My 2025 purchases:
The good
- Aer CPP2: 10/10. No notes.
- Aer Slim Pouch 2.
- Tom Bihn Truck. LOVE this bag.
- Tom Bihn Travel Trays. Handy dandy
- Aer Go Sling 2. My go to for travelling
- Bellroy Transit Sling 5L. Kindle carry.
The okay (could do without)
- Tom Bihn Ghost Whale Organise. No clue what to carry in it. Lipgloss pouch.
- Tom Bihn Clear Organizing cube. Bit too small for my toiletries.
- Bellroy Lite Packing Caddy 8L. Eh?
- Able Carry Stash Pouch. It's ok!
The Bad
- Dsptch 1" Fidlock Sling Strap. Bulky fidlock, uncomfortable to wear. Dislike.
The Ugly
- Tom Bihn Mystery Grab Bag Large in green and red (very Christmas-y) Not pictured because I sold it. I did like it just couldn't get over the colors.
CPL16, CAP1 and Matador Flatpack purchased in 2024\*
Goals 2026
I want to spend less on EDC/bags etc in the new year (€500 max). I already stopped watching reviews and stopped browsing online for the most part. It helps. I have a set of packing cubes on my 'to buy' list in 2026 but other than that, I am good for now.
Nice collection OP.
I bit the bullet and ordered some Tom Bihn to be shipped to the UK. I specifically wanted the Cafe bag to use for my sketching book and materials. I had to be mindful of the UK duty free limit. I also got the A5 ghost whale organisers for smaller sketch books and the large travel tray. Happy with all of these and am tempted to get a Truck bag.
The smaller whale pouch could be useful to hold items for a mini first aid kit.
I was very impressed with the Tom Bihn shipping time. I ordered on Friday 1 Aug and received the item on Wednesday 6 Aug.
Thank you! I am from The Netherlands and I had to pay a hefty amount of import duties and custom clearing costs on my order. But it was worth it. I like my items and customer service was so friendly and helpful. I think TB has some amazing stuff for creatives!
Mini first aid kit is a good suggestion!
What size whale did you buy?
I have the mini in my cart - thinking of using it for less used travel items. Travel eyeglasses screwdriver, scissors, nail clippers. Things that could scratch or puncture other items if I don’t keep them separated.
It’s the mini in black ballistic. I don’t think a pair of glasses would fit. If you need me to try out something in particular, I will be glad to help.
I appreciate the offer but I am good for now. The small is needed to fit glasses.
I was referring to eyeglass repair kits. Those mini screwdrivers to tighten loose parts on glasses.
Should have gone with the good, the bag & the ugly but I love a good pun
😂😂shit, a missed opportunity!!!
OP, curious about which packing cube set you have on your list.
Evergoods Transit Packing Cube 8L in black and the Able Carry Packing Cube set in ripstop tan.
Oh how I love the Evergoods Transit Packing Cube 8L. It's awesome for when a bag needs help standing up or having a better shape. It fits so much and holds a nice shape. I really love it. The clamshell makes things nice and neat at our destination. My other favorite is the Thule Compression Packing Cube set.
You don’t like the CPL 16?
I do but I purchased it last year and wanted to do a recap of this years purchases. I considered selling my CPL at some point. Having two similar bags felt a bit redundant. But I've decided to keep it (for now).
Bought one but trying to see what might be better… it hasn’t arrived yet. Suggestions welcome
It's a great bag. It really just depends on personal preference and carry needs. I recommend the Aer City Pack Pro 2. The Able Carry Max EDC also has many positive reviews but it's considerably bigger (26L) compared to the CPL 16.
Damn… Ghost Whale pouches always intrigue me. Bummer to hear its just “okay”
Glad to hear the Truck bag/tote is working.
I am sure you can find a good use for them though! Especially if you carry small items.
I definitely can find a use for them…
I use a tiny one for my first aid+meds+sewing kit. Easy to just move from bag to bag. Prob should've gotten in a red color though and not black.
I see many bags I upvote. Nice spread :D
It is a hidden gem. I recommend the Monster Truck. I take mine every time I go shopping. It folds into a square that fits into a backpack! I take that and some foldable boxes (hard-sided for things like eggs) in my Bullet every time I do a big shopping trip.
I have a maybe-embarassing amount of these in both sizes. But they're uniquely useful, and so pretty 🤩
Slim Pouch best pouch.
Tbh I was surprised to see this choice given all the other Tom Bihn things. I used the Go Sling for a bit but didn't like its non-detachable strap. Now I have two Side Effects (one in Ballistic and one in Spectron) and they are endgame.
Well I posted this on my previous, now deleted, account and I purchased some things based of your recs :D so makes sense! https://www.reddit.com/r/ManyBaggers/comments/1mlqbii/buying_itch_your_top_tom_bihn_top_3_please/
I really wanted to add a Side Effect in ballistic to my order but I felt I was already overspending. Maybe one day!
I just received my slim pouch 2 in X-Pac. Best cable pouch by far. Slim profile, good organisation, and fits nicely in to the front pocket of my able carry daily plus for quick access. Might look to get the cpp2 for overnighters.
Agreed on the ghost whale, not sure what it’s better at than my other pouches. The travel trays a Lee great though
The Truck is an amazing bag.
I'm all for the slim pouch 2. But everthing else binnnn
I gave up on purchasing any Tom Bihn mystery items. Never seemed to get color combos I liked. LOVE the grab bag style though-I just buy appealing ones that others want to pass on. Also LOVE the Truck! Have a couple and just got my partner a Monster Truck for X-Mas.
What do you use the truck for? Any thoughts on the monster truck?
I use it for:
a) daily groceries/errands.
b) my companion on a dinner date / night out. Blanket scarf goes in my Bellroy caddy in one of the side compartments, extra lipglosses in my Ghost Whale pouch and clipped to the key leash of the Trunk, some toiletries like dental floss, toothbrush, tissues, mirror in the Clear 3D organising cube in the middle and on top of that I stuff a blazer or cardigan. Oh, and flat shoes also in the side compartment. The side compartments are perfect for bottles of wine too!
I would like to get the Monster Truck in time because the Truck is quite small for a big grocery haul.
The truck makes such an awesome everyday tote! I have a few but my bright yellow one is my absolute ride or die.
The monster truck is gloriously huge. Perfect for when you have to carry a bunch of stuff but don't want to carry more than one bag. The monster makes it easy! And it's so lightweight!
There's also the pick up truck which is the smallest version. It's small and cute, really nice for when you want to carry a tote but don't necessarily need a big one.
The truck bags are soooo addicting!
At the same time, I'm like why should I get these $70 totes when my $4 Trader Joe's one does just as well...(not the fabric one, I have one that looks like the brown paper bags!)
No way. These Tom Bihn truck totes are far superior to a Trader Joe's reusable tote. They are built to last a lifetime and look good doing it. You can dress them up or down. They have built in dividers, pockets, and several O-rings to clip and tether your keys, pouches, etc to so you can stay organized and easily find whatever you need. They can take a beating, yet are a breeze to wash and come out looking awesome. And if you manage to score one off the site for $70, consider yourself lucky. These bags are hand made in small batches and due to TB having a big cult following- they sell out fast. Every single one of mine has come from eBay.
My tote has lasted 2+ years already...I don't see it breaking down anytime soon. Can't beat the value. I see a bunch of trucks and monsters available on the site??
If they are in stock on the site right now then this is the time to get one! They are often not in stock. Now I have to go visit the site to see which colors are available...for science! 😉
Saw like 5+ colors each. Yeah monster truck always been in the back of my mind. Def not a need bag but a want. Like even the big blue ikea bag does a wonderful job as a mega tote.
That Belroy Lite Packing Caddy makes an excellent gym clothes insert for your backpacks. Pop your gym shoes in it first, put the rest of your gym clothes on top, zip it closed and toss it in your bag. Keeps the interiors of your bags from getting gym shoe and change room gunk on them. I own a bunch of pouches and cubes and am not a big Belroy person in general, but this is by far the single most used cube in my rotation for this reason. Also, helps build and support the gym habit because all you need to do is load and unload that cube and you're ready to go.
Good suggestion but I change into my outfit at home and afterwards I shower at home so I won’t be needing it. In my duffle I only carry my water bottle, belt, straps, pouch, back up barbell clips etc.
What bag do you use for gym?
Ok cool. That makes sense. Right now I'm bringing an Evergoods MPL 22 Kludde to the gym. Long time Evergoods person. First time MPL22 person. Loving it!
I have two of the clear 3D pouches. I use them to hold the small bits and bobs in my bag in a way that I can visually see that I've got what I need. I freaking love them. To me being able to see the contents beats the heck out of having to open random pouches to make sure what I need is in them. I'm all about the clear pouch life!
I have an osprey farpoint 40L, a timbuk2 22L day bag, and an osprey day cyber bag as well.
Seeing your cpp2 ranked as 10/10 is intriguing. Does this replace all your day bags?
I typically have a 15" MacBook, a tech pouch, and a 32oz water bottle. How does your cpp fare?
“All” my day bags are just the CPL16 and the CPP2 so there is not much to replace 😄but the CPP2 is the easiest reach.
For your loadout you can do with any bag really! There will be no challenges except maybe for the water bottle if the main compartment is super packed. If I use it for my 15” MacBook and pouch, Kindle, notepads etc I still have loads of space. For work I carry a larger, heavier laptop but still so much space. The only time I wish I had a larger size bag is for sleepovers after a night out. But in that case I need a lot of stuff (sneakers, whole outfit, sleepwear, skincare, toiletries, tech pouch etc).
Do you prefer your CPP2 or CPL?
The CPP2! I like the size, it feels lightweight and it has just the right amount of organisation for me. I dislike the vertical oriented side access on the front pocket of the CPL and it’s a struggle to get my work laptop in the laptop compartment of the CPL whenever I have stuff in the main compartment.
I actually bought a CPP2 for Black Friday and returned it. The comfort was amazing though. I ask myself every day if I should have kept it.
What made you return it?
I actually love the side access on my CPL24 and I felt the internal pockets on the CPP2 weren't as usable as the CPL's.
For example, I'd put my travel pill case in the top internal pocket in the main cavity. It would buldge to the point where access to stuff in the main compartment would be hindered. Whereas with the CPL, the volume in Evergoods's pockets doesn't eat away at other compartments.
It pains me because I've been searching for a great EDC bag with the comfort I found in the CPP2. Just wasn't as "functional" as the CPL. Totally splitting hairs here and I'm sure I could've worked around it, but opted for the CPL.
Oh, I forgot I purchased the Aer Day Sling 3 in Cordura. I know a lot of people like it but it was in the category ‘Bad’ for me because it didn’t sit nicely with my curves. It didn’t suit me at all. Sold it!
I bought Able Carry Max EDC in Jan 2025 and CPL16 and Aer CPP2 during Black Friday. Bought from Italy (just to say I paied taxes buying the CPL16 at 170€ from EG and not from Mukama).
All the bags are amazing but I fell in love with CPL16, it’s the perfect bag for my usage and I DO LOVE all the horizontal access to the bag. I always tend to put the bag on the horizontal side, and stand like a charm. Opening the three zips (front, mid and internal) while the bag is on a surface it’s something mind blowing and so useful.
I have not used yet che CPP2, but I’m really looking forward to use it. It’s just a bit bigger and I don’t have too much to carry when I go out. Maybe I will use for work or for some short weekend trips
The Max EDC, beast of a bag, it’s really big I have only used during trips (comfort is top notch), but I want to rotate with the other two.
I bought Alpaka Metro Backpack 12L (best little bag on the market for me) and Alpaka Metro Backpack Pro 24 (hate that bag) in the 2024
I really want to stop with the bags too 🤣 the 2026 will be only for Peak Design Medium Packing cube and Evergoods CAP2 (from mukama this time)
Sounds like a solid line up! Which colour is your AC Max EDC?
I bought my CPL16 online at PackSmart. Maybe check them out for the CAP2? They are usually a bit cheaper than Mukama.
I think the PD packing cubes are great for compression from what I’ve seen online.
Tom Bihn Truck is goated. Have gifted at least 4 of them to family and friends this holiday
Highly recommend Thule and Peak Design packing cubes. I'd skip the Tom Bihn PCSB but the 3DOC is a nice little organizer/tiny sling for travel.
unsubbed
Yeah? Simply because I called the Mystery Grab Bag ugly? 😁