November 2, 2011 Bag News
Tom Bihn released a new mini-briefcase today called The Cadet.
I’ve known about it for awhile but was sworn to secrecy. This looks like it’s going to be a an excellent double duty bag—mini-brief for work, and day bag for leisure.
Designed mostly for Apple users, the bag comes in two sizes—one for larger Macs, and one for Ipad sized tablets. It also has some design changes over previous Tom Bihn bags that I believe are big pluses. (One hint; dual zippers capable of taking a lock and no flap.)
I won’t go on much here because I’ve been told I should have one in my hands for full review by the end of the month.
There are other Tom Bihn products soon to be released but, again, I’m sworn to secrecy.
Other bag news….a Patagonia MLC arrived today and I’ll put it through its paces for review in the next few weeks.
A question was asked how I choose items to review. The answer is simple yet difficult. For every product I see or is offered I ask myself if it will be beneficial to one bag travelers. If yes, I try to get the manufacturer to send one.(I usually request colors/sizes that I would personally use which for bags tends to be the darker colors. (Can you say black?) Otherwise it gets very expensive and this site loses money on its own. In some cases, I actually buy a product I think will make my travel better. These are usually less expensive items. In some cases, items are offered and I turn them down because they just don’t fit our guidelines for one bag travel.
So, if you see some manufacturers’ products more often than others, it’s because they were kind enough to send items for review.
No matter how I get the product or what it is, I always promise an unbiased, honest and fair review pointing out both the positives and negatives of every item.
Reader Comments (10)
This has become more urgent lately because of the recent problems with our biggest domestic airline, Qantas (industrial action and a recalcitrant, bullying management, coupled with a lowering of standards and features).
As a consequence we are travelling more and more with the other carriers, and they have a stricter carry-on limit, more in line with European airlines (40-41", maximum length 19").
Some suggestions:
1) Have you checked the Patagonia MLC? While it's 20,5" in length, it is soft sided and if not packed too full can be"scrunched down" to possibly fit a 19: sizer.
2) The Redoxx Skytrain is a one compartment bag with a length of 20". It too is softsided and could probably fit a 19" sizer.
3) There is a website in Australia that is all about bags. Not just travel bags, but all types of bags. They may know of something you're looking for that is available in Australia but not the U.S.
http://www.carryology.com
Carryology is ok but not that useful in practice, they tend to concentrate a lot on expensive messenger bags and rollons. There are a few local links but our market is way smaller anyway, so a lot of it is US-centric.
I'd looked into the Patagonia MLC, but it is too unstructured, really is too long, and with that weird middle thing is not quite right. I'd prefer real compression straps, anyway. And the padded laptop compartment is a bit of a waste of space and weight. I do also like a separate smaller end compartment idea, to be honest, though I would sacrifice it for a better overall design. One last thing, when working with a smaller bag I do like to actually fill it, and not rely on squishability, especially lengthways. Side squishing is easier to do!
The sky train is similar but slightly better, but a lot more expensive - especially when you factor in freight to Australia - and I still don't understand why everyone insists on making bags with dividers that mean you can't use the full depth/thickness of the bag. THat said, it is probably as good as I'd get at this stage, if it wasn't so heavy.
Ah well.
have you looked at the Blackwolf Skedaddle? Its a copy of the MLC but with imo some improvements eg a laptop section that has a removable laptop sleeve. If this is removed the compartment will take an eagle creek packit folder.
I use this when travelling on the non qantas flights ( or Qantaslink) and it has always been accepted as carryon
cheers Bob
By the way, the Pacsafe Metrosafe 400 looks pretty spot on though overfeatured and a touch heavy at 1.4kg, and can be bought from Amazon for $103 including postage to Australia... Better than the $260-$300 in stores here. Crazy.
The bag is exactly the same size as the MLC and packs fairly well, I tend to use the laptop area as a space for a EC packit folder with shirts and polo's in there, the main section usually pants, shoes, toiletry bag, underclothes and electronics bag. With a lightweight rain coat on top of that.
My iphone in the small pouch on the front that is felt lined and in the crescent shaped pocket business cards, pens, notebook, travel documents, keys etc.
I usually take a small ipad STM sholder bag as well which fits the ipad, camera, etc .
Yes I would prefer a lighter interior but its fairly easy to find stuff in most of the compartments, the outer front pocket is the worst for that though.
There are two mesh things in the main compartment, one is on one of the main sides and provides an area for sandels, dirty clothes etc or just some way to seperate the clothingand other things. The other mesh is part of the tie down straps and can be removed.
The modification? I removed the internal laptop sleeve. The carrier cloth is continuous so all I had to do was unpick both ends and slice the longer sides where they had incorporated it into the piping. Lots more useful space, no extraneous padding, and a very neat result.