I tend to think of a “Freudian Slip” by its commonly known definition: “a verbal mistake that is thought to reveal an unconscious belief, thought, or emotion.” Tom Bihn has recycled the term by cleverly (and I daresay unforgettably) naming their horizontal and vertical organizing pocket panels “Freudian Slips.” Both styles are basically “an insert that gives you eleven extra pockets to provide total organization of your files and accessories,” and they are made to perfectly fit inside Tom Bihn’s Zephyr or Empire Builder briefcases, or ID, Ego, or Super Ego messenger bags. A nylon loop attached to the top of the Freudian Slip makes it “easy to pull out of your bag, and [it] also allows you to hang the slip on the door knob of your office or hotel, allowing you to use the Horizontal Freudian Slip as work-in organization.”

The Freudian Slip is composed of 500 denier Cordura® nylon, and it measures approximately 15″ wide x 12″ tall x 0.5″ thick. There are two zippered pockets at its top, one measuring 8.5″ wide x and up to 5.5″ tall (if you can slip your item under both sides of the zipper) and the other 6″ wide x 5.5″ tall; both zippers are YKK brand and they have 1″ pulls. These zippered pockets will work well for smaller cables, adapters, and memory cards – anything small that could easily get lost; the pocket interiors are lined with lightweight Dyneema ripstop fabric.

Organizer pockets under the zippered ones measure as follows: a 5″ wide x 5″ tall gusseted pocket suitable for fatter PDAs, fatter PDA phones, notebooks, scientific calculators, and other similarly sized items; a 3″ wide x 5″ tall gusseted pocket suitable for mobile phones, thinner PDA phones, etc.; four pen pockets, and a 3″ wide x 3.5″ tall business card pocket. I was sent the Horizontal version, so bear in mind that the vertical will have substantially different measurements.

Flip the Freudian Slip over, and you’ll find two 15″ wide x 8.5″ tall pockets specifically sized to hold files; it works well for filing away a couple of slimmer magazines, too.

Here’s the Horizontal Freudian Slip placed inside the Western Flyer, instantly transforming a travel bag into a briefcase…nice, huh?

The Freudian Slip is a convenient way to instantly give an older, or perhaps less organized bag new life. It is also a great way to make sure that your essentials travel intact from one bag to the next, if you are the type who switches frequently.

The Tom Bihn Horizontal Freudian Slip is available directly from the manufacturer in black with silver trim. The slip is also available in a vertical version; both are made at the Tom Bihn Factory in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

MSRP: $35.00

What I Like: Adds instant pocket organization to most briefcases and backpacks without having to buy a new bag

What Needs Improvement: Nothing