Official Thread: The Hero's Journey

[Darcy]

The Coming Soon pages have debuted for the following new bags and accessories:
The Hero's Journey
Pocket Travel Pillow
Sleeping Bag Stuff Sack

Post speculation / ideas / questions (not that we'll be able to answer all of them: we're trying to keep some things a surprise!) here.

Every Tuesday leading up to the debut of The Hero’s Journey designed by Tom Bihn, we’ll reveal hints that exist within The Hero’s Journey page and add new hints to the page. (Notes: only The Hero's Journey page has hints!)

You can try to find the hints on your own or wait until Tuesday for the hints to be revealed. If you do uncover the hints on your own, your reward will be the choice of revealing them within this thread for everyone else to see OR evil-y hinting at the hints. Whether you're able to uncover the hints or not might depend on the advice you get or your horoscope for the day. What's Steinbeck have to do with it all anyway? Do these last two paragraphs read funny? It might be because it's full of hint!

Hint Update!
09/06: We’ve added new hints to The Hero’s Journey page. Below is a list of the hints that have been revealed within this thread from the debut of The Hero’s Journey page up until today.

Spoiler for Hovers:

The Hero’s Journey volume is 2750 - 3650 cu.in / 45 - 60 liters, depending on how you configure it.
Top Pocket: 360 x 230 x 190; 15 liters (10 liters main, additional 5 in front pouch)

Spoiler for Images:

Use your arrow keys.

Spoiler for Key Codes Revealed:

advice
anchor
bihn
campbell
cats
change
checklist
dog
draw
guide
hero
hint
horoscope
journey
meaning
motion
mysticism
notes
orator
o-rings
poetry
school
science
space
spring
steinbeck
summit
tom
trees
truth
unicorns
zippers

[operator]

The Coming Soon pages have debuted for the following new bags and accessories:
The Hero's Journey
Pocket Travel Pillow
Sleeping Bag Stuff Sack

Post speculation / ideas / questions (not that we'll be able to answer all of them: we're trying to keep some things a surprise!) here.

Every Tuesday leading up to the debut of The Hero’s Journey designed by Tom Bihn, we’ll reveal hints that exist within The Hero’s Journey page and add new hints to the page that will be revealed the following Tuesday. (Notes: only The Hero's Journey page has hints!)

You can try to find the hints on your own or wait until Tuesday for the hints to be revealed. If you do uncover the hints on your own, your reward will be the choice of revealing them within this thread for everyone else to see OR evil-y hinting at the hints. Whether you're able to uncover the hints or not might depend on the advice you get or your horoscope for the day. Does this paragraph read funny? It might be because it's full of hint!

super excited. take my money. i wanna test the new bag out if there is an option to be a tester!

[yugyag79]

Score! That travel pillow! Finally!

[julia]

Yes, I was just thinking about a "two part" backpack system!

[lizziejean3]

Very excited to see the Hero's Journey backpack! And the Pocket Travel Pillow looks great!!!

[maverick]

There was a Hero's Journey that took place a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

In this story, the hero would carry around in his pack as he trained.

The mentor knew that there must be a better pack in which the hero could carry him.

The Hero's Journey is that better pack.

[haraya]

Will the PTP have a loop for securing it to a keystrap? (Because an O-ring would be uncomfortable to sleep on, but I know I'd lose that little pouch quickly if it wasn't attached to my bag!!)

[DeBru]

How cool! Can we pls have the dimensions and capacity?

[ztstephens]

Oh this is fun!

I'll give a hint and some advice, tom bihn is my hero!

I found a bunch of easter eggs but let's just say that I have a hunch that the bag will be around 46.37 liters.

[nathant4]

I'm guessing it will have VERYYY similar dimensions/capacity to the A45... I think that Tom's solving the eternal top-loading backpack issue--namely that you can't easily access your stuff at the bottom of the bag. I dearly love my SA for it's capacious interior, but often struggle to pack it 'perfectly'. If Tom is implementing the divided-compartment duffel bag approach of the Aeronauts with the structured nature of the Guide's Pack, I'm calling winner-winner-chicken-dinner! While I don't have the sagging issue with my A45 in backpack mode, I've seen others post pictures with that problem...especially if it's not packed evenly. Additional structural components should help those individuals immensely.

My hopes/questions:
Will the 'bottom' of the bag feature any additional waterproofing for setting down on a wet day??
Straps/webbing on the outside similar to the SA (is that one of the hints I see in the bottom-left of the picture?)
Slightly more interior organization (A45 just lacks one or two small inner pockets for my 'perfect' all-around bag)

Last question....CAN I PREORDER?

[tebnewyork]

Well if you are uncovering something I would guess the pack has a rain cover.

[sarah_atx]

Oh wow, this could be a lot better for my back than my A45

[jalegg]

Have there been previous versions of "Ask Tom"?

[maverick]

The Hero's Journey announcement and the breathtaking photography is so inspiring! I want to plan a hiking trip!

If I were to ask Tom for his recommendation, I wonder what his advice would be...

[thax]

I like the thought of this a lot, I just really wish I had the need*.
Can't wait to see it in pictures and hopefully video.


*My backpacking is multi day treks and you'll have to pry my old Made in Montana Dana Designs Terraplane out of my cold dead hands. For lighter travel I can't imagine it without our Aeronaut 45's.