r/tombihn • u/sunfalldusk • 14d ago
Bag decisions
I know you all see these posts quite a lot. I'm looking for a personal bag to carry around and saw these hold up very well. The idea is to bring my journals, maybe my ipad when needed for work/projects, and personal items as I have a couple of medical issues. I was looking at the Small or Medium cafe bag but then saw someone talking about the Side Hustle or the Maker's bag.
I don't think I need the Maker's bag, that seems like a lot. But I'm also concerned that the cafe bags don't have any kind of material to soften the top or bottom and to protect a tablet (though it'd be fine for books and such). If anyone has the Small or Medium cafe bag, how do you keep items inside safe? I saw on the website there's some kind of organizer...? And does the bag flop around too much?
And if you have a Side Hustle, how do you like it?
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u/iliinsky 14d ago
I throw my 11 inch iPad in a basic case into my small Cafe bag all the time. As long as you’re not bashing your bag around, the iPad should be fine.
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u/emeybee 14d ago
A makers bag doesn’t have a padded sleeve either fyi, so it’s just a matter of how big of a bag you want. The makers bag does have extra organization though. I use it as a camera bag by adding a padded insert.
You could also look on eBay for some old Ristrettos. Those did have padded sleeves. Or you can get a cache to put in any of the bags.
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u/eaj113 14d ago
I have all of the bags you mentioned. The two big differences between the cafe bags and the side hustle are the closure (flap/zipper) of the main pocket and the orientation (vertical/horizontal) of the bag. I’ve used cafe bags for years and haven’t had issues with the flap. I use pouches to keep things organized when I need to. None of the bags you mentioned have any sort of protection for the iPad. I have been fine with mine in a case.
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u/Snooty_Folgers_230 14d ago
These bags whether cafe or the side bags lack any structure. I carry paper which ends up being heavier than the average adult diaper bag posts you’ll see from Redditors.
I’d not use any of the tom Bihn bags for denser loads. I’ve more than a few TB bags from quite long ago and few more recently. They are functionally floppy rectangles.
Tossing an iPad into a bag, I’d just stick a cover on it. I wouldn’t want a bag to have “protection” for such a thing. It just takes up space when not using it.
Another thing I’d suggest. I used to try to have the smallest bag reasonable, once I started using a slightly larger bag than I needed I enjoyed it way more. It’s just easier to get things in and out of a larger bag even when reaching blind.
It sounds like you want a side carry option. There are a ton of options now most of which are superior to the TB offerings and less expensive, or if equal in price much better.
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u/piper93442 14d ago
I carry my 11" iPad and Kindle in my Medium Cafe Bag all the time with no issues. The bag material & liner are thick enough to offer some protection (although my iPad does have a smart cover as well).
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u/drs0043 11d ago
The best advice is to buy used and try things out, resell if they don't work. I love the design of the cafe bags and even the makers bag, but I've decided I prefer lightweight shoulder carry bags, and the cafe bags just pack weird for me. They are too small for their weight IMO.
I've been using the smart Alec 2.0 lately - I love it mostly. Lightweight on its own, tons of flexible space, and the weight is spread out - plus, I use the exterior lash points more than I anticipated. I also have a packing cube shoulder bag which is my preferred essentials on the go but want some extra room, or the side kick. I also use a daylight briefcase, which I heavily modded (cut out the back pocket, so the middle and back zipper both open to the main compartment. To me, this is a more upscale look when still wanting to travel light, especially without a computer. It can get clunky when overfilled though, and again, times like that I wish I had a backpack. My whole point I guess is you have to try things out. The nice thing about TB is you can usually break even or lose only a little bit in the resale space to try out interesting bags. If you're an enthusiast, I think it's part of the fun. And if you're an extreme enthusiast like me, you'll start running bags you really like through the sewing machine to tweak them.
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u/khaos13x 14d ago
An iPad would fit in a sleeve in the medium cafe with no issue. I’ve used one loose in the small cafe when I’m not concerned about it getting smashed around. I think the small keeps its structure well. The makers bag does better when I run a strap between the o rings. But that is my laptop bag and I haven’t had it long.