So, I’m not sure how this started . . . it was a dark and stormy night and I realized with horror that my old, peely handled, unimaginative travel tote was deceased. I mean I loved that thing for years but when it started to go, it went. And that’s how I came to be searching for under seat/carry on options. Lo and Behold, up popped Tom Bihn. And I got it into my head that I might try . . . NO! That I really NEEDED a backpack. I proceeded to then spend more time with Tom Bihn than I had spent in my last three relationships. I tried to decide how many liters I needed? What color combos were the very, very best? Why is everyone so in love with Halcyon? I looked at all the travel bags, all the totes, everything! Then one night, after hours spent trying to decide I thought, “I haven’t carried a backpack since college. I need a tote.” And in that moment, I chose the Nomad 16 tote in black ballistic lined in Wisteria Halcyon, a matching Wisteria Handy Little Thing and travel tray. It all came in three days. A day ahead of schedule! I opened it. Well, the Nomad seemed a bit more narrow width-wise than I had envisioned. And what about my backpack dream? Had I done the right thing? I started to put some items inside. Wait there’s more room. Put in some more. Clip that HLT into an O-ring. You know if I ordered the packing cube/cross body I think it would fit in there too. And maybe a mystery pouch. Maybe two mystery pouches and what about more carabiners? Is one enough? Are six too…

I really like that this is the same bag as the original Nomad, but bigger. I was already using the original Nomad and loved the horizontal format of it, but really needed more space. When I got this bag, it was super easy to transfer everything over while keeping the same placement in the bag. That nothing needed to be reinvented about my organizational scheme was a big bonus (and I could get the same color combo as I had in the original Nomad, too!). I thought I would like the crossbody feature as well, but it turns out that I prefer the main handles, just as I was using with this bag's little sister. (Side note: I felt that the strap for the crossbody function had a sort of strong rubbery smell when I got it. It might well be that it would air out when used, but I don't know because I just didn't like carrying the bag that way when I tried it.)

Pros:

- Just the right size for me. Big enough for files and groceries.

- Handles. I had Side Hustle for my everday carry , but I found the absence of handles more of an issue than I would have guessed.

- Stands up. You can set it down and it will usually stand up, even if empty.

- Double zippers. Again, the Side Hustle only had one zipper but the double zippers on the Nomad make it easier to access without thinking too much.

- Top access. Both a pro/con. The top access forms a sort of trough when carrying it. My arm sits nicely in the trough when carrying over the shoulder.

- Unzippered pocket. This is the side I have to the inside when carrying over the shoulder. I like being able to reach in there for my keys without needing to unzipper.

Cons:

- Weight. It is heavier than expected. Maybe the option of Halcyon for the exterior?

- Rings. Never thought I'd be saying this about a Tom Bihn product, but I could have used a few more rings, esp. in the main compartment and the zippered side pocket. A couple on the unzippered side would be great as that is where I attached a key tether.

- Top access. The top of the Nomad forms a sort of trough along the top. I'm concerned that in a rain water would pool there.

- End attachments. There are attachment on the end for the shoulder strap. It would be great to have another one. I have a carabiner that I attach to one end so that when I'm in a coffee shop I can attach the bag to the chair handle. This keeps the…