Official Thread: The Hero's Journey

[maverick]

No need to rely on memory -- your packing configuration was detailed in a forum post (or how would I have remembered this?). See the Salut de Paris thread, for pictures and details (of both the bag in transit and the surroundings in Paris)...

BTW, it's not hard for me to find these exact references -- but most of the time I'm on an (old) iPhone and without a lot of time -- so it's just that the number of hand gestures to run the search, copy, paste, and link nicely by moving between the different screens gets too large to do easily.

moriond

You are amazing, @moriond! I love it!

[moriond]

His memory isn't what it used to be, but he believes that for his trip to Paris and Malaga last year, he packed a 12" MacBook inside a Cache, which he then placed inside a Synapse 19, which he then placed inside the main compartment of the Hero's Journey. He also had a 15" MacBook Pro at the time, so it is altogether possible that he could have packed that instead.

He did carry an iPad inside a Cache in the top compartment of the Hero's Journey on a trip to India earlier this year, but he did not bring the MacBook along for that trip.

maverick is a bit silly at times -- he enjoys talking about himself in the third person.

No need to rely on memory -- your packing configuration was detailed in a forum post (or how would I have remembered this?). See the Salut de Paris thread, for pictures and details (of both the bag in transit and the surroundings in Paris). I'll excerpt a bit:

Hi folks!

It's been a while!

I am in Paris, and wanted to share some pictures!

I traveled in the absolutely amazing Hero's Journey! This is my first adventure with this bag, and I love the organization and capacity the Hero's Journey provides. I am amazed at how comfortable the pack was to carry given how much I packed! The padded waist strap is just fantastic! I have to admit, I did get a little carried away...

… [details about various items that were packed]

And, I packed a Synapse 19 in the main compartment as well, which had inside of it a 15" MacBook Pro (Touch bar edition) inside a cache, a 9.7" iPad Pro inside a cache, power adapters and charging cables inside of a Second Aid Pouch, a battery for charging USB devices, and other accessories.

…

BTW, it's not hard for me to find these exact references -- but most of the time I'm on an (old) iPhone and without a lot of time -- so it's just that the number of hand gestures to run the search, copy, paste, and link nicely by moving between the different screens gets too large to do easily.

moriond

[maverick]

If I were using the Hero's Journey with my current laptop complement, I would probably detach the Top Pack and separately carry my 13" Touchbar Model of the Retina MacBook Pro in a cache inside the Top Pack. The smaller form factor is enough to allow the laptop with cache to fit in the Top Pack.

I believe that when @Maverick carried a larger laptop in the HsJ, he packed it within the main compartment of the bag.

HTH

moriond

His memory isn't what it used to be, but he believes that for his trip to Paris and Malaga last year, he packed a 12" MacBook inside a Cache, which he then placed inside a Synapse 19, which he then placed inside the main compartment of the Hero's Journey. He also had a 15" MacBook Pro at the time, so it is altogether possible that he could have packed that instead.

He did carry an iPad inside a Cache in the top compartment of the Hero's Journey on a trip to India earlier this year, but he did not bring the MacBook along for that trip.

maverick is a bit silly at times -- he enjoys talking about himself in the third person.

[moriond]

Correct. There is no designated laptop spot.

If I were using the Hero's Journey with my current laptop complement, I would probably detach the Top Pack and separately carry my 13" Touchbar Model of the Retina MacBook Pro in a cache inside the Top Pack. The smaller form factor is enough to allow the laptop with cache to fit in the Top Pack.

I believe that when @Maverick carried a larger laptop in the HsJ, he packed it within the main compartment of the bag.

HTH

moriond

[TravelManager]

Currently reading through the thread so forgive me, but this bad doesn't have any actual support for a laptop correct? Like of course one can technically fit in but there is no actual supported Laptop area?

Correct. There is no designated laptop spot.

[CashmereEsquire]

Currently reading through the thread so forgive me, but this bad doesn't have any actual support for a laptop correct? Like of course one can technically fit in but there is no actual supported Laptop area?

[Quotidianlight]

@Quotidianlight, I did not find the lack of load lifters to be an issue IF I was careful not to pack the HsJ in a top heavy manner. I am not sure how complicated it would be to have a tailor add them, but I would suggest packing in various ways first before modifying the pack, if you are not sure. Granted, I only tested the pack with about 30 pounds - I don't know that I would want to load it up to 50 or that it would perform well with that kind of weight. The back panel seems to be similar material to my Synapse. I did not overheat in using it, but I generally don't have issues with that except in intense heat.

Thanks, that was helpful. I really wish I lived close to the store so I could try it out in person.

[NWhikergal]

@Quotidianlight, I did not find the lack of load lifters to be an issue IF I was careful not to pack the HsJ in a top heavy manner. I am not sure how complicated it would be to have a tailor add them, but I would suggest packing in various ways first before modifying the pack, if you are not sure. Granted, I only tested the pack with about 30 pounds - I don't know that I would want to load it up to 50 or that it would perform well with that kind of weight. The back panel seems to be similar material to my Synapse. I did not overheat in using it, but I generally don't have issues with that except in intense heat.

[Quotidianlight]

@NWhikergal, Thank you so much for the response--I really value your opinion given that you have used the bag and you also live in/near Seattle. I totally understand what you mean about having specific needs and having specific bags to fulfill them. It just seems to me that the HsJ does an okay job as an travel bag and an okay just as a hiking pack, rather than being a good hybrid option.

If I may, what kinds of situations do you see yourself using the HsJ?

It seems to me that any hut-to-hut, or travel specifically for hiking/camping opportunities automatically voids any concerns about how one looks at a hotel. I have been traveling specifically to hike and have brought my Gossamer bag along as a carry on no problem, and then have set out on the trail upon arrival. If I am traveling for work and want to add some hiking time, then I wouldn't be doing anything more than an overnight and can use my SA. Any tent poles, trekking poles, stove, etc. would need to be checked which can easily be done with my pack in a Cuban Fiber bag (like the one from Zpacks).

I guess I am thinking that any trip where I would be doing hybrid work and outdoor play isn't a trip where I would need a framed pack at all. After all, I wouldn't want to be schlepping around my work clothes/shoes/computer, etc. out on the trail for 30+ miles, you know?

Maybe I am just the wrong fit for the pack, but if this is the case, given that it is a single sheet with no adjustment in the straps this is going to be the case for a good number of people. I am pretty average build, 5'5'' female.

Another note is that it is not nearly trail friendly as a pack that you are going to hike a substantial distance with should be (e.g., there is no easy access to water with the pack on, particularly for someone who doesn't use a bladder. And even for those like yourself who do use bladders, the bag isn't designed to take one).

Like I said, I really want to like this bag--I am so completely satisfied with all of my other TB bags---I just can't for the life of me figure out how this bag was intended to work. (And it seems at least @brucep agrees on this point )

Thanks for the feedback! I am going to head over to @mrbrown's post and read about his experience to see if I can glean any insight from him as well.

I'm a digital nomad carrying a ULA camino and a synapse 25. Anything I buy will be the only pack I own, so no switching out. BUT the Camino is not working for me. It is carry on size but it expands too easily, the top opens too easily and it LOOKS too big. So while carry on size, it attracts way to much attention and opens in transit too easily meaning I have to carry a 1lb aeroporter. The synapse is a great pack as my daily work back but the back gets really hot just walking from one side of a city to another much less hiking. That said, the Camino carries like a boss. the waist belt is really beefy and the load lifter straps made carrying 50 lbs with a bad knee and after being out of shape for 3 years a piece of cake. Similar with my synapse, it carries my computer, sound equipment, groceries anything and doesn't attract too much attention. Now I'm in better shape and I want a system. I'm going to be carrying instrument so a main pack that squeaks through security is now an absolute. But it also has to carry all my stuff and can take multi-day hikes. So far... I'm just not finding it. The Fairpoint 40 was the closest. But I hate being in a hostel and seeing 12 of them, and I also have a hard time doing the two bag front/back carry thing. It's just unwieldy and I bump into everything while trying to fall over. The Hero is the closest to what I want but the heat from the backpanel and lack of load lifters really concerns me. I'm not in great shape yet and I need something that does a lot of the heavy lifting still. Are load lifter straps something I could take to a bag tailor and get added on... Any word on the back panel, is it the same as the synapse? Since it'll be my only bag, I'm not worried about the price and am willing to save up for it. I'm just not sure it won't feel too hot and heavy in actual use.

[operator]

I haven't had an opportunity to try out my HsJ. My next business trip is the week after next. I plan on using it for that business trip. I'll post my impressions of the bag then.

Just gotta plan a camping trip with the boys and then I can really test out the HsJ. I really think I'm going to use this bag for camping trips and maybe even backpacking vacations in Europe. We shall see...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pockets]

Thanks to everyone for your insights. And thanks to @mrbrown for his review of the HsJ on his thread. I agree with him that the top bag is awesome as a lightweight shoulder bag---much like the messenger bag packing cube type minimalist bag that @Lani has been talking about for a while. But $500 for such a bag is not realistic and I am afraid doesn't justify keeping the HsJ.

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for reviews--I really appreciate the views from people who have received the bag to test it out, but I am discouraged that we haven't really heard anything from people who actually purchased the bag. I always worry about getting a biased view from people who understandably feel gratitude at being gifted such a quality item--and usually the larger TB community is quick to join in with their thoughts after ordering themselves. Maybe I just need to give it time for the reviews to pop up.

Again, I really sincerely appreciate the moderators and NWhikergal and mrbrown sharing their experience. I look forward to seeing how this bag is more generally accepted by the customer base.

[bintobeen]

Zpacks actually has a really awesome solution for taking your pack as a carry on or checked bag--their Airplane Case is fantastic, and can be used as a pack liner once you get on the trail. I have used it with my Gossamer Gear Gorilla on an AT nobo and it performed really well. Only added 4 oz and could be used for several different things along the way, after it got my Gorilla and me to the trail head.

I am really struggling with trying to understand the HsJ--I still have the tags on mine and will most likely return it. I do feel like it is a jack of all trades master of none:

1.) it is not a particularly awesome Aeronaut (not as elegant, and has the added weight of the frame which is necessary for 90% of travel)

2.) it is not a particularly awesome daypack--particularly when you have the choice between a S19 and a DLBP. In backpack mode the bag is too small to be of much use for a serious hike (even short ones--see Darcy's great hike packing list for her S19)

3.) it is not a particularly awesome pack-while the waist strap does allow for transfer of some weight, the overall shape and design of the bag (e.g. boxy, with a large brain when you have the bags zipped together but no stabilizer straps for it, etc.) really prevents it from being a solid pack. It is too heavy to be an UL or even a light pack, but too striped down to be a serious load hauler. I think that people here have generally been right on to suggest that there are tons of great small US companies for the former in the Ultralight camp, and tons of great larger companies for the serious load haulers (e.g. Osprey, Arc'teryx, etc.).

I do admit that it awesome at being able to work as any one of these things in a pinch--but I have been spoiled by my other TB bags that are SO AWESOME at everything I need them to do that I am not sure I could get over the sub-par performance of any one of these points--not to mention all three!

In short, I really want to love this bag---like really, really want to love it. But it just doesn't do anything quite as well as a bag that is specifically designed to be a maximum carry-on/daypack/hiking pack. And over $500.00 (including side pockets) for a bag that doesn't quite shine is a lot of money.

I hope that we here some more reviews--maybe I am totally missing something here. It is obvious that the TB crew really loves the outdoors, so what am I missing????

Pockets, you write EXACTLY my thoughts in a much clearer way than I could. I know many TB diehards don't like hearing crit of their company, but as an owner of more than a few TB bags, I'm really puzzled about this. Too heavy and lacking basic features for real long term hiking (and as you say, there's everything from UL gram counters/ligherpack.com folks to osprey/lowe alpine/arcteryx/mysteryranch for the heavier folks), and too backpackery and unwieldy for hotel hiking. Perhaps hut-to-hut, as in the pics accompanying the product page, is an appealing way to use the pack as it seems more refined and fancy, but I've never done that.

The thing, as you write, about TB packs is the commitment to filling purpose, to not counting every gram but being lightweight about what you do - there's something here thats missing - or that *I'm* missing. What is it??

[NWhikergal]

@pockets, I haven't had the opportunity yet to try out the HsJ for leisure/work travel, so I am also interested to hear @mrbrown's insights. So my thoughts are based on conjecture.

In past travel scenarios, for leisure/work travel, I have often traveled with my SA in combination with a Pilot, and I have been happy with that combination. But for some trips that require more formal work wear plus I want to bring exercise and sightseeing clothes, I have at times struggled to fit everything I want into that combo. I tried test packing an Aeronaut 45, and while I adored the organization, I found it to be too heavy for me if I was not incredibly disciplined, given its lack of a padded hip belt and frame sheet.

In certain ways, the HsJ is trying to check so many boxes, there are some compromises. The convertible backpack is smaller than I would prefer, so I might be more tempted to travel with the main body and instead bring a DLBP or equivalent in the bag, depending on the trip, if I wanted a day pack. And I really like the additional organization of the Pilot and Co-Pilot for various scenarios. In some ways I think the decision whether to purchase a HsJ may be most difficult for those who do not have multiple TB bags already, to know if it makes sense to get purpose specific bags versus the HsJ, which is almost like a travel system, with the ability to cover multiple scenarios.

In situations when I don't want to have a wheeled bag, I think the HsJ could be a viable option for my purposes. Or if I was on extended travel, I would likely appreciate the easy accessibility of its contents versus a top loading system.

[pockets]

@NWhikergal, Thank you so much for the response--I really value your opinion given that you have used the bag and you also live in/near Seattle. I totally understand what you mean about having specific needs and having specific bags to fulfill them. It just seems to me that the HsJ does an okay job as an travel bag and an okay just as a hiking pack, rather than being a good hybrid option.

If I may, what kinds of situations do you see yourself using the HsJ?

It seems to me that any hut-to-hut, or travel specifically for hiking/camping opportunities automatically voids any concerns about how one looks at a hotel. I have been traveling specifically to hike and have brought my Gossamer bag along as a carry on no problem, and then have set out on the trail upon arrival. If I am traveling for work and want to add some hiking time, then I wouldn't be doing anything more than an overnight and can use my SA. Any tent poles, trekking poles, stove, etc. would need to be checked which can easily be done with my pack in a Cuban Fiber bag (like the one from Zpacks).

I guess I am thinking that any trip where I would be doing hybrid work and outdoor play isn't a trip where I would need a framed pack at all. After all, I wouldn't want to be schlepping around my work clothes/shoes/computer, etc. out on the trail for 30+ miles, you know?

Maybe I am just the wrong fit for the pack, but if this is the case, given that it is a single sheet with no adjustment in the straps this is going to be the case for a good number of people. I am pretty average build, 5'5'' female.

Another note is that it is not nearly trail friendly as a pack that you are going to hike a substantial distance with should be (e.g., there is no easy access to water with the pack on, particularly for someone who doesn't use a bladder. And even for those like yourself who do use bladders, the bag isn't designed to take one).

Like I said, I really want to like this bag--I am so completely satisfied with all of my other TB bags---I just can't for the life of me figure out how this bag was intended to work. (And it seems at least @brucep agrees on this point )

Thanks for the feedback! I am going to head over to @mrbrown's post and read about his experience to see if I can glean any insight from him as well.

[brucep]

Why you returning the Exos?

I haven't decided yet. The alternate route I'm considering is: MCB, current daypack, travel bag, and Exos (or equivalent).

Thought I'd say there's a beautiful cottage industry of actual backpacking packs - ULA Designs, Hyperlite Mountain Gear, Six Moons Design, Zpacks, etc etc..

I think I know most of them, and I've bought some small items from a few of them, but I've haven't looked at big bags too seriously. I did consider looking at GG, but they had no stock at the time.

I am really struggling with trying to understand the HsJ … what am I missing?

This.