Pilot Question

[tankcommander1554]

I recently purchased a Pilot to use as a work bag. After many hours pondering the differences between a Cadet and a Pilot, I opted for the Pilot for a little more organization as I don't normally carry a laptop. Usually I care a few small essentials, water, coffee tumbler, notebook, sunglasses, and a glass lunch type container (most days).

My new Pilot arrived yesterday and as I was loading my gear, I noticed the rear pouch/luggage pass through hangs open quite a bit when carrying the bag by the handle. If I put something like a laptop in the main zipper compartment, that outside flap is less pronounced, but still is pretty open. I freely admit I may be overthinking this and I realize the bag is designed to hold larger items and my application isn't an exact use case, but has anyone experienced this or have any suggestions? I've been using a DLBC and it's decent as a work bag, but it ends up feeling like a jumbled mess due to limited pockets.

Would a Cadet offer any more rigidity?

[Benno]

I too use a pilot as a work bag, but suspect I carry a little more. Laptop in the big zipper compartment. However, I've found that the pass thru pouch works pretty well for stashing my planner binder. Not secure, but in my case that's not an issue.

[G42]

Welcome to the Forums Benno ! Thanks for sharing your Pilot experience 🙂

[moriond]

I recently purchased a Pilot to use as a work bag. After many hours pondering the differences between a Cadet and a Pilot, I opted for the Pilot for a little more organization as I don't normally carry a laptop. Usually I care a few small essentials, water, coffee tumbler, notebook, sunglasses, and a glass lunch type container (most days).

My new Pilot arrived yesterday and as I was loading my gear, I noticed the rear pouch/luggage pass through hangs open quite a bit when carrying the bag by the handle. If I put something like a laptop in the main zipper compartment, that outside flap is less pronounced, but still is pretty open. I freely admit I may be overthinking this and I realize the bag is designed to hold larger items and my application isn't an exact use case, but has anyone experienced this or have any suggestions? I've been using a DLBC and it's decent as a work bag, but it ends up feeling like a jumbled mess due to limited pockets.

Would a Cadet offer any more rigidity?

I too use a pilot as a work bag, but suspect I carry a little more. Laptop in the big zipper compartment. However, I've found that the pass thru pouch works pretty well for stashing my planner binder. Not secure, but in my case that's not an issue.

Hi tankcommander1554 and welcome to the forums Benno. I have a couple of suggestions for stiffening the rear back pocket where there is the luggage passthrough of the Pilot. This discussion came up when the Pilot was first released, and I have two quick solutions, especially since I prefer to use the original Halcyon version of the Pilot (I also have this in Aubergine 1050d Ballistic Nylon). The first is to use a file box in this pocket:


This photo is from an 04-21-2014 post in a thread about Books/binders in pilots? It’s one of a series of photos that discusses the limitations on storing letter-size ring binders in the main compartment of the bag, and the file box in the luggage pass through pocket is also being used to show how high A4 paper would sit vertically in the outside pocket (compared to ring binders zipped up in the main back pocket).There’s more discussion (and pictures) in the linked thread, but it is specifically trying to answer a question about carrying a load of thick ring binders — something that neither the Pilot or the Cadet is ideally designed to do by providing a single large open volume that can be loaded up with thick ring binders.

However, putting one of these file boxes into the back pocket works pretty well to both provide structure and useful working space, along the lines of Benno ‘s planner binder suggestion. You can see that the A4 file box extends nearly the full length of the pocket, has a thickness (about 2 cm or 3/4 of an inch), locks shut, and can even be carried empty. These kinds of document boxes or project boxes are very popular in communities with large Asian/Pacific influences and stationary products. You can use them for US letter but also for keeping smaller or odd sized certificates together. I think each box was about $3 in Long’s Drug Store (now CVS pharmacy) about 10 years ago. I think you can also probably find them easily in stationary stores in Japan and Taiwan (maybe order from Jetpens?).

An alternative solution, if you have one of the 15” Eagle Creek PackIt sleeves is to put it, or just the central folding board into that back pocket. it’s an almost perfect match to the length, and is described in my 05-2-2015 post in the Is the Pilot right for me? Thread started by nukediver . The central folding board from the Spectre 2 sleeve version is the neatest fit, but older models (that you used to be able to separately buy from the container store) also work (they just have written folding instructions on them).

HTH

moriond

(And if you want to read about different briefcase packups tpnl did some nice comparisons) The Cadet is taller and longer than the Pilot, and still uses 1050d Ballistic Nylon. This is another really old picture (from 04-27-2012) of my Cadet

(those are letter size folders, the same A4 file box, and 13” MacBook Pro in cache along with an iPad next to a water bottle)

[tankcommander1554]

Thank you @moriond!

I'm definitely going to look into both of these ideas. I may also order a Cadet for comparison but I'll try to file box first.

[moriond]

Thank you @moriond!

I'm definitely going to look into both of these ideas. I may also order a Cadet for comparison but I'll try to file box first.

Here’s a quick picture of the Eagle Creek 15” packing folder board against/in the back pocket of the Pilot. It’s really a pretty exact fit to the pocket length if you want something to hold the back of the bag rigid (without a laptop, etc.), and because the top of the board sits below the piping of the top of the outer pocket, it’s pretty unobtrusive.


from the first photo you can see that this board will sit below the piping of the Pilot back pocket when pushed all the way in. (the bottom of the board was sitting level with the bottom of the po sleeve pocket).

moriond

And here’s an image of the file box(Sanadaseiko Attaché A4) ( I still had the insert leaf in one of my boxes)