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FLAP Bag - Would You Use it?
Do you think Timbuk2's FLAP Bag is a useful product? Do you have ideas on where it would be most effective (sub-Saharan Africa, New York City?) or how it could be improved (waterproof, lower profile)?
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Inappropriate?The information about the FLAP bag is incomplete. It's really important to know the estimated weight of the bag with its battery to imagine its applications.
Assuming the bag will weigh less than 15lbs. I think a vital application is in disaster relief. (Make them white and red instead of brown). During disaster relief efforts, portable light and power for search and rescue teams is crucial. However, the terrain and environment is almost certainly unforgiving, and bag like the FLAP could be very useful. However - those teams will be carrying other equipment, and a messenger bag may not be ergonomically compatible with other packs for carrying that equipment. A redesign of the strap to enable both standard messenger bag carriage as well as backpack under-carriage could be very useful. -
Inappropriate?Conrad - great thoughts. Thank you. The electronics and battery pack weigh far less than a pound and the bag is a lightweight nylon that weighs About a pound, so you're looking at less than 2 pounds total. I can/will find out the exact measurements; apologies for not knowing that now! I like your note on the bag's strap system too. A backpackay be more practical for a lot of folks
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Inappropriate?Thanks for the info Labda! At around 2 lbs, beyond emerging markets, simple personal applications are actually worth considering. Bicycle commuters carry significant lighting equipment already, and Timbuk2 could incorporate full cyclist rear-visible signaling: from turn signaling to even braking. Beyond lighting, powering personal devices, from cell phones, to 2-way radios, to GPS devices is possible. Even powering cameras to record a cyclist's journey through traffic, or a hiker's journey through the wilderness might be useful and would pull little juice.
Search and rescue teams also need coordinating support in the form of team location and communication services. A Timbuk2 Location-Aware bag could be neat for those teams, or just for travelers wanting to share their journey, or for people trying to recover a lost or stolen bag - heck, just finding your buddies at the park.
I'm in SF too, we could hack together a prototype on a Saturday if you want any help trying out some ideas.
I’m excited
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Inappropriate?A Swig or Q version of this bag would be far more practical for search and rescue teams than a messenger-type bag.
I’m confident
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Inappropriate?We're getting a lot of feedback that people would prefer a backpack style to a messenger . . . super helpful to know.
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Inappropriate?So I got a flap bag at poptech and am now in Mumbai...testing it out of course. Light works great but can't get USB to charge my iPhone. Am I missing something or is it possible that something isdefective? Backpack could be cool but mesenger is fine. Just needs strap padding as strap is hard on shoulde hen bag is weighted. Also 4 watt is a bit stiff and clunky tryingto close. But overall if USB would work this thing would be fantastic! If just the light it's really only relevant in light-challenged makers. -
Inappropriate?Houseofcha - the USB port acts as a direct charge so you're bag has to be in the sunlight for it to charge whatever is connected to the USB port. It won't charge off the battery. Try that and please let me know if it doesn't work. We will get this sorted for you!
I agree with you regarding the light - it's not relevant for those with access to light. Since you're in Mumbai, perhaps you can ask a few folks who may not have access to portable light? We have a lot to learn about this product so your feedback is incredibly helpful.
Thanks for your support and let me know if the direct charge works for your iPhone. -
Inappropriate?Aha! I see. Well i will give the direct charge USB a try later today. That could come in very handy indeed! To be honest, the light is useful as well especially when biking around at night time as I'm sure it was intended. But if it works as a direct charge for phone that will be better than no charge at all. I will let you know how it goes. Many thx!
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Inappropriate?Do I need to turn on the light to activate the direct charge or should it just charge automatically? Or does it have to be in the light for a certain amount of time? Nothing seems to be happning...
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Inappropriate?You do not need to turn on the light to activate the direct charge. It should just work. The light and the charge are separate things . . . enjoy and definitely let me know if it doesn't kick in.
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Inappropriate?Hi i got a bag at poptech and i'm testing it in the wilds of NYC. the light went dim and now does not come on even when i'm holding the bag under a light to test. if the battery runs to empty is there a minimum charge required to get the battery to light? -
Inappropriate?Kenny. I consulted our solar expert Charles and he said the following:
"Yes, there is a minimal charge. The threshold is at about 2V, a fully charged battery reads about 4V. At this point, you should place the solar panels in direct sunlight (outside is preferred to through a window, although it will still charge in that scenario, albeit slower). We are still working on a battery user profile that will show the ‘sweet spot’ of recommended use time to charging; this beta testing is part of that.
As a recap— all users should light soak the panels for up to 6 hours to fully recharge the LED light battery. Also note that simultaneously plugging in a USB device will divert incoming converted solar power away from the built-in Li-ion battery and towards the peripheral device."
So, looks like your solar panels need to soak up some rays for up to 6 hours and keep your USB gadgets out of the picture while it's charging if you want to fully charge the battery. Let me know if that works!
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Inappropriate?I'm currently spending time in Cambodia, in and around Siem Reap, where children quite often are riding bicycles and walking on often congested and treacherous highways. Something like this would make them much more visible and also could be used where electricity is not available,aiding them in their reading and studying. It amazes me Cambodia's commitment to the education of it's youth,. What a great opportunity to make a big difference
I’m perpetually happy.
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Inappropriate?Bob. Thank you for your thoughts! I love the idea of school kids using the FLAP bag on their daily bike commutes and perhaps during homework sessions at night. I would be interested to learn what price point you think would work for this product in Cambodia. It seems there is a real need for this product in developing countries, so we are exploring costing options to try and see if we can meet that need at a realistic price point.
I’m inspired.
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Inappropriate?Why can't you charge from the battery? I'd imagine that would be very useful. -
Inappropriate?@Forteller, thanks for the input. Charles here, from the Portable Light end of things.
For our beta FLAP proto, we've used the same board that has been tested in various embodiments for other applications all over the world, where our main focus has been to power the HBLED lights. As we're getting feedback, we'll almost certainly add this function for the next build--among other suggestions from our FLAP testing group. (BTW, did you get one of these?)
Until then, feel free to get out in the sunshine to charge your USB device!
I’m curious
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Inappropriate?I'm excited to see that someone has developed this! And it's used for good humanitarian purposes as well! Is there any possibility of just purchasing one at this point? I downloaded the FLAP Inquiry Form, but I feel sort of silly filling out when it clearly says there's a 200 unit minimum.
I’m excited.
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Inappropriate?Don't feel silly! Even if you just want one unit, that's totally cool. We just need 200 TOTAL units to be able to place an order, so every little bit counts. Please submit your completed FLAP inquiry form to customerservice@timbuk2.com. I'll receive it faster that way and then I'll put your name on our growing users for the future order.1 Comment
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Actually, send that form to flap@timbuk2.com. Even better :) -
Inappropriate?The FLAP bags are not locally relevant in India in the sense that they are not designs that local women would carry due to cultural/clothing/style norms locally. Village women or even most urban women don't really carry backpacks, leave alone messenger bags. Have you ever thought of how these can be used while wearing a saree, burkha or salwar-kameez? I suspect not.
If you guys are really interested in designing for developing countries, you'd do well to consider local cultural and user research. Email me if you need direction, or would like to send across some kits to be stitched locally with designs the locals would actually use.1 Comment Add a comment
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Anarchytecture. Thanks for your feedback. We have only sent prototypes to west and east Africa and rural areas in the US. So we have not designed for the specific uses you outlined. Definitely something we'd need to consider and something we will keep in mind when trying to improve the design. Our goal is to keep it modular so each user can hack it as needed.
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Inappropriate?I suggest you link up with VillagePhone. They provide phones to remote villages where otherwise telecommunications would not be available. They started in Bangladesh as an offshoot from the Grameen Bank and they have grown from there.
http://www.villagephonedirect.org/con...
I’m happy
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Lynchinglos. Thx for the tip. Will check them out.
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Inappropriate?I'm thinking of writing a report about FLAP bags, and linking it as a good will initiative for students of specified programs. Can anybody tell me what professions can be credited for the development of this product? Engineers? Lighting designers of some sort? I am very interested in unveiling this idea to some scholars at my university.
I’m Intrigued
