I do know what you mean about Tom Bihn. (And, um, after this discussion, I just bought a new backpack - the Brain Bag - because they still had one in indigo (which is a discontinued colour, but the one my Aeronaut and my Synapase and my Side Effect and my Id are all in. Blue is a Jenett colour).
I've been slowly acquiring them over about 8 years, on the principle that I would rather buy something awesome once, and then use it forever, than buy something less awesome and be grumpy about it, or have to replace it regularly. (I switched from the ID when I stopped carrying a laptop regularly, but it's still handy when I want something larger over the shoulder: it actually did really nicely for "going to Boston for the weekend" last time.)
Anyway, this conversation convinced me that no, I really do need a backpack that will hold something like a raincoat or poncho *and* an extra layer of warm (because hi, Maine weather and sudden thunderstorms), plus the other stuff I'd like to carry more often. And I want to start swimming again this fall, and something that would hold everything plus lunch would be handier than having two bags. (Work to home is half a mile: the fitness center with the pool is more or less halfway. So backpack, so I can walk, but it needs space.)
Also, I'm more regularly walking home via the small downtown market (they have the Excellent Local Milk. Also now Very Excellent Local Strawberries.) and it'd be nice to fit more than a quart of milk and my lunch container in my backpack, so I don't have to carry bags in my hands.
But yes. A lot of why I love them is the balance and they do not make my body hurt when I carry them. Which is excellent. (No guarantees for other bodies, but I'll say they are *much* better than most other bags I've tried for their respective types, especially on the messenger side. And the straps stay put, which means I didn't do the "jerk the shoulder up reflexively that causes all the tension problems everywhere else argh" routine.)
Thank you much for the tool links, too! Those look along the lines of what I think I particularly want. (Ok, that and a backup charger for phone and iPad.)
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Re: About Bags and Everyday Carry
Date: 2013-07-04 02:22 am (UTC)I do know what you mean about Tom Bihn. (And, um, after this discussion, I just bought a new backpack - the Brain Bag - because they still had one in indigo (which is a discontinued colour, but the one my Aeronaut and my Synapase and my Side Effect and my Id are all in. Blue is a Jenett colour).
I've been slowly acquiring them over about 8 years, on the principle that I would rather buy something awesome once, and then use it forever, than buy something less awesome and be grumpy about it, or have to replace it regularly. (I switched from the ID when I stopped carrying a laptop regularly, but it's still handy when I want something larger over the shoulder: it actually did really nicely for "going to Boston for the weekend" last time.)
Anyway, this conversation convinced me that no, I really do need a backpack that will hold something like a raincoat or poncho *and* an extra layer of warm (because hi, Maine weather and sudden thunderstorms), plus the other stuff I'd like to carry more often. And I want to start swimming again this fall, and something that would hold everything plus lunch would be handier than having two bags. (Work to home is half a mile: the fitness center with the pool is more or less halfway. So backpack, so I can walk, but it needs space.)
Also, I'm more regularly walking home via the small downtown market (they have the Excellent Local Milk. Also now Very Excellent Local Strawberries.) and it'd be nice to fit more than a quart of milk and my lunch container in my backpack, so I don't have to carry bags in my hands.
But yes. A lot of why I love them is the balance and they do not make my body hurt when I carry them. Which is excellent. (No guarantees for other bodies, but I'll say they are *much* better than most other bags I've tried for their respective types, especially on the messenger side. And the straps stay put, which means I didn't do the "jerk the shoulder up reflexively that causes all the tension problems everywhere else argh" routine.)
Thank you much for the tool links, too! Those look along the lines of what I think I particularly want. (Ok, that and a backup charger for phone and iPad.)