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March 18, 2005
Things I Like, Part 2: Empire Builder
While stymied with my current focus at work, this Thing I Like is another little something that brings a smile to my face and good vibrations to the universe: Tom Bihn's Empire Builder laptop bag.
My first usage story: I am currently taking a night class at my alma mater. This means that i tote my home iBook up to campus every Tuesday night, along with power brick, books, water, Pepsi (free iTunes songs!), assorted papers, iPod + headphones, Altoids, pens, a pencil, work id badge, newspaper, checkbook, office directory, and myself. Of course, sometimes I run in straight from work, which means that I'm carrying another laptop + power brick. Where, oh where, does all this go? All in my bag, of course. Yes, just one bag. No, not from the military (Army, DARPA, otherwise). Tom Bihn.
If you took those office-tastic Kensington laptop bags, stripped them apart, handed the materials to a bunch of NorCal fair-trade textile fanatics who rolled their own daypacks in seventh grade, and then housed them in a fallout shelter while they worked on reconstructing the laptop bag, this would be the result. And it would be bomb-proof and fashion-proof.
I looked at the leather stuff. There was heavy consideration of the Filson bag. But for the price, my black-on-the-outside-and-blue-on-the-inside Empire Builder rocks the house, or at least the corner of my desk where it sits, full and upright, happily for the day, awaiting 5:30 so that it may once again be stuffed with my life and transported home.
Yes, I said upright. This brings me to usage story #2: The bag stands upright, like a good little homo sapien servant. Even the handles sit upright, at attention and awaiting your hand around them. You know how you usually have to buy hard-shelled bags/satchels/briefcases in order to have something that will sit upright if its unevenly loaded, empty, or full? Not this baby.
Storage capacity reminiscent of a non-lossy black hole? Sits upright like a highly-evolved life form? Tough black exterior opens in myriad ways to show off stylish and elegant sapphire blue interior? Bomb-proof? My Empire Builder bag clearly deserves its place as A Thing I Like.
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Comments
Hmm, I guess I'm cheap then, because I put my powerbook in a homemade neoprene pouch and then tote it around in a large purse. But then, toting a computer in a purse doesn't really work for a guy.
Posted by: kathryn at March 19, 2005 02:41 AM