My trusty Aeronaut turns four this year, and it has been all over the US and a few spots in Europe with me. It is my go-to travel bag for a few reasons, mainly it leaves my hands free and it also is big enough for an extra pair of shoes. (I wear either a 15 extra wide or 16…so “going light” generally means only dress shoes or only sneakers with most other bags)
I have recently been on a few one and two night trips and the Aeronaut has been a bit too big for the lighter load so my tax refund this year bought me a Tri-star.
I chose to get it in the lighter dyneema, and it really is a lightweight bag but thus far seems just as sturdy and durable as the Aeronaut.
Unlike the Aeronaut, the Tri-star isn’t a huge bag with one main cavernous compartment, which leads to forcing you to organize a bit differently. Thankfully, like everything else TB, it is very thoughtfully laid out.
My typically full load in the Aeronaut will be a large packing cube and backpack packing cube in the main compartment, shoes in one side compartment, and the other side compartment has toiletries and other small items. I usually bundle pack my clothes into the two packing cubes.
The Tristar has three main compartments; my first trip was a quick overnight (pleasure, not business) and everything fit quite nicely. The front compartment held my toiletries and a packing cube with socks and underwear. I put a freudian slip in the middle compartment as a test and it worked wonderfully to hold a pair of headphones, Anker charger, iPad mini, and a bluetooth keyboard.
In the back I had a large packing cube with a change of clothes. The compartments in the Tristar are wider than those in the Aeronaut so I may simply fold clothes rather than bundle pack with a heavier load.
For work trips, I could easily see stuffing a day light briefcase for meetings in the Tristar and going with just the one bag. I’ve always been a bit scared of electronics in the Aeronaut since it is so “open” inside and usually have a separate bag; with the Tristar, especially the middle compartment, an iPad or small laptop would fit and be protected.
Anyway, hope this post is helpful for those considering one or the other bags.
Matt
I have recently been on a few one and two night trips and the Aeronaut has been a bit too big for the lighter load so my tax refund this year bought me a Tri-star.
I chose to get it in the lighter dyneema, and it really is a lightweight bag but thus far seems just as sturdy and durable as the Aeronaut.
Unlike the Aeronaut, the Tri-star isn’t a huge bag with one main cavernous compartment, which leads to forcing you to organize a bit differently. Thankfully, like everything else TB, it is very thoughtfully laid out.
My typically full load in the Aeronaut will be a large packing cube and backpack packing cube in the main compartment, shoes in one side compartment, and the other side compartment has toiletries and other small items. I usually bundle pack my clothes into the two packing cubes.
The Tristar has three main compartments; my first trip was a quick overnight (pleasure, not business) and everything fit quite nicely. The front compartment held my toiletries and a packing cube with socks and underwear. I put a freudian slip in the middle compartment as a test and it worked wonderfully to hold a pair of headphones, Anker charger, iPad mini, and a bluetooth keyboard.
In the back I had a large packing cube with a change of clothes. The compartments in the Tristar are wider than those in the Aeronaut so I may simply fold clothes rather than bundle pack with a heavier load.
For work trips, I could easily see stuffing a day light briefcase for meetings in the Tristar and going with just the one bag. I’ve always been a bit scared of electronics in the Aeronaut since it is so “open” inside and usually have a separate bag; with the Tristar, especially the middle compartment, an iPad or small laptop would fit and be protected.
Anyway, hope this post is helpful for those considering one or the other bags.
Matt
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