Pilot in Nebulous Grey (medium grey) Ballistic. Pilot in Nebulous Grey (medium grey) 525 Ballistic with Wasabi (green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Nebulous Grey (medium grey) Ballistic with Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Nebulous Grey (medium grey) 525 Ballistic with Sangria (red with red grid) 210 Cerylon interior. Pilot in Wilderness (forest green) Ballistic. Pilot in Wilderness (forest green) Ballistic with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Wilderness (forest green) Ballistic with Dusk (blue-grey with light blue-grey grid) 210 Cerylon interior. Pilot in Burnt Orange 525 Ballistic Pilot in Burnt Orange Ballistic with Moss (green with light green grid) 210 Cerylon interior. Pilot in Burnt Orange Ballistic with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Aubergine (dark purple) Ballistic. Pilot in Aubergine Ballistic with Dusk (lilac with light purple grid) 210 Cerylon interior. Pilot in Aubergine (dark purple) Ballistic with Northwest Sky (grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Black 525 Ballistic. Pilot in Black Ballistic with Persimmon (orange with light orange grid) 210 Cerylon interior. Pilot in Black Ballistic with Moss (green with light green grid) 210 Cerylon interior. Pilot in Black 525 Ballistic with Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Black Ballistic with grey label. Pilot in Black 525 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Deep Blue (dark blue) Ballistic. Pilot in Deep Blue (dark blue) Ballistic with Moss (green with light green grid) 210 Cerylon interior. Pilot in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Deep Blue (dark blue) 630 Ballistic with Sitka (dark green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Mars Red 525 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Mars Red 525 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Constellation (light blue) 525 Ballistic. Pilot in Constellation (light blue) 525 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Coyote (tan) 525 Ballistic. Pilot in Coyote (tan) 525 Ballistic with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Ursa (brown-grey) Ballistic. Pilot in Ursa (greyish brown) Ballistic with Northwest Sky (grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Ursa (greyish brown) Ballistic with Dusk (blue-grey with light blue-grey grid) 210 Cerylon interior. Pilot in Raspberry (reddish-purple) Ballistic. Pilot in Raspberry (reddish-purple) Ballistic with Acai (dark purple) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Saguaro (olive green) Ballistic. Pilot in Saguaro (olive green) Ballistic with Zest (orange) 200 Halcyon interior. Pilot in Taiga (green with grey grid) 400 Halcyon.. Pilot in Taiga (green with grey grid) 400 Halcyon with Northwest Sky (grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon. Pilot in Black 420 Spectron. Pilot in Black 420 Spectron with an Island 200 Halcyon interior.
Add to wishlist

Pilot

4.9
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 Stars (270 Reviews)

$188.00

Color: Raspberry Ballistic/Acai 200 Halcyon

In Stock

Available Color options

Next Batch

In Production Options

Personal item carry-on travel bag/laptop briefcase.

13 liters / 800 cu. in.

Add a Cache?
$52.00 - 10B (iPad or iPad Pro 9.7")
visible variant TB03310A TB03310B TB03311A TB03312A TB03313A TB03313B TB03313C TB03313D TB03313E TB03315A TB03315B TB03315C TB03315D TB03316A TB03317B^^A Cache on the Horizontal side.

Pilot

Close shot of the zipper on the Pilot. Overhead shot of the Pilot. The main pocket of the Pilot with a laptop. A close shot of the Pilot side pocket zipper. The side compartment of the Pilot with a notepad and marker inserted into the interior pocket. The side compartment of the Pilot with phone and pen inserted into the interior pockets. A reverse shot of the Pilot. A close shot of the snaphook attachment point with a snaphook attached. A close shot of the zipper of the main compartment of the Pilot. The Co-Pilot and Pilot side-by-side.
A person carrying a Pilot on a commute. A person carrying a Pilot. Profile shot of a person carrying a Pilot. A person carrying a Pilot through the airport. A profile shot of a person holding a Pilot. A person holding a Pilot. A ski trip loadout.
Thumbnail for a video of the Pilot.

TLDR

With 30% more volume than the Co-Pilot, the Pilot is a medium, personal item carry-on travel briefcase designed to fit your work essentials.

  • Main compartment that fits a 14" laptop or tablet
  • 2 interior open-top pockets and 2 O-rings
  • 3 exterior front pockets with independent volume and 1 O-ring in each
  • Rolling luggage handle pass-through pocket on open-top pocket bottom
  • Carry as a briefcase or wear as a shoulder bag
  • Fits under the seat in front of you on the airplane

Full Description

Main Compartment

The main compartment is large enough to store clothes or a 14" Macbook Pro or smaller tablet in a Cache. Inside, there are two open-top pockets of equal size — perfect spot to store an organizer, like our Clear 3D Organizer Cube or Vertical Packing Cubelet. On one interior side of the main compartment are 2 O-rings so that you can attach our Mystery Organizer Pouches and Ghost Whale Organizer Pouches. On the other interior side are a set of Cache loops for you to attach an optional Cache, stored with your device inside. 

3 Front Exterior Organizational Pockets

The Pilot has three front zippered pockets with an O-ring in each. The front left compartment also has a small organizational pocket.

The middle front pocket is designed to fit a small water bottle or compact folding umbrella. The bottom of this pocket has an eyelet so any condensation, spills, or leaks won't puddle in the bag. 

The front right pocket has four pen pockets and one O-ring which includes a Key Strap. It's the same size as the left pocket and it's perfect for storing things like a digital camera, snacks, or even a light wind shell or down vest in a Travel Stuff Sack. 

Rolling Luggage Handle Pass-Through

We know many of you like to use our bags as personal items alongside roller luggage when traveling, so the pass-through pocket is tucked on the bottom of the open-top back pocket.

The pocket also has a zipper on the bottom side so when you are not utilizing it for a luggage pass-through, you can just zip it up and store quick-access items in there. 

What's Included

Standard Shoulder Strap
1.5" / 38 mm nylon webbing strap, includes .25" / 6mm texturized rubber pad and heavy-duty plastic snaphooks. 
 

8" Snaphook/Snaphook Key Strap
As with most of our bags, we've included a key strap. 8" long from tip-to-tip, a snaphook on either end. Good for attaching your keys to.

A Set of Black Zipper Pulls
A set of pulls to extend or replace your metal pulls.
 

What's Optional

Absolute Shoulder Strap
Upgrade from the included 1.5” strap to an Absolute Shoulder Strap if you anticipate carrying a heavy load.

3D Clear Organizer Cube
The 3D Clear Organizer Cube is the perfect organizer for your toiletries and is specifically designed to meet the TSA 3-1-1 liquids-program requirements. If you want a faster and smoother security checkpoint experience, use the Cube as your go-to toiletries bag.

Cache
The Pilot can accommodate a wide range of devices. If you plan on putting a laptop or smaller tablet in the interior banded open-top pocket, we recommend adding a Cache.  

The main compartment is large enough to store clothes or a 14" Macbook Pro or smaller tablet in a Cache. Inside, there are two open-top pockets of equal size — perfect spot to store an organizer, like our Clear 3D Organizer Cube or Vertical Packing Cubelet. On one interior side of the main compartment are 2 O-rings so that you can attach our Mystery Organizer Pouches and Ghost Whale Organizer Pouches. On the other interior side are a set of Cache loops for you to attach an optional Cache, stored with your device inside. 

The Pilot has three front zippered pockets with an O-ring in each. The front left compartment also has a small organizational pocket.

The middle front pocket is designed to fit a small water bottle or compact folding umbrella. The bottom of this pocket has an eyelet so any condensation, spills, or leaks won't puddle in the bag. 

The front right pocket has four pen pockets and one O-ring which includes a Key Strap. It's the same size as the left pocket and it's perfect for storing things like a digital camera, snacks, or even a light wind shell or down vest in a Travel Stuff Sack. 

We know many of you like to use our bags as personal items alongside roller luggage when traveling, so the pass-through pocket is tucked on the bottom of the open-top back pocket.

The pocket also has a zipper on the bottom side so when you are not utilizing it for a luggage pass-through, you can just zip it up and store quick-access items in there. 

Standard Shoulder Strap
1.5" / 38 mm nylon webbing strap, includes .25" / 6mm texturized rubber pad and heavy-duty plastic snaphooks. 
 

8" Snaphook/Snaphook Key Strap
As with most of our bags, we've included a key strap. 8" long from tip-to-tip, a snaphook on either end. Good for attaching your keys to.

A Set of Black Zipper Pulls
A set of pulls to extend or replace your metal pulls.
 

Absolute Shoulder Strap
Upgrade from the included 1.5” strap to an Absolute Shoulder Strap if you anticipate carrying a heavy load.

3D Clear Organizer Cube
The 3D Clear Organizer Cube is the perfect organizer for your toiletries and is specifically designed to meet the TSA 3-1-1 liquids-program requirements. If you want a faster and smoother security checkpoint experience, use the Cube as your go-to toiletries bag.

Cache
The Pilot can accommodate a wide range of devices. If you plan on putting a laptop or smaller tablet in the interior banded open-top pocket, we recommend adding a Cache.  

Materials

Exterior Fabrics

bluesign® certified 630d High-Tenacity 2x2 Ballistic nylon

Interior Fabrics

bluesign® and OEKO-TEX® certified 200 denier Japanese Halcyon/nylon ultralight ripstop
— or —
bluesign® certified 210 denier Cerylon 6,6 Ripstop nylon

Zippers

#8 and #10 YKK Racquet-Coil water-repellent zippers

Handle

PORON® foam padded handle

Other Components

Tough Duraflex®, Nexus, and Woojin buckles and related components

Specs

Dimensions

15.4" (w) x 11.4" (h) x 5.1" (d) / 390 (w) x 290 (h) x 130 (d) mm

Weight

630d high tenacity ballistic nylon: 1 lbs 4.3 oz / 575 grams
630d high tenacity ballistic nylon, with Standard Strap: 1 lbs 8.1 oz / 870 grams

420d Spectron: 16.4 oz / 465 grams
420d Spectron, with Standard Strap: 1 lb 4.3 oz / 575 grams

Volume

13 liters / 800 cu. in. (ASTM Standard Measure)

Total O-Rings

5 (2 in the main compartment, 1 in the left zippered pocket, 1 in the water bottle pocket, 1 in the right zippered pocket)

4.9
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars
Based on 270 reviews
96%would recommend this product
Write a Review (Opens in a new window)
270 reviews
  • James M.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, High Quality Finishings, Durable
    8 hours ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, High Quality Finishings, Durable
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Excellent Bag

    Extremely well made and high quality. I would have liked the front pocket zips to go around perhaps halfway down the third side to give better access. A little padding on the bottom of the laptop section would save having to use a sleeve. But all in all an excellent product.

    Was this helpful?
  • Bailey T.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Unique, Durable, Compact, Good Storage Size, Sewn in USA
    2 days ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Unique, Durable, Compact, Good Storage Size, Sewn in USA
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    New Daily Work Bag

    This is my very first bag from TB (Pilot-Black Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon).

    I wanted a bag that was smaller and more organized than my bulky college laptop briefcase. Most of all, though, I wanted a bag built to last with a good shoulder strap (purchased both the standard and absolute straps).

    The Pilot, specifically, has always stood out in the back of my mind ever since the first time I found out about TB. After months of trying to justify the price to my frugal mind, I finally pulled the trigger. So glad that I did.

    I haven't actually used the bag for more than a month at this point so I'm still getting to know it, if you will. When I first received it, I was very surprised how lightweight it is. I love that the outside doesn't hold onto pet hair and is easily brushed off.

    The standard strap has been really great. It's no nonsense, stays in place, isn't scratchy, and has a convenient quick adjust - which is new to me.

    Until I have more time with it, I don't have much more to say about it, other than that this bag is fantastic and makes me happy when using it!

    Was this helpful?
  • Eric K.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Compact, Good Storage Size, Versatile
    6 days ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Compact, Good Storage Size, Versatile
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    A Classic

    Surprisingly large capacity. I was looking for a personal item for long haul flights and I find that the Pilot is not my daily carry to work. TB thoughtfulness very evident in this bag.

    Was this helpful?
  • Joseph F.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Good Storage Size, High Quality Finishings
    1 week ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Good Storage Size, High Quality Finishings
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Quality Craftsmanship for a Everyday Bag

    This is by far, one of the best bags I’ve ever bought. I am a gear junkie, and love well designed gear. The quality is so good, I don’t know if I want to buy any other bag brands.

    I’m a Tom Binh lifer!

    Was this helpful?
  • Joe F.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, High Quality Finishings
    1 week ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, High Quality Finishings
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Great bag!

    I’ve really enjoyed using this bag, the Spectron fabric has quickly grown to be one of my favorites. Highly recommend the material and the form factor, would definitely get it again!

    Was this helpful?
Show More
Lifetime guarantee image

Sewn in Seattle

Our bags are designed and sewn right here in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

That allows us to be control freaks in the best way possible; we have direct control and oversight of the quality of our materials, our products, and the jobs and working environment that we help create. It also offers us a unique spontaneity: when we have an idea for a new product or accessory, we can design it, figure out how to build it, add it to our website and be ready to ship it out our front door all within just a few weeks. How cool is that?

Intrigued? You can find out more about the unusual way we do business on our Company Philosophy page.

THE BIHN Guarantee

Everything you buy from us here at TOM BIHN is satisfaction guaranteed. We’ve been in business since 1972 and we stand behind what we make.

If something goes wrong and it's our fault, we'll fix it for free. Repairs due to normal wear and tear or due to other things that are not our fault will be performed, when possible, at a reasonable charge right here in our Seattle factory where your bag was made. Defects in materials or workmanship are uncommon and almost always evident while the product is still new. Keep in mind that bags and packs are often subject to extreme wear in everyday use: do not expect them to last forever. Only true love lasts forever! You can expect a TOM BIHN product to give years and years of hard service.

Ready to Grab
the Pilot?

See Options