Travel Bag for a petite girl

[DeBru]

Hi! A Newbie here ��
I've been admiring all the beautiful Tom Bihn bags on the website and forum for a while and ordered a TSS in each size (I love accessories!!) but have yet to order a bag... I am currently looking for a suitably sized general travel bag for a 5' girl and am leaning towards the SA but worry that it will be too heavy fully packed... Would an S19 be a better choice?
(no packing list as it would differ on each occasion...)

[haraya]

Hello and welcome!

Is this for a 5' adult? (Yourself?) Or a child/tween/teen? I am right around 5'. I use an S19 for my EDC, and an SA for my personal item on a flight (alternately, as my one bag for a 2-3 night quick trip).

If for a child: For my 11yo who is also the same height, I would say the S19 would be quite comfortable for a 2-3 night trip. (Her clothes are smaller than mine, for now. ) If it is for school, note that the S19 is a little tight if one will be bringing a big binder, or a laptop, plus lunch. In that case I would lean towards the SA.

Of course, there are plenty of posts here about minimalist travelers who cross the globe with only a 19L or 26L pack, so either of those will work for long trips as well!

In all cases, if weight is a concern, I would go withe the Dyneema option, if there is one available. (Right now the SA has Dyneema/UV and Dyneema/Wasabi available; the S19 does not have Dyneema as an option at the moment, but I'm sure they'll offer one again!)

[dorayme]

Welcome DeBru,
I am 5'2" and I love my Western flyer. It packs clamshell style, which I prefer for most of my travels. I do use the packing cubes, sacks, and organizer pouches for organization. Mine is Ballistic, and I don't find the weight too much, it's a very lightweight travel bag due to it's design, but as mentioned above, Dyneema will give you weight savings.
I love the WF because it's compact and slim. It's divided sections make sense to how I like to pack. I can fit my clothes into a large sized WF/TS PCBP (Packing cube Backpack) in the back section, and then put shoes on one side of the front, and toiletries and other essentials into the other side. Unless I am bringing winter weight non travel specific bulky clothing, or need different clothes due to my activities, I can usually travel with my WF for up to 5 days of so.
If I am going for 3 days or less, my goto travel bag is my Pilot

[DeBru]

@haraya thanks! And sorry for not specifying more clearly... A tween travel bag. I love the idea of the SA, I was just worried it might get too heavy to carry thru the airport if packed full.

@dorayme thanks! I love the space and what appears to be idea of the natural organization in the Western Flyer, but since I am dealing with a "not naturally organized" tween I'm afraid the sections would wind up a disaster.... Like her closet. It is on my wish list for me though.

[Pokilani]

One thing to consider is if she has narrow shoulders, she might have issues with the S19 straps. The current S19 is not comfortable in my shoulders and I had to hunt down the older style. The Smart Alec was much more comfortable for me. If I were only going to have 1 backpack, I'd go with the Smart Alec in Dyneema. You can always help her to not overpack until she gets stronger.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bchaplin]

I would find out if she wants a bag with lots of pockets for organisation (like the Synapse 19), or prefers one large "cavern" that everything can be dumped into (the Smart Alec). Of course you could set her up with a few packing cubes. Both bags are light, in my opinion, in the dyneema versions. The SA can be filled halfway and cinched up with the bungee cords to be slightly smaller. The Synapse 19, on the other hand, has the advantage of making a useful day bag at her destination, and it is very easy to pull a wallet or boarding pass out. With the Smart Alec, I usually carry a small purse-like bag that has the things I need to access on an immediate basis, because it is just not a quick operation for me to take it off my shoulders and open that U-shaped zipper.

I think it really depends on how much she carries with her and if it could fit into a small bag like a Synapse 19, or if it would be good to have the flexibility of a bag with slightly more space.

Pokilani's point about the shoulder straps is an important one, too. I myself am 5'2", and not tiny, but I found that I can not wear the newer Synapse 19's comfortably since the shoulder straps were redesigned. A lot of shorter people, myself included, seem to think that the Smart Alec is more comfortable in terms of the fit, although it is definitely a large bag and it could be cumbersome on a tween.

Finally, everything above is assuming that you are only considering backpacks. There are some other possibilities, such as the Night Flight Duffel. I have no personal experience with that one but many forum members seem to like it. I personally stick with bags that I know can accommodate my laptop, but this may not be a factor.

EDIT: After seeing RDR3's amazing posts below, I just want to say, "Get the Synapse". It seems to fit her kids perfectly. Maybe the Smart Alec would be too large.

[RDR3]

Hope this helps. I'm 5' and a lightweight. I don't have a problem with the weight and comfort of the Smart Alec or the Synapse 25.
The straps do hug me better on the S25 I have run through the airport with the S25 and did not collapse

The S25

ETA S25

[RDR3]

Hi! A Newbie here ��
I've been admiring all the beautiful Tom Bihn bags on the website and forum for a while and ordered a TSS in each size (I love accessories!!) but have yet to order a bag... I am currently looking for a suitably sized general travel bag for a 5' girl and am leaning towards the SA but worry that it will be too heavy fully packed... Would an S19 be a better choice?
(no packing list as it would differ on each occasion...)

There is also a picture I took of my boys and their S19. They're 4'11" and had no problem carrying and packing the S19 for 4 nights in NYC. Of course, I cringe to think of what they actually put in there! I'll hunt down the picture for you

Found the picture:


In this instance the many pockets really helped them stay organized going through airport security.

[DeBru]

Thanks for all the ideas and pictures! Looks like I might need one of each

[hipchick]

I'm 5'3" and just returned from an 8 day trip with my Western Flyer and non-TB tote bag. And I had my son's inflatable car seat pack in there as well! However I'm not sure I could have done all that in the winter!