The Techonaut / Technonaut Thread!

[Winston19]

Hello TB Forums. New member but I have a question about the Techonaut. Long story short, coming from an RedOxx AirBoss (zipper failed) and need a new bag for a trip in early November. I hadn't been bag shopping for a long time and my original idea was to get a A45. But when I arrived at the site, I was immediately intrigued by the Techonaut45. Do you think there is any chance I would be able to get one before I leave on 11/8/2021? If not, I'm going to most likely pull the trigger on the A45 currently available but also looking at a few other cheaper options with the idea I'll eventually replace it with the Techonauts when its available.

Thanks!
AHOOP24

Red Oxx will fix the zipper under warranty.

[moriond]

How is the comfort of the T45 packed out without the hip strap and frame sheet? Do you feel the need for either for longer carries, at airports, etc.? Is there sufficient stiffness in the skeleton back panel to work well with a padded hip belt and negate the need for a frame sheet?

My comment on the T30 only, since I don’t have the T45, and note that I have not had occasion to travel with this, The T30 combination with padded hip belt works well without a separate frame sheet; the additional support of a frame sheet is not needed here. However, you were asking about the T45 (that I don’t have). Darcy’s comment was that their testers agreed that the T30 didn’t need an additional frame sheet, but that opinions were split about 50-50 on whether the T45 + padded hip belt needed the additional frame sheet.

An additional advantage of the back panel design of the Techonaut is that you can leave the padded hip belt attached, and tuck the sections behind the back panel.

moriond

[G42]

How is the comfort of the T45 packed out without the hip strap and frame sheet? Do you feel the need for either for longer carries, at airports, etc.? Is there sufficient stiffness in the skeleton back panel to work well with a padded hip belt and negate the need for a frame sheet?

For the frame sheets, I never felt the need for them with my Aeronaut 30 and 45 - and never tried them - so have not gotten them for the T30/T45 either.

I have used the padded hip belt on the A45 a few times, usually when traveling with an extremely full & heavy bag for the year end holidays where I was carrying the bag backpack style for long walks including mass transit, airports, etc. and when the holiday crush of travelers meant standing around with it a lot. That specific use, for me, was to get some of the weight transferred to my hips vs shoulders and for that it seemed to work, so I would expect it would work the same way with the T45.

I haven't used the T45 at an airport yet and don't expect to until next year maybe - I'm road traveling the balance of 2021 except for one flight back to CA where the T30 will be with me.

[Foxx]

I am finally on the road after packing my entire life up and storing it away and I am woefully behind on trying to take photos and do write ups of new bags....
But along with a bunch of other stuff, I have the T30 and T45 with me - courtesy of TB for my independent review & evaluation - and I'll be getting to those photos, etc. soon.

My first quick impressions of the T30, photos later:

-I love the 400d Night Walk halcyon (you all know I've always been a big halcyon fan)
-I backpack carried it for a while and up and down stairs as I was moving and the new Edgeless straps are really really nice. I never had a problem with the previous 'Bound' style straps on my S19s, BB's, or Aeronauts. The only time I noticed them was carrying the A45 under completely heavy/full load through airports and that was due to the sheer weight. My T30 isn't very heavy, but the straps are just noticeably comfy and cushy.
-Almost more noticeable to me is the main side handle which also gets the super cush Edgeless treatment. I had my Paragon on my back and was hand carrying the T30 from the car, through the hotel (very very far from the lobby to my room) and it was just amazingly and noticeably comfy.

-Top pocket: Nat'l Parks 'Passport' book & small OP with Passport, important docs, etc.
-Longer side pocket - open for water bottle
-Shorter side pocket - pair of wrist splints & headlamp

-Big bottom pocket: A30 small laundry cube with squishy socks, undies, etc. This makes the lower pocket flat and the bag sits up well on that base. (I know a lot of folks have mentioned using that space for shoes, and I'm trying that on the T45.)
-Main compartment: pair of jeans & pair of workout pants folded flat; one large Eagle Creek Specter Sac (14.5 x 10.5) with several folded shirts sideways across the space; one A30 end cube on the same level - at the top of the space. Next layer up: reisenthel dirty laundry bag; travel Waterpik cube/case; new Grab Bag (courtesy of TB) with toiletries; Kit (disco'd item) with more toiletries; Small Q-kit with a toothbrush charger; and a Cubelet.

So far, really cool bag - the vibe is definitely more pack than duffel to me, but still seems easy to 'live out of' so far, like my beloved A30.


(eta, corrected sheer vs shear; homophones get me every time!)

How is the comfort of the T45 packed out without the hip strap and frame sheet? Do you feel the need for either for longer carries, at airports, etc.? Is there sufficient stiffness in the skeleton back panel to work well with a padded hip belt and negate the need for a frame sheet?

[GrussGott]

I am finally on the road after packing my entire life up and storing it away ...hand carrying the T30 from the car, through the hotel (very very far from the lobby to my room) and it was just amazingly and noticeably comfy.

Congrats G42 & Safe Travels! As you know, I'm on the verge of doing the same thing - we just did a 2 week run through the Cali & Oregon coast ... we got really lucky with the smoke as it wasn't around us much but seemed to be everywhere else. I rocked my TS, S30, LGD, & 2x MTs all performed wonderfully!

Quick off-topic note for us smoked out travelers -

Build a cheap air purifier for your hotel - per independent tests these work = to $1000 hepa models (if you use merv 12 or 13 filters):

2 filter version


4 or 5 filter version:


For the car & room, we have a more compact rectangular Rabbit Air hepa model (but much more expensive) that I plugged into an inverter in the car - super purified the air on the luckily few times we drove through some bad areas; even with the vents closed, driving through 150+ pm2.5 areas we could smell it so we were glad to be able to turn on the purifier in the car (and the room too of course).

Safe Travels!

[G42]

I am finally on the road after packing my entire life up and storing it away and I am woefully behind on trying to take photos and do write ups of new bags....
But along with a bunch of other stuff, I have the T30 and T45 with me - courtesy of TB for my independent review & evaluation - and I'll be getting to those photos, etc. soon.

My first quick impressions of the T30, photos later:

-I love the 400d Night Walk halcyon (you all know I've always been a big halcyon fan)
-I backpack carried it for a while and up and down stairs as I was moving and the new Edgeless straps are really really nice. I never had a problem with the previous 'Bound' style straps on my S19s, BB's, or Aeronauts. The only time I noticed them was carrying the A45 under completely heavy/full load through airports and that was due to the sheer weight. My T30 isn't very heavy, but the straps are just noticeably comfy and cushy.
-Almost more noticeable to me is the main side handle which also gets the super cush Edgeless treatment. I had my Paragon on my back and was hand carrying the T30 from the car, through the hotel (very very far from the lobby to my room) and it was just amazingly and noticeably comfy.

-Top pocket: Nat'l Parks 'Passport' book & small OP with Passport, important docs, etc.
-Longer side pocket - open for water bottle
-Shorter side pocket - pair of wrist splints & headlamp

-Big bottom pocket: A30 small laundry cube with squishy socks, undies, etc. This makes the lower pocket flat and the bag sits up well on that base. (I know a lot of folks have mentioned using that space for shoes, and I'm trying that on the T45.)
-Main compartment: pair of jeans & pair of workout pants folded flat; one large Eagle Creek Specter Sac (14.5 x 10.5) with several folded shirts sideways across the space; one A30 end cube on the same level - at the top of the space. Next layer up: reisenthel dirty laundry bag; travel Waterpik cube/case; new Grab Bag (courtesy of TB) with toiletries; Kit (disco'd item) with more toiletries; Small Q-kit with a toothbrush charger; and a Cubelet.

So far, really cool bag - the vibe is definitely more pack than duffel to me, but still seems easy to 'live out of' so far, like my beloved A30.


(eta, corrected sheer vs shear; homophones get me every time!)

[ahoop24]

Welcome to the Forums ahoop24

TB just closed two rounds of pre-orders on the Techonauts. They are scheduled to be available as 'in stock' bags sometime in November, so having one in your hands prior to November 8th seems dubious, but your best bet is to contact the fine folks in Customer Service to see if they have a better idea of timing.

Thanks! That is essentially what I thought but I wanted to confirm before I kill my Techonaut dreams

I’ll reach out to customer service to confirm.

[G42]

Hello TB Forums. New member but I have a question about the Techonaut. Long story short, coming from an RedOxx AirBoss (zipper failed) and need a new bag for a trip in early November. I hadn't been bag shopping for a long time and my original idea was to get a A45. But when I arrived at the site, I was immediately intrigued by the Techonaut45. Do you think there is any chance I would be able to get one before I leave on 11/8/2021? If not, I'm going to most likely pull the trigger on the A45 currently available but also looking at a few other cheaper options with the idea I'll eventually replace it with the Techonauts when its available.

Thanks!
AHOOP24

Welcome to the Forums ahoop24

TB just closed two rounds of pre-orders on the Techonauts. They are scheduled to be available as 'in stock' bags sometime in November, so having one in your hands prior to November 8th seems dubious, but your best bet is to contact the fine folks in Customer Service to see if they have a better idea of timing.

[ahoop24]

Hello TB Forums. New member but I have a question about the Techonaut. Long story short, coming from an RedOxx AirBoss (zipper failed) and need a new bag for a trip in early November. I hadn't been bag shopping for a long time and my original idea was to get a A45. But when I arrived at the site, I was immediately intrigued by the Techonaut45. Do you think there is any chance I would be able to get one before I leave on 11/8/2021? If not, I'm going to most likely pull the trigger on the A45 currently available but also looking at a few other cheaper options with the idea I'll eventually replace it with the Techonauts when its available.

Thanks!
AHOOP24

[Aeon]

Pics like this are why I hesitate to buy halcyon in the larger bags:

To be fair, the the reviewer says in the article:

" I packed clothes and work/play electronics for 4 days, and had plenty of room to spare once fully packed."

And that pic looks exactly like an underpacked 45L bag where the contents shifted. 45L is a lot of volume and, yeah, halcyon can get slouchy really quickly if the bag is underfilled. If you (general you) are a stuffer and like to get that last one or two things in a bag, go with halcyon, no questsion. If you are waffling between a 30L and 45L because the price isn't very different and you like the idea of having more space "just in case", go with ballistic -- preferably in 1050d imo because it will hold it shape more and will greatly reduce the halcyon slouch.

[ayazgood]

Pics like this are why I hesitate to buy halcyon in the larger bags:

[BruceM]

Another review: "Tom Bihn Techonaut 45 backpack review – you get what you pay for"
Interesting seeing more pics of Night Walk in action.

[xantcha]

Thanks so much Cristina moriond ! Really appreciate the thoughtful advice on this.

With a slim case (one of those flexible ESR cases, includes cover but not a keyboard/apple pencil/other miscellany) the iPad looks to be about 8.15” long, 5.5” wide, 0.45” thick. Stacking with a Kindle adds another 0.35” or so of thickness (though that is of course a couple inches smaller length and width-wise…great to hear that things that smaller size do slot well into the top pocket on both the 30 and the 45).

Sounds like the 45 might be a good option, or else keeping the Kindle up top, getting a smaller notebook to go with it, and shifting the iPad to that mesh pocket inside the main opening if I go ahead with the 30 (I had totally forgotten that that pocket was an option). May just need to get one and try some sample packing options as the bag fills up.

Thank you for thinking through this with me!

[Cristina]

Ah yes thanks, I should have said my iPad Mini has a slim case on it and it only covers the back, it doesn’t have a cover or an Apple Pencil attached to it. On the T30 this iPad mini barely fits into the top pocket (couldn’t fit the A5 notebook too) and it doesn’t quite fit into the smaller side pocket. The 30 just isn’t quite as deep as the 45, and that narrows those pockets, so if you were thinking of the T30 I would consider the Synik30 instead.

Please feel free to post the dimensions of your iPad in its case or the height of all of your electronics stacked together and I can approximate a bit more closely.

Hope this helps!

Welcome to the forums @xantcha

For me, the natural place to access a Kindle Paperwhite and minor miscellaneous electronics in the Techonaut 30 would be the diagonal zipper pocket under the grab handle that is at the “top” of the bag when worn in backpack mode, but that’s not quite wide enough for easy access to an iPad Mini, nor are the pockets at either side. I can just fit an iPad Mini in hard case into those zippered openings, but it’s not convenient or workable if your main compartment is fully packed. (They might work for a T45, which I don’t have to try.) In an Aeronaut 30, I would just use the end pockets, which is where I always used to stash books.

The smaller outside side pocket is about sized to hold a 3D OC. The laptop compartment can take notebooks and iPads. Another option is the pocket on the inside flap of the U opening,

Hope someone has other suggestions.

moriond

ETA: Please note that the response about where you can easily put the iPad Mini may depend on whether you have it in a hard case — without the case my answer would be similar to @Cristina’s, and I can slide this into the other two openings with the case on — but it’s tight to get in.

[moriond]

Welcome to the forums @xantcha

Hoping this is the right place for extremely specific Techonaut questions.

In particular, I’m curious about carrying smaller electronics in the Techonaut 30. I’m hoping to use it for both work travel (where I’d bring a laptop, as expected in the design) and personal travel, where I’d probably just bring a Kindle and iPad mini (with cases) as my electronics.

I currently use the Synapse 25, and have found that the central water bottle pocket is a perfect size to slip in a few small to mid size electronics (e.g 5.5-6 inches wide and 8 or so inches high) like those for extremely easy access and organization. A Kindle, an iPad mini, and a small legal pad or two fit really well in there. Then a mini water bottle (16oz, 6.5 inches high by 2.75 inches diameter) can be shifted over to one of the side pockets.

In the Techonaut, it doesn’t look like there’s any comparable easy access (yet protected) pockets for electronics in that smaller roughly 8 inches high by 5.5 inches wide range – I’m having some trouble finding specific pocket sizes and shapes on the site. Maybe the large water bottle pocket, though it doesn’t seem like there’s a similar vertically oriented (to avoid spilling) alternative place to shift a small water bottle to? Or just drop them in the laptop compartment even though they're small and let them float around at the bottom/fish around in there when I need to get them out? I know the bag is still at the pre order stage but curious if anyone has a similar use case or any thoughts on how they might plan to manage smaller devices so they're protected but accessible when on a plane/waiting for a bus/just generally needing to get at them without opening up the whole main compartment. Thank you!

For me, the natural place to access a Kindle Paperwhite and minor miscellaneous electronics in the Techonaut 30 would be the diagonal zipper pocket under the grab handle that is at the “top” of the bag when worn in backpack mode, but that’s not quite wide enough for easy access to an iPad Mini, nor are the pockets at either side. I can just fit an iPad Mini in hard case into those zippered openings, but it’s not convenient or workable if your main compartment is fully packed. (They might work for a T45, which I don’t have to try.) In an Aeronaut 30, I would just use the end pockets, which is where I always used to stash books.

The smaller outside side pocket is about sized to hold a 3D OC. The laptop compartment can take notebooks and iPads. Another option is the pocket on the inside flap of the U opening,

Hope someone has other suggestions.

moriond

ETA: Please note that the response about where you can easily put the iPad Mini may depend on whether you have it in a hard case — without the case my answer would be similar to @Cristina’s, and I can slide this into the other two openings with the case on — but it’s tight to get in.