Cambiata - First Look

[G42]

Strap Hack

I have a 1.5" Gatekeeper waist strap from something... Probably the Brain Bag?

So I attached it instead of the included normal shoulder strap...

Fully extended, it's long enough that I could use it as a shoulder strap & wouldn't have to worry about the strap slipping through the teeth. The buckle probably wouldn't bother me but the ultrasuede wrap could be used, though it gapes if it's over the buckle.

I shortened it, offset, to add the wrap and it seems fine for length. I put a 15lb dumbbell in the bag and it didn't feel like the teeth were slipping, but I'd have to see how that would hold up over time.





Then I snugged it tight to see if it would work for hand carry (the real reason I tried it) ie, it needs to be shorter than the real shoulder strap at it's shortest doubled up dimension, because I'm short and the bag would drag on the ground.
That worked!
It's short enough to be off the ground. Here it is at the shortest, with the gaping due to the buckle.




Here the strap is extended just enough on one side to fit the wrap away from the buckle, which also makes it easier to get into the top flap without undoing everything



Plus I folded the strap ends inside so they don't dangle



Fun, eh? ?

[G42]

The smaller size Eagle Creek packing folder fits well.




And as the blog post mentions, the shoulder straps fold right at one of the bar tacks to be fairly flat when you tuck them in

[moriond]

The different strap additions shown by G42 look good. I have the Ultrasuede Shoulder Strap Wrap but haven't used it for most of these cases. (A number of people used it in place of the shoulder pad on the Small Cafe Bag, which they cut off because adjusting the position of the shoulder pad for shorter people was awkward; however, in all the cases before they switched to the thicker, more satiny (seatbelt-like) shoulder straps, it was possible to slip the shoulder pad with buckle (length adjustment point) under the shoulder pad).

I also have an old shoulder pad wrap from Waterfield Designs, which led me to check their current options that might also work if the Ultrasuede Strap Wrap is not restocked. There are Ballistic Nylon Shoulder Pads similar to the earlier design that I have, and also Leather Shoulder Pads from their site.

The 1.5" Gatekeeper waist strap was an option for the Brain Bag, and was previously selectable from the drop-down menu of Gatekeeper Waist Strap product page, but I currently only see the 1" option stocked. The product page does describe the 1.5" waist strap. And for some time the Coyote version used to be available from the Citizen Canine options that were still stocked, but not heavily advertised.

HTH

moriond

ETA: I assume that's the 15" Eagle Creek Packing Folder in your picture

[G42]

ETA: I assume that's the 15" Eagle Creek Packing Folder in your picture

I just measured, it's about 13.25" long... I have a bigger one that is about 17" long that doesn't fit without bending/angling

[Cristina]

G42 Nice hack! I like the wrap. I also hacked my strap to make it shorter. I really prefer to have the option to hand carry sometimes. I cut the actual Cambiata strap instead of using one from my stash, but my Shadow Guide waist strap did get a turn during my experimentation!

[Tonya]

Mentioning the wine bottle pocket sent me down a rabbit trail of ideas, none that have panned out yet, but I'll keep looking to see if I can find a solution before pre-order ends. We could REALLY use a decently sized backpack cooler for music events, while kayaking, etc. I've looked at several lately, but they're all so cheaply made. The Cambiata would be a great solution, especially with all of the organizer pockets, but it's not insulated. I've tried to find some sort of insulated bag or insert that would fit down into the Cambiata. I like the conversion idea a lot because, when we wanted to use the Cambiata without insulation, I can just remove the insert. Love bags that can perform multiple functions!

Anyway, this is the closest dimensions I've found and could probably squish it to fit, but I'd rather not, plus I'd like something a little more substantial. I thought I'd put my idea out here to see if anyone has better ideas on how to convert this to a cooler type bag. It's a long shot, but you all are really creative!

[ayazgood]

Bellroy just came out with a cooler tote:

[G42]

Set up today for group knitting hang out/class.


Exterior lower small pocket:
wipes & sanitizer (not pictured)

Exterior tall (wine) pocket:
Microlite water bottle

Exterior front open pocket:
Grass MCB FS with book, notebook, pen, small rulers, random stuff

Main compartment, First Layer:
Zest & Steel TSS4, holding an extra project and extra yarn
Second Layer:
NWSKy medium YSS with current project; Tidal E/T Cubelet with stitch markers, tape measure, all that little stuff; COP small, with tools
E/T Cubelet & OP stuff would be in the clear pockets on my Swift set up

Plenty of extra room for what I'm bringing, though these stuff sacks are definitely not stuffed full.
This would be a good choice for anyone biking, walking, or mass transiting to a craft class/meet up, especially if you want hands free backpack mode

Not as large an opening as the Swift's obviously, but since it's more rigid, it stays open without any fiddling.

This bag is definitely growing on me. I have a 5 day work trip next month, I think I'll One Bag with it, see how that goes.

Since most of the volume is a big open space, it feels more capacious for a variety of uses than a Synapse19/Synik22 might be, depending on what you normally carry... Kind of like the Smart Alec and Shadow Guide are very large open volumes.

[G42]

Random comment... I was chatting with MikeV and he mentioned the use case of the Cambiata as a shoulder bag on plane trips, along with a Techonaut/Aeronaut in backpack mode... That keeps the heavy bag on your back and would give both carry options at destination with the Cambiata.
It's a pretty normal concept but one I just wasn't thinking of (probably because I haven't been flying much the past few years) so I'm sharing here in case I'm not the only oblivious one ?

[G42]

I was carrying more stuff back from work today than usual, so ended up putting paperwork into the outside pocket... US 8.5 x 11" papers that are in plastic folders.
They're just tall enough that it makes it a bit more fiddly to unzip the top flap, especially because the bag isn't stuffed full, so there's nothing pressing the top flap up/away from the file folders. Nothing tragic here, just something I noticed.

[craigmcclellan]

Random comment... I was chatting with MikeV and he mentioned the use case of the Cambiata as a shoulder bag on plane trips, along with a Techonaut/Aeronaut in backpack mode... That keeps the heavy bag on your back and would give both carry options at destination with the Cambiata.
It's a pretty normal concept but one I just wasn't thinking of (probably because I haven't been flying much the past few years) so I'm sharing here in case I'm not the only oblivious one ?

This is the exact use case I ordered for (to pair with my T45). I was concerned he Cambiata would be too long to do this comfortably though. How would you feel carrying it in this configuration?

[G42]

This is the exact use case I ordered for (to pair with my T45). I was concerned he Cambiata would be too long to do this comfortably though. How would you feel carrying it in this configuration?

I'm 5'4" and normally don't prefer tall portrait orientation bags in general and I usually hand carry a Shop Bag or PT when I have a pack on my back...so I would probably lean towards hand carry vs shoulder with a full pack on, but I haven't tried it yet.
It would probably depend on how much I was walking around, standing in lines, etc. There have definitely been times during trips when I really wanted a shoulder strap on the Shop Bag or PT and with this convertible bag, at least I'd have options.

[G42]

I'm out visiting various factories this week and next.
Normal EDC load of stuff as seen in first post of this thread plus SSC of cords... And my bump cap & safety vest fit inside! ?

[hedd]

I'm out visiting various factories this week and next.
Normal EDC load of stuff as seen in first post of this thread plus SSC of cords... And my bump cap & safety vest fit inside! ?

OK the way the safety gear fits is pretty cool.

[nsh]

Thanks for sharing this information G42. I pre-ordered a Burnt Orange Cambiata (I chose a COLOR other than black!). I will be excited to see if it fits my needs- especially as I am leading a series of outdoor seminars and forest walks (and carrying a medical kit, thermos for a tea ceremony, and some other books) as part of a new peace building/conflict transformation class I am teaching at the college this fall.

Well, I thought was going to be able to shift to color but then I saw the newsletter today. Upon reflection, I decided a Black exterior with zest interior speaks to me more so I changed my order (thanks TB crew for helping me). I really try to be wild and crazy, but in the end, I am a simple on the outside-zesty on the inside kinda person, ha.

PS- and upon deeper reflection, I added a bummer bag in black to my order…I tried the LPD and it wasn’t for me. The bummer will pair nicely with Cambiata!