully unique people in your life – including TOM BIHN bags we love, local businesses we’re passionate about, and other cool products we enjoy. Whether they’re a world traveler or an avid gamer, we hope you find something that sparks joy in our 2023 Holiday Gift Guide!
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First, today is a well-deserved day off for the crew. You can, of course, continue to shop and place orders on our website, but our Fulfillment team won’t get to them until Monday. And any questions emailed to our inbox during this Thanksgiving holiday weekend won’t be answered by our Customer Service team until Monday either. Sometimes, it’s hard to resist the frenzy of the holiday season, but we are committed to promoting a healthy work-life balance and acknowledging the hard work and dedication of our crew.
As for promotions, we stand by our long tradition of pricing fairly year-round, and thus, we do not on Black Friday, or any other time, run sales, discounts, or coupons. We recognize that our prices are not cheap but each TOM BIHN bag is designed and hand-crafted in our own factory in Seattle with high-quality custom materials and dedicated artisanship. We have one of the best teams of cutting, sewing, and joining professionals anywhere and we are committed to operating an ethical, safe, and pleasant facility in Seattle. Ultimately, we believe our formula creates great, long-lasting products. Paired with an incredible TOM BIHN community, we are proud to be recently told by our customer reviews vendor that we have one of the highest customer review engagement rates and average review across all brands.
While we refrain from promotions, every year, we debut new designs and bring back some old favorites for special reruns on Cyber Monday. Dive into the details in our holiday debut blog. Our team has been diligently working on this for months, and we can’t wait to finally share these bags with you on Monday.
Cheers and we are so thankful for your support and the entire TOM BIHN community!
]]>Read along to find out everything you need to know about the debut. Still have questions after reading the blog? Ask them away in the comments section below.
This year, we are excited to debut three bags, a new set of cord zipper pulls, and as per tradition, a restock of Tom's Firewood Carrier.
First up is a new design: the Rogue Sacoche is our take on the popular minimalist style crossbody bag. Ultralight and packs flat when it’s not in use, the Rogue Sacoche is the perfect daypack to accompany your travels. But don’t let its flat appearance fool you, the Rogue Sacoche fits a lot more than you might think. The bottom corners of the Rogue Sacoche are created with a clever darted seam design, allowing the base of the bag to expand and sit upright once packed. You can expect to fit your phone, wallet, passport, a small water bottle (<16oz), a Vertical Packing Cubelet, and a small tablet.
We are offering the Rogue Sacoche in 14 stunning colors in three fabrics - 200d Halcyon, 210d Cerylon, and 210d Ballistic. Most of these colors will be restockable after they sell out, with the exception of two 200d Halcyon colors: Cerise and Iberian (photographed above).
Our second debut bag is a revamp of a retired design — meet the Paragon 2.0. We launched the original Paragon in 2021, and it was an evolution of a simple dayback design, called the “Simplex” made by Tom in the 70s. Here’s what you guys told us you love about the original Paragon: the simple and clean design, the built-in laptop sleeve, the Edgeless Shoulder Straps. But what you guys felt a little mixed about? The rain flaps and the flat interior zippered pocket. So we took your feedback, and we present to you Paragon 2.0 – removed the rain flaps, upgraded with Aquaguard zippers, gave that interior pocket more depth, added mesh to the back to help with breathability, and more.
We are offering the Paragon 2.0 in 12 colorways, and we decided to get a little playful. While you’ll find staples like Black/Northwest Sky and Nebulous Grey/Island, we also have some never-been-done-before colorways for those looking to add more spice to your collection: Mars Red/Solaris and Coyote/Zest!
Our final debut bag is the Large Zip-Top Shop Bag. Our last batch of Large Zip-Top Shop Bags were made in November 2021 in a mix of Cerylon, Cordura, and Cotton Twill fabrics. We’ve been getting questions ever since on when we’ll be making them again in Halcyon and our new Cerylon colors. So here you go, the Large Zip-Top Shop Bag will be available in 9 colors, a mix of Halcyon and Cerylon colors!
You may have noticed that we have implemented a price increase, and we want you to understand the reason behind this decision. We are doing this in order to make it possible to continue to offer this bag. We had chosen to stop making this bag entirely because at the previous price point, it just didn’t make sense anymore – the Zip-Top Shop Bag uses a very significant amount of Halcyon/Cerylon fabric (almost 6x the amount of the Everyday Cubelet for a point of comparison), and the PORON®-padded handles require an extra expert skill set to sew (shoutout to Tao, photographed below, on our team for making all the handles and this debut possible!), so we opted to make other bags instead. Given the number of requests we’ve received over the last two years, we have decided to bring them back for the holiday season.
New Cord Zipper Pulls: Pull Du Jour
If you’re planning on buying a Paragon 2.0, you will be among the first to receive our all new TB-branded cord zipper pulls. If you’re not, we’re also offering these as a separate accessory in Black, Zest, or a mix of both. Unlike the older ones, the plastic piece and the cord are pre-assembled, so you don’t have to do the extra work at home.
It's now a tradition: during the holiday season, we restock Tom's Firewood Carrier. It's based off of a simple design that Tom made back in the 1970's as gifts for family and friends.
Also, be sure to check out our Recent Restocks page for a bunch of bags we just brought back!
Questions? Concerns? Ask them away in the blog comments below.
]]>To answer this question, we need to delve into the details of our 200D Halcyon fabric.
200D Halcyon is composed of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers, which exhibit varying appearances under different lighting conditions. The structure of these fibers, as well as their density and alignment, affects how they reflect and transmit light. 200D Halcyon has inherent reflective properties, and light dispersion can also make the fabric appear more vibrant in direct sunlight. Notably, its partial translucency allows subtle light penetration, particularly noticeable in bags crafted entirely from Halcyon, as opposed to instances where Halcyon serves as an interior liner. In essence, the fabric's nature contributes to the dynamic way our bags appear.
Another element at play is color theory. Our bags aren't just randomly dyed; they are custom-dyed to achieve unique tones. This process means that even slight variations in lighting can reveal subtle nuances in color. When deciding the color of each bag, we use three 'primary' colors (Red, Blue, and Green) to help develop our perfect shade. Why do we use these colors? Basically, human color vision is based on three types of color receptors in our eyes called cones. These cones are sensitive to different parts of the light spectrum: S-cones for short wavelengths (blue), M-cones for medium wavelengths (green), and L-cones for long wavelengths (red). Using red, green, and blue as primary colors aligns with these cone sensitivities and allows for an intuitive and effective way to create a wide range of colors. Let’s use Acai again as our example. Acai is made mostly of red dyes but has a unique blend of blue and green dyes incorporated to help create that unique berry color. The colors of our bags can also interact with the colors they're paired with. Acai may appear more vibrant when paired with Verde and take on a more subdued appearance when paired with Black.
In summary, many different properties come into play when it comes to the ever-changing appearance of our Halcyon fabric. So, the next time you're captivated by the shifting colors of our Halcyon bags, remember that it's not just a simple trick of the light; it's the blend of science, art, and design that makes each bag unique.
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The days are always hectic here at 4750A Ohio Ave – between our internal projects (improving our processes, growing our team, redo-ing our layout to fit more sewing machines, etc. etc.), our efforts to keep our bags in stock, and our initiatives to push out new designs and fun colors, we have a lot going on. Below are a few fun updates we’d like to share with you and hope they provide an interesting glimpse inside the factory.
New Designs - Recent and on the Horizon
We have debuted some fun new designs since the last update: Bantam (new colorways coming soon!), Side Hustle, a revamped Night Flight Travel Duffel (NFTD), and the long-awaited Trinity. And along the way we hit some milestones: we sold out of five back-to-back batches of the Side Hustle – a feat we’ve never come close to accomplishing with any other bag. We also sold the most number of pre-orders ever for a single bag with the NFTD.
Coming next, we’re getting ready for the holiday season. Every year on the Monday after Thanksgiving, we launch something special. This year, we have some very fun stuff in the works. One of our existing bags is getting a revamp. A bag that you've been asking us to bring back (we get on average one request a day) will be coming back. And there is also a totally new design that we’re excited to share more details for very soon. Expect a very colorful holiday season.
Updates to our Existing Bags
We’re always looking for ways to improve our bags, and in case you haven’t noticed, we’ve made some updates!
Since May, we have incorporated sewn-on Strap Keepers into all newly made backpacks. We started selling Strap Keepers in 2019 as an add-on option to tame dangly backpack straps. And after some internal discussions, we think that it just makes better sense for all backpacks to come with Strap Keepers.
Over the summer, we also gave the Brain Bag a mini makeover. The Brain Bag is our oldest backpack (dating back to 1996!) that we sell right now. We haven’t messed with the core design, but we do find spots to improve on every now and then. We decided to add a layer of lining fabric to the front interior panel to hide drill holes and create a more visually appealing appearance. If you don’t know what drill holes are, they are holes that we intentionally add to the fabric for manufacturing purposes – they do not adversely impact the durability of the fabric. Drill holes exist on all bags, you may or may not have seen them since we do our best to place them in discreet spots. In the case of Brain Bag, we found we could be doing a better job.
We also recently updated the shoulder strap on the Medium and Small Cafe Bags – there is now no extra plastic piece on the strap! We received a lot of feedback stating that the plastic piece felt unnecessary and was often obtrusive. We have found that the strap itself remains comfortable without the extra piece.
All About Our Custom Colors
2023 has been a very colorful year for us! After almost three years of supply chain slowdowns, we are finally back to a regular cadence with our custom-dipped 200d Halcyon and 210d Cerylon fabrics. Our goal has always been to keep a few core colors (Island + Northwest Sky) in our factory while rotating in a fun array of limited edition colors (Cerise + Seafoam this past summer!).
In an ideal world, we’d keep every color and more, but as a small company with limited production capacity, we have to let some things go in order to create room for the new. Here are the 200d Halcyon and 210d Cerylon colors that are currently in our line-up that have now been fully committed to Production with no plans for return. That means that if you have been thinking about making any of these colors yours, we recommend buying them sooner rather than later!
***In July, after lots of teasing, we debuted our two newest 200d Halcyon colors – Cerise and Seafoam! It’s safe to say this was our most fun and highly anticipated debut yet. We have completely used up our Seafoam at this point. Cerise would have been on the same boat had we not set aside one more roll for something special coming this holiday season…
It may look like a lot of colors are leaving, but rest assured more is on the way. We’ve already planned out some of our 2024 colors. Next up, stay tuned for the return of Solaris and Acai just in time for the holiday season. We also plan to keep Zest in our line-up as a core color alongside Northwest Sky and Island.
It’s also been a while since we’ve introduced a new shell color into our lineup, and we’re currently exploring new custom-dipped Ballistic colors – no promises of any colors yet, but we’re having a lot of fun testing our ideas out.
Updates About Our Fabrics
Over the summer, we introduced Marine X-Pac RX30, starting with the Synik 30, then the Synapse 25, Synik 22, and Synapse 19. We loved introducing something different into the mix of our regular shell colors, but at this time, don’t expect Marine X-Pac RX30 to be part of the regular line-up.
Back in early 2022, we announced that we were starting to transition from 525d High Tenacity Ballistic Nylon to 630d High Tenacity Ballistic Nylon to ensure we are able to get a continuous supply of the fabric (our partner mills have phased out 525d). The two fabrics look and feel very similar, and the weight difference is almost indistinguishable to most, but for those that are curious, at this time, the 525d is essentially gone with the exception of Cloud.
Since July, all the new 630d Ballistic Nylon fabric we’re bringing into our factory now has C0 DWR! (DWR, or Durable Water Repellent, is a protective finish applied to our fabric that enhances durability and repels water, oil, dirt, and alcohol, while maintaining breathability and fabric stability.) Due to the timing of when C0 became available, the transition from C6 to C0 started with Wilderness, Deep Blue, and Ursa. Our goal is to fully transition all our 630d Ballistic Nylon colors from C6 to C0 by next year.
A quick note about 1050d High Tenacity Ballistic Nylon: due to supply chain changes that happened pre-COVID, we anticipate that we will only be able to offer this fabric for our large travel bags in Black going forward. We do have a handful of our custom colors left in 1050 (all procured before the supply chain changes) and will continue to include that in the production of bags until we run out.
A quick update on 400d Halcyon substitute: we’re testing new fabrics but have not yet made a decision. Curious why this search is taking so long? Well, the ideal fabric we’re searching for is not something readily available off the shelf and not something that every mill is willing to make, so the process of getting samples can take a long time. And just like every new material we receive, we have to run it through a sufficient amount of testing to make sure it is “the one.”
Our last remaining 400d Halcyon right now is Taiga and a very small amount of Night Walk, which has all been committed to the Synik 30.
Production Updates
We’ve been getting these questions a lot recently: “Why are your bags taking so long in production?” “Why are so many bags out of stock?” If you’re a keen observer of our company, you may have noticed, the time it takes us to restock out of stock bags feels longer than usual. To put it simply, you guys are buying some of our bags faster than we can make them.
We’re still a small company dedicated to making the best quality bags in the world right here in Seattle, Washington, USA, and we offer an incredibly wide variety of designs and colors. We are doing our best to keep bags in stock in lots of fun colors, but we’re also committed to growing in a measured and sustainable way.
New Hires
Speaking of growing, we’ve recently added some new hires to our team! On the Production side, we’ve welcomed nine new expert members to QA, bartacking, joining, and subassembly. We’re gradually expanding our Production capacity, even growing into our overflow warehouse space to make sure we can accommodate additional machinery. More bios will be added to our site soon!
The summer has also been a great time for us to bring on interns from local Seattle universities to our team. They’ve been sharing their creativity with us in Design and Social Media. Lots of new content is being released almost everyday on our Social Media channels, stay tuned if you want to keep up with the latest.
The earliest iterations and patterns for the Trinity in our systems date back to May 2018. The original plans for this design were seen as an improvement on the Tri-Star and Western Flyer.
Darcy shared the first mentions of the Trinity in our forums in June of 2019, most notably mentioning the detachable shoulder straps that are removable via gatekeepers. The project had been in progress for over a year at this point but couldn’t move forward due to missing a specialty component – a YKK Zipper No. 10 in Aquaguard that was not yet available in the ideal specs that Tom was looking for. A key design feature that Tom wanted for the Trinity was for it to have a very slim laptop compartment, unlike the middle compartment of the Tri-Star, and this would only be possible with a specialty zipper that had wide tape of around 1”.
While in this delayed phase, concerns about whether customers would consider a gatekeeper-attached backpack strap less comfortable came up in design meetings. Darcy sought out opinions on the new strap type and received positive feedback on the exciting new project from forum members.
In October of 2019, Darcy gave forum members another update – the zipper would possibly be available by the end of the year, though the bag would not be available until the following year.
There weren't any substantial updates on the Trinity until February 2020, when Darcy shared a few more features that would make their way into the final iteration of the Trinity, including:
As the year went on COVID-19 affected the state of the world (and travel), the Trinity continued to be delayed due to Tom wanting to refine the design and focus on completing some of the nearly-done more everyday-use type designs he’d been working on. Plus, with supply chain issues caused by COVID-19, the chances of sourcing the desired zipper dimmed.
Tom gave an inside look at the design process in this interview from April 2021:
Tom, there’s lots of folks excited for any news of the Trinity travel bag that we can share — but there’s also folks who perhaps might not know what the Trinity is. Can you give us a recap?
The Trinity is (or, rather, it will be) a travel / work bag that converts to a backpack. Like our other travel bags, it can be carried by its padded handles, with an optional shoulder strap, or backpack style. It is different from our other travel bags in several ways, including — it has a minimal, dedicated laptop/tablet compartment, and its backpack straps will be removable for folks who’d rather that additional weight/bulk be, at least some of the time, left behind. It also features a back pocket that can double as a slot for a roll-aboard handle. That’s a lot of design and build, and things can go sideways if it’s not carefully and expertly executed — one can end up with a bag that’s heavier or bulkier than it needs to be, it can be a tough job for the people who sew it, or it’s a design that may just leave you scratching your head. The Trinity won’t be any of those things because of the time I’m putting into the design.
Sounds like a lot of design work has gone into the Trinity. Is there an aspect of its design that you’re most excited about?
There’s actually two aspects that I’m rather proud of. First, I figured out how to build an ultra-thin laptop compartment that would be in the dead center of the bag — so that the weight of the laptop doesn’t throw the bag off balance when carried by hand, and also so that the laptop is protected by clothing or whatever else is stowed in the compartments on either side of the device. Second, how to create a roll-aboard slot / pocket which occupies the same real estate that the stow-away backpack straps occupy. It was quite a puzzle, let me tell you.
What elements of the design are you continuing to refine?
The big one is refining how the backpack straps can be attached / detached by the user: we’ve got some good starts, but still need to perfect that. Also, several aspects of the design can only be scaled up or down so far before they become either useless to the user or impossible to sew. Thus, we are still in the process of figuring out exactly what size or sizes the Trinity will be offered in. Our hopes are for a maximum carry-on size (so Aeronaut 45 size) and something smaller and more briefcase sized, perhaps along the lines of the Western Flyer or Empire Builder.
You know everyone’s going to be asking this: when will the Trinity be available for pre-order?
I don't know about you, but this last year has thrown me for a loop. And we've been busy, to boot. I've dived back into the design of the Trinity, a new gym bag, and a messenger bag I was working on in early 2020. I'm sure some of you out there reading this can relate to what it's like to put down a project for some months and pick it back up: on the tough side, there's the getting reacquainted and the "So what was I thinking here?" and then there's the benefit space and time can provide. I've looked over aspects of all three designs and been pleasantly surprised, scratched my head, and I've had new inspiration on how to solve some design challenges that were previously perplexing. All that said, don't make sandwiches and wait by the phone: we'll let you know when these bags are getting close to ready. And, of course, we'll share updates along the way. — Tom
In Winter 2022, Jose began tackling the Trinity project with Tom. The latest iteration of this project still had a lot of details (zipper, zipper tape, foam, backpack straps, and bag weight) that needed to be decided on and confirmed. We discussed the largest issue that has faced the Trinity since 2019 – the inability to source the 1” #10 zipper in Aquaguard – a vital component of the Trinity’s design. Well, there was some good news already — a zipper might finally be available.
Since 2021, all TOM BIHN bags (with the exception of the Synik at the time of writing this blog) have begun transitioning from Aquaguard to Racquet Coil zippers. The Trinity would follow course and also utilize Racquet Coil zippers for the rest of the compartments and pockets. While a #10 zipper with 1" tape still did not exist in Aquaguard, a similar version of the desired #10 zipper for the laptop compartment exists in Racquet Coil, though at 1.5” rather than 1” – we needed to make a prototype to see if we can achieve our desired result with this new component.
When Jose began building his first prototype of the Trinity - he faced the challenge of taking 70 design files and compiling them together to identify a solid pattern file to begin working from.
Jose began sitting in meetings with Tom to discuss the project and goals he wanted to achieve.
Here is a collection of notes Jose and Tom gathered from their first meeting on the Trinity:
First, the padded grab handles were placed at the center compartment to ensure they met at the center seamlessly. The construction method used for sewing the panels together keeps the joining seam away from the middle panel, strengthening the handles' attachment.
The laptop compartment's foam was initially designed to be removable for production ease, but due to constraints on ¼ “ laminated foam, a shift to 1/8" foam covered with Halcyon material was proposed. Concerns were raised about the durability of the foam at the bottom dome of the compartment, prompting further exploration through sampling.
Discussions led to the development of a new comfortable and padded shoulder strap option, prioritizing shoulder comfort over side padding.
By April 2023, Jose’s first sample of the new Trinity was completed.
Upon first inspection, it was evident that the bag exhibited a more substantial structural build in comparison to the sample Tom had previously produced. While most of the details closely resemble those found in the previous sample, there are a few exceptions.
Notably, the width of the center compartment was augmented from 1 inch to 1.5 inches, dome pieces were incorporated on both sides of the #10 RC Zipper, and the interior foam has been sewn into place. Although the pattern remained accurate, it was observed by Fong (Production Supervisor) that some minor adjustments would be needed.
With the new sample in hand, we moved forward with several changes:
Center Compartment
Shoulder Straps
Other changes
We continued to implement changes to the next sample:
Center Compartment Changes
Back Compartment
Back panel
Front Compartment
With these changes implemented, the pattern was ready to be cut. Cindy took the latest sample on a trip in May, hoping to provide further feedback. Most notably, she suggested we return the water bottle construction to the bag — even if a water bottle is not carried, the divider created optional sections that are helpful for organization.
The back panel's shell and lining were increased by a quarter of an inch, with the lining extending up to the top of the zipper for a more secure fit. The attachment point for the shoulder strap was moved up by half an inch to accommodate two bartacks, requiring a shift and longer webbing. To enhance usability, notches were added, positioned 4 5/8 inches from the center on the bottom of the back panel. Furthermore, the sew lines inside the handle pass-through were modified to straight lines instead of curves for a more streamlined appearance. A notch was also added to the laptop panel dome, situated 9 1/2 inches from the center. Lastly, to accommodate larger devices, the length of two laptop pockets was increased to a total of 18 1/2 inches.
In June, Cindy took the latest sample Trinity on another trip. We implemented several changes from her new feedback, including adding an ‘admin pocket’ to the front compartment, pen slots and O-ring placement. We also added more padding to the shoulder straps, to provide comfort to the user.
To enhance usability, the grab handles on the left and right sides of the bag were relocated to positions closer to the center. However, adjustments were required for the shoulder straps, as an incorrect foam thickness had been initially used. A new set of shoulder straps was crafted to better align with the intended production standards.
Several pattern corrections were made as well. Production requested the relocation of drill holes on the Back Shell Panel to ensure better alignment with the stitching required for the Pass Through. Furthermore, the width of both sides of the front pocket lining pieces was increased by 1/8 inch as per production's request. Lastly, the Back panel lining piece at the bottom was reduced by ¼ inch to meet production specifications. These comprehensive design changes were vital in refining the product and aligning it with our production standards.
As the bag was rounding the corner to be near complete, there was a debate on how to bartack the gatekeepers for backpack straps:
Option 1 : Bartack through three layers. Pro: strongest construction. Con: you can see the bartack on lining fabric.
Option 2: Add a hidden piece under the lining fabric, rather than bartack through the lining fabric, bartack through the hidden piece instead. Pro: still achieves a 3-layer bartack, while hiding the bartack on the lining fabric. Con: not quite as strong as bartacking through the lining fabric. Plus, with the lining fabric unbartacked, we noticed the fabric gathers a bit at the top when the shoulder strap on the other side is pulled.
Ultimately, we went with option 1, prioritizing stronger construction.
Fong noted a small problem in the production of the next Trinity sample: The bartack on the shoulder straps could not properly cover the drill hole. Fong suggested getting rid of the hole and using a chalk line instead, resulting in a cleaner outcome. The drill hole was removed and chalking the line was added to the steps of production.
Before we launch a new design (in this case the Trinity), we always first do a trial run, also known to us as the PPB. We make a limited number of bags in order to trial each step of the manufacturing process, from materials gathering and marker printing all the way down to quality control. The goal is to ensure that every small wrinkle is fully ironed out so that Production will be ready to make a full-sized batch of the bag.
]]>Business trips are a great way to meet new people and expand your professional network. Plus, they're a good opportunity to explore a new locale—depending on your line of work and your employer, you might not even have to pay for your flight or hotel. But business travel can also be stressful, especially if you’re not prepared.
The key to smooth business travel is planning ahead and using a comprehensive business trip packing list.
Knowing what items you need to pack beforehand helps ensure that you don’t leave anything important behind and are fully prepared for the journey ahead.
When it comes to packing for a business trip, the most important thing you need to consider is what type of clothing to bring. Generally, that means you'll need to pack two categories of clothing: business attire for work-related events and casual clothing that you'd bring with you on any other trip.
No matter how much you love to travel, business trips can be stressful. On top of all of the regular travel stressors, you have work responsibilities to consider. And that means arriving on time and looking professional. While nothing can stop a delayed flight or missed connection, you can avoid other problems, like lost or damaged items and wrinkled clothes, by following the business travel tips we’ve outlined below.
If you can, it's best to avoid checking a bag by packing everything in your carry-on. But if you must check your luggage, make sure you pack the most items in your carry-on bag.
Last year, lost baggage claims increased by 30%—and the more often you travel, the greater your risk of mishandled or lost luggage. This is a major inconvenience if you're on vacation. But if you're traveling for business, a missing suitcase can lead to disaster.
If all of your clothing is in your checked bag and the airline loses it, you won't have appropriate clothing to wear to conferences and other events during your trip. Depending on the expectations of the industry you work in this may not be a big concern. But it can still create uncomfortable situations, especially if you're hoping to make a good impression.
You know what items you'll need most during your business trip—but if you're packing in a hurry, it can be easy to forget things. Double-check your carry-on packing list and make sure it includes these essential items:
We always advise rolling your clothes to help save space in your bag. But we especially recommend it for business travel because it helps you avoid wrinkled clothes that can make a well-planned outfit look like a last-minute effort.
As a traveling professional, you're probably packing button-down shirts, jackets, and slacks—all of which are prone to wrinkling. And you don't want to wake up and iron your clothes after a long day of travel, especially if you already have a busy day planned.
Folding your clothes introduces creases that create wrinkles. And the more folds and creases, the more wrinkles you'll create. While you'll have to fold your clothes to create a rollable, rectangular shape, rolling your clothes still requires fewer creases than basic folding techniques. And that means you're less likely to have to iron your outfit before you start your workday.
The more you travel for work, the faster your luggage will wear, which is why it's worth the investment to buy high-quality, durable travel bags up front.
High-quality suitcases are typically made of strong, durable materials that can stand up to the wear and tear associated with frequent travel. They're also lightweight, allowing you to pack more without adding extra weight to your luggage. We recommend checking out our Travel Bags collection to find the right fit for you.
Buying a good bag comes with other benefits as well:
The best bag for your business trip often depends on how long you'll be gone. If you're traveling for a business meeting or conference, you'll only be gone for a few days and likely will only need a personal item and a carry-on bag. But for longer trips, you'll need a larger bag to accommodate a longer packing checklist.
For quick trips when we’re packing light, we love our Tri-Star because the built-in dividers combined with our packing cubes make it easy to organize everything in our carry-on, from our clothes to our laptop. It's also TSA-approved and incredibly versatile. We can wear it as a backpack or shoulder bag through the airport. Then for a smooth transition from the airport to a professional setting, we can switch to carrying it as a briefcase.
We also love briefcase style bags like the Pilot and Western Flyer for business travel. As a slightly smaller bag, the Pilot is the perfect size for a personal item when we fly, especially since it has just enough space for our laptop. The Western Flyer is a bit larger, but still not as big as the Tri-Star, which gives us plenty of additional space for things like an extra pair of shoes, more clothing, or promotional swag we pick up from sponsors at corporate events.
But just because these bags work for us doesn't mean you have to use them. Take a look at our full inventory of bags to find one that you like. Or let us know what bag or organizer tools you use for work trips(and why) in the comments to help fellow travelers have a smooth trip.
]]>Packing light always seems easy, especially for overnight and weekend trips. After all, you'll only be gone for a few nights—how much can you really need?
But if you've ever been on a trip and forgotten something at home, you know how annoying it can be to arrive at your destination only to open your bag and realize you don't have what you need. That's why it can be hard to pack light, even for quick trips.
No matter where you go or for how long, there's a sense of comfort in having everything you could possibly need in your bag. But the last thing you want is to be the person that lugs around a giant suitcase of things you probably could have left at home. And that can make packing an overnight bag a balancing act.
You want to ensure you don't forget anything you need at home without overstuffing your bag. That's why so many lists of travel tips recommend using an overnight packing list like the one we've outlined below. While you may have to make adjustments depending on your intended destination and trip length, it's a good starting place for any overnight or weekend trips you might have planned.
Use our travel packing list as a starting point for your own—feel free to add or remove items based on your travel plans and preferences.
It's important to note that our list is for a true overnight trip—if you are traveling for more than one night, plan to pack additional items for every extra day of your trip.
Packing these extras would technically disqualify you from meeting the strictest definition of a minimalist traveler—but depending on where you're going and what you have planned, they might be essential items to add to your packing list. I
f you can leave these items off your list, you're bag will be lighter. But if you plan to use any of these items on your overnight excursion, don't forget to pack them!
Using a checklist to guide you while you pack helps ensure you don't forget anything important while helping you avoid overpacking. But it isn't the only thing you can do to limit how much goes into your overnight bag.
The key to traveling light is packing only what you need—and nothing more. And while using a minimalist packing list is a good start, you can pare down your checklist even more if you plan ahead.
Consider researching the weather at your intended destination so you can plan accordingly. Knowing what the weather will hold will help you pack exactly what you need and eliminate worries like whether or not you should toss an umbrella in your bag.
Evaluate what you'll be doing while you're gone and see if there are any items you can eliminate. Let's say you're sleeping over at a friend's house to reduce your morning commute before an early work conference. While you can't leave out your blazer or laptop to save space in a small bag, you can wear comfortable clothes (like leggings or sweatpants and a big T-shirt) on your way over. That way, your day clothes can double as pajamas.
If you're notorious for overpacking, your luggage might be part of the reason why.
Choosing a bag that's bigger than you need will give you plenty of extra space if you’re hoping to bring home souvenirs you pick up while traveling. But before you even leave, all that empty space in your bag could make you feel like you're forgetting something. And that increases the chance that you'll pack something you don't really need at the last minute—which means you won’t have space for those souvenirs after all.
When it comes to packing for a short trip, backpacks and duffel bags are usually the best option for minimalist travelers who want to travel light without sacrificing comfort or convenience. They provide plenty of space while still being easy to compress down if need be, making them incredibly versatile. Plus, they're much easier to carry around than a bulky, wheeled suitcase.
Here are a few of our favorite overnight bags:
It can feel like you've forgotten something at home when your bag is so light. But don't overthink it—especially if you'll only be gone for a single night, you probably won't forget anything at home. Even if you do, chances are you'll be able to make it through the night without (and you'll never forget to pack whatever it was again). That said, if there's anything we've forgotten to list in our packing checklist, help a fellow traveler by letting us know in the comments below!
]]>"I am normally not someone that posts a lot of personal pictures online, but this fun celebration made me want to explain why the image below is connected to TOM BIHN.:
In 2017, after my old backpack gave up, I discovered TOM BIHN by looking around on the internet. The combination of a no-nonsense and elegant exterior with the utilitarian approach to design made me buy my first bag; The Synapse 25.
It went with me on many trips, always by my side.
More bags followed. Smaller ones in particular. The first reason (and most important one of course), is that I like looking at them a lot. Additionally, it allowed a lot of my utensils to be organized modular. Keeping them together for when I need them and am ready to throw them in a bag whenever. (Pro tip: dropping your keys in a small ghost-whale pouch makes carrying them in your pants pocket way more comfortable.)
TOM BIHN bags also became closely connected to my artistry. I love keeping my art gear organized in them. I even cut my sketchbooks to the size of the bags. For instance, I have the bigger 'Field-Journal-Notebook set', and also a smaller 'Vertical-Packing-Cubelet-set'. The square cubelet is perfect for holding my lens cleaning set.
So TOM BIHN bags became the home to my art gear. It made me want to make a small 'ode' to TOM BIHN in my art. I didn't find a good opportunity until about 2 years ago. I was working on my own game with a small group of people and I had to design a bag for the main character.
In this game, you diligently plan your journey(s) and carefully manage the contents of your bag. So I decided to design it inspired by a bag I recently bought back then - the Guide's Edition Synik 30. This became my most used bag.
That brings me to the image at the top. It is the title-image I created for the game when it was released in 2022. If you look closely, you will see the figure in the image wearing a bag.
It is a fantasy RPG tribute to the Synik 30! I decided this game-world has not invented zippers yet, so I 3d-modeled the side pockets as little sacks, which you can close with a rope. A nice cover-flap over the 2 center pockets and one for the front bottom pocket. The clamp shell main compartment isn't really held together all that well. Of course, being the guide's edition, it has the facility to hang a sleeping mat under the bag.
On the main character:
So now you know!
Thank you for reading and of course thank u TOM BIHN for your awesome bags.
Cheers,
Hendrik"
Thank you again for your amazing entry!
]]>If you don't have time to read the full FAQ, here is the one thing we want you to take away: we cannot hold items that aren't in the drop-downs on the pre-order page. If you order items outside of the items offered in the drop-downs on the pre-order page, we will contact you to see whether you want those items shipped immediately (we'll invoice you for the additional shipping cost) or refunded.
If you have a question that wasn’t answered here, feel free to emailus@tombihn.com.
How come I can't add items outside the pre-order page (i.e. in-stock items) to my pre-order?
We have limitations with our internal systems. Plus we are a small team in a small space trying to deal to keep our inventory counts straight, so we are not able to hold additional items with pre-orders.
If you want to add any items to your order past the items that are offered on the pre-order page, we suggest waiting until you receive our email letting you know that your pre-order is ready to ship and then placing an order for any additional items, from there we'll be able to combine those orders and ship them together.
Can you give me a quick summary of how pre-order works?
Yes. And if you have questions, keep reading the FAQ or emailus@tombihn.com
Can you customize my pre-order bag?
We totally get why you'd ask, since we're making your bag just for you! That said, our factory in Seattle is optimized to work as efficiently as possible; due to those optimizations, customizations aren't possible. Hope this is understandable.
How do you define “pre-order”?
We may choose to offer a bag for pre-order because:
Please note that not all new designs will be offered for pre-order. For example: debuts of new designs before the holiday season typically won't be offered for pre-order because there's a shorter timeline -- most folks want to receive orders they place in early December ASAP.
When is my credit card charged for a pre-order?
Your credit card is charged for the full order total at the time you place your order. That means we charge you before your order ships, which, depending on the bag being pre-ordered, can be anywhere from two to eight weeks.
To charge you before your order ships isn’t our preference; in fact, we’d prefer to postpone charging you until the day your order ships. That's how we used to do it back when we took pre-orders before: our system would authorize your credit card for the total, but we wouldn't actually charge you until the day your order shipped. However, since then, charging folks in advance of shipment of goods has become such the norm that most shopping carts and payment systems don’t allow for an alternative.
Rest assured that we see charging in advance of shipment to be a serious responsibility and a matter that calls upon our integrity.
And you’re welcome to emailus@tombihn.com at any time up until three days before your pre-order ships to cancel your pre-order and receive a full refund.
Can I ask you for updates on the progress of my pre-order?
Totally. Of course. Feel free to emailus@tombihn.com
We also might send you an update or two on your pre-order with some insights on the design and manufacturing process.
We will also send you an email about a week before your pre-order is ready to ship!
Can I cancel my pre-order and receive a refund?
You bet. emailus@tombihn.com or give us a call and we’ll make it happen.
Can I return the bag that I pre-ordered once I receive it?
Yes. You can find our return instructions here. Note: part of what makes pre-order great is that we can more efficiently manage our limited production capacity by building exactly to order. Sometimes folks will order multiple colors and return the ones they don't like, which makes total sense for In-Stock items but less so (at least for us internally) when we're building to Pre-Order.
Can I change the color of the bag I pre-ordered?
We aren’t able to change the color of a pre-ordered item. You’re welcome to emailus@tombihn.com and request that we cancel your existing pre-order. If the pre-order is still open, you can then place a new order for the color you’d like instead.
Can I place one order that includes both pre-order and in-stock bags?
When you place a pre-order, please only add items to your order that are on the pre-order page's drop-downs.
If items not on the drop-downs are ordered along with the pre-order, we will contact you to see whether you want us to remove and refund those items or whether you want us to ship them (we will send you an invoice for the additional shipping in that case).
Can I add a pre-order item to my existing order, even after the pre-order has closed?
I’m afraid not: because we order, cut, and sew exactly what folks order, we aren’t able to accommodate additions after the pre-order has closed.
How can I make changes like removing an item or updating my address?
emailus@tombihn.com -- we'd be glad to help.
Can I have my order items shipped to multiple locations?
Here’s the best way to do that: place each order to each different shipping address as its own separate order.
Otherwise, our system isn’t set up to split a single order and ship it to multiple locations.
Additional shipping charges will apply.
Can I request to have my order shipped on a particular day during the shipping window?
No, sorry! Our shipping crew rallies to get many, many orders shipped in the window, and it’s a bit of a logistical challenge for the crew to track a specific day for a specific order to be shipped. Hope that’s understandable.
Can I request to have my order shipped after the shipping window?
We can usually accommodate that! Feel free to emailus@tombihn.com
Will all new designs be introduced for pre-order?
Some, but not all. Whether we choose to offer a design for pre-order or make it a stock bag depends on a variety of factors — most importantly, production efficiency. We probably won't offer new designs released close to the holiday season for pre-order.
What’s the best way to be notified once a new design is available for pre-order?
Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media!
Can you accept pre-orders (backorders) for stock items?
Not at this time. It’s just too logistically complex at this point for our small company.
Hey, didn’t you used to offer backorders and pre-orders?
We did, so we have a lot of experience doing so. As with anything, there’s pros (for us and for you) and cons (mostly for us in the added complexity). Read our post Pre-Orders: Past, Present, and Future to learn more about that.
Is it possible for a pre-order to “sell out”?
It is possible for a pre-order to “sell out”. If that happens, the product page for the pre-ordered item will be updated to indicate that the pre-order batch has sold out. You will also be able to sign up via email to our newsletter to be notified when the next pre-order batch is available for order.
Our production department is at its most efficient when we produce a batch of bags that’s not too big and not too small — the “just right” quantity in a batch depends on the design (and, occasionally, other factors, such as the production capacity available at that point in time).
When we offer a bag for pre-order on our website, we will set what is basically a total inventory number that equals the maximum production batch quantity. When that number of pre-orders sells, the first pre-order batch will be "sold out".
Additionally, we promise a specific shipping time frame for each pre-order batch. If we accepted an unlimited number of pre-orders as opposed to constraining the quantity in batches, it is unlikely we could meet the shipping time frame originally promised. We don't want that to happen.
How long will a pre-order be open?
We will take pre-orders for a new design for one week or until the first pre-order batch sells out.
If a pre-order sells out, when will you offer the next pre-order?
It is likely that we will offer the next pre-order batch *after* the first pre-order batch has shipped — that could be two weeks or eight weeks or longer. This gives all of us a chance to catch our breath and make sure we’ve delivered what we’ve already promised. It also allows us some time to make In Stock bags, which is the majority of what we offer. Sometimes, we might not be able to offer a pre-order immediately after due to supply chain limitations.
Rest assured you can sign up to be notified / reminded via email when the next pre-order batch is available for order.
Why can’t you make enough bags to satisfy all pre-orders?
We’re a small company of 60 people. Our entire company -- production, shipping, website, design, IT/programming, production engineering, accounting, HR, customer service -- all works together under the same roof in the same 16,000 square feet in Seattle. We can’t possibly make, or be, everything for everyone. We’re not trying to be the next big company. We are doing what we love -- and we make sure that, besides the very rare exception, no on has to work more than 40 hours a week.
The options that would allow us to radically increase our production capacity aren't appealing to us. For example, if we moved production offshore, we'd lose the connection that's created by all of us working together under the same roof. Not only does that connection make our work more enjoyable, but we think it results in a better bag and overall experience for you.
That said, we know our business model won't work for everyone. While the majority of our bags are In Stock and ready to ship, it's possible that the bag that you want in particular is Pre-Order or In Production. And if you need the bag right away, that's going to be a bummer. Sorry about that: we know how it can feel to find the perfect item and not be able to get it right away. That said, it's one of those "it is what it is" type situations.
How, and when, does a pre-order design become a stock design?
That depends on a variety of factors, including but not limited to: the complexity involved in manufacturing the design, its popularity, our production capacity, what other new designs we have waiting in the wings, and, well, whether we want to make it a stock design or not.
When a bag is offered for pre-order, will there be any distinction made between limited run and stock items? That is, will it be clear which items will only be offered for a limited time, vs. those you expect to have on hand for the foreseeable future?
Sometimes we'll know the answer to this from the outset and we'll make that clear. For example, we may have a limited quantity of a particular fabric or color, or may want to try offering a current design in a new configuration (see: The Guide's Edition Synapse 25) without committing ourselves to offering yet another bag on a continual basis -- in those two cases, we will do our best to communicate that we won't be able to make the bag in question on an ongoing basis without hyping the "limited edition" part.
Or, to give another example, our design team may put a considerable amount of time and effort into a new design and be absolutely in love with it themselves -- so much so that our plan is to offer it as a stock bag after pre-orders are over. It may be a design you love too from the outset or it may take a few years of being out in the world to catch on.
Will the color options for pre-orders be the same as a regular run? For example, say I really want Bag X in Steel/Sangria, but the pre-order colors don't include that combo. Can I find out if the regular run will have it?
We usually offer more color combinations in the first production runs or pre-orders of a design than we do when it becomes a stock design. That said, we offer a lot of different fabrics and color combinations, and it's possible that down the road we may offer a new color in said bag that we didn't offer at the time of pre-order. When we choose new color combinations, we let our inspiration guide us, your feedback influences us, and we always make room for new colors or fabrics that we've since added to our line up. That means we don't produce a list years in advance of decided-upon color combinations. You're always welcome to ask us about specific color combinations but more often than not, our answer will be: maybe, maybe not.
What’s all this about some retired designs possibly being offered for pre-order at a later time?
We don’t like retiring existing designs, but as demand for our bags continues to grow and we continue to release quite a few new designs every year, retiring existing designs is a reality we must face.
Thanks to the new pre-order system, in some cases* we can offer a glimmer of hope to ourselves and, perhaps, to you when we choose to retire an existing design: when the design retires, we will update its product page so you can sign up to be notified via email when or if we decide to offer a pre-order batch and make a very last, or rare (think once a year at the most) production run of the design.
*Sometimes we will retire a design that requires a special component or material that we can’t obtain a small quantity of. In those cases, we will offer it for potential pre-order.
]]>And according to Talker Research, some of the most commonly-forgotten items include cell phones, sunblock, and toiletries.
You can probably make do without things like sunscreen in your bag, especially if you know you can purchase a replacement once you arrive at your destination. But forgetting your phone, medication, or other important items is a completely different story. Especially if you’re traveling internationally.
That’s why it’s worthwhile to take a little extra time before you start packing to make sure you know what you’ll need for a trip abroad. Creating a packing list helps you ensure you don’t forget anything important at home and helps you avoid overstuffing your bag.
Compared to domestic travel, international trips take much more planning. And packing your bag is no different.
When you’re getting ready for an international trip, it’s important to consider the weather as well as the style of dress in the country you’ll be visiting. You should also think about any activities you hope to do on your trip. Then, create a packing list that covers all of your bases.
Treat the list we've created below as a suggestion for what should go on your own travel packing checklist—feel free to add or remove items based on your destination, trip duration, and personal preferences.
Packing for a long international trip is daunting. With so many items to pack, it can be tricky to fit everything in your luggage. And if you overstuff your bags, you could end up paying additional fees for oversized luggage.
If you shuffle things around to avoid heavy baggage and end up packing the wrong item in the wrong place, it could also present problems—stuffing a book or headphones in your checked bag might mean you're in for a very long, boring flight.
To help you fit everything on your travel checklist in the bags they really belong in, we've compiled a few of our best packing tips.
Maximizing space in your bag is key to making sure you can fit all of your items without overstuffing. And the best way to save space is to roll your clothes rather than fold them.
Rolling helps compress clothing and allows you to pack more items into a smaller space. Here's how to roll different types of clothing items:
Shirts
Pants
Traveling internationally can be an intimidating experience, especially when it comes to packing for the trip. With all of the items you need to bring and different types of luggage, it can be difficult to know where everything should go. To help make international travel easier and more efficient, consider using organizers to help you pack.
The more organized you are when you pack, the less time it will take to find things you need when you're on your trip. From toiletry bags and packing cubes to laundry bags and shoe organizers, there are many different packing tools you can use to stay organized while traveling.
These small bags come in various sizes and colors, making it easy to organize clothing, shoes, and other items within your travel bag. That way, you can easily find what you need, when you need it.
For example, you could use different colored packing cubes to organize clothing, like packing your pajamas in a blue cube and keeping athletic wear in a red one. Or, if you're headed somewhere like Italy, you might organize clothing by type—like outerwear, tops, bottoms, and accessories—so you can build outfits and stay on trend while you travel.
You can also use smaller cubes like our Cubelet to separate and store things like charging cables. That way, they don't get tangled in your bag during travel. Plus, packing cubes also conserve space by compressing everything down so it takes up less room in your suitcase or carry-on bag.
Rather than dumping everything in your bag and digging it out when you arrive, keeping everything in a toiletry bag makes it easy to find. And it protects your items by keeping everything separate. That way, if a lotion, toothpaste, or any other product leaks during the flight, it's contained in the toiletry bag and won't stain the clothes you packed for your trip.
Clear organizers are a great option for liquid-based toiletries like shower gel. They're typically made of plastic, which means they're ideal for airport travel since TSA guidelines require you to put liquids in a clear bag.
You won't always have access to a washer and dryer when you travel internationally. And that means you'll accumulate a lot of dirty laundry during your trip, which makes a laundry bag like our Laundry Stuff Sack an essential item.
The Laundry Stuff Sack is designed to be small and light, so it won't take up too much space in your luggage while still providing plenty of room for all your laundry needs. It stores up to two weeks of undergarments and has a built-in divider to help you separate the clean items from the dirty. The drawstring closure keeps clothes secure during transit, and the mesh material helps keep items organized within the bag. Plus, it’s a breeze to clean when you get home from your travels!
Whether you're road-tripping or flying to another country, you need to have quick access to your travel essentials. If you're traveling by car, that might mean tossing a bag in the backseat. But if you're flying, that means organizing items in your carry-on luggage so they're easy to access when you need them.
Here are a few of the most important things to pack in your carry-on bag:
Traveling internationally can be a daunting task, but with the right preparation and packing strategy, it doesn't have to be. No matter where you're headed or for how long, the key to a great trip is a well-packed bag. From rolling your clothes to using organizers to separate items in your bag, there are many ways to make sure all of the important items on your travel checklist fit comfortably into one suitcase without overstuffing.
We hope knowing what steps to take when creating a complete packing list and following our travel tips help you feel more confident about preparing for an international trip.
Bon voyage!
Make sure you have everything you need for your trip by browsing our Travel Collection.
]]>Another perk of handling our own manufacturing is that we work directly with our textile mill partners to develop the perfect color dips. At TOM BIHN, we don’t settle for ordinary - we take pride in creating bags that are as unique as you are. Each color in our 200 Halcyon and 210 Cerylon collections, as well as the majority of our 630 Ballistic colors, are entirely custom dipped to our exact preferences. Our palette is unique to us and not available elsewhere.
The process of choosing new custom colors begins approximately 9 months to one year before our planned debut date. Since the colors are custom, the lead times are longer than usual. During our selection process, we evaluate a variety of colors. Before we settled on Cerise and Seafoam for our 200 Halcyon line, we considered a total of 10 colors, ranging from vibrant to muted to jewel tones. We think about what would enhance our current offerings, what feels missing from the collection, and what else could complement our current exterior fabrics. Our inspirations are drawn from the world around us - the vibrant Seattle streets, breathtaking PNW landscapes, and (of course) the desires of our valued customers.
Once we’ve narrowed down our options to our partner mills, they begin the process of dipping samples. The timeline to receive sample color dips is usually 4-6 weeks. For the 10 colors we wanted samples of, we received 3 variations per color, resulting in 30 sample color dips! At first glance, these variations may seem almost indistinguishable, but under different lighting conditions, the subtle differences become noticeably apparent.
You might be wondering: how did we end up choosing Cerise and Seafoam from so many options? A small group of us, the TOM BIHN Design Team, discusses and votes on the colors. Cerise, was an obvious choice. We knew we wanted a pink Halcyon – pink is by far our most requested color. Just like our Zest and Solaris Halcyon colors, Cerise demands your attention, and exudes an infectious vibrancy that felt right at home with our bold shades. Additionally, we wanted to balance Cerise with something more soothing and understated, yet capable of standing on its own. We were captivated by the fluorescent nature of Seafoam, which falls perfectly between green and blue, evoking the image of the beach under the summer sun. And depending on the lighting, you can even catch hints of yellow. Seafoam is the perfect complementary color to Tidal, Dusk, and Northwest Sky, subtle tones with an understated elegance.
Truly, there are no bad colors, and in a perfect world, we might have chosen all of the sample dips we received. Who knows, one of the colors that didn't make the final cut this time might find its place in the choices for the next season. We’re always curious to hear your thoughts – What colors would you like to see next?
]]>Cerise, one of our new additions to the Halcyon color lineup, is an unapologetically vibrant hue that embodies the spirit of summer and those who dare to stand out from the crowd. It evokes images of fuchsia blooms that adorn tropical landscapes, a sunset painted with bold strokes of pink, or perhaps your childhood Barbie Dream House. It's a celebration of confidence and all the playful moments that spark joy in your life.
While Cerise offers an option for those who love vibrant, vivacious tones – Seafoam is on the more subtle side. Inspired by the frothy foam atop the waves of the sea, Seafoam evokes a sense of serenity and harmony. It’s an intriguing shade that sits between green and blue. Put it next to Wasabi and the blue undertones shine through. Put it next to Tidal and it seems more green.
Whether you gravitate towards the vivacity of Cerise or find solace in the tranquility of Seafoam, our new Halcyon colors offer choices as distinct as the moments they accompany. Let your true colors shine and find the perfect companion to accompany you on your next journey!
Cerise and Seafoam are available 6/19/23 at 2pm PDT.
]]>The demand for the Side Hustle has been incredible. We've sold out of three batches within hours of each launch, despite increasing the batch size each time. In fact, our last batch was the largest in our company's history. We see a massive bump of sign-ups for “Back in Stock” alerts after each sell-out, so clearly our restocks have not been enough to meet demand. Naturally, you guys are wondering why we didn’t just start with a pre-order so we can allow everyone to purchase exactly what they want.
We hear you, and further down in this blog we'll also list why we appreciate pre-orders as well. But first, we will start with why we chose #TeamRestock for the Side Hustle:
Restocking has its obvious shortcomings. Here’s a list that comes to mind:
*We’ve seen some confusion from customers who believe that with pre-orders, the order limit does not exist. This is not true, just like restocks, the limit does exist. In the past, we have closed pre-orders early due to selling out the maximum amount we can make before our expected delivery time. We are limited by the materials we have on hand, whether it’s the fabric color or type, a custom part with long lead times to procure, or something else. Additionally, we choose to make every bag in our own factory in Seattle. Our Production crew of very talented seamstresses, seamsters, joiners, and floor staff can only make so many bags during any given window of time.
**Some customers have wondered why we don’t offer the option to fully customize the colorways according to their preference during a pre-order. With our current available supply of exterior and interior fabrics, we’ve calculated that there are over 160(!!) unique colorway combinations that we can put together. It’s simply not realistic for a business our size to be able to offer everything all at once while managing reasonable timelines for delivery. You can always drop us a comment on Instagram or emailus@tombihn.com if we haven’t yet made your dream colorway. We cycle through different colorways regularly and always take customer feedback into consideration. It’s worth noting that at the time of writing this blog, the Side Hustle has already been offered in 17 colorways!
As always, thank you all for the support! We appreciate your feedback and are always striving to improve to serve you better. If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to drop a comment below or shoot us an email. - The TB team
]]>This achievement wouldn't have been possible without your unwavering support, loyalty, and love for our brand. As a testament to the TOM BIHN community you have built over the years, we wanted to celebrate with our 'Where We've BIHN' contest!
We're thrilled to invite you to be a part of this special contest that celebrates YOU – Your experiences, unique stories, and the adventures that TOM BIHN bags have been lucky to be a part of. We want to hear it all—the memorable moments, the places they've taken you, and the impact they’ve had in your life. It can be a photo, a video, a song - anything goes!
Entering the contest is easy. We have three ways for you to share your story:
1. Social Media: Post your submission on your own social media account, making sure to tag us [@tombihn] and use the hashtag #Wherewevebihn. This way, we will be able to catch every single entry! Please note that to ensure visibility, we kindly request that you share your submission to a public profile. However, we completely understand if you prefer not to share publicly, and you have two other options available:
2. Forum: Join us on our dedicated thread titled 'Where We've BIHN' on the forum. Share your captivating stories, photos, videos, or any creative content that highlights your unique TOM BIHN experiences.
3. Email: If social media and the forums aren't your preferred platforms, fret not! You can also submit your entry via email. Just ensure that 'Where We've BIHN' is included in the subject line, and send it to emailus@tombihn.com.
Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for - The prize! Our contest winner will win the ‘Ultimate’ TOM BIHN haul (Value Est: $2,000). An assortment of rare bags, retired colors, upcoming releases, and accessories that would make any TB fan jump for joy!
The contest will run until July 3rd, 2023, giving you time to craft and share your TOM BIHN masterpiece. We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate and showcase their creativity, so take your time and make your entry shine!
Our judges will evaluate the submissions based on several key criteria:
- Storytelling and Engagement
- Connection to TOM BIHN
- Creativity and Execution
- Overall Impact
When the contest concludes, we'll announce the winner through another blog post, on our forums, and across our social media channels.* The 'Where We've Bihn' contest is your stage—let your TB spirit shine!
Happy storytelling and best of luck!
*By participating in the 'Where We've BIHN' contest, you acknowledge that TOM BIHN reserves the right to reshare your submitted photos and stories across our social media platforms and website.
]]>It depends on who you ask. But for many of us, it’s the open road, a great playlist, and (fingers crossed) low gas prices.
At least according to a recent survey conducted by Vacasa, which found that almost 80% of Americans will be going on a good old-fashioned road trip this summer. And those trips are taking travelers to a variety of destinations—beaches, national parks, and cities all around the country. But those aren’t the only travel plans survey respondents said they’re excited for:
Wherever your summer travels take you, and no matter how you travel, a key ingredient in your recipe for a perfect vacation is a well-packed bag. Use the travel checklist we’ve outlined below as a guide to help you create a customized summer packing list to ensure you have everything you need on your trip.
Most summer vacation destinations are hot. So, unless you're intentionally trying to beat the heat by traveling to a cool climate, you'll need to think about the weather at your destination. And if you're headed to warmer weather, you want to make sure the clothing you pack will help keep you cool, including things like:
Most of us know why it's a good idea to wear sunblock—it protects your skin from harmful UV rays, prevents painful sunburns, and minimizes long-term health risks like premature aging and skin cancer. But even though most of us know it's a good idea, a recent survey found that only 58% of adults wear sunscreen during the summer months. That's why we're taking time to remind you of its benefits and make sure you pack appropriately.
To help make things easy, here are a few tips and recommendations to help you choose the right sunblock for your trip:
Regardless of the type of trip you plan, a bathing suit is a must-have item for your packing list. Whether you’re hitting the beach, lounging by the pool, or taking an impromptu dip in a lake on your road trip, having the right swimwear can make all the difference in how much fun—and comfort—you have during your vacation.
Fortunately, there are plenty of stylish and fashionable swimwear options for your trip. From classic one-pieces and bikinis to trendy tankinis and cover-ups, there's something for everyone, no matter what their style preference may be.
But if you’re trying to pack light and save space in your bag, consider finding more versatile swimwear options that can double as outfit pieces. For example, you can wear a one-piece swimsuit the same way you’d wear your favorite bodysuit.
It’s also a good idea to pack an extra tote that can double as a beach bag. That way, you can easily carry beach towels, sunblock, and anything else you might need for a day in the sun.
Hiking is the perfect opportunity to spend time in nature, get some exercise, and appreciate nature's beauty. That's probably why it's such a popular activity among travelers—40% of Vacasa's survey respondents said they take trips specifically for outdoor activities like hiking.
But if you want to avoid mishaps on your hike, it's important to pack the right gear, including:
We know we're starting to sound like a parent—first sunblock, and now we're reminding you to pack a water bottle. But it really is important!
Not only does it save money by helping you avoid buying bottled water, but it also prevents dehydration, which can lead to headaches and other health problems. And with so many stylish options available today, finding one that fits your style won't be hard! Just remember you can't bring water through airport security, so if you're flying, wait to fill it until you make it to your gate.
Your summer packing list is just like any other vacation packing list—and that means you can't forget to pack basic travel essentials. You probably already know what a standard packing list looks like. But to ensure you haven't forgotten anything, cross-check your packing list against the travel basics we've listed below.
Whether you're traveling domestically or internationally, having a valid driver's license and passport is essential for smooth travel.
No matter the time of year, you'll need the same basic toiletries for your trip. And by packing them in a dedicated organizer, you can ensure they're easy to access.
If you're aiming to unplug, consider trading the electronics on your packing checklist for a book instead. Otherwise, make sure you have all of the electronics you need to make the most of your trip, whether that means bringing an e-reader or your entire home office setup.
You can't pack for any trip (summer vacation included) without a functional travel bag. Not only does it need to fit all the trip essentials on your list, but it should also be made from high-quality materials that will stand up against wear and tear. A good travel bag should have plenty of organizational features like pockets and compartments so you can easily find what you need when you’re on the go, as well as adjustable carrying straps so that it fits comfortably over long distances.
If you already have a bag that you love, then happy travels—we hope you have a great trip! If not, head over to our Travel Collection to find a bag for your next vacation!
]]>We don't blame you — who doesn't want to fit in with the locals when they're in a city that's known for its fashion?
But if you want to capture the effortless elegance of Parisian fashion, you must be smart about what (and how much) you put on your packing list. Especially since you'll still need to pack all of your travel necessities. Bringing versatile fashion pieces makes it easy to mix and match, so you have access to more potential outfits. It also cuts down on how much you have to pack, giving you more room for souvenirs on the trip home.
When packing for a trip to Paris, clothes are undoubtedly an essential part of the list. Whether you're looking to blend in with the locals at a cafe or make a statement when you visit the Eiffel Tower, what you choose to bring will set your look apart from other travelers. You'll want to organize your packing list around simple base components and statement layering pieces to achieve that Parisian style.
Opt for classic pieces like t-shirts and neutral colors that can easily transition from day to night. Investing in quality fabrics such as wool, cashmere, or silk is also a good idea so your outfit looks polished even after many wears throughout your trip. With these basics at hand, creating fashionable outfits will be effortless!
A few Paris fashion essentials you'll want to pack:
With cobblestone streets being so typical throughout Europe, the shoes you bring will significantly impact how much sightseeing you can do on any international trip. It's important to pack comfortable and stylish footwear that can go from day to night. Not only do you want your feet to be well-supported while walking around the city, but you also want them to look chic!
Here are some tips on what pair of shoes will help make your French vacation fashionable yet practical:
Regardless of the time of year you visit Paris, packing the right accessories can make all the difference in creating your perfect vacation look. From stylish scarves to protect yourself from the elements in cooler weather to sunglasses and sunscreen to keep you safe from the summer sun’s UV rays, these items will help ensure you look great while exploring this iconic city. Read on for a few essential accessories that should be on any Parisian fashionista's packing list!
When packing for an international trip, it's important to remember the basics of toiletry items and other travel essentials. While traveling abroad, TSA regulations limit what can go in your carry-on bag, so you'll want to plan accordingly when selecting which toiletries to pack. It may be more cost-effective and convenient to purchase some items (like shampoo and conditioner) at your destination rather than bringing your own. However, there are still a few essential items to pack to ensure your vacation is as comfortable and stress-free as possible!
Toiletries
Electronics
Figuring out what to pack for an international trip can be daunting, especially if you're trying to fit everything into one suitcase. You must bring suitable bags on your journey to maximize your suitcase space and organize your items. From a travel bag to carry all your essentials to stylish totes that are great for day trips or souvenir shopping, having the perfect bag for every occasion will ensure that packing and traveling abroad is as stress-free as possible!
Here are the bags we're packing:
Trying to pack for a trip can be overwhelming, especially if you're headed abroad. But investing in minimalism and organization will make the process much easier! With our packing cubes, you can fit more into your luggage while keeping everything organized. Not only do they help you save space, but they also keep everything neatly tucked away, making it easier to find what you need when you arrive at your destination. Plus, with minimalistic packing options like these, it's easier to build stylish outfits that look effortless yet sophisticated - perfect for blending in with the local style of Paris!
You can find all of our packing cubes, plus other accessories, with our Organizational Bags.
]]>If so, you won't have to worry about the airline damaging (or losing) a checked bag. You won't have to wait around for baggage claim either. Instead, you can walk right off the plane and through the airport and start your vacation immediately.
But the last thing you want is to arrive at your final destination only to realize you left something crucial at home. To make sure you bring everything you need for your trip, you must be smart when you pack.
While we can't tell you everything you'll need without knowing more about your travel plans, we do have experience traveling light. So, to help you make sure your bases are covered, we've put together a carry-on packing list—plus a few tips for how to fit everything in your bag—to help you get started.
Before you even begin packing, you'll need to choose the right carry-on bag. Most airlines allow bags up to 22" x 14" x 9"—anything larger than this may not fit in the plane's overhead bin. And that means whatever bag you bring as your carry-on will need to comply with your airline's regulations.
It's also crucial that the bag provides enough space for all your belongings and is durable to withstand wear and tear from travel.
Here are a few of our favorite bags for carry-on travel:
Traveling can be a hassle if you don't have the right supplies and equipment. Having a checklist helps ensure that you don't forget any essential items. Knowing everything you'll pack also helps you decide whether you can realistically travel with just a carry-on or if you'll need to travel with something larger. It also helps you plan how to pack everything so that it fits comfortably without exceeding weight or size limits.
While the specific items you pack will depend on your destination and how long you'll be there, the travel packing list we've created contains the standard travel essentials you need for any trip. You can use it as a starting point for your own packing checklist. Be sure to modify it to fit your own style and accommodate your needs on your trip.
Efficiently packing your carry-on bag is key to having enough space for all of your items. And the more organized you are, the easier it will be to find what you need in your bag when you're traveling.
The key to traveling light is to pack the right items and only take what you need. To make sure everything fits in your carry-on, avoid packing a change of clothes for every day of your trip. Instead, focus on packing versatile clothing items that you can combine together to create multiple different looks. If you can, you should also limit yourself to a single pair of shoes (or plan to wear the bulkier pair if you know you’ll need a change of shoes), as footwear is bulky and quickly eats up space in your bag.
If you are traveling for an extended period of time, consider leaving things like body wash at home. You can buy a small bottle of what you need at your destination rather than stuff extra items into your carry-on.
But if you do plan to bring your own toiletries from home, it's a good idea to look into dry bar shampoo and conditioners. These typically take up less space and eliminate the hassle of finding the travel-sized products that you like and comply with TSA regulations so you can bring them through airport security. In that same vein, it’s also smart to pack all of your toiletries in a clear organizer cube, which minimizes the chance that TSA will stop you to inspect your bag.
Rolling your clothes can help you save a lot of space in your carry-on bag. Not only does it reduce the amount of bulk in your bag, but it also compresses your clothes and makes them easier to organize. Plus, rolling is a great way to prevent wrinkles when traveling!
Here's how to roll clothes before you pack them in your suitcase:
Packing cubes are an excellent way to save space and keep your carry-on bag organized while traveling. By compressing clothing items, they make it easier to fit everything you need in a small space. They also help you manage all of your items so that you can easily find what you need without making a mess of your bag.
If you're traveling for more than a few days at a time, you may want to bring a dedicated toiletry bag like our Spiff Kit to store all of your hygiene and beauty products. Selecting something durable and water-resistant will ensure that if anything leaks during travel, it won't damage anything else in your bag.
Start by packing more oversized items first. That way, you can leave room in your bag for smaller items that may not fit otherwise. Not only does this help maximize space and prevent any last-minute cramming, but it also reduces the risk that something small will get lost or damaged in transit.
Plus, if there's still some extra room after packing large items, then you'll be able to easily fit other things like books or magazines into the same space without worrying about them getting squished.
In addition to your carry-on, most airlines will allow you to bring one personal item. And choosing a bag like the Co-pilot will help you maximize your space by offering a little extra room for anything that doesn't fit in your carry-on. That way, you can ensure you have everything you need without exceeding weight or size limits. Plus, it can double as a daypack that you can deploy as needed on your trip.
If you're still looking for the perfect carry-on bag, look at our Travel Collection to find one that suits you. Then, peek at our Organizational tools to double-check that you have everything you need for efficient packing and travel.
]]>Don't miss out on this unforgettable musical experience that speaks directly to your heart and love for bags. Get your copy today!
Happy April Fool's Day from TOM BIHN!
]]>Or any of the other beautiful cities in Italy? Even if you aren't headed to Milan for fashion week, you'll notice one thing, no matter where you go: Italians know how to dress. And if you're preparing for your next vacation, you're probably Googling what to wear in Italy to fit in with the locals.
But as any sensible traveler knows, you can't base your entire packing list around fashion. So, to help you get ready for your trip, we've compiled a shortlist of Italy travel tips to help you balance style and function.
The correct bag is essential for walking around cities like Naples or strolling through Tuscany's vineyards. From over-the-shoulder bags for city sightseeing and stylish totes for shopping in fashion boutiques to larger suitcases for longer trips, your bags will be your constant travel companion. And with Italian style being so iconic—and varied—bringing the right tote or hip bag can also be an opportunity to accessorize.
Here are the bags we're bringing:
When planning your trip to Italy, you can't afford to overlook what shoes you bring. Many of the cities and towns in Italy are easy to see on foot, which means you could easily walk much farther than you originally planned. And with cities like Rome known for their cobblestone streets, having a functional pair of shoes is a must for any traveler. Not only do shoes need to be comfortable enough for long walks, but they should also look fashionable when exploring Italian fashion destinations like Milan.
Look for a good pair of walking shoes with arch support, cushioning, and flexibility that can take you from day to night. For many Italian men, closed-toe shoes like loafers are a popular choice for all-day wear because they’re both comfortable and functional — just leave the socks at home. Meanwhile, Italian women typically opt for sandals as a great way to keep cool in the warmer months while also looking fashionable. Or a cute pair of ankle boots in the winter.
And if you plan on attending any special events, bringing dress shoes is also a good idea. Ballet flats or boat shoes are another great versatile option for dressing up or down, depending on the occasion.
From Milan Fashion Week to the streets of Florence, Italy has long been a leader in setting trends and influencing style. Italians take pride in their appearance and craftsmanship, evident in everything from high-end designer labels to everyday streetwear. Whether you're headed to Florence or Sicily, packing light but stylishly will help you fit right into the local culture and make the most out of your travels.
Italian fashion is most known for being chic, timeless, and elegant. Merino wool, neutral colors, and simple silhouettes are just some of the elements that make the Italian style so iconic around the world. The key to dressing like a local lies in investing in quality basics such as t-shirts and slacks and other staple pieces made from those materials. And while the country may be known for its luxury fashion, the secret behind Italy's dress code doesn't lie in designer brands. Instead, it's all about wearing clothes that are well-made, fit well, and flatter your natural shape.
When it comes to styling an outfit, accessories can change an entire look. And Italians know how to use them to enhance their looks with a touch of class. From scarves for cooler days to statement jewelry pieces for occasions like dinner parties or weddings, Italian style is all about making subtle yet powerful statements with their outfits.
Sunglasses are one of the most popular ways that Italians accessorize – you'll see them everywhere! Whether you prefer classic aviators or more modern styles, sunglasses are a great way to show off your personal sense of style while also protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays. But no matter what kind of accessory you choose, remember: less is always more when it comes to Italian fashion!
Italy's climate can vary greatly depending on the season and location. And it's important to pack based on the time of year you plan to visit if you want to explore the country comfortably.
Spring in Italy is a beautiful time of year, with mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine. Generally, temperatures are balmy but can fluctuate greatly, falling between 35° and 70°F. If you don’t mind the unpredictable weather, it's the perfect time to explore cities like Venice, take leisurely strolls through the island of Capri, or simply relax on some of the country's many beaches.
When packing for a spring trip to Italy, it's important to bring the following:
Summer in Italy is a great time to explore the country, with temperatures typically ranging from 65° to 85°F. From lounging on beautiful Italian beaches to exploring the Amalfi Coast, there are plenty of fun activities for all kinds of travelers during this season.
When packing for the Italian summer, remember to bring clothing like:
Fall in Italy brings a pleasant change of pace with cooler temperatures and plenty of sunshine. Temperatures typically range from 60° to 70°F, making it the perfect time to explore cities like Rome and see the Colosseum without having to worry about extreme heat or cold.
To make sure you're ready for your fall trip, here are some things you can't forget to pack:
With temperatures ranging from 30° to 50°F, winter in Italy can be a wonderful time of year to explore the country's many cities and towns. But with the Alps close by and plenty of winter activities to try, it's important to prepare for cold weather if you're traveling this time of year.
When you pack your winter gear, don't forget to bring the following:
When it comes to packing for international travel, there are certain essentials that you can't forget. From travel insurance to your passport and water bottle, having the right items on your Italy packing list will make all the difference when traveling abroad. And using the right bags will help you stay organized while packing and once abroad by keeping all of your essentials together, so you can quickly find small items like your toothbrush in your suitcase.
To make sure that you have everything you need during your trip, here are some important things to remember when packing for an international adventure.
Packing all of your toiletries in a clear bag like our 3D Organizer Cube makes traveling through airports easy because it meets TSA requirements. We also love our Spiff Kit, because it has enough space for our toiletries and it has a built-in mirror, which is perfect for quick touch-ups on long travel days.
Keeping all of your electronics in the same bag when you travel helps you avoid losing small gadgets in the bottom of your suitcase — and the Snake Charmer is our go-to bag for tech organization. It’s perfect for personal electronics because it has two pouches, making it easy to separate items and prevent things like charger cords and headphones from getting tangled.
From packing stylish and functional shoes, dressing for the season, and remembering all of your essentials, packing for an international trip isn't easy. But with our travel tips in mind and a little preparation—and using some Italian style inspiration along the way—you'll be ready to explore this beautiful country like a local.
And if you're still looking for a bag for the trip, you can find our top picks in our Travel Collection.
Buon Viaggio!
Some of you may remember we wrote this Winter 2022 blog early January last year, and you might be wondering why you haven't gotten a similar update from us this year yet. Since the busy holiday season ended, we've turned our attention to some internal projects (overhauling our ERP system, implementing new operational processes, dealing with broken machines that need upgrades, making new hires for our production team, etc. etc.), so that’s why we might seem a little more quiet than usual. But without further ado, if you're interested in some company updates, in this blog you will find:
We have new 210d Cerylon Colors!
Recently, we ran a pre-order for the retired Parental Unit Diaper Bag (if you missed the announcement, make sure you're signed up for our newsletter in the future), and in that pre-order, we debuted our three new 210d Cerylon colors: Marigold, Moss, and Dusk! Now we have a total of six 210d Cerylon colors — the others are Sangria, Cobalt, and Mountain Grey.
If you are familiar with our vast color library, you may have noticed immediately that Marigold looks like Solaris 200d Halcyon, Moss looks like Wasabi 200d Halcyon (more on that below), and Dusk looks like (retired) Dawn 210d Ballistic. You are correct! Our goal is to offer more tried-and-true colors in 210d Cerylon for those that prefer the aesthetic and hand of this fabric over 200d Halcyon.
And if you're new to 210d Cerylon, we recommend checking out our materials glossary for a more thorough explanation. Our 210d Cerylon fabric is completely custom woven + dipped for us by a family-owned mill in South Korea. Initial feedback for Marigold, Moss, and Dusk has been overwhelmingly positive. Our production team noted immediately that these three colors are very soothing to the eye and pair very well with most of our external fabrics.
Also, in case you haven't noticed, we always tend to stock new colors in small organizational bags first, before committing them into bigger bags. Check them out or sign-up for restock alerts here: Vertical Packing Cubelet, Clear 3D Organizer Cube, All-Fabric Organizer Cube, Cubelet, and Packing Cube Shoulder Bag!
More 200d Halcyon colors are on the way!
If you're more of a 200d Halcyon fan, we have some good news for you. We'll start with the big one: WASABI IS COMING BACK! We sold out of this color during the Knitting Goods pre-order last year, and given the supply chain dynamics in 2022, it took us almost a year to get another order from the mill.
Let us know what bags you think we should make with Wasabi, and which external fabrics we should pair Wasabi with!
And just to tease you guys a little bit, we have chosen some new (like totally, never-been-before-done new) colors for the mill in Japan to custom dye for us. Our policy is to not disclose the color until the fabric has arrived at the factory...so until then, stay tuned! We can't wait to share these with you.
And if you missed it, we debuted our newest 200d Halcyon color, Açaí, in late 2022 (in the smaller organizational bags first, of course). We've now started incorporating Açaí into a wider variety of bags, including the Synik 30, Synik 22, and Pilot. Here's some slightly bad news, we've already committed all our Açaí to production. We ran out of this color much faster than we expected! Would you like to see more Açaí in the future? Let us know in the comments below.
400d Halcyon
At this time, we still haven't found a replacement mill to make our 400d Halcyon fabric for us. (If you've been following us for at least a year, you probably know that the mill that made 400d for us closed down during the pandemic.) Currently, we still have small, but dwindling amounts of 400d in Black, Night Walk, Taiga, and Original. Here's what's Currently Available in 400d Halcyon.
You might be wondering why it's been so hard for us to find another mill to make the fabric. The biggest challenge with 400d Halcyon is the coating; this fabric has a low melting point, and most mills have operations that perform coating at much higher temperatures than 400d Halcyon can withstand. Next to this, the UHMWPE (ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene) grid, which is grey in our case (with the exception of the Original color) is a custom material, thus adding an additional layer of complexity.
We've also seen some confusion on the internet regarding 400d vs. 200d Halcyon with a handful of folks speculating that 200d is going away too. We'd like to take this opportunity to clarify that these are different fabrics, made by different mills. 200d Halcyon is not going away.
March Price Increase
We know, this news is a little less fun. Beginning in March, we will be implementing a 3% price increase on most of our products to reflect cost inflation and allow us to continue operating without compromise.
We are proud to design, make, and directly distribute our backpacks and bags at our own factory in Seattle while using the highest quality materials and employing the most talented crew. We are grateful for your continued support in making this possible.
New Designs We're Working on
The Addax 31 and Addax 26 were the first bags in our line to incorporate X-Pac RX30. Then, the Synik 30 came after. If you're still a bit skeptical to try X-Pac RX30 in such large bags, we have a new small bag coming in X-Pac RX30 on the horizon.
Some of you may have already noticed or gotten bags with our new labels! We're rolling out our new red and/ or black labels on all our bags, but the transition will take some time to come into full effect.
We've also gotten a lot of requests in the recent months for a bag that resembles the Side Effect and Side Kick but with dimensions similar to the Packing Cube Shoulder Bag. We've been playing around with this and are excited to share more soon.
What is this about a reboot of the Night Flight Travel Duffel?
Did you catch the sneak peak in our last newsletter?
The Night Flight Travel Duffel is undergoing some minor design updates at the moment. We will share more once the development phase is complete. Currently, we expect to offer this in a limited release in a spring or summer pre-order.
Lucky you!
With its beautiful beaches, lush rainforests, and warm climate; Hawaii is the perfect destination for a dream vacation. Before you go, it’s important to make sure you have the right items packed so you can make the most of your time in the Aloha state.
Our photographer showed us how he packs his Techonaut 45 for a 10-day trip to Hawaii. The packing list below includes all of your tropical paradise essentials as well as some useful packing tips to make the most out of your bag.
Techonaut 45 - With its suspended laptop compartment, three carry methods, and wide u-shaped main compartment (perfect for packing) this is our travel bag of choice.
Packing Cube Shoulder Bag - Our PCSB is useful for dual purposes; it can help us keep our items organized during our travels to Hawaii and then serve as a daypack once we arrive.
Other Packing Cubes - Packing cubes are a great way to maximize your packing space when you're traveling. We’re using a Vertical Packing Cubelet and assorted packing cubes here.
Small Travel Tray - Perfect for storing miscellaneous items before, during, and after our trip.
Ghost Whale Pouches - Organizing pouches work similarly to packing cubes, but on a much smaller scale. They're great for keeping track of small items! We've used sizes Small and A5.
Le Grand Derriere (Retired) - Used as a beefier version of our Packing Cube Shoulder Bag.
Inside the LGD (Retired): Camera gear + Canon R6 (including battery + strap)
A5 Ghost Whale Pouch - 7 underwear, 3 pairs of socks
Small Ghost Whale Pouch (Mesh) - Portable battery pack + cord, pens
Small Travel Tray - Charging cables/dongles
Western Flyer Packing Cube - Tanks, t-shirts, shorts, swim trunks
T45 Packing Cube - Henley Shirt, Hawaiian shirt, long sleeve button down, dress pants
Vertical Packing Cubelet - Sunscreens, soap, floss, toothpaste, toothbrush, clothesline, medicine, moisturizer
Packing Cube Shoulder Bag - Hiking shoes, beach slides
Techonaut 45 - organizational bags, Nik's Minimalist Wallet (includes, cash, cards, and ID), sunglasses, hat, 18oz water bottle, rain jacket, iPhone, Airpods, and 16 in Apple MacBook Pro
Packing for your next trip can be both thrilling and overwhelming, but with a bit of preparation (and practice), you can make it a breeze! That way, you can spend more time enjoying your travels and taking in the stunning sights of Hawaii.
You can also find all these bags in our Travel Collection.
]]>We reintroduced a lot of throwback designs…
We also released a lot of new designs this year!
We said goodbye (for now) to a few designs.
We said hello to new colors and fabrics!
The great 200d Halcyon Shortage of 2022
The great 200d Halcyon shortage of 2021 (thanks to a certain pandemic) extended into 2022.
It's too early to say what the supply chain dynamics will look like in 2023, but we hope to get back to a more regular production and shipping schedule with our supplier. Hopefully, this means no more 8- to 12-month lead times for fabric. As a reminder, our goal has always been to keep some core liner colors available while bringing in a rotating lineup of other choices!
Halcyon colors that are continually available:
Halcyon colors offered this year that you might see again next year, or not, as we make room for new colors
New colors are on the way!A Year of Giving Back
Other cool things we did this year:
We’re already excited for 2023 and the bright future ahead! We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to you – our customers – for helping to make 2022 a successful year. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to continuing to offer products that bring you joy and convenience in the coming year!
Here’s to 2023!
]]>From time to time, we have the opportunity to share our customers stories. Danny O’Neil is a Northwest native who covered Puget Sound sports for 20 years at The Seattle Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer and 710 AM, a sports-radio station in Seattle. He is now a freelance writer in Manhattan, a contributor to “Seattle Magazine” and is working on a non-fiction book about Pete Carroll. He has been known to carry a baguette in the water-bottle pouch of his Synapse 25 (Burnt Orange Ballistic if you must know).
Trips are classified according to baggage in our house.
“A Western Flyer trip?” my wife asks.
This would indicate one of two things:
1. A two-night work trip requiring a sports coat and a pair of dress shoes
Or
2. A trip to a warmer-weather destination for as many as five nights for my annual trip to Arizona for Mariners’ spring training.
My wife believes that five nights require more than the most minimalist of Tom Bihn’s travel bag offerings.
“Maybe you need the Aeronaut,” she’ll suggest.
This is her go-to bag for the Hawaiian beach vacation, and the week-long cabin getaway to Vermont. It’s also perfect for car camping. In fact, if there’s any situation where there’s any uncertainty about clothes storage, the Aeronaut is my wife’s bag of choice. The variety of compartments make it a perfectly functional dresser with one of the side pockets converting to a laundry hamper over the course of the trip.
Over the past five years, the Aeronaut and the Western Flyer have become not just essential travel bags for us, but the way we measure how much a specific trip will require us to bring. They’re organizing tools as much as they’re luggage and in the spirit of sharing that runs strong in the Tom Bihn community, I’m moved to share the specifics.
The Western Flyer
(Aubergine 1050 Ballistic/Wasabi 200 Halcyon)
This is my indispensable travel bag, an absolute revelation after spending a good 15 years searching for the best bag for the two-night trips that are a staple of my job in sports media. I have tried rollers. I have used garment bags with shoulder straps. For a while I was partial to convertible suit bags that zip up into a duffle. The Western Flyer relegated all those to the status of “bags I used to use.” I’m a confirmed minimalist, the Western Flyer is my grail and here are the two essential applications:
The Two-Night Business Trip:
This is a situation that calls for sports coat, tie and dress shoes for one day of work that is tucked in between two travel days. This can be stretched to two work days, but that requires some creativity to keep from going up a class to the Aeronaut. I’ve found I can add a second dress shirt and additional tie, but not another pair of pants. More likely, I’ll wear a T-shirt or uncollared shirt under the sports jacket on that second work day (gasp!).
To be packed: One pair dress shoes, my toiletry kit, one Western Flyer packing cube with dress slacks, two pair underwear, two undershirts, pajamas, one pair dress socks, one pair travel socks, long-sleeve T-shirt for return flight. One dress shirt packed in Eagle Creek garment folder. One tie and tie clip packed in a travel tie case.
Configuration: The Western Flyer has two main compartments, one of which has a vertical divider that can be unzipped if it’s not desired. I LOVE the divider. I pack my shoes in a cloth shoe sack and put it in one compartment. My toiletry bag fits neatly in the other half. I place the garment folder, the tie case and the packing cube into the other main compartment.
Worn on the plane: The sports jacket over a polo shirt or solid T-shirt in spring or summer. This gets a little trickier in the fall and winter because I’ll have a sweater or crewneck under the sports jacket and an overcoat that I’ll stow in the overhead bin during the flight.
Five-Night Warm-Weather Extravaganza:
“That’s all you brought?” This was the observation of the executive producer of the radio station I worked at when I arrived in Peoria, Ariz., for a week’s worth of spring-training baseball in 2019. Yup. And I even had fresh undies each day I was there. This requires some commitment on the part of the packer.
To be packed: One dress shirt, one short-sleeved collared shirt, pajama shorts, toiletry bag, two pairs of shorts, one pair swim trunks, three T-shirts, five pairs underwear, tank-top undershirts and socks. Flip-flops — if desired will need to fit in an outside pocket.
Configuration: Use the compartment with the divider for the toiletries in one side, underwear, undershirts and socks in the other. Rolling up underwear, undershirts will save space. Remainder of the shirts and shorts go into the packing cube with the dress shirt folded as top layer of the cube.
Worn on the plane: Your shoes, which will be the only ones taken on this trip. Pants, also the only pair being taken on this trip. Any jacket/sweatshirt will also need to be worn, not packed. Same goes for a rain shell and/or hat.
The best part about the Western Flyer is its size or more accurately the lack thereof. Not only is it easy to manage as a carry-on, but it forces me to be disciplined in what I bring. What’s the right configuration for you? Only one way to find out: Start packing!
--
You can shop the Western Flyer yourself and add some packing cubes to achieve an extra level of organization. Looking for something similar but slightly bigger? You may want to check out our Tri-Star.
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A few words from Darcy, Advisor at TOM BIHN:
"Like Moab, our newest 200d Halcyon color Açaí was inspired by nature. We see it in the berry stains on our fingers in the summer, in the deepest possible dusk, in our favorite dahlias. Interestingly, we chose this particular shade of rich purple around the same time as we chose Moab. Moab was a departure for us — earthy, neutral, grounding — and, depending on one’s perspective, Açaí may or may not be. It’s a deep, rich, jewel purple that is at home alongside classic and current colors. Yet, like many of the colors we find ourselves choosing, it’s not that simple — there’s a depth to Açaí that makes it more than just a purple. Some eyes may see that depth as an undertone of brown, while other eyes may see it as an undertone of red. As always, tell us how your eyes see this new color. One of the joys of introducing a new color or design is that we get to see it through your eyes, not just ours.
It’s darker than Ultraviolet, more red than Aubergine, less blue than Plum. It’s Açaí."
— —
If you're new to us, 200d Halcyon is our ripstop fabric woven of 200 denier nylon (base fabric) with a square grid of 200 denier UHMWPE (ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene) yarns every .25" / 6mm. The white grid of UHMWPE adds no additional weight, yet makes the fabric virtually impossible to tear. Plus, we think it adds a nice look.
All our Halcyon colors are custom-dyed just for us in Japan. We share our desired vision with our mill, and they come back to us with “lab dips” to choose from, each a very slight variation of our original request. We look at the swatches under the bright factory lights, outdoors on sunny and cloudy days, at night under the moon, against our current color offerings, eventually picking the just-right swatch. The entire process, from when we convey our desired color to the mill to when we receive the final delivery at our factory can take anywhere from 8 months (pre-pandemic) to 12+ months.
Check out all the bags we currently have available in Açaí.
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What is your position here at TOM BIHN? What does that entail?
I do a lot around here and I love it all! I started as Customer Service and Shipping Manager in 2016 and I still do that but my position has changed some over the years. I became the Operations Manager in 2018 and my job grew to include working closely with nearly every part of the day-to-day business. More recently, my position has evolved further and I work closely with Cindy on the product line management and Jose on design.
My job is structured under four categories that all overlap as you’d expect in a company our size. For my role in Fulfillment, in addition to managing that team, I answer a handful of customer service emails each week, depending on the needs of the department, or the nature of the messages. I don’t ship a lot of packages, but a few times a year I’ll still pick up a pile of order pick sheets and fill some boxes and print some labels, and I step in for our final kitting and box sealing process when needed.
A big part of my job is forecasting and placing all finished goods orders. I have some background in this but the last couple years have been tough in regards to juggling materials timelines and other factors. I work closely with Ben on materials and all the stories you hear in the news about supply chain woes are absolutely true. I do think we’ve done a good job of navigating it and keeping things fresh and interesting.
I work alongside Kim and the production managers to keep production timing on-track and orderly. One of the advantages of having our own production is we can shift priorities quickly when necessary and we meet and talk a lot about that. I work directly with production to monitor quality as bags move through- both the materials aspect and the actual production work. And I work closely with Aravelia and Lulu in QA to ensure the quality is correct as bags are finished and make their way into the warehouse.
Cindy and I work together on planning the product debuts and restock calendar and along with Matthew, the three of us manage the website content, layout, and photography. I didn't have a lot of experience doing this type of work before TOM BIHN and it's been a great experience learning this part of the job!
How exciting! How do you handle all those tasks?
It can be tough! I rely on the project management software we use, and I am a notebook and pen kind of person. I’m also wired with a strong sense of routine. I tend to walk the same path in the morning to get the lay of the land, so to speak, and that helps me establish daily, and weekly priorities.
What has been the most challenging part of the job?
The challenges have changed over time, and will continue to, I’m sure. A few years ago we tended to run out of stock more frequently, and that was hard on the customer service end. The pivot to masks, and then back to bags was especially hard because by the time we were ready to go full on bags again, the shelves were pretty empty and we spent most of 2021 playing catch up. That was really hard! Interestingly, the challenging parts now are also a lot of fun- balancing making some older designs and newer designs, choosing colors and fabrics for next year that have really long lead times, things like that can feel stressful to work through it all, but when I take a step back, I realize how cool it is to be able to do those things.
What is a part of the job you really love doing?
Honestly, all of it. I love the interaction with customers and folks in the community. I love being involved in making things. I love working on new designs and ideas. I love working with the amazing group of folks at the factory. I really enjoy all of it.
Working with Jose and Cindy on design and development is a really fun part of the job. My role in this has shifted from coordinating and documenting when Tom and Nik were designing, to more actively involved now. My entire career has been in the outdoor industry so I know the products and industry really well. I think that has set me up to be able to offer good insight into these discussions and with the years I’ve been at TOM BIHN, I have a really good handle on what we’re capable of and good at. I enjoy every aspect of my job but considering this part is still the newest and developing, it’s probably the most rewarding for me.
What are some of your favorite memories working here in the factory?
I have a lot of great memories from the factory! I still remember the first day I walked in- hearing the hum of all the sewing machines was a thrill and I still enjoy that sound. I’ve worked with backpacks my entire career and being able to watch them being made every day is a real source of joy for me. I love interacting with everyone so much. My position requires that I work pretty closely with the folks in cutting, and production, and in QA and I love the camaraderie that comes with that.
Some of my favorite memories have been working on new product development. A part of my role in development is documenting the process and it was always so interesting to witness Tom and Nik interacting with Fong and Lisa as they worked through some of the more nuanced details on a bag like the Synik. It’s been a really great experience to work closely with Jose as he grows in his role and to watch a very similar synergy between him and Fong, Trang, and Honguyen. I feel fortunate to be able to work with so many smart, talented folks in this regard!
Some other fun memories at the factory come from my work in Fulfillment. While it was sometimes stressful, the excitement of debut days or Cyber Monday is awesome. It’s a pretty small group of folks who answer all the emails and calls, and pack and seal all the boxes and on those really busy days, I get to be a working part of that crew. It’s really satisfying to see the mountains of boxes stacked and waiting for the UPS driver at the end of one of those days, and to know everything that went into getting to that point. Just writing this all out is getting me excited for debuts in the upcoming year!
What is your EDC?
My first favorite when I started here is still my favorite- the Synapse 19. I’ve personally carried, sold, or handled hundreds of different backpack designs in my life and this bag is the best design I’ve ever known. I think Tom’s super power is his ability to design a bag where every space is independent of every other space and this bag is the pinnacle example of that. My Synapse 19 is the most organized part of my life. I’m not disorganized, but I’m not as organized as my S19 would lead you to believe either.
I also carry a Side Effect frequently- I have one that is a dedicated dog walking pouch, and one that is for out and about when I need more than my blue jeans pockets can carry, but less than my backpack. I also carry a Pocket Pouch with the clip cut off as my wallet, so I guess that is my most used TB item.
Outside of work what are your hobbies?
To be honest, I’ve been working on getting my degree in the last year and it’s really put a damper on my hobbies! I guess my current hobby is reading online business course-work :)
When I do find the time, I love being outside. We have a nice garden at home and I enjoy that a lot. I love to cook and eat good food and I feel so fortunate to live in this region with the amazing bounty of produce at local farmers markets. My wife and I enjoy traveling, and visiting other cultures that have a similar focus on food is always the best. I love Pike Place Market in Seattle and finding other cities’ public markets is a lot of fun!
I’ve been an active hiker since I was young and even thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail what feels like a lifetime ago. Those long-distance hiking days are (probably) over but it gave me a great foundation for what makes a backpack carry well. I hope it’s not too nerdy to say but I actually still find it quite fun to research backpacks and other outdoor gear, and the materials used in the industry. It can make it hard to mentally step away sometimes but I enjoy it, nonetheless.
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
Yes! I have one dog, Levi, and two cats, Carter Stanley and Ollie. Levi used to come to work but phased out of doing that when Covid hit. Maybe we’ll try again and he can end the long hiatus from his role as Branch Manager at the factory.
Both of our cats are nice but they don’t like each other. That leads to a sometimes chaotic household. Anyone who has ever met Carter Stanley acknowledges he's a legend, but it's complicated, as cats can be.
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We share these notes in the hopes they give you a sense of what it’s like to be here on the factory floor and understand more about what goes into realizing the design of a bag like the Addax.
When our design team came together to discuss the next addition to the TOM BIHN line, our designer, Jose, pitched up this idea: create a roll-top bag, something that we didn’t yet have in our backpack collection, designed with commuting in mind. His vision included implementing the following features into this new bag:
We went through many different prototypes of what would eventually become the Addax 31.
An early design of what would eventually become the Addax 31.
Below is Jose’s feedback from the very first iteration of the Addax 31:
The Good:
Comfort
Features
The Not-so-Good:
Roll-top panel
Exterior side pockets
Interior mesh pocket at back panel
Laptop Pocket
Changes for the next sample:
Exterior side pockets
Roll Top Panels
Back panel
There was one main challenge that we were trying to solve: how do we achieve a clean look for the maximum number of rolls while also allowing the bag to buckle together with any number of rolls? The day after our meeting, Jose proposed sewing the male buckle ends to the webbing at the back panel that holds the shoulder straps. This helps bring the folded roll top panel towards the back panel and leaves a clean-looking roll even when the bag is not completely filled. He also suggested swapping out the male and female buckles on one side, allowing the bag to buckle filled to max capacity, without an extra piece. Could our roll-top problems finally be solved?
The question of pocket height also came up, as the bag needed to be able to roll all the way down, which would limit the height of the water bottle that could fit. Mike suggested that many of these issues could be addressed with an exterior water bottle pocket – a first for us here at TOM BIHN!
When Jose brought this sample to our next meeting, we felt ecstatic about this sample. Finally, it seemed like our roll-top issue had been solved! We loved the versatility his solution provided, now you could roll the bag one, two, three times, or not at all! There were a lot of other things we loved about this version too. The exterior water bottle pocket was balanced with the Cambiata-style pocket and was able to fit in both without too much issue.
Below is Cindy’s feedback on the Addax, after traveling with the first X-Pac prototype:
What I really like:
What I'm a little unsure about:
With the feedback in mind, Jose then began to implement many changes to the next sample, most notably dividing the laptop pocket and adding an interior zipper. However, in an early prototype we felt a "bump" when unzipping the exterior laptop compartment, we realized this was caused by the interaction between the interior and exterior zippers.
Below are excerpts from notes detailing the Addax construction process with co-Production managers Fong, Honguyen, and Trang:
We suggested using bartacks to hold certain parts down and away from the zipper track to help the zipper glide better.
The back panel is difficult to sew. There are a lot of different parts going into one area, making it very complicated. The zipper used is a bit softer and more flexible, better for the laptop. When it comes to sewing, it makes it very difficult to incorporate not only softer fabric with harder fabric at the bottom, but also compounding fabrics, zippers, binding, foam, mesh, and corners. Many layers, complicated and difficult!
Honguyen suggested cutting the back foam slightly smaller. This provided a bit more generous spacing for the joining of the bag and helped with binding bulk, at the final interior and exterior back pieces.
One touch that Jose wanted to add to the Addax’s exterior laptop compartment was a zipper garage. It gives the zipper an extra level of protection from the elements, especially important for the laptop compartment, and we liked the look. It’s a small piece but required some design iterations, what feedback did you provide to Jose?
Trang was the one who came up with a better way to construct the zipper garage in this particular back panel piece. She suggested changing Jose’s original two-piece panel into a one-piece panel with a longer extension. It accomplished Jose’s goal while creating a more efficient production process. The new piece has a special fold internally where binding is not required and the zipper ends are protected at the same time. Also, the best part is that it looks good, especially as an exterior piece, with small details.
Co-Production managers Fong, Honguyen, and Trang's interview excerpts continued:
Sewing a new bag with a new fabric also led to some exciting, new challenges for production. Here are some of their thoughts on working with X-Pac:
Fong explained that the X-Pac fabric has unique characteristics, different from Ballistic Nylon and all other fabrics we currently use. The feel of X-Pac seems to have a bit more crispness to it, it’s easier to crease during production and has very little give and flexibility. Working with it at the beginning was a little different and took a little bit of getting used to since it is not a very forgiving fabric. It may take someone with good sewing skills and attention to detail to work with this fabric. If a sewing mistake is made, there is a good chance that the panel cannot be reused on the same bag due to the punctured marks on the existing panel, which will need to be recut and replaced with a new panel piece.
Honguyen agrees with Fong and explained that with the X-Pac fabric there is no give (think sewing thick paper). When sewing this fabric one has to consider and prepare it for joining. This involves sewing a smaller inseam (normally 1/2 inch, now closer to 1/3 of an inch) to accommodate the fabric. At the later stages of joining the fabric, it makes it easier and provides just enough spacing. It is an exterior fabric, so we have to be very careful with how it is sewn, basically no room for errors.
Below is also an excerpt of feedback from advisors Tom and Nik:
We translated the concerns about the corners and bottom shape of the bag to Fong, Honguyen, and Trang.
Fong: I think because I am so used to it, it is not as hard for me to sew the corners. I know where all the points on contacts are, and I know exactly where the hard parts are so I can make adjustments as I am sewing to accommodate these points of difficulty. It will take a bit of practice to understand the bag and how to properly sew it.
Trang and Honguyen both agree that once you understand how the fabric works, and how to manipulate it in a way that works best, then the sewing is not too different from our other bags. Of course, it will be hard at first, that’s why we always plan extra time for Production Managers to train the rest of the floor on sewing new bags.
The idea to create a second Addax in a smaller size came from our Production managers, who are all on the more petite side. They loved the look of the bag but felt the 31 was too large for smaller frames. Jose tried a couple of different dimensions for the smaller Addax and had a few more petite members of the team try the bag to make sure that proportionally it felt right. We wanted the bag to sit close against the back and prevent it from pulling away from the back when fully loaded.
For the smaller Addax, we wanted to have all the same great features we loved about the larger Addax, especially the ability to fit a 16″ Macbook Pro even with the reduced dimensions.
Jose’s notes for creating the new Addax 26 sample:
New Dimensions
13W x 17H x 6D
The change from our current Addax is in the height. I am making the height of the front and back panel shorter by 3” and shrinking the width by 1”. The new dimension would get us closer to a 21/22 liter bag.
Front Panel
Back Panel
Side Exterior Pockets
During this fine-tuning process, we moved the wings of the backpack straps over to the inside panel, a deviation from the Synik construction. Since the Addax has a longer opening to the laptop compartment than the Synik, this change was added to ease the user’s experience of removing their laptop from the compartment by ensuring that the wings would not get in the way as one unzips the pocket.
When we received the next sample of the smaller Addax, we found that it could hold a 16″ MBP with some restrictions, this being that the laptop could only go in through the top side in one slide. Satisfied with these results, we had finally come to the finish line of the design phase.
Now, on to color choices. For the X-Pac fabric, we wanted something that would pop with the new fabric which led to the usage of Solaris Halcyon. We also wanted to try two new colorway options – Burnt Orange Ballistic/Moab Halcyon and Constellation Blue Ballistic/Island Halcyon. These choices were made by Maia, our Social Media Coordinator, and Jose, our designer, respectively.
Jose liked these two fabrics together due to their similarities. We liked the look of a monochromatic bag and thought that it could be a cool option! Maia was inspired by the fall leaves for her colorway. She loved the combination of colors, and so do we!