I’ve used another manufacturer’s bag as my personal item on flights for a number of years, starting back when I carried a laptop and paperwork. That waxed-canvas bag had room for those plus cables, chargers, a camera, along with snacks and a few odds and ends. But it was really designed for a laptop and perhaps a tablet, and some files, divided between two skinny sections running the length of the bag.

Enter the Tom Bihn Night Flight. I splurged on a whim, and have ended up very glad that I did!

When I first saw the bag, I thought it was smaller than it looked in the photos. And I assumed it wouldn’t carry as much as I hoped. It has matching sections on each end, with a center are accessed fron the top.

There’s no room for a laptop, but the center area is just big enough to fit an 11” iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard case, along with snacks, a book, and a sweater for the flight. I have my camera, cables, and charger in one end, with stuff for the flight on the other end.

The only flight irritation is that the shoulder strap can sometimes get in the way when accessing the main central section, but that’s minor.

The bag is well made, materials look good, the zippers are sturdy, and it’s not heavy.

I’m a happy camper!

I bought this for a trip to Tanzania. It was just what I needed for that trip. Held my camera, binoculars and enough carryon stuff to keep me comfortable, identified, permitted, funded and entertained for 45 hours of flight time. And left room for my feet beside it. Also served well as day bag at my feet during 7 days of 4x4 safari travel, where it held optical stuff, extra clothes, personal items and field guides. Padded design made it seem safe for optical equipment. That said, if I had like only 3 travel bags, this wouldn’t be one of them. For me it’s somewhat specialized. Not very useful for business travel, for instance.

I picked up a NFTD to be my in-flight personal item and also a little weekend getaway bag - works great as both. As a petite person, this bag has enough space to fit my shoes (women's size 6) and is a reasonable size for me to carry. One commenter had larger shoes that didn't fit, so it wouldn't work as a gym bag for them. I was able to pack a small snake charmer, clear 3DOC, and multiple mystery pouches in the end sections, a travel tray and a bunch of clothes in the central section. I like the mesh zipper pocket inside the central section for things like belts or chargers. The handle and shoulder strap are both sturdy and comfortable. I appreciated the grab handles at either end of the bag when it was under the airplane seat or overhead on a train luggage rack.

The pass-through is a little snug for my roller bag handle (Briggs & Riley ZDX International Carry On) , but it does fit. I was spoiled by the spacious pass-through feature on the Pilot. Using the o-rings to attach everything gave me more peace of mind when traveling.

Surprisingly, my Peak Design Large Wash Pouch fits in one of the end sections. My laptop doesn't fit, but a tablet and e-reader would. Overall this is a great little bag!