The other day, our good friend Matt Alexander launched his long-awaited startup, Need. To sum it up, Need is a monthly, curated retailer and lifestyle magazine for men. What does that mean? Well, the way it works is that each month, Need unveils a line of awesome, limited-quantity products – such as attire, books, artwork, coffee, and more – that they've partnered…
I've often heard good things about the bags sold by Topo Designs, but to be honest, I never could get into their design aesthetic. Thankfully, they recently partnered up with the people at Woolrich (one of the oldest flannel companies around) and together they've produced a line of awesome-looking bags that are definitely more my style. These are essentially the same bags…
The Killspencer Daypack is a handsome backpack made from premium materials and capable of carrying just about everything you might need on a daily basis. The exterior of each Daypack sports a suede bottom, with the upper exterior being made from either leather or waxed canvas depending on which model you choose (each with matching, foam-padded strap material). The interior is equipped…
Our fearless editor Shawn Blanc is known to be an avid snowboarder, and with winter almost upon us, I think it's the perfect time to talk about Oakley's new Snowmad R.A.S (removable airbag system) Backpack ($225). Designed for cross-country treks, this bag can hold your snowboard vertically, or your skis in one of two positions: diagonal or A-frame. It also has multiple…
If you're the type of photographer who's always dreamed of carrying your gear like Hawkeye, then the Urban Quiver by Blackstone Bags should be right up your alley. Made of military-grade nylon and sporting a surprising amount of storage space despite its slim profile (including a dedicated smartphone pocket on the shoulder strap), the Urban Quiver is an awesome way to tote…
Nock Co. is a new startup by Jeffrey Bruckwicki and Brad Dowdy focused on creating beautiful, functional pen accessories. Their initial Kickstarter project features numerous products. Ranging from the The Chimneytop, a mini pop-up case with a single zipper for 6-7 pens to The Brasstown, a zippered roll case for pens, pencils, small tools and more. All of Nock Co's items are…
The ProTravel Carry-on by Minaal is a Kickstarter that caught my eye recently. Essentially, it's a backpack that was specifically designed with travelers in mind. The main pocket opens up wide enough that the bag can lie flat while you pack, and the full-length zips make it easy to retrieve any of your belongings without having to dig around for that one…
The Hack Lederware Sport Duffel ($239) is a canvas-and-suede bag that I think would be a perfect carry-on companion for air travelers. It sports a nicely textured exterior, with dual leather carrying handles and a detachable linen webbing messenger strap. As for storage, there is one main compartment with two inside pockets, as well as a couple of exterior zippered slip pockets.…
Remember the Grid-It organizer I wrote about a while back? Well as it turns out, the guys at Cocoon have made a backpack – the Cocoon SLIM ($80) – that actually incorporates a large Grid-It organizer into one of its two main pockets. The other main pocket can hold a 15" MacBook Pro, and there's even a separate iPad compartment. This backpack…
Summertime is in full swing, and the weather here in Oklahoma City has been quite pleasant this year, unlike previous years where it's constantly 100°F or higher. It's perfect picnic weather, and I'm considering picking up a couple of these Yield Picnic Bags. Essentially, it's a tote bag you can carry your food and/or drink with, and when you get to the…
Remember that Journey Pack bag from Sons of Trade that I posted the other day? Well, there's another bag made by the same people that I think is also worth mentioning: the Satellite Sling. Unlike the Journey Pack, which is made from felt, this bag sports a matte cotton canvas exterior with a water-resistant nylon lining. It's a relatively small bag, but…
Ever since I picked up an iPad 4, I've been on the lookout for a bag that will snugly accommodate the device along with some other items. The Journey Pack by Sons of Trade ($139) seems to fit the bill nicely. It sports a sturdy felt exterior (available in black, olive, or gray) with water-resistant interior lining, and lots of little storage…
The Mirrorless Mover 10 Camera Bag looks like a great bag if you've made the jump to Micro 4/3. This bag is built for the more compact systems, but includes space for an additional lens, cables and more. Best part? It's just $45.
While my Smart Alec is a great backpack, its solid-black construction isn't great for visibility when I'm on my bike. This problem is easily solved, however. Tom Bihn has a Glowire kit for sale for the bag now. It's $18, and is available in green, yellow and aqua. The kit comes with a power pack (and two AA batteries!), and a 1.5…
I've said this before, but it must be very obvious by now that we love great bags here at Tools and Toys. Today I wanted to talk a little about this carryall by Billykirk, which they've dubbed the 'No. 165 Medium'. If you don't already know, Billykirk is an American company run by a couple of brothers (Chris and Kirk Bray) who…
While Chris' post yesterday is fine and all, I like my bags a bit darker. A bit more menacing, if you will. Enter the Booq Courier. Dressed in graphite nylon on the outside, with a herringbone nylon interior. This particular example is for a 13-inch laptop, but the company makes other sizes, too. Reflective piping lines the edges, making it a nice…
I'm starting to notice a trend within myself: apparently I like navy-blue-and-leather bags. Today's specimen is the Sandqvist Erik Blue messenger bag, which is made of 1000 denier Cordura nylon and features vegetable-tanned leather straps. There's a padded pocket big enough for a 15" MacBook Pro, as well as a nifty, removable waist strap for keeping the bag secure when riding a…
I consider myself a messenger bag kind of guy, but every now and then a sweet-looking backpack will catch my eye (rhyme unintended but I'm leaving it). Such is the case with the Tribute Cloak Backpack by HEX ($100). The navy blue corduroy material and leather straps give it a classy, almost timeless look, but the modernly-designed interior can hold a MacBook…
I've written about my Smart Alec before, and I genuinely love it. However, since buying mine a while back, Tom Bihn has released an update to the backpack. While both the new and old bags have a lot in common, such as the internal clips for a notebook sleeve and a compartment built until the lid. The new bag's lid compartment is…
We recently talked about Everlane's Snap Backpack, and figured it'd only be fitting to also mention their Weekender Duffel Bag. As with the snap backpack, this duffle sports a high-quality canvas outer with waterproof interior lining and leather accents. Every color choice features a bold stripe accent that sets off its otherwise simple exterior. And Everlane has smartly designed the hand straps…