Addax 31 - a great adding to the TB portfolio

[moriond]

One of the differences between the Addax and the Shadow Guide is the water bottle access pocket at the side on the outside. Another comment regarding dimensions -- the Shadow Guides bottom was actually an oval, and I think they used the largest dimension for the width of the bag. I've only tried the smaller Addax, but I can say that compared to the Synik design, it's easier to fit slightly larger laptops into the Addax because of the more rectangular outline of the backpack -- the new 14" Mac laptops just fit in the Synik 22 but there's more room in the Addax to maneuver a larger laptop into the opening.

moriond

[Hooahclitus]

Welcome to the Forums Hooahclitus !

Thanks! Pleasure to join the community.

[G42]

Welcome to the Forums Hooahclitus !

[MikeV]

Totally agree. In my question I've tagged MikeV, but maybe the horse's mouth (so to speak) is now Jose. Can we tag Jose in the forums? Chicagoan

bijoux- your feedback is absolutely being heard. Bags take a long time to develop, and we do a lot of testing in between the different steps in the design process. We worked through several iterations of the new Aeronaut design and I don't anticipate an Aeronaut 3.0 developing any time soon. I know that's not the news you're hoping for, and I'm sorry for that. It's more likely that this feedback could influence future designs than any immediate change to the Aeronaut.

[Hooahclitus]

Thanks for the awesome review bartleby! I’m curious what your take is on the addax vs the synik if you had to pick only one between the two.

Im in the market for a synik as a general purpose bag for edc and travel, but now am considering the addax instead.

Thanks!

[epeterson]

epeterson all really good points!

I think it might be worth you trying a T30 at some point, just to see it. For that bottom pocket, I either put a second pair of shoes plus misc. or it's a great spot for the laundry cubes. They keep everything squared off and for me at least, the squish thing doesn't matter to my undies, PJs, t-shirts, etc.

The BB does have a lot of cool features and I've single bagged with it. The compression straps are great.
For my physical size, it's very very wide across my body, which is probably why I don't carry it as much.

Thanks -- and yeah, it's possible I'll try one at some point. It feels weird to me to put stuff in the pocket because there's a pocket that needs to be filled, as opposed to actually wanting something to be separated in its own pocket, if that makes any sense. But, we'll see.

[bijoux]

bijoux Regarding lining and all that? While reviewing the Addax 31, I sent a rough draft of my review to Maia, who forwarded it along to Jose - we exchanged a few emails back and forth, but I did learn that the Cambiata was mostly a Nik design with some minor input from Tom, and last-minute simplifications and improvements from Jose. Point being, I was very mistaken in assuming a new bag came from a new designer, but the timing was so concurrent I just assumed they were related to another. They weren't. So the first original design from Jose is the Addax and NOT the Cambiata. Jose's a smart dude, and the design is informed largely by his personal experience as a bike commuter - so all the features come straight from practice, and not theory. By a bike commuter, for bike commuters (and whomever else can find it useful). Sometimes it's just easiest to go straight to the horse's mouth for some clarity, and that's what I did - I flat out asked Jose in an email who designed the Cambiata, and he gave me a straight answer.

.

Totally agree. In my question I've tagged MikeV, but maybe the horse's mouth (so to speak) is now Jose. Can we tag Jose in the forums? Chicagoan

[bijoux]

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that the Aeronaut redesign started while Tom et.al. were still there... It's been in the works for quite some time.

It's my understanding that Tom, Darcy had left many months before the updated Aeronaut release. Even though it may have been started while Tom was there, the end product is definitely under the helm of Cindy, Jose etc. :rolleyes:

[ittoujuu]

ittoujuu epeterson
What features are y'all looking for in a 'great travel backpack' ?

When I'm not playing with new bags, that's what the Aeronauts/Techonauts are for me.

Glad you asked! Before starting in, I wanted to say that I think the Aeronaut is a good bag, but it is functionally a duffel with backpack straps. I love duffels; they're my go-to for car trips and other times where I know I'm not going to have to hoof it for more than 15 minutes at a stretch. But for something I'd take overseas, a proper backpack is important to me because I want to be hands-free. So...what AM I looking for in a great travel backpack?

- The way I pack and organize, I like a "two-chamber setup." Basically, one large space, into which I can stuff my packing cubes, dopp kit, extra jacket, packable daypack, etc. that gets closed before I head out and (ideally) doesn't need to be opened until I arrive at my hotel. Then, another compartment of decent size that can hold all the things I want to actually access while in transit. My two "travel packs" - a Goruck GR2 40L and (as of a couple months ago) a Shadow Guide 33 - both accomplish this in different ways, but both satisfactorily deliver on this point. On a conceptual level, my preference here can be thought of like "having a small daypack stapled to your travel pack."

As an aside, the Techonaut almost accomplishes this, but its separate compartment being on the bottom makes it so much less useful to me than the Shadow Guide's hood pocket. In the SG33's hood pocket, I'll have a Side Effect to corral small stuff, and most of my electronics will be in there. I would not put any of that stuff in the bottom pocket of the Techonaut. The slim pockets on the Techonaut's side and top don't seem especially useful for me, being thin, deep, and lacking enough dedicated volume.

- The harness system needs to be good. The Shadow Guide, with its skeleton back panel, ventilated mesh, frame sheet w. half-stay, and edgeless straps accomplishes this, and I would think that harness system the optimal foundation on which TB might build this hypothetical travel pack. My Goruck is very comfy even without a sternum strap or hip belt (but I have broad shoulders, so one's mileage may vary), but a TB travel pack should also offer a removable sternum strap and padded hip belt - available if they're needed, gone if they aren't. Modularity is always a plus, and TB is very good at that. Ideally, I'd like the pack to be comfortable without a hip belt, because I feel hip belts add a lot of drag to donning and doffing the pack to quickly get something I need. I don't think load lifters are a necessity, but the pack should be designed to ride high on the back, in line with the shoulders or even a bit above. The main point here is that this pack should be comfortable to carry for a couple hours, on and off transit, even loaded with 20-30 lbs.

- Rein in the "prescriptive carry." I've seen way too many "travel backpacks" that not only have a laptop compartment, that compartment is big and roomy and has enough pockets and sleeves to also carry a tablet, a mouse, and half of your home office. Those backpacks got axed from my consideration early on because that's a ton of wasted space for me, who might carry a laptop at most. I realized that looking for a travel backpack without a laptop compartment would restrict my choices too much, so the two packs I ended up with have a laptop compartment that's very simple and doesn't feel like it's wasting space if I'm not using it. Any other sort of accessories (like cords)? I'll figure out where to put those on my own; I don't want the bag to have space dedicated specifically to that. Admittedly, it's a difficult balance to strike, making pockets and/or storage space that has enough independent volume to be useful while also getting out of your way if you're not using it. Even packs I really dig have not entirely escaped this issue!

Note A: While I do care about water bottle carry for EDC packs, I emphatically do not care about dedicated water bottle pockets for a travel pack. It's one more thing to potentially fall out. If I want one along, I'll stuff it in the more readily accessed compartment of my pack. Granted, you have to know and trust that your chosen water bottle isn't going to leak, but I've often used SmartWater bottles I got at the airport for this and have never had one leak on me.

Note B: For travel packs in particular, I want designs to be mindful about the number of pockets easily accessible from the outside. Something like a quick-access pocket up top is fine, and front dump pockets are everywhere, but since pickpocketing is unfortunately a thing, I feel limited in what I'm willing to store in any pocket someone could potentially unzip and yoink something out of while I was wearing the pack but my attention was focused elsewhere. This is why I have trepidations about using the Synapse 25 for travel, even though I think it's fantastic for my EDC. On that note, I'm impressed at how hugely pickpocket-resistant the Shadow Guide's design is. Basically no compartments on that pack can be accessed while you are wearing it without you knowing. I would feel safe keeping my passport and money in the hood pocket even on dodgy public transit.

- I tend to not pack my packs full, preferring to leave some space to account for anything I might pick up on the way. This is where the two-chamber setup, mentioned above, really shines (I can stuff the main compartment if needed and leave the secondary compartment just lightly packed, and things won't shift around). Because of this, I favor packs that have a bit more room than I technically need. I could probably travel with a 30 liter pack, but it would be pretty full from the get-go. Ideally, a travel pack for me is somewhere north of 30 liters, though probably not exceeding 40. Beyond literage, though, is how the space is used. The SG33 is, as it says on the tin, 33 liters, but because it's a drawstring klettersack, it feels like it can handle a bit more than that without much difficulty.

- This goes without saying, but it should work with airline size requirements. I don't think a travel backpack could be and hold what I want and still be brought on board on, say, RyanAir without coughing up some cash for a paid carry-on, so let's forget that in favor of having something that's compliant with overhead bin carry-on for the majority of international airlines. You can use most any modest-sized pack for under-seat, so I think for dedicated non-minimalist one-bagging, overhead compartment sizing is the way to go. Having something max-sized, 9" x 14" x 22" can be a pretty bulky box, though (and is around 45L at those measurements) so figuring out which dimensions to scale down to hit in the mid-30-liter area while also maximizing comfort of carry is worth thoughtful consideration. I'm 6', so for travel, 20"-22" height is prime for me; shorter people may prefer a different ratio of dimensions.

- Generally speaking, a clamshell/panel-loader style that hinges at the bottom (not the side) is what most people seem to prefer. These are easy to load and unload; arranging packing cubes and laundry in them is a snap. Aesthetically, if a travel backpack looks like "a large backpack" and not like "a suitcase strapped to your back," I feel it's less likely to attract scrutiny from airline personnel, but that's just my hunch.

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Yeah, anyway, that turned out to be longer than I expected. Cheers, and thanks for reading!

[G42]

epeterson all really good points!

I think it might be worth you trying a T30 at some point, just to see it. For that bottom pocket, I either put a second pair of shoes plus misc. or it's a great spot for the laundry cubes. They keep everything squared off and for me at least, the squish thing doesn't matter to my undies, PJs, t-shirts, etc.

The BB does have a lot of cool features and I've single bagged with it. The compression straps are great.
For my physical size, it's very very wide across my body, which is probably why I don't carry it as much.

[Chicagoan]

bartleby I'm always super impressed by your studio-quality photographs. Clear. Well-lit. And focused on not just the big picture, but the small details, too. I was also surprised by how much it weighs empty, and why it came fully lined when omitting the lining would probably have saved a significant amount of weight (on the Xpac version, I think they could easily do without it since the back side of that material is usually a contrasting white and plenty waterproof). BUT I appreciate the contrasting liner on such a tall, deep bag. I returned an Ursa/Cobalt Cambiata awhile back because, among other things, the lining felt too dark for a deep bag and I wanted something lighter with more contrast. I eventually bought a Coyote/Sangria Cambiata, and it's a "night and day" difference in how much easier it is to locate items in the main volume when the lining is a lighter, brighter color. If I remember correctly, the Aeronauts are still fully lined bags, but use the same color Ballistic as the outside of the bag. It wasn't a cost-cutting or weight-saving decision, and the only true loss was the loss of contrast, which does become a little more problematic with dark bags (Black, Ursa, etc.).

bijoux Regarding lining and all that? While reviewing the Addax 31, I sent a rough draft of my review to Maia, who forwarded it along to Jose - we exchanged a few emails back and forth, but I did learn that the Cambiata was mostly a Nik design with some minor input from Tom, and last-minute simplifications and improvements from Jose. Point being, I was very mistaken in assuming a new bag came from a new designer, but the timing was so concurrent I just assumed they were related to another. They weren't. So the first original design from Jose is the Addax and NOT the Cambiata. Jose's a smart dude, and the design is informed largely by his personal experience as a bike commuter - so all the features come straight from practice, and not theory. By a bike commuter, for bike commuters (and whomever else can find it useful). Sometimes it's just easiest to go straight to the horse's mouth for some clarity, and that's what I did - I flat out asked Jose in an email who designed the Cambiata, and he gave me a straight answer.

ittoujuu, I've owned "front entry" ultralight hiking backpacks that also have a roll-top, and while adding a side or front zipper entry allows quick and easy access without unfurling the roll top, it's also the most likely point of failure (I've had bags with "water resistant" zippers that even have garages built over the zippers leak). Since you're stuffing items into a large main volume regardless of the point of entry, I think it's going to be a shift of organizational mindset, more than anything. More than anything, the built-in pockets help, and if you need more than that, it's probably a great bag to add a Freudian Slip into.

[epeterson]

ittoujuu epeterson
What features are y'all looking for in a 'great travel backpack' ?

When I'm not playing with new bags, that's what the Aeronauts/Techonauts are for me.

The use case I'm looking at is flying somewhere (or taking the train), and then carrying the pack on my back for a few miles outside.

Features I'm looking for:

- Ventilated back panel, for comfort when it's hot out. This rules out the Aeronaut, but not the Techonaut. I do have an SG23, and I love the 'skeleton' and the mesh in the back panel. The mesh back panel of something like the Smart Alec would also be fine for this use case, although not *quite* as good as the skeleton panel.

- Carries weight well. Ideally this would mean that the pack design directs the weight toward the body. The slanted bottom of the SG23 is great for this, but ideally I'd like cinch straps on the sides as well, Brain Bag style. I think the Aeronaut and Techonaut both have internal straps to secure things in the main compartment -- I don't have either bag, so I can't really evaluate how well they perform this function. Both the Aeronaut and Techonaut look, to me at least, like a box designed to maximize carrying capacity within airline size requirements, rather than a "shape" designed for comfortably carrying weight.

- Comfortable straps -- I suspect both the Aeronaut/Techonaut are fine for this, since I like the edgeless straps on the SG23 and the Smart Alec.

- Protects the contents. One thing I don't really like about the Aeronaut/Techonaut is both have a "side pocket" which ends up being on the ground if you set the bag down in "backpack configuration." I'm not sure what I'd actually use that pocket for -- anything I can think of that I'd want separated is also something that I wouldn't want getting smashed when I set the bag down.

- Fits within airline size requirements (although this doesn't need to be a "maximized" shape/volume; I just want to be able to carry it on).

- Edit: I do always travel with a device (either a tablet or a laptop) and I'd want to carry it in the bag, but I'm fine with putting it in a separate sleeve in the main compartment rather than having a dedicated laptop compartment. Whatever works. :)

FWIW I think I will probably give the Brain Bag a try for this purpose, although it would be great to see if TB had any new design ideas in this space.

[G42]

ittoujuu epeterson
What features are y'all looking for in a 'great travel backpack' ?

When I'm not playing with new bags, that's what the Aeronauts/Techonauts are for me.

[G42]

MikeV this new bag is fully lined! Will TB be reverting to fully lined Aeronauts? Yup, I said REVERTING, because under Tom Bihn's stewardship, Aeronauts had been sold fully lined with halcyon.

The Aeronaut 30 is more expensive and approx the same size as Addax 31, therefore the same level of "fully lined" should apply

Regarding functionality, halcyon is very easy to wipe down.

Tom is gone, so please don't use the reason of "Tom's philosophy...."

The weight addition (just a few grams) of the halcyon lining is well worth the happiness interior colour brings.

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that the Aeronaut redesign started while Tom et.al. were still there... It's been in the works for quite some time.

[epeterson]

I'm still hoping, someday, to see a proper, dedicated travel backpack from TB. There have been several bags that have danced around that idea: the Hero's Journey [on the maximalist end of things], the SG33, the Synik, the Techonauts, and now this, but I'm hoping for something that's a great travel backpack and only concerned with being that.

Same. I think the back panel and the bottom (slanted toward the body) of the Shadow Guide are a good start there. I love my SG for carrying heavy loads. I wouldn't want the drawstring closure though (or roll-top).