Moleskine Bags?

I’m a big fan of Moleskine notebooks. Whenever I travel I usually have a pocket size one with me. (I go back and forth between ruled and plain.)

Moleksine is now vernturing out beyond notebooks and into bags.

Numerous types including backpacks, messenger, totes. They even have that elastic band, similar to the notebooks, to help keep them closed.

And if that isn’t enough. Moleskine has also designed a system of removable pouches that velcro to the inside of the bags. You can mix and match depending on your needs.

I don’t own one, but I think I hear a Reporter’s Bag calling my name. 

Moleskine Bags

While you’re at their website, check out some of new Moleskine notebook designs.

Gear Review: Tom Bihn Cadet

A couple of weeks ago, Tom Bihn introduced a new bag called the Cadet.  Just prior to its release, the company gave me early access to their website so I could see the bag before most others. I so hoped this bag would finally be the first poorly designed Tom Bihn bag. The one I could tear apart. The one I would find fault with. The one that would allow me to belittle a Tom Bihn creation.

But that didn’t happen. In fact, just the opposite. The faults I found with some of his other bags—flaps, lack of zippers—weren’t there.

Then they sent me one for review. I opened the box. I gave the Cadet a once over. I quickly realized that my hoped for creative, harsh, critical review would have to wait. This was a nice bag.

Darn you, Tom Bihn.

The Cadet is a sleek, stylish, no-nonsense, mini-brief designed specifically for Apple Macs and Tablets but will fit many PC’s. It comes in two sizes: the 15/13 designed for the larger Macbooks  with dimensions of 16.25” x 12.3” x 4.5”. It weighs 1.7 lbs empty.

The smaller version, the 11/Ipad, is 13.5” x 10.5” x 4.5”. It weighs 1.4 lbs  empty. (I have the smaller one and that’s the one I’ll be reviewing. )

The exterior of the cadet is made of 1050 denier ballistic nylon while the interior is specially made Japanese Dyneema ripstop nylon. All zippers are YKK with the main ones having a splashguard. Foam padding is sewn into the front, bottom and back of the bag giving it its shape and added protection to any contents carried within. There are two clips to add a  shoulder strap which is included. Mine came with an upgraded Absolute Strap which is available for an additional $20.

Each bag has three compartments. The front compartment is shallow and lined with ultrasuede. It was specifically designed to carry an iphone without scratching.

The second compartment has two iphone/camera pockets and three pen pockets. There are also two “o” rings with a removable key strap attached to one. (Photo of center compartment is of the larger bag with three iphone/camera pockets.)

It’s in the main compartment where the fun begins. This compartment, the largest, is divided into to open sections. The front section is empty and a good place for papers, a journal, book, etc. The rear portion contains two “rails” made of webbing. Attached with gatekeeper clips is a cache to hold your computer or tablet. This rail and cache design makes the bag checkpoint friendly.

Everyone knows when  you go through airport security, you have to remove your computer. Not so with this bag. Rather than take the computer out and expose it, all you need to do is slide the cache out of the Cadet until it is fully exposed. It is, however, still attached to the bag. There is no chance of leaving it behind or having someone with sticky fingers make off with it. Once through security, just slide the whole thing back in. For a good series of photos to see how this works, go to the Cadet website.

My Cadet came with an Ipad size cache. I don’t own a tablet, yet, so I tried putting my netbook in. Its dimensions are just under one inch longer than an ipad, about the same width, and twice the depth. It didn’t’ fit. I could have ordered a slightly larger cache in which it would fit but since I no longer take my netbook with me while traveleing this was not a problem. (I am  planning to get a tablet.) This main compartment also has two “o” rings. (Oh, I did put my netbook in it’s own cache that wasn’t part of the bag and it all fit nicely into the Cadet. I was able to fit my Kindle and my folding Bluetooth Keyboard into the Cadet Ipad Cache at the same time.)

If you don’t need the cache, it is easily removed. You can even order the Cadet without the cache and save $30.

On the rear of the Cadet is an open pocket for a newspaper, magazine or book. Should you be traveling with……..a wheeled bag…….there, I said it…….this open compartment has a zipper at the bottom. Unzipped, it becomes a sleeve and slides over the handles of your wheeled bag.

As most of you know, I prefer to travel with just one bag meaning my smaller day or business bag must fit into my main carry on.

I tried putting the Cadet into the center section of the Tri-Star. It wouldn’t fit.  (To clarify, while technically the Cadet will fit into the center section, My Cadet was filled to the point is was pushed to its widest thickness. So thick that when placed in the center section it pushed the dividers out taking away most packing space from the outer sections.  My Cadet had a netbook, charger and writing portfolio.)

The Cadet did fit snugly into my new Aeronaut.

BTW—the larger Cadet, which will technically will fit into some carry-on bags, will take up so much room  it’s not practical.

About the flaps and lack of zippers I mentioned earlier. I personally find the flaps on bags make it difficult to get into them while being worn. I also didn’t like the fact that many of those “flapped” bags didn’t have zippers for their main compartments. Easy pickings for a thief on crowded public transportation.

But the Cadet has no flap and not only does it have zippers, but ones that are easily locked or secured.

All in all, the Cadet is a great bag for someone looking to downsize their current laptop bag or briefcase yet keep a professional appearance. It can also double as a leisure day bag should you be combining a trip for both business and pleasure.  In reality, this is an every day work bag and not just one to be used for travel. Personally, I’ve replaced my Large Cafe Bag with the Cadet as my daily around town work bag. (The LCB now just comes out for fun.)

Pricey at $170 but you’re paying for quality. I believe it’s worth the investment.

The Cadet is made in the USA.

I used photos in this review that were made available by Tom Bihn because most people here know that I rank as one of the world’s worst photographers.

Gear Review: Hammock Bliss Ultralight Travel Daypack

When the people at Hammock Bliss first contacted me about reviewing their new Ultralight Travel Daypack , I thought here we go with another company using extra material to make a small, packable daypack. How good could it be?

Boy was I surprised. It turned out to be a well made, well thought out bag.

Let’s look at the specs: The Ultralight Travel Daypack weights 6.5 oz/184g, when opened it measures 20 in x 11 in x 7 in/51 cm x 28 cm x 18 cm), and holds 1100 cu in/18 liters of stuff.

It is a top loading draw string bag with two mesh pockets on the outside—good for water bottles, magazines, maps—and one small zippered pocket on the inside. It’s made of water resistant nylon (I could never get Hammock Bliss to tell me the denier) but it’s much heavier and thicker than the key ring folding size bags. It also has two somewhat padded, adjustable shoulder straps. The bag folds neatly into one of the exterior mesh pockets for storage or travel.

In the photos, I have three large, bulky sweaters inside and there is still room for more. The interior pocket is about the size of a large paperback book. 

Now, for it’s usefulness. This is not for the office. It is definitely for leisure travel or light hiking. I probably wouldn’t put any heavy electronics in it or anything of value because a drawstring closure is not as good as a zipper. And it’s a free form bag; No real shape. 

However, if you’re strolling through Paris and you’re only carrying a couple of sweaters, a guidebook, a baguette and morsels for a picnic later, this could be a great bag for that purpose. Or if you’re hitting ‘Disney World with the kids and need to carry jackets for the kids as well as snacks and juice packs, this lightweight daypack may be your answer.

When loaded, it’s fairly comfortable to wear. 

When folded it molds enough to shove into a tight corner of your bag. Great for onebaggers.

The Hammock Bliss Ultralight Travel Daypack come in either black or blue (I ordered black, they sent blue.). It goes for $39.95 from the manufacturer or it’s available on Amazon for $25.50. 

Gear Review: Barefoot Wanderlite Day Pack

Recently, there have been discussions of the ultra-light day packs. The one’s weighing about 2 ounces and can fold down to attach to a key chain. I think we all agree these are meant for casual, light use. 

Then there are the sturdy day packs, weighing in at around a pound and nowhere near foldable, collapsible or whatever. 

Then there is the middle ground. The foldable/packable day bag that takes up little room when folded up, weighs about 1/2 a pound, and holds a lot.

The Packbarefoot Wanderlite Packable Day Pack. fills that niche.

The bag is made of  420d nylon, fills out to 18 x 14 x 8, has a packing capacity of 1925 cubic inches/32L, weighs 9 ounces, and rolls down into the size of a soda can—maybe a little bigger. 

The backpack straps are 2” wide and made of soft nylon. They are fairly comfortable even when carrying a heavier load.

There is a small pocket in the front. The main compartment has a clamshell like opening for easy packing.

I loaded it up with 9 lbs worth of stuff including the two water bottles seen in the above photo. The Wanderlite seemed sturdy and held the weight with no problem. I felt it could easily hold a few more pounds. Because it’s so lightweight, it doesn’t keep it’s shape and items do tend to shift around. 

This “Made in America” bag is a good option for those looking for a versatile, lightweight, no frills  day bag. It’s $28 and available from the factory in Colorado. It also comes with a lifetime warranty due to defects in materials or workmanship. 

Now, if I could just convince them to make a something similar but in a shoulder bag and one that could be worn across the body.

Barefoot Packs supplied a Wanderlite for review. 

(Frank II)

Update on July 19, 2011 by Frank@OBOW

I forgot to add this important note from their website:

Barefoot Enterprises dedicates the net proceeds from the sale of Wanderlite packable daypacks to support the work of World Vision : helping the world’s poorest people work toward bettering their lives and communities through intelligently and compassionately  applied microlending and agricultural activities. 

Review: Tom Bihn Large Cafe Bag

I needed a new messenger bag. I was in the process of switching over from years of using an efficient packable backpack and decided it was time to go hands free. But what to get. 

My requirements were many:

—It had to be sturdy yet not too heavy.

—It had to be able to act as a netbook bag as well as a vacation bag.

—It had to fit inside a standard non-wheeled carry-on bag. 

—it had to have some sense of extra security to thwart pickpockets.

—it had to pass the test of not being thought of as a “murse.”

For awhile, I’ve had a Rick Steves Veloce Bag and used it when having to take my laptop anywhere. But it’s way to big to pack inside my carry-on.

I then got a Pacsafe Metrosafe 250. An excellent bag that allayed my fears of pickpocketing but for most of my travels, it would be overkill.

I quickly realized there were literally thousands of messenger bags on the market. But for some reason, I couldn’t put my finger on one I really wanted. 

So, I turned to Tom Bihn to see what they had. I admit, I’m a fan of their products and the way they do business. I’ve never been disappointed with anything I gotten from them. 

Tom Bihn makes a few different types of messenger bags. It didn’t take me long to realize that most would not fit my needs. They where just too big. 

I thought about getting one of their newer Ristretto’s made specifically for netbooks/ipad but what function would the sewn in laptop sleeve  serve when I wasn’t carrying a netbook?

And then I zeroed in on the Tom Bihn Large Cafe Bag. 

Made of 1000d Cordura Nylon with a 500 denier Codura lining, the Large Cafe Bag (LCB) measures 13” x 12” x 3” and weighs a hair under 1 lb. (1.2 lbs with the upgraded Absolute Strap.)

The front of the bag has a flap that covers the open topped main compartment as well as a smaller zippered compartment. It attaches to the bag via an offset Duraflex Warrior buckle.

The top of the bag has a smaller carry handle.

The back of the bag has a removable waist strap should you want to attach it to your body. (This is popular with bicyclists who carry the bag messenger style but don’t want it flopping around.) There is also a magazine pocket and I have put a standard sized magazine in so you can get an idea of size. 

The main compartment of the LCB is open and contains 4 pockets: 2 large enough to each hold a PDA, smaller camera, notebook or cellphone. The other two are meant as pen slots. There are also three Tom Bihn signature “o” rings and one key strap.  

In the smaller zippered pocket, large enough to hold a smaller wallet, you will also find another “0” ring.

Next step, the tests of my requirements.

First up, how would it handle being a netbook bag. I wouldn’t suggest putting your netbook in this bag without some type protection. I turned to the Tom Bihn Netbook Vertical Cache.  This is an excellent protective cover. While it’s made to go in vertically, I prefer to carry it horizontally. It’s a snug fit but the netbook doesn’t bounce around as much.

At 13 x 12 x 3, the bag is small enough to fit into my carry-on, yet not seem too much like a man purse. It’s fairly lightweight at just under one pound but the optional upgraded Absolute Strap will take it up to 1.2 lbs. 

BTW, the main strap is not removable and my suggestion is to upgrade to the Absolute. I believe it’s worth it and your shoulder will thank you for it. 

And now the last category, safety from pickpockets. Sadly, as it is, a good pickpocket could slip his or her hand inside the bag and possible grab something. But being resourceful, I found two ways around it. And the answer, are the “o” rings. 

The first method I thought of was to get a few Tom Bihn pouches., and connect them to the “o” rings. I could put my camera, cellphone, ipod, and anything else of value in these pouches. It would then require a pickpocket to not just reach in but also unzip one of the pouches, sight unseen, and take what’s in it. Or if they tried to cut the bottom of the bag and grap what falls out, they’d be out of luck since anythng of value would be inside a pouch clipped to an “o” ring.

The pouches, of course, would be carried on the inside of the bag. They are outside in the photo simply to demonstrate what I mean.

The second idea I had may be even more practical. I decied to take my Tom Bihn Side Effect, use two key straps, and attach one on each side of the main compartment of the LCB. The other sides of the straps would then be attached to the outside “o” rings on the Side Effect. The SE would sit comfortably inside the bottom of the main compartment. Inside it has slots for smaller electronics or a notebook. With it zippered shut, it would be very difficult to get into and if the LCB was cut from below, the SE would stay connected to the bag via the two key straps. 

And here’s where it gets even better. Let’s say you go somewhere, like a museum, that makes you check a larger bag—yet you’re not thrilled about checking your valuables. All you have to do is unclip the Side Effect, put it around your waist, after all it is a waist pack, and then you can safely check the LCB. It may not be stylish, but it’s practical.

The Side Effect also comes with a removable thin shoulder straps for anyone who wants to carry it that way, (Guys can probably skip this.) It could be used as a small bag or clutch for evenings.

The LCB comes in numerous color combinations. Mine has a linen exterior and a steel interior. (Sorry about my photo abilities.) If you want to see better photos, go to the the Large Cafe Bag website This is first bag I own that is neither black or gray. The linen color is fairly neutral. 

All Tom Bihn bags are made at their factory in Seattle, Washington. 

The Tom Bihn Large Cafe Bag is a multi-functional, multi-purpose bag that is good for daily use, business use (assuming you don’t work with people who wear three piece Brooks Brothers suits,) and for travel. It can hold an amazing amount and is now my “go to” bag for most journeys—near and far. 

If the large cafe bag is too big for you, it also comes in a “medium” and small” version.

Tom Bihn supplied the Large Cafe Bag, the Cache, and two of the pouches for reviews. All other items mentioned or shown were purchased by the reviewer. 

(Frank II)