WHEN WE CLOSED THE COFFIN on my dad, we put his pocket memo pad with well-worn pen in his hand. I think when I pass away, my Bihn sling bag should go with me too. It's the thing I use nearly every day--even weekends. It's not as pretentious as a man purse and after four years of use, it has proven its resilience countless times. A plastic bottle of coke leaked inside one day, soaked the inner liner, but didn't affect the HD video camera just behind the middle layer. Clever little pockets keep all my stuff separated so I can slip my hand inside, pull out what I need and never look down to see what I'm doing. It's triangular in shape which means it fits in unused crannies overhead in aircraft, buses and trains. It rides comfortably on my back but I overpack it so it's a little destabilising when I cycle with it. Unlike a handsome briefcase or laptop bag, it doesn't look like it contains more than EUR 2000 worth of equipment and that has undoubtedly served me well in several crowded spaces. If I can find a little Bihn bag made in pink, I'm buying one for my daughter before she starts school.
Tom Bihn's staff makes excellent messenger bags, laptop bags, and accessories (i.e, the Field Journal Notebook).
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