The New Pilot Available for Pre-order in January 2014!

[kkintea]

Love the Swift x Pilot photo. Thanks for posting comparison pics. Super thrilled for Friday's Pilot arrival!


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[MelissaL]

It's definitely wider than the middle compartment, but there's enough give in the Tri-star that it's still workable.

I bet if you were traveling with both bags, putting the an empty, flat Pilot inside the center compartment of the Tri-Star would be doable for being on the road. I'm sure the black/iberian looks great.

[Sacharissa]

Just got the notice last night...My Black Pilot with Iberian interior (to match my Aeronaut) has shipped. It is currently in Redmond, WA, where -- according to UPS -- it will apparently sit until Thursday! The exact quote is:

Next Scheduled Event: Thursday, 02/06/2014 by 11:39pm

At that point, it will make its way overnight to Minneapolis, where it will be delivered "by end of day." Couldn't we just skip the four day "aging process" in Redmond so I could experience all that Bihn Goodness "by end of day" Wednesday instead???

* Sigh *

[atarango1]

I really do the lightweight nature of the Dyneema. It also seems more "stuff able" than the ballistic bags.

I do love my Cardinal Swift. I wish Tom Bihn has more bright colors available, like I would totally buy an Ultraviolet bag for example.

I am seriously also considering pulling the trigger on the Tri-Star by the end of the week. I have several 3-4 day trips coming up, and I do a lot of those for work, so it might be time to make the investment. I wish it was available in Nordic because I just don't like the other colors (other then Aubergrine-- but I am also really worried about the weight.) I think I would prefer the lighter Dyneema TriStar myself, but I'm not a fan of the colors available. I dunno-- do you all think the TriStar needs the structure that ballistic would give it? I am agonizing over here.

[BarryLee]

Great news I just noticed all the Pilot colors are available, so I guess that means all the pre-orders will be shipped in the next few days.

[kkintea]

I really do the lightweight nature of the Dyneema. It also seems more "stuff able" than the ballistic bags.

I do love my Cardinal Swift. I wish Tom Bihn has more bright colors available, like I would totally buy an Ultraviolet bag for example.

I am seriously also considering pulling the trigger on the Tri-Star by the end of the week. I have several 3-4 day trips coming up, and I do a lot of those for work, so it might be time to make the investment. I wish it was available in Nordic because I just don't like the other colors (other then Aubergrine-- but I am also really worried about the weight.) I think I would prefer the lighter Dyneema TriStar myself, but I'm not a fan of the colors available. I dunno-- do you all think the TriStar needs the structure that ballistic would give it? I am agonizing over here.

I don't have the Tristar, but I love Dyneema in the Aeronaut. I'm really glad I went for it because it has a lot of give and it's so lightweight. It really works for my style of packing (i.e., not in packing cubes). The only bag I have that I prefer the ballistic is the Swift. I use the Swift for work and the Dyneema sides tend to fall over. It's harder to get items organized properly when there are things of different shapes inside (e.g., 13" cache, 3D cube, various pouches, side effect, file folders). I went for Dyneema in the Pilot because it has the different compartments and I'm liable to "stuff it" and wanted the extra flexibility. I feel like with the Tristar, you'd have a similar scenario since it's so compartmentalized.

Good luck in deciding!

[Badger]

I really do the lightweight nature of the Dyneema. It also seems more "stuff able" than the ballistic bags.


I think I would prefer the lighter Dyneema TriStar myself, but I'm not a fan of the colors available. I dunno-- do you all think the TriStar needs the structure that ballistic would give it? I am agonizing over here.

This doesn't fit your situation exactly, but I have a Dyneema TS and a ballistic Aeronaut and Western Flyer. Yes, the Dyneema seems to allow more stuffing; the issue I sometimes run into is that unless I am packing mostly flat things, the TS can get very wide and sort of lumpy. By "wide" I mean it can actually appear larger than the Aeronaut. I find that if I'm carrying irregularly shaped items, the ballistic nylon compresses them a bit more firmly. Having a streamlined look is important to me, especially because I'm short and a big bag can look humongous on me. It all comes down to personal preference and the kind of travel you do.

If you really like Aubergine, there can't be any harm in ordering your TS in that color to see if it meets your needs. Unless you're flying abroad and have to meet really strict weight requirements, the few ounces you save with Dyneema probably isn't worth it if you don't really like the color. The backpack straps on the TS do a great job of helping you carry the weight of your bag and stuff, so I doubt you'd be too bothered unless you're packing really dense things.

HTH!



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[moriond]

I really do the lightweight nature of the Dyneema. It also seems more "stuff able" than the ballistic bags.

I do love my Cardinal Swift. I wish Tom Bihn has more bright colors available, like I would totally buy an Ultraviolet bag for example.

I am seriously also considering pulling the trigger on the Tri-Star by the end of the week. I have several 3-4 day trips coming up, and I do a lot of those for work, so it might be time to make the investment. I wish it was available in Nordic because I just don't like the other colors (other then Aubergrine-- but I am also really worried about the weight.) I think I would prefer the lighter Dyneema TriStar myself, but I'm not a fan of the colors available. I dunno-- do you all think the TriStar needs the structure that ballistic would give it? I am agonizing over here.

On the "stuffable" nature of Dyneema, see the initial comments by Lani in the Traveling with me new Tom Bihn Nordic/Steel Western Flyer thread.

I'm still regularly using my Crimson Lux (the Swift predecessor, also in Ballistic Nylon, with Crimson as the standard red for many years before the introduction of the slightly darker Cardinal); these bags just don't wear out.

I have the Tri-Star in Indigo Ballistic Nylon -- a fantastic color that appeared with the release of the Tri-Star. I think I'd be less worried about the need for more structure in a 400d Dyneema version of the bag than Ballistic Nylon provides, and more worried about truly rough handling if the bag had to be checked (like images of the bag being dragged along the asphalt behind a cart in the rain). (Sorry for bringing this up, but I've seen a few instances of spectacularly bad baggage handling by the airlines).

After the experience of 400d Dyneema (in the Synapse Backpack, Swift and Little Swift, and Side Effect) I'd be willing to try this for my luggage. I'd probably want to try this out on the Western Flyer first, though -- especially if they refresh the color/fabric offerings. I've been curious about the rolling luggage handle option with the lighter bag. At this point I'm really used to my Ballistic Nylon Tri-Star and Indigo has long since become unavailable.

[moriond]

I don't have the Tristar, but I love Dyneema in the Aeronaut. I'm really glad I went for it because it has a lot of give and it's so lightweight. It really works for my style of packing (i.e., not in packing cubes). The only bag I have that I prefer the ballistic is the Swift. I use the Swift for work and the Dyneema sides tend to fall over. It's harder to get items organized properly when there are things of different shapes inside (e.g., 13" cache, 3D cube, various pouches, side effect, file folders). I went for Dyneema in the Pilot because it has the different compartments and I'm liable to "stuff it" and wanted the extra flexibility. I feel like with the Tristar, you'd have a similar scenario since it's so compartmentalized.

Good luck in deciding!

@kkintea I do like Ballistic Nylon in the Swift for the reasons you mention if I'm carrying heavier items that need to stand up -- certainly if I were carrying a 13" cache. The 400d Dyneema works better than Cordura does, though, and is great in the Little Swift. Also, I think that people who are using the Swift for craft projects (knitting, etc.) will like the 400d Dyneema version of the bag. It also works well when you have items in a Packing Cube Shoulder Bag at the bottom of the Swift.

[kkintea]

@kkintea I do like Ballistic Nylon in the Swift for the reasons you mention if I'm carrying heavier items that need to stand up -- certainly if I were carrying a 13" cache. The 400d Dyneema works better than Cordura does, though, and is great in the Little Swift. Also, I think that people who are using the Swift for craft projects (knitting, etc.) will like the 400d Dyneema version of the bag. It also works well when you have items in a Packing Cube Shoulder Bag at the bottom of the Swift.

I have the packing cube shoulder bag, but never thought to try it in the Swift. Will do!

[WMW40]

I received my Nordic Pilot and goodies today. I'm very pleased with the color and the fabric. I was concerned I'd find the Dyneema to be flimsy but not at all. I'm having trouble posting photos here (getting a red exclamation point---is my file size too big?) but as others have pointed out, photos don't quite capture the color which is very rich with a nice amount of sheen. I think it stands out just enough without screaming "hey look at me".

As far as size, I think this could easily be a bag to use for a 3 to 4 day trip, especially if the trip is to a warmer climate where you have no need to dress up. I'm not sure how/where'd I'd squeeze in an extra pair of shoes (as light as I pack, I always like an extra pair) but I bet you could squeeze in a pair of flip flops for the beach very easily. But of course, this bag is really the ultimate size for a personal carry on and will certainly be able to hold enough stuff to keep you occupied even on the longest of flights.

Negatives? I don't really have any. I thought the large compartment would zip down flat but having gotten the set of packing cubes, it won't be a problem to get folded clothes into the bag.

I'm not a briefcase sort of guy but I bet this might be a first choice for some. Plenty of pockets and versatile enough to make with it what you want.

[WMW40]

Pilot in front of Western Flyer.

[WMW40]

Pocket for iPhone

[WMW40]

For camera geeks: a large amateur lens (like this 70-300vr from Nikon) will fit in this front pocket. Is this a water bottle pocket? Not sure.

[WMW40]

iPad mini pocket