Icon - Ideas for Using it Needed.

[patricia.oakley]

In the most recent restock, I snatched up a Seapine Green with Alphaviolet zippers Icon. I took the following sentences in the description to heart: "You’ll know whether or not the Icon is for you simply by looking at it. Does it delight you? Are you smiling? There you go." This particular combination of colors delights me.

But, now I need to find a use for it. It won't be my everyday carry bag - that's my beloved Alphaviolet Side Kick which is truly perfect for me.

So now I need ideas. Does anyone else use an Icon for specific, not everyday carry, purposes? If so, what do you use it for? Help me brainstorm!

Of course, I could just leave it hanging on the coat tree to make me smile every time I see it (and ignoring my husband as he rolls his eyes at yet another bag that I've purchased).

[AshleyM]

I am a recent convert to Team Icon, as it were. Medium Cafe Bags are my go-to, but many of the Icon's design details appealed to me when it debuted. I bought one, was confused by it, and left it to languish in my closet for over a year.

This spring, I was organizing things, came across mine, and decided to give it another try, and am glad I did, as it was a perfect sight seeing/day bag for a recent trip to Portland. My priority in any day bag is that it can comfortably carry my Fuji xt30 with zoom. The Icon does this in a way that works much better than the MCB. Traveling, I appreciated the convenience and security of the zippers as opposed to a flap. I took it on some hikes as well as long city walks and was so pleased that I ordered two more colors in the recent restock.

All of which is not to say I am using it for EDC at home. It is not quite suited for digging through while in the car, for one thing, and it doesn't hold my bigger everyday items. But it was fantastic for traveling, and I look forward to using it on future trips.

BTW I love the quick release buckle. I treat it like an old style messenger bag, leaving the strap surplus in a loop that I can adjust as needed for wearing either high on my back or in front.

[threeteez]

Here's a pic of what I take in my Icon as a work carry. HLT is like a wallet, other pouches contain incidentals like a phone charger, basic toiletries, and the Island ghost whale is for my TB mask since I have to switch to a hospital provided mask upon entry. There's room for a sandwich in a reusable pouch too. The Icon is great for when you want to carry just a bit more like a water bottle or iPad Mini, but don't want to carry a messenger bag like an Imago or Maker's Bag or briefcase-like bag such as a Pilot or CP.
My EDC for errands is often an Every Day Cubelet or Side Effect or sometimes just the HLT1 if I'm doing curbside pick ups. It's nice to have the Icon for when I need to carry more.

[Cristina]

Hi patricia.oakley, congrats on snapping up such a lovely bag! I love green and purple together.

The Icon holds more than twice as much as a Side Kick (7.2 litres to 3) so is there a use you can think of where you need everything in your Side Kick, plus something extra? The SK takes up most of the interior space of the Icon in a way I don’t find useful so you’d have to repack the contents of the SK into the Icon, is that a dealbreaker? Can you let the Icon take the spotlight for special occasions? What about for the winter, so you can have your regular stuff plus a hat and gloves? Or a thermal mug?

In the most recent restock, I snatched up a Seapine Green with Alphaviolet zippers Icon. I took the following sentences in the description to heart: "You’ll know whether or not the Icon is for you simply by looking at it. Does it delight you? Are you smiling? There you go." This particular combination of colors delights me.

But, now I need to find a use for it. It won't be my everyday carry bag - that's my beloved Alphaviolet Side Kick which is truly perfect for me.

So now I need ideas. Does anyone else use an Icon for specific, not everyday carry, purposes? If so, what do you use it for? Help me brainstorm!

Of course, I could just leave it hanging on the coat tree to make me smile every time I see it (and ignoring my husband as he rolls his eyes at yet another bag that I've purchased).

[patricia.oakley]

Thanks everyone. I took the Icon along with my Sidekick on vacation last week. I was taking the Amtrak and packed everything in my LLBean duffle (a bag I got a long long time ago before I knew anything about Tom Bihn bags - this bag kind of looks like an Aeronaut 30). Anyway, I thought my Icon would be useful for me to have in the roomette. I put in my waterbottle, my iPad, my headphones, and my little bag with my current sock knitting project. It wasn't packed full so it wasn't all the heavy. I probably looked a bit weird with the Sidekick slung cross body on one side and the Icon slung cross body on the other side. But it worked and I was happy with the arrangement. I still like the Sidekick for my everyday carry (all those organizational pockets on the inside!!!) but the Icon worked as a second bag to have a few extra things. I kind of wish there was a way to keep the waterbottle from hitting the iPad - but the waterbottle didn't fit well in the pocket. Maybe I should get a cache for the iPad.

[donibelle1208]

I love my Icons, I have 2! One all black and of course the delicious Ursa😁I use them interchangeably as a super roomy adult purse when I need to be less sporty. I can fit everything inside, from a water bottle to my current knitting project. Lurve that they are low profile and look great slung over the shoulder too.😁It amazes me that I don’t get more comments on these awesome bags but no matter, I am smitten!!

[G42]

Welcome to the Forums donibelle1208

[donibelle1208]

Thanks! Love my bags! Does anyone have a Stowaway? I have 2. How do you like them in comparison to the Old School for travel etc?