February 24, 2010 – 10:34 am
In 2008, we donated bags to Support for International Change (SIC), a non-profit that teaches HIV/AIDS education and administers HIV tests in rural Tanzania. They sent us amazing photos of their community health workers using their Timbuk2 bags in Tanzanian communities and recently sent us an update (see photos below). SIC began providing rural communities with free HIV testing in 2004 and has since been recognized as a regional leader in rural HIV service provision. Home-based testing (HBVCT) is a vital service for the rural villages SIC serves because in such areas there is a lot of misunderstanding about HIV and a hesitance to attend public testing days due to associated stigma. Through HBVCT, SIC reaches people who might not otherwise be tested, works with families as a whole, spends more time educating them on HIV, and are able to directly link people who test positive with supportive services in their communities.
A SIC community education program in Tanzania.
SIC’s community health workers use Timbuk2 bags to carry HIV testing supplies and information about HIV/AIDS to the communities in which they work. HIV counselors Paulina Samhenda and Efrem Senengo explain, “The Timbuk2 bags help us to maintain client privacy and simplify the work, especially when we visit a lot of houses in one day. The bags are sturdy, of good quality, easy to carry, and hold all of our supplies. Most importantly, it allows us to move freely in the communities we work in and be able to provide this needed service.”
HIV counselors Paulina Samhenda and Efrem Senengo practicing an HIV test before heading into the field.
What do you carry? This messenger belongs to a SIC Community Health Worker and is full of HIV/AIDS information pamphlets that are passed out in the communities where they work.
SIC pairs American volunteers with Tanzanian teaching partners to teach the HIV/AIDS curriculum in Tanzania’s government schools. It’s a great opportunity for everyone involved. The Americans gain volunteer experience in Africa and the Tanzanians earn competitive wages and the respect of their communities while helping others protect themselves from HIV/AIDS. Learn more about SIC volunteer opportunities here.
February 23, 2010 – 2:38 pm
Perhaps the coolest thing about our new office is that when it rains it pours! The rain is pounding on the skylights right now. Better than listening to Enya.
Look at Timbuk2’s skylights and listen to this. Try to relax. Try not to pee.
February 23, 2010 – 10:17 am
Timbuk2 recently supported the non-profit Life House Duluth in Duluth, Minnesota. Similar to Timbuk2’s Bag Recycling partner, At The Crossroads, Life House Duluth does street outreach with homeless and displaced youth. Their team’s blue uniforms have become a symbol of trust for youth in their community, so blue custom messengers were a great fit for them. We’re happy we could support Life House Duluth’s work. Learn more about their outreach here.
Life House Duluth team members with their new custom messengers.
February 22, 2010 – 4:13 pm
Many of you are familiar with the What’s In Your Bag mecca on Flickr, where you can peruse thousands of photos of what’s inside people’s bags. It’s strangely fascinating. And then of course there’s the What’s REALLY In Your Bag which seems to be a slightly more dangerous version of What’s In Your Bag. This week Tim J decided to send his WIYB photo directly to our team. He regularly carries 19 items. I find that fairly impressive, although I fear we all probably carry 10x more items in our bags than we think we do . . . Check out Tim’s contents below.
Tim on Tim’s Bag: “A friend asked me once after seeing me pull some amazing things out of my bag, how much crap do I really carry? So I decided to take a picture . . . I’m a systems admin and student at a University in Northern Illinois and ride my bicycle to work almost every day of the year and my Timbuk2 bag is on my back every day. I’ve had it for more than two years now and it’s by far the longest lasting, best made bag I’ve ever owned.”
Tim’s Timbuk2 treasure trove.
So Necessary: Tim carries not one but two laptops, just like James Fallows. See what else he carries below.
- 17″ Macbook Pro
- Power adapter for the Macbook
- 15″ Toshiba laptop (not something I usually carry, I was bringing it into work to drop off for a friend but it was still in the bag this morning)
- Ac-adapter for the Toshiba
- Blue spiral notebook – usually accompanied by a textbook or two
- Red small notebook – I’m notorious for coming up with ideas in strange places so I keep that around so I don’t forget.
- Deck of cards
- Calculator
- Remote for Macbook
- DVI-VGA converter cable
- Headphones
- Stereo splitter
- Bottle of Advil
- Pens (2) and a mechanical pencil
- Big pink eraser
- Various (3) flash-drives
- Whistle
- Bandanna
- Clear safety glasses – for riding home at night to keep snow out of my eyes
- The bag – Timbuk2 Outtawhack Daypack
Thanks for sharing Tim! May we recommend some lumbar stretching?
February 19, 2010 – 2:07 pm
Fridays here in Hayes Valley Moishe’s Pippic has a special, Beef Brisket sandwich with a side salad and a pickle for $9.95 We LOVE it! Cash only, but totally worth it! When you come here to check out our store give them a proper hello: 425 Hayes St. in between Octavia and Gough.
Rye bread, mustard and lots and lots of meat!
Jared, embarking on his meat coma adventure. Eyes closed ready to take in the TRUE Beef Brisket sandwich.
February 19, 2010 – 12:18 pm
Fear not! Our new office remains a dog haven less the open staircase that seems to freak them out. Today there are dogs sprinkled all over the place; upstairs, downstairs, under my feat. Change is always good, but dogs are always better.
Jordan multi-tasking in our new office with his co-pilot, Tipper.
February 18, 2010 – 1:16 pm
We spotted Erin and her ruffled messenger on Alabama Street yesterday. She rescued this messenger from a break-up and added the ruffles to make it her own. She rocks it with her hand-made tape player strap-on. Beat that!
See other Timbuk2 showstoppers here or see them all on our city map. Know a Showstopper that deserves some airtime? Send a photo of them in their showstopping T2 bag to
blog@timbuk2.com .
Erin stealing the show on Alabama Street with her ruffled messenger.
Erin’s up-close ruffles.
Every tape player needs a home. Erin’s is home-made and way better than yours.
February 17, 2010 – 1:58 pm
Yesterday was a big one for us. The first custom messengers were sewn in our new San Francisco factory on Folsom Street and it’s Chinese New Year. Good omens galore!
To honor this achievement, the Timbuk2 team signed the first two messengers that came off the line. It was fitting that Hui kicked off the bag signing because she’s Timbuk2’s longest standing employee with 14 years of bag building under her belt. She has seen our manufacturing facilities on Treat Street, Alabama Street, and now Folsom Street. If you need to get it done, just ask Hui.
Big bad ups to Hui and the team for getting our new factory up and running on Folsom.
Hui with the first custom messenger made in our Folsom Street factory. Hui runs one of Timbuk2’s two cells that produce custom bags. She’s been building bags for TImbuk2 for 14 years and makes being awesome look easy.
The sewing team signing the first custom messengers made in our new Folsom Street factory.
February 16, 2010 – 12:05 pm
Phew! Over the weekend we actually made it to our new digs. But not without a few hiccups. We just got back online – the world is too quiet without the world wide web – and are working feverishly to catch up on calls and emails while searching for boxes we need like now. For those of you who are annoyed with us, please be gentle. We’re doing our best and will be back to our old selves in no time (i.e. one or two days).
Want to see what our move looked like? See below and here.
Our sad, lonely desks. All lined up waiting to be rolled to their new home.
Chairs without bodies. A new MOMA exhibit.
Cord craziness.
Our CEO Mike literally found a special prize in the move. Some guys have all the luck.
February 10, 2010 – 2:12 pm
If we don’t answer your calls or we’re slow to reply to emails over the next few days, you’re not getting dumped. We’re still totally into you, we’re just moving (down the street). Seriously it’s not you, it’s us. Get the full scoop below.
Our Big Move (February 12 – 15). Timbuk2’s office and factory are in the process of moving (down the street). As a result, our office and factory will be closed Friday, February 12 – Monday, February 15. During this time all ready-made orders will be processed and shipped regularly, but no custom orders will be built or shipped. Production and shipment of custom orders will resume Wednesday, February 17.
This sign says, “We’re Moooooving,” it’s just really hard to read.
Packing up everything and everyone.
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