Opinions on X-Pac

[M7964]

Hi all!

I'm really interested to hear any opinions on the X-Pac used in the TB bags. How does it compare to the halcyon and ballistic, or X-Pac used in other bags?

Does it change how the Synapse or Synik pack at all, or are there any other unexpected benefits or drawbacks?

Just curious what people think.

Thanks

[G42]

Hey M7964 welcome to the Forums!

I saw the new X-Pac RX-30 at the factory and then test packed a Bantam, but I'm generally not a fan of black bags, so I'm waiting until they get some other colours in. FWIW, I think the 'x' pattern gives it more interest and I actually like the sort of almost soft feel to it.

The bags are definitely selling, there's been multiple restocks and it's slowly expanding into more bags, but it's early days yet, so not sure how many Forum folks have the same bag both in this X-Pac & Ballistic or Halcyon. So besides waiting to see whom might chime you, you can always contact Customer Service since they'll have good insight, to get their perspective as well.

I'm definitely interested to hear what people think both initially and over time.

[Chicagoan]

Bear with me: I rolled my butt out of a hammock this morning trying to beat the rain approaching a Wisconsin campground earlier than my alarm clock planned to wake me up today so this response might be a little scatterbrained and a whole lot overtired but nonetheless it is well intentioned and - hopefully - informative!

I own a Ballistic SN30, Ballistic SN22, Ballistic S19 and just got one of the new Xpac S19s (so far as Synapses and Syniks are concerned).

I don't own many Halcyon bags - mostly just smaller accessory items made from the material.

Ballistic: more color options, heavier weight, less pliability, with a urethane coating that breaks down with time and usage.

Xpac: black only color offered, lighter weight, more pliable fabric, with a built-in waterproof layer that won't peel over time like urethane does. Xpac is going to feel stiffer at first, and you will need to break it in. It isn't crunchy, it's just firmer.

Halcyon: the most pliable of the three but its pliability causes the urethane coating on the back side of the fabric to break down most quickly. Very lightweight. Supremely packable. The fabric colors that use white Dyneema grids will become dirty over time, FYI. Lacks rigidity and structure. Not great if you want a self-supporting, stands-on-its-own kind of bag. It also scuffs easily and isn't the kind of bag I'd want to use at an airport or out hiking.

*I think a lot of folks also consider a bag's ability to bend around different shaped objects part of the fabric's "stretch," rather than thinking the fabric has an elastic quality to it. The more rigid the fabric, the fewer ways you will be able to pack contents into that space.*

What causes the waterproof coating to break down on Ballistic and Halcyon?

Time and use. The more of either, or both, the quicker things break down.

How much time and use?

Casual, office-commuter-lifestyle use? Probably will take years for it to dry up, flake off, and break down.

Carrying it out hiking through weather in different climates and seasons? Probably sooner than it would with casual use.

The more you manipulate the material, the more it and any coatings will delaminate. Think of it like one of those folding plastic hinges - bend it back and forth with repetitive stress enough times, and it breaks.

Most people won't use their bags to the point of failure, and won't find the coating peels until years into owning the bag - that's just what happens to anything coated with urethane. It breaks down, dries up, and flakes off.

The alternative to this? A bag made with fabric that has NO waterproof backing/coating. On a Tom Bihn bag, again, their seams aren't taped or sealed, so it's entirely that coating and those zippers keeping any water out of your bag. Also, they only use coated fabrics for their bags, so as far as Tom Bihn goes, there is no alternative. Of the fabric options TB offers, I will say Xpac will best retain its integrity and doesn't flake apart like aged, dried urethane will.

I've had the coating break down on my Halcyon bags nearest the seams and points where items in the bags rubs against the inside lining. I've not experienced it on any of my Ballistic bags. But I use Xpac bags all the time for hiking and those seem to hold up best. I really like how the material softens up and breaks in. I don't have long term experience with the Tom Bihn Xpac bags. No one does. Not yet! I'll be curious to see and hear how they break in and hold up long term.

The Syniks are fairly heavy backpacks because of the full clamshell zip, built in laptop compartment, and included internal frame. Xpac will save you some weight.

The Synapses are lighter bags overall and the material choice isn't as important so far as weight is concerned. The Synik does include an internal frame so Halcyon doesn't make a huge difference in terms of structure but since they no longer make internal frames for the Synapse backpacks I would avoid Halcyon because that fabric is not rigid enough to keep the bag upright on its own.

If you wanted a black bag, I'd suggest the Xpac, because it's better in terms of performance, and if you wanted any other color, Ballistic, because they have no plans to offer any other Xpac colors (at the moment).

To throw the ball back to you and figure out what fabric makes the most sense, what do you plan to use the bag for and how often do you plan to use it? Are there fabrics and colors you like? Don't like? Which bags and fabrics and colors are you trying to decide between?

[M7964]

To throw the ball back to you and figure out what fabric makes the most sense, what do you plan to use the bag for and how often do you plan to use it? Are there fabrics and colors you like? Don't like? Which bags and fabrics and colors are you trying to decide between?

Thank you for informative reply - really appreciate that!

I own a bunch of bags in various materials including X-Pac (including some other TB bags although not in X-Pac) - Evergoods, Able Carry, Fjallraven, Aer, etc. So the bag would just go in rotation sometimes for everyday use, sometimes for short trips, etc.

I'd say out of all the bags I own, my favourite and most used backpack is the Aer Go Pack 2 - it's really punching well above it's weight for every aspect in my opinion. Most used messenger / crossbody is the TB Cafe Bags. Second would be the Alpha One Niner Chio X. Favourite sling I have tried would be a toss-up between the Evergoods MHP and the Trakke Largo.

Love the organisation of the Synapse / Synik bags more than any other. They are absolutely wonderful. I wish every bag had internal O rings!

Really I was just wondering about the X-Pac material and how it compares across brands and across other TB materials. I am wondering about how the X-Pac feels in these designs, as I suspect it is a different experience to the ballistic or halcyon, and also as you say how it holds up over time on other bags.

Thank you so much for the detail, it's a fantastic breakdown!

[Chicagoan]

Thank you kindly, M7964.

Yeah. I'd say at this point no one has owned an Xpac bag made by Tom Bihn long enough to speak to long term usage.

You'll get a lot of "unboxing" and "first impressions" takes, and maybe even one of those cute little packing videos Tom Bihn makes for their bags, but it will just take time for those bags to find their way out into the world and get put to the test.

So let me ask, any Xpac Addax owners out there who can speak up?

At this point that's the first and "oldest" bag TB has made with the material. I'd be curious to hear their experience now vs. when they first got the bag brand new in the mail.

The closest thing I've found is an update to the review Pack Hacker wrote about the Xpac Addax 31, link and excerpt pasted below:

https://packhacker.com/travel-gear/tom-bihn/addax-31/

"2 Weeks of Use, Condition: Excellent."

"One loose thread, though we’re chalking it up to the fact that this is a pre-production model."

"Material is in great shape—only a few scuffs near the logo at the bottom."

"Rolltop wants to unroll even when rolled up and secured tight, though it never comes fully undone."

"Tons of space in here and really smart organization."

Sadly, most other reviewers only tend to post their first impressions of the sample bags they receive so they can move on to their next review. Pack Hacker is a nice exception and I appreciate that they circle back to update their reviews with notes on how bags holds up with time and use.

[yyan203]

Really I was just wondering about the X-Pac material and how it compares across brands and across other TB materials. I am wondering about how the X-Pac feels in these designs, as I suspect it is a different experience to the ballistic or halcyon, and also as you say how it holds up over time on other bags.

I found this thread on reddit talking about X-Pac material durability

https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comments/y1sh2t/xpac_durability_over_time/

one post said "the raised grid of the X causes premature wear compared to a non-x version of the same fabric"

[M7964]

Thanks! I've definitely seen that on other bags, which is what made me wonder about TB. It would be odd for the company to use a material which would degrade so "quickly" (comparatively), everything else is rock solid!