New Chameleon Travel Bag

[thorn]

Since Tom Bihn wants to use the most durable fabric and is limited to the
fabric's manufacturers offerings of colors, I suggest a really convertible
travel bag that can change in size and color (with prints available!)

Chameleon

Overall Demensions: max 18" x 11" x 11" - min 18" x 11" x 7"
Linear Inches: max 38 - min 35
Calculated Volume: max 2178 cu. in. - min 1386 cu. in.
Weight: ?.?? lbs / ???? grams

Features:
Meets USA and International carry-on sizing requirements.
Fits in overhead compartment of CRJ commuter planes.
Fits under most seats of commuter planes.
1050 denier ballistic nylon
All #10 YKK Uretek "splash-proof" zippers
Four 1 inch zipper compression strips
Converts to a backpack with comfortable and supportive molded backpack straps
Optional waist strap is removable
Both Metal and Cord zipper pulls offered
Interchangeable exterior flaps
Designed to accept optional Tom Bihn Packing Cubes
Made in the TOM BIHN Factory in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

Zipper compression strips offer the flexability to reduce the size of the bag
to accommodate securing internal contents and to reduce the overall size of
the bag to accommodate unforseeable airline restrictions and full overhead bins.

Interchangeable exterior flaps:
1) offer extra security of covering external pockets
2) offer user selectable colors and prints for the outside of the bag
3) attach to bag with a long strip of velcro at top and a velcro square at each bottom corner
4) one flap set will cover the 4 vertical sides
5) the flaps covering the zipper compression strips will cover the entire side
only if all strips are closed

Also included would be the usual zippered document pockets and water
bottle pocket as offered by the Tri-Star.

[Shiva]

Hi there: but it seems to me that the Western Flyer comes pretty darn close to what you want..other than the zipper compression strips and the customized looks! I like the idea of compression strips.....regardless; I think they are helpful, but they also make the bag look less professional!

[timothy]

Maybe a rain cover sized for the Aeronaut and Tristar would go a long way toward color customization of this kind. But my own Bihn bags that have been assaulted by rain have never had the contents get soaked.

timothy

[thorn]

Perhaps the next travel bag could have three internal compartments like the tri-star but be changeable.... Have the middle compartment like the tri-star but only sewn permanently into position at the top where the zipper is. Have the middle compartment "droop" down from there all the way to the bottom where it can velcro on if the user wants to seperate the sections. And if the user want one giant section like the aeronaut, the middle section could be velcro'd (or simply folded) out of the way to one side.

2 compartments could be used if the middle is simply velcro'd down and nothing actually put inside the middle, thus, just being a physical divider between both sides.

This feature would give users the option of 1, 2, or 3 compartments in the same bag depending on their trip/needs at that time.