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TENBA > IT'S ALL IN THE BAG
As anyone who has tried to fly with a
laptop knows, it can be a challenge. With
airport security regulations tightened in
the wake of 9/11, travelers have to remove
their laptops completely from their cases
and have them X-rayed separately – not
an easy or convenient thing to do,
especially if you're also juggling other
bags, coats, and shoes.
Or then again, maybe your laptop isn't the
challenge, but your camera bag. Perhaps it
is unwieldy and hard to carry, or maybe its
storage capacity isn't what it should be. Or
maybe size isn't the issue, but the ability to
have your equipment organized in the bag
in a logical way, so that you can easily find
what you need when you need it.
The good news for anyone who has ever
experienced these situations is Tenba
. Tenba is a company that
specializes in bags and bag accessories
that enable you to easily carry everything
from your laptop to a high-end camera.
Of course, the term bags doesn't even
begin to describe the quality and
attention to detail Tenba puts into their
products – all of which are designed with
an eye to their customers needs.
Take, for instance, the situation with
laptops at airports. To answer that need,
Tenba offers the Skooba Checkthrough.
The Skooba Checkthrough is a laptop bag
with a separate window compartment
inside of it. This compartment is designed
so the image of the laptop presented to
the X-ray machine screener is the same as
what they would see if the laptop had
actually been removed from the bag and
placed in a bin.
Users simply have to open the bag and
place it face up on the security belt.
"Checkpoint-friendly", and able to hold as
much (if not more) than a "regular"
computer bag, the Skooba Checkthrough
should be the first choice for all travelers.
As for cameras, Tenba offers users a whole
line of camera bags called Shootout.
Shootout encompasses everything from
backpacks and shoulder bags to the
Slingbag, which allows users to organize
their cameras and equipment in such a
way that all they have to do is reach in
and grab what they need.
Tenba's Messenger bags, meanwhile, are
made of tough nylon, and are available in
two sizes (small and large), and seven
colors. There is even a special edition
Messenger bag which is available in an
extra large size and includes a custom
laser engravable name tag.
But just as impressive as the variety of
Tenba's offerings is their emphasis on user
friendly design. In a recent press release
Tenba's Peter Waisner was quoted as
saying, "(We) pay an obsessive amount of
attention to details. Our Messenger bags,
for example, feature zipper access from
the top. That may seem like a little thing,
but if you add up all those little things –
the ones photographers have asked for –
you end up satisfying that portion of the
market in a big way."
And as if superior design weren't enough,
Tenba also offers style. Their bags are
sporty and rugged enough for the
outdoor photographer, while at the same
time elegant and professional enough for
the business user. They are also priced in
such a way that just about anyone can fit
one into their budget, even in these tough
economic times.
WORDS BY JONE DEVLIN