Backpack sleeve attachment

[bchaplin]

I'd really like a small pouch that would attach to the webbing on the backpack sleeve of my Paragon for easy access to a few items without removing my backpack or wearing a shoulder bag. There are plenty of them out there, including one made by Matador (out of stock) and another that looks nice but costs $50. Since I have so.many Tom Bihn pouches and such already, I'd really like to adapt something I already own. Has anyone done this successfully?

It would carry: my train pass in a Chums wallet (worth a lot of $$, so it would be best if it clipped into an o-ring), my iPhone 12, and my airpods. So the Everyday Cubelet, for example, might work, but it's almost too large for what I need.

[Chicagoan]

Maybe take a TB handle loop/wrist strap, thread it behind the shoulder strap webbing, and pass the clip end back through the loop end (a “lark’s head” or “cow hitch” knot) to allow you to clip in whatever TB pouch or accessory you wanted to keep within reach?

[bchaplin]

Thanks! And I had meant to title this “backpack strap attachment “, not sleeve.

[k_p]

Alpaka Gear makes a phone sling with removeable straps, and a metro pouch (though this seems a bit bulky). I don't have either, but they might be close to what you're looking for.

[Chicagoan]

I was at work and wasn’t able to chime both my two cents in earlier, but this is something I’ve been adamant about and is probably one of my biggest “wish list” items - some sort of retrofit, add-on/accessory that can attach to the shoulder straps and provide a small amount of front side storage to keep things close enough you don’t have to remove the bag to reach them.

One of my favorite hobbies is hiking, and I’m just as crazy about ultralight backpacking gear as I am about Tom Bihn’s travel bags.

Most of those backpacks have a “daisy chain” sewn onto the front sides of shoulder straps specifically so people can attach aftermarket shoulder strap pouches. Many use them for a phone or camera, some are designed large enough to fit water bottles, and I have even used mine to hold canisters of bear spray and a safety air horn - but most often, mine generally hold a smartphone and a camera.

While they’re not in the business of making ultralight backpacks - and there are plenty of companies that already are - I would say it’s not an unusual or uncommon expectation for a bag maker to provide some sort of front side storage option, be it already built into the bag, or something a user can decide to add later.

[bchaplin]

Really good points! More attachment points would be relatively inexpensive for the company to implement and really useful for those of us hiking or commuting. For this one pouch, I was going to try to use the sternum strap

[Wanderlust77]

I think I’d go with an Everyday Cubelet, attached to the sternum strap attachment points with Swivel Double Carabiners (I used orange carabiners and UV EC to show the detail better:

ETA: The slightly smaller 3DOC also attaches in the same manner. It doesn’t have an O-ring, but a wallet could be clipped onto the triangle part of the plastic hook, or a split-ring could be slipped onto that fabric loop. My iPhone 13Pro fits.

[jessmakes]

I'd really like a small pouch that would attach to the webbing on the backpack sleeve of my Paragon for easy access to a few items without removing my backpack or wearing a shoulder bag. There are plenty of them out there, including one made by Matador (out of stock) and another that looks nice but costs $50. Since I have so.many Tom Bihn pouches and such already, I'd really like to adapt something I already own. Has anyone done this successfully?

It would carry: my train pass in a Chums wallet (worth a lot of $$, so it would be best if it clipped into an o-ring), my iPhone 12, and my airpods. So the Everyday Cubelet, for example, might work, but it's almost too large for what I need.

I realize this isn't using a TB product, but it also isn't $50. :-) https://www.gossamergear.com/collect...nt=30213289932

I bought this before a Disney trip and it worked great - BTW, just buy the large. Medium barely fit my regular sized iphone 12 and wouldn't leave you enough room to add the other things.

Alternately, the smallest TB pouch I could think of for this kind of purpose would be a 3DOC carried sideways, but I would definitely want my airpods and wallet tethered to ensure they didn't fall out. Otherwise, there just doesn't seem to be a small, vertical opening pouch that would work quite as well.

[Chicagoan]

I'd love it if TB would make their own version of shoulder strap pouches - I think they could probably adapt their hip belt pouches.

The magnetic closure and expandability were both clever features.

[jessmakes]

Here are pictures with the Gossamer gear pouch on the shoulder strap - the GG pouch has two horizontal velcro straps, so the picture where it is hitting higher on my shoulder, I have both straps around the webbing (so the bottom strap of the pouch is hitting right where the webbing is sewn to the shoulder strap), and in the picture where it is hitting lower, just the upper strap is around the webbing. I realize this looks a little awkward in the pictures, but it isn't quite as bad in real life (and when I'm using a sternum strap which I pretty much always do on backpacks to keep the straps in the proper location.

[Chicagoan]

Here are pictures with the Gossamer gear pouch on the shoulder strap - the GG pouch has two horizontal velcro straps, so the picture where it is hitting higher on my shoulder, I have both straps around the webbing (so the bottom strap of the pouch is hitting right where the webbing is sewn to the shoulder strap), and in the picture where it is hitting lower, just the upper strap is around the webbing. I realize this looks a little awkward in the pictures, but it isn't quite as bad in real life (and when I'm using a sternum strap which I pretty much always do on backpacks to keep the straps in the proper location.

Which backpack are you using in conjunction with the GG pouch?

[jessmakes]

Which backpack are you using in conjunction with the GG pouch?

This is the Paramour.

[bchaplin]

Thanks so much, jessmakes! Will check these out!

[bchaplin]

jessmakes, thanks again for the recommendation. I ordered the large and it fits my iPhone 12, train pass and earphones. Let me be honest: it seemed kind of basic when I first opened the package. But it has one job and it does it well. Someone just called me today while I was walking and I was able to answer without fumbling for the phone.

[jessmakes]

jessmakes, thanks again for the recommendation. I ordered the large and it fits my iPhone 12, train pass and earphones. Let me be honest: it seemed kind of basic when I first opened the package. But it has one job and it does it well. Someone just called me today while I was walking and I was able to answer without fumbling for the phone.

I'm glad you found something that will work for you!