Small v Practical

[Perseffect]

Small Cafe Bag v Medium Cafe Bag
Co-Pilot v Pilot
Aeronaut 30 v Aeronaut 45
Ristretto 11 v Ristretto 13
Western Flyer v Tristar
Small Shop Bag v Large Shop Bag
Synapse 19 v Synapse 25

In every single one of these comparisons, I prefer the look and carry of the smaller option. Just a little more compact and more enjoyable to carry.

But often it’s the larger that gets used just simply because of the practicality the extra space provides. I don’t believe any of these are ‘better’ in the larger size other than more space to carry certain sized items (with a potential exception of the Tristar as the extra middle compartment can be handy).

Its the reason that I have both sizes in some of these designs. But I’m going to try harder to carry less and enjoy travelling with the smaller sizes.

Sometimes less is more.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[aedifica]

I don't see the distinction--every bag you listed can be practical in certain circumstances, but nothing is always practical. Maybe "small vs flexible"?

[Muni_Jedi]

I have come to the conclusion that for me it is small v. hey I can fit more I don't need in here

[AVService]

It is funny but one mans Small is anothers way to darn Small!

I have decided to lay out what I need and then find a way to take it with me after many years trying to cram 19 lbs of stuff into 10 lb bags!
I usually do need stuff with me that I can not carry on so I try not to fly.
I also have rarely had a pleasant one bag experience and I am done trying for the sake of being able to do it.

We each carry our own way and no way is wrong.

[G42]

I get where you're going with that Perseffect - it's how I look at those bags too. Of course, everyone else who chimed in has reasonable alternate ways of looking at it; everyone is different.

I travel as plane carry-on only as a norm... sometimes, if I'm over packed for Xmas, I'll check a bag, but prefer not to.

Whilst I like the idea of single bag travel on the plane, I usually end up with two so that one is in the overhead and a much smaller bag is with me at my seat with the stuff I like for a flight. If I'm not traveling with a laptop, that can be a SK or something small... but usually I'm with a computer, so it's backpack time. Unfortunately, the S25 doesn't feel right to me and my ginormous work laptop doesn't fit in the S19, so I'm using a non-TB backpack. Can't wait to see what the new packs will be that they've been hinting at!

If I'm traveling by car, all bets are off! I tend to bring all sorts of random contingency things, just in case! I'm currently eyeing the Yeoman duffles as a way to store and transport camping gear...

[Ivy-J]

If I'm traveling by car, all bets are off! I tend to bring all sorts of random contingency things, just in case! I'm currently eyeing the Yeoman duffles as a way to store and transport camping gear...

I've been thinking about getting a large Yeoman for road trips as well! I have the A45 right now that I've used quite a lot but sometimes you can overpack because you won't be carrying it on your back, flying with it, or moving it around too much. I think the Yeoman will help me get that extra unrestricted space I need in these instances.

On the other hand, flying over seas with the A45 and carrying it around all the time became tiresome. And I've realized it allows me to pack more than I need. Just pulled the trigger on an A30. Will carry a travel cublet in it for my in flight entertainment and personal things. This is how I would like to end up using them.

A30: Overseas trips or budget airline trips

A45: Weekend trips

Large Yeoman Duffel: Road trips where I want to be lazy in packing. (Don't have this yet)

So I guess sometimes I want to pack light to help me be nible while traveling and other times it doesn't matter.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[brucep]

Maybe "small vs flexible"?

You don't need flexibility if you can always pack in the same small space.

I'm currently eyeing the Yeoman duffles as a way to store and transport camping gear...

I'm curious what gear people own when they do this. It would be a poor fit for our stuff. However, we did pick up a medium Yeoman for when the kids travel (by car), so that my wife doesn't have to share her A45.

[G42]

I'm curious what gear people own when they do this. It would be a poor fit for our stuff. However, we did pick up a medium Yeoman for when the kids travel (by car), so that my wife doesn't have to share her A45.

I'm one person and an apartment dweller without a lot of storage space... with partial backpacking vs car camping gear (haven't backpacked in years - just car camped).

So I'm pretty certain I can store & car carry my two person backpacking tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, camp chair, clothes, & cook gear all in one Yeoman - based on the product descriptions. I just have to measure the tent length...

[kathryn]

Interesting proposition!

Of @Perseffect's list, I can only directly compare the A30/A45 and SSB/LSB. The Aeronauts are probably a toss-up, though I do find myself using the A45 more in the winter, in the car, and the A30 more on planes. For the shop bags, I find the small much more practical and useful for my needs, because I would usually rather have two smaller kind of heavy bags of groceries than one big very heavy bag of groceries.

If I'm traveling by car, all bets are off! I tend to bring all sorts of random contingency things, just in case!

I find that many of those things are already in my car on a daily basis, much to the puzzlement of passengers who open my glove compartment or trunk

It's true that I do pack for unlikely contingencies no matter what size bag I am carrying, just not so much a dedicated item/tool for every contingency but rather a collection of items I can MacGyver into whatever I might need. Bonus: I can amuse myself during flight delays by imagining the situations and solutions.

[BWeaves]

For every TB bag I've bought, I've returned or traded the small size for the larger version.
I don't need the liters. I need the 2-D acreage, if that makes sense.
I find the pockets are just too small on the smaller bags.
I'm a flat packer and my laptop and my packing folders don't fit in the smaller versions.

Even SE vs SK, I prefer the SK, even though it is barely filled.

I always underpack, but I need the height and width, not the depth.

[twosandalz]

I'm pretty certain I can store & car carry my two person backpacking tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, camp chair, clothes, & cook gear all in one Yeoman

I got duffles for some of that stuff (pre-discovering TB) and it is sooo nice! The Yeoman would make it even better with it's gaping maw of an opening.

[bchaplin]

I think everyone has a different comfort level. If I'm in a car, all bets are off. But if I'm walking a lot, or the trip involves flying/training/public transportation, I find it's always worth the time needed to pare it down. I've started weighing my bags before each trip. On my last vacation, even the difference of a total weight from 15.8 pounds vs. 17.4 had an impact on how I felt. Particularly when I realized they'd already boarded my plane while I was getting a mocha, and I had to run for the gate!

And for an EDC, there is an appreciable difference between the Small and Medium Cafe Bag. For me. I see people carrying much larger, heavier messenger bags though.

[MatthewR]

For me, it depends on the bag and what I'm doing. Some I prefer the larger size, some I prefer the smaller.

For example, I really haven't found a time yet where I couldn't go on a trip with either the Tri-Star, the Brain Bag, or the Aeronaut 30 -- 30-35L is my sweet spot for extended travel. I could use a Western Flyer for shorter trips, but I'd rather just use my Synapse 25 or cinched-up Brain Bag in that case. The Co-Pilot is a perfect companion for me on the plane, but I don't have a laptop that I'm trying to carry most of the time (and if I do, it wouldn't fit in the Pilot anyway and it'll be in the Tri-Star or Brain Bag) and just want my book or two, Switch, snacks, portable charger & cables.

The Synapse 19 wouldn't work for me because I use my Synapse 25 as my main shopping bag (I don't own a car and walk half a mile each way to the grocery store) so I want it to fit as much as possible while still having some internal organization and I'm a big guy so my rain shell wouldn't easily fit in the S19's bottom pocket anyhow. I could use a stuff sack and just keep it in the main pocket, but I've learned about myself that I'd rather my bag did the organizing and not have to mess with a bunch of bits and bobs when I open the bag. I have the Brain Bag and like it, but I only use it for travel or when I'm going to game and want to bring my monster of a laptop with me.

The Small Shop Bag just isn't worth it for me personally. When I get a lot of groceries (e.g. if I'm hosting a game night that week), it's like I can carry a Large Shop Bag, a Pop Tote, and my backpack, or I can carry 3-4 Small Shop Bags and my backpack. I'd rather less bags to juggle while I'm walking home. Weeks when I'm not getting a bunch of groceries, just some fresh veggies and lunch items, I bring my backpack and the Pop Tote as a backup -- I prefer the Pop Tote when I can manage it because it drizzles a lot here and I'd rather my groceries not be rain slicked by the time I get home. As you might expect, I'm pretty excited for the large zippered shop bags.

It really is one of those things where it depends on your lifestyle, size/shape, and preferences.

[Perseffect]

For every TB bag I've bought, I've returned or traded the small size for the larger version.
I don't need the liters. I need the 2-D acreage, if that makes sense.
I find the pockets are just too small on the smaller bags.
I'm a flat packer and my laptop and my packing folders don't fit in the smaller versions.

Even SE vs SK, I prefer the SK, even though it is barely filled.

I always underpack, but I need the height and width, not the depth.

Great observation. I had been thinking volume but now that I think about it, the 2D spaces in the bag limits the size of some item carried.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[spcanf]

For me, it is not necessarily small v large but rather shape. So I have a dlbc and a pilot, an S 19 and and S25 and a cadet and a brain bag (both of which I will probably get rid of because I really cannot figure out a use for either of them in how my life usually goes) For me, the co-pilot is not the right shape for anything I would ever travel with or carry. I don't carry any bag daily.
For my daily needs, I prefer to be completely bagless but as an attorney I do need to carry a bag from time to time when going to court and sometimes I need to carry stuff for teaching (I teach at a law school and when I started I carried more stuff but now most papers etc are electronic so I am not carrying around much paper these days). Shop bags, ristretto bags, cafe bags are not bags that fit into my needs no matter what size they are. I do put some of the smaller cubes/side effect sorts in my bigger bags but even there I think it is possible for me to have too many little places to stick stuff and I can't remember what is where.
For travel - I avoid air travel as much as possible and when I do have to go by air - it is usually for 3-4 days at most - so smaller packing is not all that much of a problem. For car travel to hotels - I still only take 1 suitcase sort of bag and maybe my S19 or S25 (depending on if I thought I would bring anything back that needed a bag) or now I might take (they are both new to me) - the dlbc or pilot, but the bigger versus smaller is not that pressing of a point because I am not going to be carrying anything far distances on my person.
Perhaps a bigger problem for me is that I like bags and would like to have them in different sizes- I just don't use them on a daily basis and as much as I fantasize about carrying them around and the sorts of things they would be handy for- I know would not do so (because I have closet with unused bags in it).