Discussion of New Colors, New Designs

[Darcy]

Would you all possibly consider making the handles of the Swift a bit longer? I find it hopeless to carry on my shoulder when wearing a coat, it's sort of an exercise in frustration and not a pleasant experience. I'm sure not everyone runs into this, but cold weather makes me abandon carrying this bag which I love.

This is a tough one! I get where you're coming from. If we make the handles longer, some folks may find they are too long and the bottom of their bag will hit the ground as they carry it in hand. The current length is meant to hit a sweet spot in which most folks in most situations find it to work over the shoulder or carried in-hand. We think that, more-or-less, we've hit that sweet spot, based on the feedback we've gathered over time. Will think on this more.

[G42]

This is a tough one! I get where you're coming from. If we make the handles longer, some folks may find they are too long and the bottom of their bag will hit the ground as they carry it in hand. The current length is meant to hit a sweet spot in which most folks in most situations find it to work over the shoulder or carried in-hand. We think that, more-or-less, we've hit that sweet spot, based on the feedback we've gathered over time. Will think on this more.

I wasn't in the TB universe when the Swifts debuted... Was an optional shoulder/cross body strap ever considered?
I love how the clips for the backpack straps on the Aeronauts hide in the seams...I get that the Swifts are totally different designs, but the idea of hidden clips to attach a strap is in the TB repertoire in a variety of ways (gatekeeper webbing, etc)... That would make cross body/shoulder carry over bulky clothing more feasible.
Ya know, 'cause y'all have been tweaking and rereleasing designs with updates... And maybe Tom and Nik are bored and at loose ends... 🙄😆

[thepatternslave]

I see that the swift is listed on the website as in production. I'm sad to see that it's going to be grey with island halcyon. I hope that the preorder isn't limited to that. Grey and blue are nice, but for knitting I want color!

seapine+solaris, red blend+wasabi (mars red would likely be better with the wasabi), nightwalk+solaris, aubergine+wasabi, deep blue+ultraviolet... and I want stuff sacks in all kinds of happy halcyon colors.

(as long as I'm dreaming, I'd love a water bottle sleeve to hold a 24 oz water bottle upright like in the shop tote. knitting is thirsty work.)

[G42]

thepatternslave the item listed for the Swift should be just a place holder for the product page, not the sum total of what would be offered for a pre-order
if you haven't already, be sure to sign up for the email notification and keep an eye on the Forum and blog posts for news of if/when they do a pre-order

[Tonya]

*chanting* cocoa, Cocoa, COCOA!

Any chance for the MB with the back pocket coming in Cordura? Preferrably Olive or Cocoa?

BTW, <3 THANK YOU SO MUCH for bringing back Olive!!!! <3 I love Olive, it's my all time fav. And I'm excited to actually have a real job while it's available, LOL

I'm with you on all things olive or cocoa Cordura. And remember that juicy burnt orange Cordura? I have a DLBP in it that's still my main squeeze. Looks brand new about 7-8 years later, and it's been through mountain snowstorms, muddy kayak trips, and rain forest monsoons. Recently it seems that TB said several things were supposedly getting restocked in olive Cordura (monster truck?) but when I finally got around to checking, they were gone or it never happened. I can't check TB constantly or even daily, so they may have sold out before I got to them. I so (and even if not), I think more Cordura in production would be grand. Cheers to a Cordura filled 2022!

[marbenais]

I wasn't in the TB universe when the Swifts debuted... Was an optional shoulder/cross body strap ever considered?
I love how the clips for the backpack straps on the Aeronauts hide in the seams...I get that the Swifts are totally different designs, but the idea of hidden clips to attach a strap is in the TB repertoire in a variety of ways (gatekeeper webbing, etc)... That would make cross body/shoulder carry over bulky clothing more feasible.
Ya know, 'cause y'all have been tweaking and rereleasing designs with updates... And maybe Tom and Nik are bored and at loose ends... 🙄😆

As far as I remember from the launch, the Swift never had a shoulder strap, but some people tried to attach the long 3/8" strap (the one which comes with the Side Effect) to the o-rings. I don't know if it would work with a load more than a few pounds, though.

[John1970]

Darcy, I recall reading for some time that original halcyon was to be retired and that no more would be ordered. Am I recalling that correctly, or have I imagined the whole thing, which is entirely possible? If it is true, is that retirement imminent? I'm still kicking myself for not ordering an S25 in original nordic halcyon when I had the chance and don't want to make the same mistake again

[earth5]

Popping on to say that I LOVE Moab. Thank you for such an AWESOME color! Now for a 400d version to get it in some bigger bags (though I'd be happy if it made it to a PCSB). And thanks again for bringing back Olive. Still waiting on Cocoa though

[MikeV]

Darcy, I recall reading for some time that original halcyon was to be retired and that no more would be ordered. Am I recalling that correctly, or have I imagined the whole thing, which is entirely possible? If it is true, is that retirement imminent? I'm still kicking myself for not ordering an S25 in original nordic halcyon when I had the chance and don't want to make the same mistake again

Hi John1970 - not Darcy but I can help here! That day is definitely getting closer- our Original Halcyon on-hand is getting pretty low. It will almost surely run out in the early part of this year. If it's the Synapse 25 you're after, it's possible that timing will include another batch of them, but it's also possible the Original Halcyon S25s we have in stock now would be it. It's hard to give a definitive answer here so you might consider picking one up:

I hope that helps!

[Tonya]

I JUST saw that Boreal Zeitgeists are in production! I wasn't totally sold on this bag until I saw the Boreal/Coyote combo and now I'm itching to place my order lol! I'm also absolutely in love with all things Moab and would love to see it on more bag exteriors. TB crew (or anyone), any hopes of a Moab DLBC anytime in 2022? If so, these two bags are going on my get list asap!

[Skirata44]

Are there any plans on making HLTs (preferably size 1) in Moab 200d Halcyon?

[Mbladen3210]

Darcy I saw the new LPD is being made in Nightwalk/Moab for the pre-order. Is there future plans for this combo elsewhere? SCB/MCB? Also will Moab be offered in PCSB? Dreaming about the new SA in this! Any news on that front? Thanks

[moriond]

Hi Mbladen Since you were asking about the Nightwalk/Moab combination (which probably will be offered for other bags --- but check with Customer Support), and Nightwalk is a 400d Halcyon combination, you may want to make sure that you are subscribed to the Newsletter. (I usually enter this information from the main Tom Bihn Blog web page. Using that link, I'll click on the Rare Bag Giveaway Link in the upper right corner, since you'll be entered into the Giveaway item for people who are Newsletter subscribers for that month, and will be shown what the current item is. Log in using the email address that you use to place account orders (in case you use a different login for the forums). If you are already signed up for the current month, there will be a message "CONGRATS! YOU ARE ALREADY SIGNED UP FOR THE GIVEAWAY". If this is the first time you are signing up for that month, you'll receive an email asking you to confirm your subscription.

Among today's email notifications were descriptions of a couple of new blog posts: 1/25 Pre-Order & Restock Notes and Winter 2022 Updates & What's Next. The second blog post describes the status of general supply chain slowdowns (whether due to part shortages due to production delays in components of bags, or due to delays in shipping that have become more common post-CoVid -- in this case, it would be the snaps on the handles of duffels like the Yeoman and Road Buddy that make exact scheduling more problematic). They also discuss a very early heads up on the mill they use for 400d Halcyon in Japan no longer operatiing. (Don't panic, because they preordered bolts of the new 400d Halcyon fabrics well in advance of the products launched this year -- but this is something to keep in mind on a long term basis of planning materials used in the succeeding year)

You can also leave questions in the comments spaces on these blogs.

HTH

moriond

[epeterson]

For real! And with a caveat: we each might have a different picture on our minds when we think of "tote backpack" so it might not be quite what everyone is expecting. And the design could certainly continue to evolve. One thing I love about it is that it stands up on its own, so I can easily pull my laptop in and out of the compartment or reach in the pockets for my camera card reader or wallet, basically just work out of it.

Nik wants all of us to do more testing, provide more feedback, and give himself time to evaluate and possibly incorporate the feedback before it debuts... just the usual measures of thoughtfulness and thoroughness that we strive for. We're hoping it'll be released mid-late 2022.

The preview photo in yesterday's blog post makes me think it'll be a very useful form factor for carrying bulky things like camera gear or large headsets. My fingers are crossed

[Surrealle]

Really loving the black stripe on all the Petit Derrieres. Any chance of a similar combo on the Grande ones?