April 27th preorder and more

[Cristina]

So… the April 27 preorder is looking to be quite exciting for people looking for the comeback of older designs: The Sprout, Pick up Truck, and of course, the much coveted Smart Alec (with upper and lower modules)!

And of course the Brain Bag recently being reintroduced makes me wonder if I should finally grab one of these beloved bags.

[G42]

Cristina the BB doesn't have as many organizational bits as your beloved PU, but it does have several pockets/chambers, holds a ton, and you might find it comfortable and fun for beach trips and such...places where maybe you're hauling from the car to the somewhere and want your hands free. The two big compartments are great for bulky things and accept a wide range of TB and non-TB organizer pouches/cubes.

[Meglet]

Oh, man. I have a Black/Black/Solar Smart Alec which I acquired used a few years back, and I love it. But that Aubergine/Mountain Grey Smart Alec in the pre-order is calling my name, because those are my colors!!

Between that and the new Paramour I am going to have to spend some time considering my options!

[aryabird]

I'm torn between another Brain Bag or the Smart Alec. My indigo Brain Bag has been my main travel bag for several years. Thinking the Smart Alec might make a better backpacking camera bag than the Brain Bag though.

[bchaplin]

It's funny, because I fell in love with the Paragon to the point that I have a small collection. I've been rotating through them as my daily work bags, until recently when I added a Synik 22 to the mix. I'm interested in the larger pocket of the Paramour, but at the same time, I sort of prefer the rectangularity of the original. Plus, if I got the new one, and it suited me better, I'm not sure what I'd do with my Paragons, as they are all in my favorite colors, and I wouldn't want to give them up. So I'm probably going to hold off.

The one bag that I found FAR more useful than I expected was the Monster Truck. I recently took it along on a road trip and it was invaluable. I might invest in another while they are still offered.

[G42]

I already have a halcyon SmartAlec and the 23L Shadow Guide and they're roughly interchangeable for me.

Since the new SA don't include my beloved 400d halcyon (I really really hope their supplier finds another mill for the 400d....I'll be so sad if Night Walk can't come back) I'm probably not going to get another one, though I do like the different colour panel. If they had had 400d, I would have asked if they could do a Black & Night Walk (wouldn't that have been cool!?) even though the previous halcyon versions were only all one colour I believe.

I'm now living in a new place with a new job and a new foot commute to figure out, so I may actually get the larger 33L Shadow Guide, especially since previously Cristina checked the vertical distance from top of straps to base and confirmed that it is within the range I like for my short self

bchaplin I've been using my Paragon since I received it and love most of it, but I think a larger front pocket will be useful at times, so I'll get a halcyon Paramour.

Does anyone else have a mental issue with the Paragon/Paradigm/Paramour thing or is just me, lol

aryabird do you think the big open compartment of the SA will be better for camera stuff than the dual compartment BB? I'm not a photog, so just curious as I know some folks here are...if you do get one, maybe do a compare/contrast photo spread for us if you have time

[Meglet]

I'm torn between another Brain Bag or the Smart Alec. My indigo Brain Bag has been my main travel bag for several years. Thinking the Smart Alec might make a better backpacking camera bag than the Brain Bag though.

I would be curious how you load the Smart Alec for a camera. I’ve always had a hard time working out of backpacks when shooting, because they are so awkward to access. Every time I load up my Synapse I always end up going back to a messenger-style bag instead, even though it doesn’t carry as comfortably.

So far the Paradigm is the only one I’ve found comfortable to load and work out of, and that’s mostly because I’m carrying a smaller, mirrorless kit these days. Which is what leads me to wonder if the new Paramour might actually work where my Synapse 19 doesn’t.

[aryabird]

I would be curious how you load the Smart Alec for a camera. I’ve always had a hard time working out of backpacks when shooting, because they are so awkward to access. Every time I load up my Synapse I always end up going back to a messenger-style bag instead, even though it doesn’t carry as comfortably.

So far the Paradigm is the only one I’ve found comfortable to load and work out of, and that’s mostly because I’m carrying a smaller, mirrorless kit these days. Which is what leads me to wonder if the new Paramour might actually work where my Synapse 19 doesn’t.

The problem for me with a messenger style bag is it doesn't work very well when day hiking and all my photography is wilderness/wildlife. I have yet to find an ideal bag for that. My kit is also mirrorless, but a couple of my lenses are rather long. Because of that, I sometimes just take a point and shoot with a long zoom range.

I'm not entirely sure the Smart Alec would work either. Its a bit bigger than I need. Maybe a padded insert would take up enough of the extra space to work.

[Meglet]

The problem for me with a messenger style bag is it doesn't work very well when day hiking and all my photography is wilderness/wildlife. I have yet to find an ideal bag for that. My kit is also mirrorless, but a couple of my lenses are rather long. Because of that, I sometimes just take a point and shoot with a long zoom range.

I'm not entirely sure the Smart Alec would work either. Its a bit bigger than I need. Maybe a padded insert would take up enough of the extra space to work.

I mostly shoot in suburban areas, generally under 2 hours of actual walking, so the messenger bag isn’t great but it’s not as much of a problem as it would be on actual hikes.

The problem I have with backpacks is the height, I can put an insert in the bottom but then there is so much wasted space at the top. In the Paradigm it was just the right size for an insert at the bottom, then set the camera in the top half in a neoprene wrap. Even larger inserts tend to be longer rather than tall, and inserts made for backpacks assume you’re going to pull the whole thing out, lay it down, and zip open the top.

I only carry ultrawide lenses in addition to the medium walk-around zoom on my camera, so the Tenba BYOB 7 or 9 is enough for my gear, but gets lost in bags even just as large as my Synapse 19. I’d still really like to find something for a backpack carry for the times I go into the city or farther out on hikes, though, so I keep searching.

[ittoujuu]

There's a post I've made elsewhere on the forums that basically said, "yeah, something that mashes the Paragon and the Paradigm together," so I am definitely interested in the Paramour. It seems to have all the features I'd want in a light daypack and nothing I don't need. Really dig that front pocket organization. I can't say I'm a huge fan of the color combos shown so far (not a fan of Taiga), but will keep a keen eye on the pre-order. I don't think this would negate my desire for a Synapse 25, but could work well as an alternative choice - definitely a "...why not both?" choice.

[G42]

Random comments about the Smart Alec...

My original SA was ballistic with the Upper & Lower Module pockets. I found the Gatekeepers fine for if I leave the pockets attached, but fairly fiddly when I took them off and on a lot, YMMV.
I also didn't like how the LMP stuck out so much (though it was a great chunk of space) but probably would have liked it better if it was in the more flexible halcyon.

I eventually sold the ballistic kit in favor of a 400d halcyon SA though unfortunately no pockets were available.

I use a Side Effect in place of the UMP and an Everyday/Travel Cubelet in place of the LMP as needed - either can be removed and used as an EDC, so that works better for me than dedicated pockets, though the pockets hold more.

[Cristina]

Meglet and aryabird, I wonder if a side opening backpack would be helpful to you. I think I’ve seen dedicated photography backpacks that open this way, but I put my Parental Unit inside to organise a medium Haglofs Corker backpack and the combination provides organization and comfort. I can swing it down on one shoulder to access it. Another insert might provide better organization or protection for your camera, but I find the side opening really handy for access. I have long wished for a side opening backpack from TB!

[epeterson]

Given that the SA re-release doesn't have the Shadow Guide v2 back panel, I'm curious for some opinions of people who have used both the SGv2 back panel, and the cache laptop system. What do you like/dislike about both?

I use a SG23 as my daily work carry and I love the back panel (and the bag) but would like just a little more organization without sacrificing that nice big "black hole" compartment that is so flexible for packed lunch, groceries, extra clothes, etc. So the SA has a lot of appeal, but I'm hesitant about the Cache system. Mostly, I think, because it doesn't secure on the bottom? Also, I guess the SA has a breathable mesh back panel, but probably not quite as much "cooling" as the SG23 with that spine-shaped frame inside?

[aryabird]

Meglet and aryabird, I wonder if a side opening backpack would be helpful to you. I think I’ve seen dedicated photography backpacks that open this way, but I put my Parental Unit inside to organise a medium Haglofs Corker backpack and the combination provides organization and comfort. I can swing it down on one shoulder to access it. Another insert might provide better organization or protection for your camera, but I find the side opening really handy for access. I have long wished for a side opening backpack from TB!

That idea makes me wonder if the Synik would work. Might if I remember to position the zippers.

[Pertinax]

Darcy , in one location the new Smart Alec lists “racquet-coil zippers” and in another “racquet-coil water-repellant zippers.” Could you confirm if the SA will have the newer zippers that have been steadily replacing the water-repellant zippers on most bags? My vote would be for the new ones!