I had to wait to order this for word from Tom Bihn that they were re-supplied -- that came a few days ago, I ordered, and I've received my blue Bixi just before a long trip.. It's a genius re-design; my 16-inch Macbook Pro (current model) fits perfectly in the very back pocket, with room enough for a supplemental flannel case in the same area; the other two (large) pockets are great with lots of room for -- gulp -- packing, for a six-week trip. Yes, I bring a roller-bag also (an expensive Briggs & Reilly, carry-on size, if needed) but there are things that need to go with me in the cabin -- my CPAP machine, the laptop, a bunch of cables and chargers and whatnot, and various documents that are an inevitable part of moden travel.

This is a beautiful piece of construction. And I'm no Tom Bihn novice; my first Bihn backpack for travel (A Brain Bag, plus a cache for laptop) dates from about 2002 -- I washed it a time or two, but it held up well through the years. It has all the acoutrements -- lots of straps, a water-bottle holder, outside pockets, inside pockets -- you name it. This is a simpler presentation but just about as much room. Strongly recommended, and a pleasure to own and travel with; it straps right on to of my roller bag and make airport travel as painless as it can be (yuck).

I'm a big Tom Bihn fan. After having traveled on business and walked miles with the Bixi, Technonaut 30 and Aeronaut 45, here is my comparison of the three.

The Bixi is a great, single bag for both flying days and office days between flights. I can use the Bixi as both an everyday carry and carry-on luggage. I can fit both a laptop and spare monitor in the laptop compartment. The external water bottle holder works great. There are, however, some limitations. If you stuff the Bixi really full, the short height (17") to volume (32L) ratio makes the bag almost begin to feel like it wants to be a sphere, which makes the bag pull backward on the shoulders. I'm only 5'7", and I have to make the Bixi sit really low on my back (at least it looks quite low) to then use the supplied hip strap. With the Technonaut 30, I could load it like crazy and it was always comfortable without a hip strap, and I think that's due to the extra height (19") on the Technonaut. Therefore, I recommend not loading the Bixi to the hilt. I'd say it's more of a 28L bag that can be stuffed to 32L, with compromises on comfort. In particular, I recommend not overloading the rear-most pocket, as there's just a single layer of fabric, and even keys can make that part of the Bixi look really pokey.

The Technonaut 30, is very comfortable for 6 mile walks, even when stuffed. That said, for office days between flight days, it looks a bit amorphous with only a laptop and accessories. That's why I carry a Daylight…

I have several travel backpacks, including ones from Aer, Evergoods, and Able Carry, and the Bixi is the one I reach for every time.

The organization is thoughtful and obvious -- I know where everything should go. I particularly like the admin pocket, which allows me to grab a pen and sunglasses quickly. I use the zipper pocket in that compartment to stash a book or notebook. The only thing I don't like is that the key leash is too close to the pen slots, so that area can get a little crowded.

The body is light while maintaining it's structure. I'm 5'5 and can pack this thing FULL without feeling like I have to put it down every five minutes. I use Cotopaxi packing cubes and they fit perfectly into the main compartment. I did remove the tie-down straps because they just got in the way of my packing cubes.

The exterior materials look sharp and are super resistant. I spilled something on my Bixi on my last trip and was terrified it would stain. Nope! Looked good as new ten minutes later.

Overall, highly recommend.