Once I (Adrienne) journey for work, I sometimes carry a Tom Bihn bag, and the clamshell Synik 22 is my favourite. It has loads of pockets, and so they’re all thoughtfully designed. For instance, the zippered water bottle pocket is positioned in the midst of the backpack as a substitute of on the facet, so it will not tip you off stability. The pen pockets are positioned in flaps on the facet moderately than within the center high, for handy entry. The outside is created from Bluesign-certified 400-denier ballistic nylon with top-of-the-line YKK water-repellent zippers. Every bag has a lifetime assure.
As a result of the bag is so small, the pass-through on the again is just 7 inches extensive—too slender to slide over the deal with of a carry-on. And the dense material and plentiful {hardware}—the zippers, O-rings, and buckles—make it a bit of heavy. However within the 22-liter measurement, I did not discover the additional weight. It is the proper, organized convention companion, however it’s on the best finish of what we predict is value spending on a bag.
★ A roll-top Tom Bihn: The Tom Bihn Addax for $294 has turn into one in every of my go-tos. Roll-top luggage are extra versatile than zippered ones. Don’t have sufficient room? Unroll it and stick your bike helmet in. An excessive amount of? Roll it all the way down to compress the area. And for those who dwell in a wet space, roll-tops hold water from seeping by means of the highest zippers.
Like all Tom Bihn luggage, the pockets are metaphysical perfection, with an enormous laptop computer pocket with two-way entry that additionally has a pill pocket for my Kindle, and entrance pockets with O-rings to hook keys and different sundries. It has an enormous baggage pass-through and hefty padded shoulder straps. It is also hand-sewn within the US from PFC-free materials and has a lifetime guarantee that’s as bombproof because the ballistic nylon material. It’s a great factor, as a result of at this value, you solely wish to purchase it as soon as.