The Side Hustle in Wilderness Ballistic with Acai 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Aubergine Ballistic with Wisteria (pale purple) 210 Cerylon interior. The Side Hustle in Aubergine Ballistic with Tidal (pale blue) 210 Cerylon interior. The Side Hustle in Aubergine Ballistic with Dusk 210 Cerylon interior. The Side Hustle in Aubergine Ballistic with Marigold 210 Cerylon interior. The Side Hustle in Aubergine Ballistic. The Side Hustle in Constellation Ballistic with Mountain Grey 210 Cerylon interior. The Side Hustle in Constellation Ballistic with Sakura (pale pink) 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Constellation Ballistic with Cerise 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Constellation Ballistic. The Side Hustle in Mars Red Ballistic with Tidal 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Mars Red Ballistic with Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Mars Red Ballistic. The Side Hustle in Burnt Orange Ballistic with Northwest Sky (grey) 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Burnt Orange Ballistic with TIdal 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Burnt Orange Ballistic with Dusk 210 Cerylon interior. The Side Hustle in Burnt Orange Ballistic with Seafoam 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Burnt Orange Ballistic. The Side Hustle in Wilderness Ballistic with Dusk 210 Cerylon interior. The Side Hustle in Wilderness Ballistic with Taiga 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Wilderness Ballistic. The Side Hustle in Coyote Ballistic with Dusk 210 Cerylon interior. The Side Hustle in Coyote Ballistic. The Side Hustle in Deep Blue Ballistic with Sakura 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Deep Blue Ballistic with Taiga 200 Halcyon interior The Side Hustle in Deep Blue Ballistic with Marigold 210 Cerylon interior. The Side Hustle in Deep Blue Ballistic with Solaris 200 Halcyon  interior. The Side Hustle in Deep Blue Ballistic with Zest 200 Halcyon. The Side Hustle in Deep Blue Ballistic. The Side Hustle in Nebulous Grey Ballistic with Sakura (pale pink) 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Nebulous Grey Ballistic with Cerise (pink) 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Nebulous Grey Ballistic with Solaris (yellow) 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Nebulous Grey Ballistic with Wasabi 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Nebulous Grey Ballistic with Island 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Nebulous Grey Ballistic. The Side Hustle in Ursa Ballistic with Moss 210 Cerylon interior. The Side Hustle in Ursa Ballistic with Tidal 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Ursa Ballistic. The Side Hustle in Cloud Ballistic with Zest 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Cloud Ballistic. The Side Hustle in Black Ballistic with Wisteria (pale purple) 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Black Ballistic with Acai (purple) 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Black Ballistic with Cerise (pink) 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Black Ballistic with Moss 210 Cerylon interior. The Side Hustle in Black Ballistic with Zest 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Black Ballistic in Red Label. The Side Hustle in Black Ballistic with Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon interior. The Side Hustle in Black Ballistic with grey label.
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$105.00


Color: Black Ballistic/Acai 200 Halcyon

In Stock

Available Color options

An everyday crossbody bag for the essentials plus a little extra.

5.8 Liters / 354 cu. in.

Looking for the Side Effect or Side Kick?

TLDR

A medium, yet versatile everyday crossbody shoulder bag that can also be used as a sling bag, waist pack, or organizer pouch. 

  • Main compartment with lots of organization: 7 open-top interior pockets of varying sizes
  • 4 O-rings inside to tether extra organizer pouches and/or Key Straps
  • Two exterior pockets, front and back, one zippered and one open-top
  • Wear it crossbody with our 1.5" Shoulder Strap (included) or as a sling bag / waistpack with a 1" Waist Strap (optional)

Want a smaller version of the Side Hustle? Check out the Side Kick. Want an even smaller version? Check out the Side Effect.

Full Description

Main Compartment

The main compartment of the Side Hustle opens with two zipper sliders, making it convenient for left or right-handed folks. It also allows you to choose where the sliders end up when the bag is closed. This compartment can fit a medium water bottle, an iPad Pro 11", or even an ultralight rain shell or down vest stuffed into itself or in a Travel Stuff Sack

On the front interior side of the main compartment are two large open-top pockets. They are sized to fit your phone, wallet, notebook, or even a pair of sunglasses inside an eyeglasses case.

On the back interior side of the main compartment is one large open-top organizational pocket that spans the width of the Side Hustle. You can fit 7" - 8" tablets, including the iPad Mini in our size 8A Cache.

In front of this large organizational pocket are four additional smaller pockets. The two on one end can fit items like granola bars, hand cream, or sunscreen. The two on the other end can each fit a pen or pencil.

All interior pockets are made with our super tough 200d Halcyon or 210d Cerylon fabric. 

Four O-rings, two on the back side and two on the front side of the interior main compartment, allow you to trick out your organization even further: attach Ghost Whale Organizer Pouches, Mystery Organizer Pouches, and/or any of our Key Strap variants to keep essentials handy and tethered safely. 

Two Exterior Pockets

The exterior of the Side Kick has a straight zippered pocket that spans the full width of the bag and is designed to fit your passport, notebook, tablet, or anything relatively flat. Inside the zippered pocket is one O-ring with a clipped 8" Key Strap. We consider this the front side of the bag, but you can always flip the bag around and make it the back side if you prefer.

On the other exterior side, there is an open-topped back pocket, for when you need to quickly put something away and deal with it later.

Ways to Carry the Side Hustle

Shoulder/Crossbody Bag

On either side of the Side Hustle are horizontal webbing loops to which you can attach the adjustable 1.5" Shoulder Strap (included), made from nylon webbing and with plastic clips (but no pad). When you're not wearing the Side Hustle, you can use the 1.5" Shoulder Strap to hang it on a coat hook or from a doorknob.

Waist Pack or Sling Bag

Also on the sides of the bag are unobtrusive webbing loops to which you can attach an optional 1" Gatekeeper Waist Strap, using our ubiquitous Gatekeeper clips. Wear the Side Hustle around your waist or hips, and you've got a sweet waist pack. Wear it crossbody with the bag on your back, and you've got a mini sling bag. Either way, it's great for cycling, hiking, or any situation where you need your hands completely free. 

Use as an Organizer Pouch

Clip one side of any of our Key Strap variants to the Side Hustle and then clip the other side to an O-ring inside one of our larger bags. That way, the Side Hustle stays tethered to your bag.

What's Included

1.5" Shoulder Strap
This one is a little different than most of our other shoulder straps, but not by much. No pad or grip, just a plain shoulder strap the width of our Standard shoulder strap.

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

Gatekeeper Hip Belt
If you want to wear this as a sling, this is the thing. Attaches to either the front or back of the Side Hustle much like our Side Effect and Side Kick. You could also use it for a hip belt, but it will be pretty tall and wide to wear as a hip pack.

The main compartment of the Side Hustle opens with two zipper sliders, making it convenient for left or right-handed folks. It also allows you to choose where the sliders end up when the bag is closed. This compartment can fit a medium water bottle, an iPad Pro 11", or even an ultralight rain shell or down vest stuffed into itself or in a Travel Stuff Sack

On the front interior side of the main compartment are two large open-top pockets. They are sized to fit your phone, wallet, notebook, or even a pair of sunglasses inside an eyeglasses case.

On the back interior side of the main compartment is one large open-top organizational pocket that spans the width of the Side Hustle. You can fit 7" - 8" tablets, including the iPad Mini in our size 8A Cache.

In front of this large organizational pocket are four additional smaller pockets. The two on one end can fit items like granola bars, hand cream, or sunscreen. The two on the other end can each fit a pen or pencil.

All interior pockets are made with our super tough 200d Halcyon or 210d Cerylon fabric. 

Four O-rings, two on the back side and two on the front side of the interior main compartment, allow you to trick out your organization even further: attach Ghost Whale Organizer Pouches, Mystery Organizer Pouches, and/or any of our Key Strap variants to keep essentials handy and tethered safely. 

The exterior of the Side Kick has a straight zippered pocket that spans the full width of the bag and is designed to fit your passport, notebook, tablet, or anything relatively flat. Inside the zippered pocket is one O-ring with a clipped 8" Key Strap. We consider this the front side of the bag, but you can always flip the bag around and make it the back side if you prefer.

On the other exterior side, there is an open-topped back pocket, for when you need to quickly put something away and deal with it later.

Shoulder/Crossbody Bag

On either side of the Side Hustle are horizontal webbing loops to which you can attach the adjustable 1.5" Shoulder Strap (included), made from nylon webbing and with plastic clips (but no pad). When you're not wearing the Side Hustle, you can use the 1.5" Shoulder Strap to hang it on a coat hook or from a doorknob.

Waist Pack or Sling Bag

Also on the sides of the bag are unobtrusive webbing loops to which you can attach an optional 1" Gatekeeper Waist Strap, using our ubiquitous Gatekeeper clips. Wear the Side Hustle around your waist or hips, and you've got a sweet waist pack. Wear it crossbody with the bag on your back, and you've got a mini sling bag. Either way, it's great for cycling, hiking, or any situation where you need your hands completely free. 

Use as an Organizer Pouch

Clip one side of any of our Key Strap variants to the Side Hustle and then clip the other side to an O-ring inside one of our larger bags. That way, the Side Hustle stays tethered to your bag.

1.5" Shoulder Strap
This one is a little different than most of our other shoulder straps, but not by much. No pad or grip, just a plain shoulder strap the width of our Standard shoulder strap.

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.

Gatekeeper Hip Belt
If you want to wear this as a sling, this is the thing. Attaches to either the front or back of the Side Hustle much like our Side Effect and Side Kick. You could also use it for a hip belt, but it will be pretty tall and wide to wear as a hip pack.

Materials

Specs

Dimensions*

Filled Exterior
12.6” (w)  x 7.5” (h) x 4.7” (d) / 320mm (w) x 190mm (h) x 120mm (d)

Seam-to-Seam Interior
11.75" (w) x 7.75" (h) x 3" (d) / 

Weight

13.2 ounces / 375 grams

Volume

5.8 Liters / 354 cu. in. (ASTM Standard Measure)

Total O-Rings

5

(4 in main pocket,
1 in front pocket)

4.9
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars
Based on 357 reviews
97%would recommend this product
357 reviews
  • Robert H.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Thoughtful Design, Sewn in USA
    4 weeks ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Thoughtful Design, Sewn in USA
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    The Goldilocks of bags - at least for me

    The Side Hustle is exactly what I wanted. It is just the right size for my current requirement. After I retired, I began volunteering for a non-profit and I am on-the-go a lot of the time. I needed something to carry some EDC items, gloves, water and a small lunch. The bag has just enough structure, just enough interior pockets and just enough size. Even the strap is apprpriate for the size of the bag and the expected weight. I have also managed to stuff in a 10.5 inch iPad in a case and a Patagonia Torrentshell rain jacket (without the lunch and the water bottle laying down) Reason for the purchase is that I no longer needed something the size of my Tom Bihn Pilot. The Pilot has been relegated to airplane carry-on status along with my Aeronaut 30. My only issue was finding a water bottle that would fit standing up. A Stanley 16 ounce AEROlight was just the right size.

  • Zachary W.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Compact, Unique, Versatile
    2 months ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Compact, Unique, Versatile
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    A good size for a proper satchel

    I’m really happy I talked my wife into us getting this and a Side Kick. They are appropriately sized for the two of us to be out walking around during our travels. The aspect I enjoy the most is the ability to attach the Side Kick to the Side Hustle using the gate clips I purchased separately. Since my wife’s back is sensitive regardless of the amount of weight she is carrying, if it starts to bother her we can connect it to mine and continue on our way. I think the pockets are all reasonably shaped and sized for my needs, including the slip pocket on the outside. I also like the simple design as it allows me to throw some patches on the front to display my nerdiness for all to see.

  • Karensa L.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Versatile
    4 months ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Versatile
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Bag of my Dreams!

    I’ve been using crossbody bags before they were the “thing” to do. And have owned many over the years. A couple of years ago I found the Side Kick and it is a great, amazing bag for EDC and travel. But after using for several major trips, I really wanted something similar, just a bit bigger. Enter the Side Hustle (queue the music)! Now this is the perfect crossbody bag for travel, and EDC too! It fits everything I need, including my Kindle and a small notebook. On trips there is plenty of room to slip in a snack (or two) and I can use the space across the top of my wallet, etc (& between the zipper) to fit in a small smart water bottle or soda bottle - the bag expands enough for it to work! It’s also very versatile when traveling as I can use it as my main “purse” when traveling with my pop top. OR on the trips when I use both my Pop top and a Synapse as carry ons, I can just drop the Side Hustle into the Pop Top to be sure I am meeting the 2 bag rule for boarding. The Pop Top has no issue holding it and everything stays organized inside the SH. The other great plus of this bag, traveling or EDC is that I am able to walk miles with it and its large strap. For the longer walks, I just lengthen the strap, put the bag to my back and go - it’s very comfortable. Pic I am uploading is of me when exploring the OR coast with my family in October. I am wearing my Side Hustle in the pic.

  • Cristina A.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Good Storage Size, Durable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Compact
    4 months ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Good Storage Size, Durable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Compact
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    So Worth it, I’m in love!

    Best shoulder side kick. Just got back from a two week international trip where I put it to the test. And I’m more in love with it every day. This bag has so much thought and care for proportions to fit all your essential.

  • Gary K.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Good Storage Size
    4 months ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Good Storage Size
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Almost perfect

    I bought the Side Hustle to carry my daily sketching supplies. It’s well designed and works for my purposes. However, I wish it had a small handle so I could pick it up without having to use the shoulder strap. After thinking about possible solutions including using Tom Birn key straps, I finally crafted a handle from what I had, nylon rope and S-Biner clips. It’s not the most esthetic workaround but it works.

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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.

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