Where did your TB bag go lately

[Shortie]

2.) If your backpack doesn't have a breatheable back panel, you will keep the heat your body generates trapped behind the all fabric back side of the bag and sweat out right through it - even when you're wearing four layers of tops on a 22-degree day.

For those of you who don't realize it, the foam and mesh back panel on the Addax makes a huge difference in breathability - the Cambiata wasn't and still isn't my first choice of bag for day hiking, but it's light, comfortable and organized enough to go out on a day hike if you take this thing one-bagging.

I bought a Paradigm to use as a small backpack while traveling and while it was perfect for carrying around what I needed while sightseeing it really, really needs a mesh back panel. Similar problem with the Luminary 15; I bought it for work because I don't need all the organization in my Synapse 19 now that I'm only going into the office a couple of days a week. But six months out of the year the fabric back panel is simply too sweaty.

[Chicagoan]

I bought a Paradigm to use as a small backpack while traveling and while it was perfect for carrying around what I needed while sightseeing it really, really needs a mesh back panel. Similar problem with the Luminary 15; I bought it for work because I don't need all the organization in my Synapse 19 now that I'm only going into the office a couple of days a week. But six months out of the year the fabric back panel is simply too sweaty.

Don't get me wrong: I think the Cambiata is one of the most versatile bags they currently make, but it's not a bag made for physical activity or warm weather, or even wearing for long periods of time. It's definitely best used as a commuter bag.

This is an extreme use case and wearing a bag during four continuous hours of physical activity isn't something most who buy the Cambiata will do.

FWIW, there is a company that makes aftermarket, 3D-printed frames to create an air gap between a bag and back, but the company is a newer one and and they look a little clunky:

https://vauclusegear.com/products/cool-dry-backpack-gear-6-hex-series

(Things that keep me up at night because I do things like wear backpacks for hours at a time).

If anyone has one of these frames or know someone who does I'd be curious to hear how effective they are!

[G42]

Southwest window seat, 737 MAX8

Nebulous/Fjord Cambiata mostly on it's edge, room for feet on either side

[Chicagoan]

I've really taken to carrying my Cambiata out with me on day hikes - the open back pocket is great for maps, a hat, and gloves, and the main compartment is great for storing extra layers, as well as a couple bottles of water.

Last weekend, it visited a local forest preserve, close to home, and New Glarus Woods State Park (Wisconsin).







Today it came out with me for a little over five miles as my wife and I completed the Green Loop of the Scuppernong Trail System that's part of the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest in Wisconsin.









Tomorrow, we are headed right back up to Wisconsin to complete some of the trails at Governor Dodge State Park.

How am I planning to spend the new year?

Outside!

[Chicagoan]

Instead of paying daily park fees, I buy a vehicle sticker every year so I can visit my favorite Wisconsin state parks.

The math is such that, in order to get your money's-worth from the annual pass, you need to visit at least 4 times in 1 year.

Only 2 weekends into the new year, we've already used the pass 3 times.

Later in the month we're celebrating my birthday weekend by staying inside another Wisconsin state park, and come the end of the month (if not sooner!) that annual pass will already have paid for itself.

Here are some pictures taken on Sunday, from the Pine Cliff Trail at Governor Dodge State Park - the last of which captured at the moment I resolved myself to traveling downhill on my butt instead of my feet. Don't get me wrong - I love going sledding, but only when it's intentional.

[ridetohounds]

I finally got an AV Paramour and this thing is fantastic and immediately became one of my EDC bags. Can't say enough good things about this bag--the front pocket organization is top notch and the main pocket has been able to take anything I put in it. I just wish there was a little pocket up top like the Zeitgeist but it is still great without it. I have the edgeless straps on another bag (S22) but they are just so good. Today it went with me to my dogs agility classes and carried their various (and many!) accoutrements with ease

[Chicagoan]

I find the days I want to stay inside most are really the days I need to be going outside, so that's exactly what I did today: a day hike at Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area.

If you're not familiar, this park sits along the Fox River on the side opposite of Mies van der Rohe's infamous glass home for Edith Farnsworth.

Like, literally across the river.

Few places in the world can you hike with world-class architecture in your eyeline and shotgun blasts within earshot. Illinois!

BTW, the bag pictured is an Ursa/Dawn Side Kick - adorned with Island zipper pulls (which have now replaced the stock black pulls on nearly every Ursa bag I own).

[Chicagoan]

Today I visited another state park for the first time - turns out that visiting state parks built around bodies of water are great to visit in winter because they're a LOT less busy [once the rivers and lakes freeze solid].

So here are some of the pictures I took today while out day hiking with my Ursa Side Kick at Shabbona Lake State Park in Shabbona, IL:

[Chicagoan]

Today the FJN came out with me on a job site visit (and up 60 stories!) to the new Salesforce Tower in downtown Chicago.

I'm, obviously, the one holding the Tom Bihn bag on the right.

And I'll toss in a few extra photos to show how the building compares to some other landmarks (Willis Tower, The St. Regis, Trump Tower, and the John Hancock Center).

[ittoujuu]

Much-belated, but I took my S25 and RB36 with me when I went to visit the fam for Christmas/New Year. In previous years, I'd been using a 56L duffel for this trip to schlep a variety of colder-weather clothing, but decided to see if I could do it with the RB. I had to be more choosy about which bulkier pieces I took (and took fewer of them), but it actually DID work, and I had all the clothing I needed for a week and change. Granted, this is the non-snowy California winter--were I going some place with sub-freezing temps, I might take a larger bag. I think what it showed for me is that the RB36 is sort of my "platonic ideal" of a duffel. It is exactly as big as it needs to be for huge versatility, without feeling needlessly large. I've not tried an Aeronaut personally, but I always felt like 45L would be too large for most trips, while for the 30L version, I might be able to make it work, but would really appreciate 5 or so extra liters to accommodate something like a sweater. And the design makes it super easy to just have access and live out of without any need for packing cubes, which fits how I like to use duffels.



The S25 basically contained all my non-clothing stuff, and it's really nice to just have what I need there, organized by pocket (always a proliferation of cords...). With an EDC backpack, the ease of access when just sitting on the floor is at least as important as how it carries, and the S25 has proven good in that area. I lean it up against something and I can just grab what I need.

[Chicagoan]

My wife and I spent last weekend at a cottage in Wisconsin designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

What makes it unique?

It's his smallest home (880 square feet) and one of only two designs which sit inside a state park (the other being the Walter and Agnes Lowell House in Iowa's Cedar Rock State Park).

The stay here was a great way to celebrate my birthday and enjoy two of my favorite things - architecture and nature - at the same time!

I had the whole Tom Bihn armada with me: SK, T45, SZTSB, MT, FJN, Medium YD, SSK, and a smattering of accessory items.

[G42]

Happy Birthday Chicagoan !

[Chicagoan]

Happy Birthday Chicagoan !

Thank you kindly, G42.

I did have a happy day.

We didn't have much planned (except for a couple dinner resevations), so most the weekend was quiet time spent inside keeping warm and enjoying the time together.

[latchford]

Lunch with a view at Jewel Changi Airport with my Black 525 Ballistic/Tidal 200 Halcyon Smart Alec. The fish & chips were delicious.

[Chicagoan]

This weekend my wife and I are enjoying a belated Valentine's Day celebration with a weekend stay inside of the cabins at Anaway Place in Richland Center, Wisconsin.

The glaciers that turned most the Midwest into flat land missed this region, so it still has hills that look like small mountains here, and makes it feels much further from home than it actually is.