November 20, 2009 Here’s a photo that shows (from left) the new Tom Bihn Absolute Strap, old Absolute Strap, and the Red Oxx Claw Strap (very similar to Tom Bihn’s Terra Grip). All three are made in the USA. The bottom photo is a closeup of the new Absolute.
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Brad
November 17, 2009 You know the overheads will get packed in the “all cattle class” Airbus:
The two airliners, all-economy versions of its giant A380 passenger plane, will start flying from Paris in 2014, the company said.
The cram-them-in configuration, known euphemistically as “high-density”, has been certified for use by civil aviation authorities after a fire test in which 873 people, 853 “passengers” and 20 crew, were safely evacuated in under 80 seconds. - telegraph.co.uk
The passenger-to-mileage ratio is said to make this the most environmentally-friendly airborne cattle hauler. Hopefully the onboard environment for the “self-loading freight” will be equally friendly. I have my doubts. An Australian newspaper calls it the “flying sardine can.”
BLOATED, BULBOUS WONDER
October 27, 2009 Tom Bihn has improved the best shoulder strap available. The new and improved Absolute Strap is beefier, has a slightly longer padded area, and is even more comfortable since it now has an ergonomic curve. I tested it this morning with a leather case that I use for carrying tools. With the 20-pound load it was a delight. Some have noted that you could buy a similar, slightly cheaper strap from OpTech, the company that manufactures this strap in the USA. Truth be told, that strap always always lacked the heavy Tom Bihn hardware. The new Absolute is absolutely exclusive according to Darcy at TB:
The ergonomic curve - and the added 1-1/2” length to the strap - as well as the high quality U.S. made nylon webbing AND the double-plated U.S. made metal snaphooks are all exclusive to us.
As I’ve said many times this strap is an instant upgrade to any bag and is a great gift idea. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t need one. Read more here from the TB blog.
I’ll post comparison pictures of the new and old Absolutes soon.
Brad
Practical Hacks has lots to say about the strap.
October 20, 2009 Brad
Discuss OBOWer Berg’s video observations on this forum thread. Thanks, Berg!
October 14, 2009 Here’s a comment from OBOWer Alan that’s worthy of its own post:
Out of curiousity I have applied what I have learned reading this website and the kindred www.onebag.com, over the last few days, to my last trip to Hawaii during September.
That was made using an expensive and very lightweight large rolling suitcase, a Rimowa Salsa 29-inch,which costs twice what the Redoxx Air Boss costs. I recall that my case outbound came to 43 lbs. as measured by my Balanzza digital scale, (including the pillow I added to fill out the top of the plastic case, trying to avoid its being damaged) My wife’s Rimowa by the way, came off the carousel in Kahului with a split in one corner.)
By looking carefully at what I actually USED (or needed) during that warm weather trip, including a few alternative choices, I find that it all could have easily fit, for the entire eight or nine days we were on Maui, into something like the Air Boss, an outfit which including that suitcase, which would have come to…17 lbs.
Clearly I have been doing something WRONG. I don’t intend to make the same errors in the future. Interestingly, when I traveled to and from college, and then medical school, 1967 through 1975, the suitcases I had were fabric Boyt cases, with zippers, without wheels, of course, that my late mother bought for my sister and myself.
Plus ca change, c’est la meme chose!
To which we can only say ‘bon voyage’
October 14, 2009 Another netbook from the nobility of mobility:
To enhance mobility, the device offers up to 12 hours of use on a single battery charge with Wi-Fi on, compared with most netbooks’ low- to mid-single-digit battery lives, said John Hwang, who headed up the Booklet’s design and development team. Nokia also pointed to the netbook’s silent-running fan-less operation, combined headphone/microphone jack, embedded 7.2Mbps high speed packet access (HSPA) cellular modem, seamless hand-off from Wi-Fi to 3G, aluminum chassis, light weight of 2.76 pounds and 0.78-inch thickness when closed. - from TWICE
It will be available exclusively at Best Buy (initially) and the $299 price is tied to an AT&T contract. It will come loaded with Windows 7.
Speaking of 7, I’m going to have to decide whether to upgrade from XP or not. This decidedly geeky, multi-page article suggests that 7 may not be a good idea for early netbooks and that 7 consumes battery life more voraciously than the venerable XP.
Brad
October 12, 2009 A few notes since I’ve been offline for a while:
October 3, 2009 … and watch it with that powder. The WSJ Middle Seat reports that the liquid ban will remain for at least another year and that certain powders are now being targeted for screening as possible explosive materials. I never believed the conjecture that the 3-1-1 regs would fade away this year. Nor do I believe that new scanning technology will lead to a 3-1-1 rollback one year from now (as the WSJ post mentions). Government regulations, like taxes, are easy to implement and almost impossible to get rid of.
About the powder:
“Officers will use X-ray technology to determine which substances may require additional screening’’ with a powder test kit, Ms. Payne says. For security reasons, she declined to say how that happens.
If a powder is considered suspicious, TSA uses a test kit that takes a small sample and screens it for dangerous substances.
TSA says the vast majority of commonly carried powders, like most medication, infant formula and makeup are unlikely to need further screening. Let’s hope we don’t get hit with a lot of “false positives,” sending people to secondary screening for their foot powder. - WSJ
October 2, 2009 A visit to the Tom Bihn factory is a curious blend of past and present. Small shops where the managers and workers have been together for long periods of time and the owner/designer is always on premises are increasingly rare, at least in the US. I found seemingly happy workers cutting nylon and stitching bag parts. And why not? They had plants, windows, and a management team they seemed to know and trust. Some workers are rotated so the tasks don’t get too repetitive, but with the tremendous variety of TB products it’s doubtful anyone gets too bored. The materials and designs are modern and TB has a huge, interactive web presence, but the factory ambience is definitely from another century - in a good way.
Located in a revitalized industrial area on the edge of downtown Seattle, TB shares the neighborhood with Safeco and Qwest pro stadiums, lots of nice restaurants, outdoor shops, and the Filson factory store (a somewhat similar operation which you may also want to visit). It’s an easy bus ride from the airport. Check the Tom Bihn website if you intend to visit because the showroom is open on a limited schedule. Here are some photos from my visit:
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ALL STARTS WITH CUTTING
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SEWING ROOM WITH A VIEW
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FISH…NOT FOR SALE
September 22, 2009 Practical Hacks on the latest Patagoinia MLC, a bag that is in at least its third version:
This remains a handsome, useful bag, and it surely represents a good value. It’s not a brute like the Air Boss, nor does it offer the sort of feature rich design typical of Bihn, but it occupies a different position in the market. If you travel a couple of times a month and are looking for a dependable, good looking bag for 3-5 day trips, this could easily fit the bill. At 2½ pounds, it’s a genuine lightweight yet is tough enough to withstand regular use. - full post here
September 22, 2009 The future of (cheap) flying may involve new postures — stiffly standing or precariously perching on an ottoman-like seat, face to face with fellow travelers:
Having passengers face each other is not an ideal situation,’ he said. ‘But this will see increased revenue for the operator and more economical tickets for the passenger - so by keeping both happy, this concept makes an attractive alternative.
‘Sure the passenger can choose a flight facing forward in a traditional seating position, but he or she will have to pay more for the luxury.’
Mr Guy predicts that the design could see a 50 per cent increase in the number of passengers on board and a 30 per cent reduced cost per seat. - Daily Mail
Where exactly would the carryons go? Maybe under the little seats? I could see a good deal of trippng going on. I love stretching my legs on trans-Atlantic flights, but this might be a bit much.
And from FlightGlobal - are you ready for stacked sleeper compartments? This site says the Asian airlines are at the forefront of the non-traditional seating movement. No surprise there.
September 15, 2009 Consumer Traveler - “Carry-on luggage survey results: We don’t need a federal law and we don’t want TSA enforcing one” - read it here
September 9, 2009 Tom Bihn seems always to be working on something new. He also reacts very quickly to the latest tech trends. Here are a couple of new niceties for the latest in digital diminutives:
(The white object is a Kindle resting on top of the netbook sleeve)
My son uses the original Ristretto for his Macbook but even that model has been updated.
If a netbook is too large for you, Tom has your Kindle 2 covered too:
Available in padded (shown), cork, and ultrasuede.
September 4, 2009 Canada’s Globe and Mail interviews a “globetrotter museum planner”:
You must have packing down to a science.
I do. And by the way, there’s no such thing as perfect luggage, only a perfect packer. I travel with just a carry-on, whether I’m going for three days, three weeks, or three months. The essence of packing carry-on is that you have to be willing to give up freedom of choice. The clothing you take should be pre-planned. I rehearse every minute of every trip before I go, and the packing follows. Every trip has a colour scheme. - more here
(Thanks to OBOWer Maria for the heads-up)
September 1, 2009 This New York Times headline is why you may want keep a weather eye open for those netbook deals:
Airborne Wi-Fi May Soar Despite the Doubters
One interesting stat revealed by the story - half of all business travelers polled said they took red-eye flights because flying in the daytime rendered them incommunicado. Back to the netbooks. If you’re flying first-class you can use that 17’ widescreen, but if you’re crammed in coach a netbook is the ticket.
Brad
Wall Street Journal Middleseater Scott McCartney offers this on the FlyFi.
September 1, 2009 
Cool Tools has a review of the current Rick Steves Convertible. I’m sorry to say I’ve had one of these around for months and haven’t spent any time with it. Sooner or later…
August 28, 2009 You can listen here to an NPR story on the problem of oversized carry-on bags and one possible solution - Congressman Lipinski’s luggage bill. Here’s what ohmygov.com thinks of it:
Trying to cut down on carry-on clutter is definitely a legitimate concern for anyone who regularly travels by air; the question is just whether or not it is a legitimate concern for congress. The greatest concern, especially at times like these, might just be how much this whole plan would cost. Lipinski’s bill would require TSA representatives to inspect and check any baggage that would exceed the federally mandated regulations, all at taxpayer expense of course.
Most people can agree that the waiting involved with boarding a flight is already interminable, adding on the layer of federal agents inspecting and checking baggage would probably result in more stops and starts than a Minnesota recount. In the wake of 9/11, most travelers embraced the added security as “the price you pay” for feeling and being safe on a commercial airliner, but there is such a thing as overkill. Lipinski’s bill would surely qualify for that label. - more here
August 27, 2009 The unassuming, lightweight ExOfficio ExO Money Belt is a surprisingly functional addition to the light travelers bag of tricks. This light – very light – nylon web belt is checkpoint-friendly (not metal), has a zippered money compartment, and, best of all, has an a pass-through clasp buckle that makes the length of the belt sleeplessly adjustable.
Comfort is the secret weapon
Not having to remove the belt at checkpoints is nice. Being able to stash several hundred in Euros is occasionally helpful. But being able to discreetly let this belt out an inch after “chicken or pasta” on that long flight is priceless. Just lift the buckle to loosen then close it when comfort is achieved – very nice! Also, the light weight means you don’t have to tighen it as much as you would a heavy belt, the very weight makes it harder to keep your pants up (remember, I’m hip-challenged so I know of what I speak!)
Checkpoint friend
Removing a heavy leather belt at each metal detector is a pain. And if you’re hip-challenged like me it’s even less fun. I know that some security people will make you remove any belt, but most don’t care as long as there’s no beeping. I sailed through every checkpoint. I have a new friend.
Looks
I chose the chocolate/brown/black (“Pattern” in ExO nomenclature) version. It works with black or brown shoes. There’s also a gray heather version. The plastic buckle is not terribly sophisticated but I don’t think it’s ugly. I doubt that anyone notices. It doesn’t work as a dress belt for me but is appropriate most of the time.
Durability
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CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE. NAVIGATE IMAGE WITH ARROW KEYS
I was initially put off by the belt’s light weight and plastic hardware. Not to fear: I’ve probably worn it 30 times and it’s no worse for wear. The buckle seems durable too. It is light but is seemingly made of the same stuff as the plastic buckles found on most luggage – and how often do those break? Belts of all kinds are notorious for showing wear. A favorite leather belt can get ugly in months. I believe the ExO will last for a long time, especially if you only wear it for travel…
Tighten up on your good thing
…which I don’t. I’m wearing this belt at least a few days every week. Comfort and adjust ability are the reason this is my standby, everyday belt now.
Money walks
The zippered money comportment is 28” long. It is very narrow – you need to fold a US bill in fourths to make it fit. This means you can fit several bills in it. I can see tucking several hundred dollars in it for emergency cash in large bills. It would only hold enough singles to buy a snack though. The zipper and pull are very thin. You don’t notice they’re there and they don’t affect comfort at all.
ExO Money Belt - highly recommended
August 25, 2009 A new 3G netbook with a purported 12-hour battery life:
Powered by the efficient Intel Atom processor, the Nokia Booklet 3G delivers impressive performance with up to 12 hours of battery life, enabling people to leave their power cable behind and still be connected and productive. Delivering the rich experience of a full-function PC inside an ultra-portable aluminum chassis, the new mini-laptop weighs 1.25 kilograms, measures slightly more than two centimeters thin, and has the features one would expect from the world’s leading mobile device manufacturer. A broad range of connectivity options - including 3G/ HSPA and Wi-Fi - gives consumers high speed access to the Internet, including Nokia’s broad suite of Ovi services, and allows them to make the most of every moment and every opportunity. - Nokia press release
