Tom Bihn Smart Alec

The Tom Bihn Smart Alec is my personal backpack, and really have been thrilled with it since buying it earlier this year.

The Smart Alec is a simple bag — it has one large opening, with two side pockets. While there is a trio a small compartment inside, there’s no big divider inside.

Instead, Tom Bihn offers a wide variety of add-ons that make customizing a bag fairly easy.

In my particular setup, I’ve got a Vertical Brain Cell to keep my MacBook Pro safe and sound in the bag, and a Snake Charmer to keep my numerous cables and chargers contained.

The bag is good-sized, but not too big. It’s comfortable to carry — even on my bike — and the simple black look makes it fit in even at the office.

The Smart Alec starts at $150.00. With the options I’ve chosen, mine ran me $240. That’s a lot of money for a backpack, but I’m not planning on replacing this thing for many, many years.