parental unit

[marytattoo]

now that it's been out for awhile, i am wondering if the non-baby parents who reviewed the PU still use this as an EDC or often. i have one and have yet to break it out. i've been breaking out my other new bags, such as SEs and Swifts and CBs, DLBP, etc. i've also acquired a few goodies elsewhere and love love love them all. i'm a large woman and so the PU looks good on me. however, while i've gone out carrying a lot of stuff for a long time, at the moment i am doing shorter runs. i don't live in areas where there are trains, etc., so my daily errands are by car. that said, my life changes on a whim, and there will be times when i am out and about with a lot of stuff, hence my question.

Does the love remain after a few months? or have those who use the CP/Backpacks back to using them as their primary EDCs?

(i'm looking for a lot of enabling here, as always!)

[ceb]

Not a parental unit owner - but....

this crazy term EDC is widely misused and means different things to different people.

Quite frankly, the original EDC bags were purses. Women would carry what they needed for that day (week, month, year) in their purse. Men stuffed what they needed into their pockets. Then came the "man purse" which always looked goofy and now the EDC - a sex-less bag that holds all the daily stuff.

Is the parental unit good for that? Nobody knows because nobody knows what stuff you deem essential.

I live in the DC 'burbs. I never use lip balm and I hate water. When I lived in Colorado I always carried a tube of Blistex and a bottle of water - always.

Lay out all the stuff you carry on a daily basis in a big pile on your bed. That'll give you an idea of the size bag you need.

Then organize that pile into little piles - how you would want it in your bag.

Do you have a bag that works with that sort of organization? Do you need to buy a new TB bag?

For a year, the Ristretto was my daily carry. When I started carrying water around I moved to a SuperEgo. That was a little big so now I'm at an Ego. I guess you can say that my ego shrunk). If the Ego had a readily accessible zippered pocket on the front for "pocket stuff" when going through TSA, then it would be the perfect bag - for me. Probably not for you.

[jennygoat]

I think that much like @ceb, I have a hard time rationalizing what other people carry as a justification for what I carry--or don't carry--myself. While it might be helpful to find ot in advance what does and does not fit in a bag, we're all different people with different daily needs. I'm sure what is in my CP is very different from the CPs of the ladies and gents who use theirs for Bible bags, for example. I try my best not to be an out-of-control consumer and hoarder, and would rather focus on tricking out a single bag that can meet many different needs and not be task-specific.

Personally, I hated the size of the PU on me. Loved all that built in organization, though. I love the ascetics of my new CP, and have tailored what I carry to fit in it's smaller dimensions.

[ceepee]

marytattoo you don't say in your post which way you would like enabling

Are you looking for justification to let the PU go without remorse or would you like some reasons why you should keep it?

I don't have a PU myself (although I do have multiple bags) but I can argue for the defence or for the prosecution if you let me know which you would prefer



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[marytattoo]

I have one, unused. I love the organization. There are periods in my life where I carry a lot (when someone is hospitalized or rehabbing in a nursing home). There are times when I carry less. I'm merely wondering if those who've used them and loved them still feel the same way weeks later. Or are they on the shelf. Taminca did an excellent review, and Ilkyway did a great photoshoot, too. I reread the thread and it caused me to wonder if their enthusiasm holds.

[Ilkyway]

Marytattoo speaking for myself: my back does not forgive me when I carry weight on one shoulder. So I do not carry the PU much. I have two of them and I will ceep them because as far as shoulder bags go this one is MADE for me. I love how everything has its dedicated place and because nothing is sloughing around I can stuff this bag. - But than my back...

So why ceep them? Partly because thay make me happy as a very well desinged bag (I love bags, you know?) and partly because I can use it on road-travels as an in-car bag. Maybe this is a bit exentric but as long as it makes me happy without making anybody unhappy, where is the harm?

Not sure if this helps, but this is how I see it.
Ilkyway

[sturbridge]

I had one, but I've since traded it for a Pilot. Someone else mentioned on another thread that people who buy Tom Bihn bags tend to either want one compartment for one thing, or to have one big compartment that they sub divide with pouches/smaller containers. Turns out I'm one of the latter. A lot of that is due to I move the things I use daily around to different bags, and having sub containers faciliates this. The PU had too many pockets, I could never remember where I placed a particular item. Given that the PU is a "mirror" bag- ie both sides are the same, it made it even harder.

I would think the PU would work better for parents precisely because all the compartments could be put to special purpose use, and when you have a screaming infant, having to open a sub container would definitely be a bad thing. But for me and my needs, I prefer bags that offer more versatility. (I would in fact have an A30 already if steel dyneema had not been discontinued before this bag came out). I like duffel bags because I can put lots of different types of items in there, depending on the need of the specific trip.

[adalangdon]

I'm merely wondering if those who've used them and loved them still feel the same way weeks later.

Why not? The principle mentioned by @ceb and @jennygoat still applies here. Unless a person's needs have changed, or the novelty of a new bag has simply worn off, I am pretty sure a bag that worked for a person then is still great now. Your surest bet is to try it out for yourself to see if it works, especially since you actually have one in your house. Example: I haven't used the PU in about 2 months, but that's only because I decided to use something different just for kicks. It's still a great bag for me and IMO one of TB's best designs.

If, like me, you are unashamedly and unrepentantly consumerist and hoard-y with respect to bags, there is just one rule when it comes to keep/don't keep: If you love it (e.g. because it looks cool and/or works great), keep it. Unless you're out of space in your house, need $, or something.

[marytattoo]

Why not? The principle mentioned by @ceb and @jennygoat still applies here. Unless a person's needs have changed, or the novelty of a new bag has simply worn off, I am pretty sure a bag that worked for a person then is still great now. Your surest bet is to try it out for yourself to see if it works, especially since you actually have one in your house. Example: I haven't used the PU in about 2 months, but that's only because I decided to use something different just for kicks. It's still a great bag for me and IMO one of TB's best designs.

If, like me, you are unashamedly and unrepentantly consumerist and hoard-y with respect to bags, there is just one rule when it comes to keep/don't keep: If you love it (e.g. because it looks cool and/or works great), keep it. Unless you're out of space in your house, need $, or something.

Oh, I'm always out of money/space! I have a room I can't get into I call my "purse room" which must get cleared out. I had a "yarn room" as well, but it was cleared out.

I am trying to decide before the 60 days are up. The reason I ask is because there are "honeymoon" periods in life. New jobs, friends, houses, etc. Things seem great in the beginning but once the honeymoon is over, views and opinions change.

That's all.

[djjr]

I'm one of those using a PU as my EDC work bag and I absolutely love it. As a primary school teacher, it gives me the perfect amount of organisation, looks funky but still professional. In the main compartment I keep my iPad, large notebook, SE with all my teacher bits and pieces 9 (iPad charger, iPod, USBs, first aid, tissues etc), a 3DFOC (pencil case) and an umbrella. In one side, I keep my purse/wallet, car/house keys and sunglasses and have easy access to my school keys in the small front zip pocket. On the other side of the bag, I keep those things I don't need to access as much - make up, hair brush, snacks etc.

Absolutely love it - so much so that although I love it in Verde, I have another one in Steel on my radar .....

[ceepee]

Oh, I'm always out of money/space! I have a room I can't get into I call my "purse room" which must get cleared out. I had a "yarn room" as well, but it was cleared out.

I am trying to decide before the 60 days are up. The reason I ask is because there are "honeymoon" periods in life. New jobs, friends, houses, etc. Things seem great in the beginning but once the honeymoon is over, views and opinions change.

That's all.

If you're not sure about it, then my advice would be to return it whilst you still have the option. That way you're only out by the cost of postage, whereas keeping it puts you out the full cost of the bag and also the space required to store it.

If, in the future, you decide that you need something larger then I'm sure the PU (or possibly something you like even more) will still be available. Or, you might find that you can get the carrying volume you need by combining a couple of the other bags that you already have.

[brendabethman]

I use the PU as a gym bag (http://forums.tombihn.com/photos-vid...t-gym-bag.html) and love it for that. I've tried a couple of times to pack it as an EDC, but it just doesn't work for me. But @meglet's photos might be useful for you: http://forums.tombihn.com/photos-vid...amera-bag.html


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[ceb]

...I am trying to decide before the 60 days are up. The reason I ask is because there are "honeymoon" periods in life. New jobs, friends, houses, etc. Things seem great in the beginning but once the honeymoon is over, views and opinions change.

That's all.

It depends. When I first got my Ristretto I asked myself why I got it. It languished in the closet for weeks while I was trying to get a (not really unpleasant) scent out of it. By the time the smell was subdued (it smelled like a beach with a whiff of sunscreen and seaweed) I was disgusted with it and was ready to send it to eBay again. Before I could do that, I went on a quick trip where I needed a small personal item carry-on for just my laptop and other daily gear. The Ristretto was my daily carry for about a year until I decided to carry more junk around and I found a decent deal on a SuperEgo. That was a great until I found the Ego which (while not much smaller externally) carries easier.

Tomorrow I'm going on a one day trip where the Ristretto will again be my companion - who knows what I will be carrying next week.

If everyone had the same requirements then there would be only one bag made. It would undoubtedly be made by TB.

The honeymoon may never be over, it may be over before it started or it may last for years. Nobody can determine if the PU is for you. You'll need to decide what you carry and if you like the organization. Is there some reason you are on the fence?

[marytattoo]

"The honeymoon may never be over, it may be over before it started or it may last for years. Nobody can determine if the PU is for you. You'll need to decide what you carry and if you like the organization. Is there some reason you are on the fence?[/QUOTE]


Perhaps I'm over-thinking it. I love the bag. But since at the moment I've been using a SE/DLBP or SE/Swift, i wonder if I'll use or get much use out of the PU. I do know that everyone's different and our needs are different. But I asked the question because there ARE lots of things out there FSOT, and I thought I'd ask about "buyer's remorse". There is a window on returns. For some reason, this is the only bag where I've been wishy washy. I've known with others "to keep or not to keep". (Mostly keep!)

[Tiviander]

I used my PU twice for travel when I first got it. It worked well for air and train travel, being compact and durable. Now it is languishing in a closet because I find it is similar in size to a couple of other bags that I use in everyday life.
I like the idea of the defined organization but find myself reaching for a tote or Shop bag because it is easier to toss stuff into and see what is in the bag at a glance.