The Minimalist's Guide to Packing an Overnight Bag

Carry Guides

The Minimalist's Guide to Packing an Overnight Bag

How do some people fit everything in a single bag? Packing light: it sounds simple until you're actually standing in front of your closet. Suddenly, "just one night away" starts looking like three outfits, two pairs of shoes, your entire bathroom counter,...
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The BIHN Bulletin

Guides, gear insights, and stories for carrying well.

  • Tom sewing at his first shop!

    1993

    Tom at work in his first shop in Santa Cruz. Yes, that's a San Francisco Mime Troupe t-shirt.

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  • A photo showing the inside of Tom's Santa Cruz shop. There's vintage TOM BIHN designs on the walls, window sill, and benches!

    1992

    Tom's retail store / workshop in Santa Cruz California, circa 1992. Every bag you see, every bag in the store, was made by Tom - designed, cut and sewn.

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  • Tom wearing a bike helmet and carrying a backpack with his dog Faux Pas in the backpack itself!

    1992

    Tom's dog Faux Pas (usually pronounced Fox Paws) sometimes rode in Tom's backpack when he commuted to work on his bike. Faux was a constant fixture in Tom's workshops and stores from 1984 until 2001.

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  • Backside of an early print catalog — in this case the "catalog" was a 4" x 6" postcard.

    1990

    Backside of an early print catalog — in this case the "catalog" was a 4" x 6" postcard.

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  • Tom stands leaning in the doorway of his first shop in Santa Cruz.

    1990

    The first TOM BIHN shop — 109 Locust Street in Santa Cruz, California; 275 square feet. This photo was taken just days after the store opened in December 1990. Photo by Barbara Bihn.

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  • Tom designed and made a bag-less backpack that strapped to a kayak and allowed you to portage solo, late 1980s. He's using it to carry a red kayak!

    1988

    Tom designed and made a bag-less backpack that strapped to a kayak and allowed you to portage solo, late 1980s.

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  • Tom volunteering at an event for the Resource Center for Nonviolence in Santa Cruz, California. Late 1980s, photo by Tom's friend Doug Rand.

    1988

    Tom volunteering at an event for the Resource Center for Nonviolence in Santa Cruz, California. Late 1980s, photo by Tom's friend Doug Rand.

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  • An artistic arrangement of bags for a photo shoot at the Carmelita Cottages in Santa Cruz, California.

    1987

    An artistic arrangement of bags for a photo shoot at the Carmelita Cottages in Santa Cruz, California.

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  • Tom's friend Doug Rand with a Limpet backpack, late 1980s, at Union Station in Tacoma, Washington.

    1986

    Tom's friend Doug Rand with a Limpet backpack, late 1980s, at Union Station in Tacoma, Washington.

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