Synapse 19 New Owner Help Requests

[billwilson]

Hi folks

New here
Not new to EDC and other Obsessive Hobbies

My Snyapse 19 due in a few days

USE: Primaraly long haul plane flights, May due dual duty for Daddy/Diaper bag for my two year old

Questions;

what size acessoriy bags fit in the bag?
right side
left side
bottom
main bag
small front
"water bottle" pocket

"Water bottle" pocket:
when filled with a 'grocery store" bottle of water
does it bulge into the main compartment?
1/2 liter and one liter

does anyone use a Platypus PlusBottle?

Any out side vendors used for custom zipper pulls?

Anyone done any custom work/mods on the bag?

thanx in advance

bw

BTW
i am fully versed in Micro Brand Watches, Custom Watch Mods
watch staps, i am ok on pocket knives and flashlights also
(i dont do them, sell them or mod them, but have a ton of them and have
flipped a ton over the past few years)

[AVService]

Bill

Why not wait till the new bag arrives and see then how you think you can make it your own?
I use and like soft bottles and hard bottles and usually they are not noticeable in any way with the bag closed.

Keep Coming Back.

Ed

[billwilson]

Bill

Why not wait till the new bag arrives and see then how you think you can make it your own?
I use and like soft bottles and hard bottles and usually they are not noticeable in any way with the bag closed.

Keep Coming Back.

Ed

Ed

sound experience to share ODAT

bw
11 Oct 94

[haraya]

Hi Bill! Congratulations on your new Tom Bihn arrival.

Primarily long haul plane flights

My S19 is my EDC and I am a small person (five feet), but for long plane flights I tend to take a bigger bag - lately, my Smart Alec. That is because I like to have an extra layer in case it gets cold; entertainment (iPad mini, maybe a magazine, knitting); my own snacks and a water bottle; and then I often end up carrying entertainment and/or food for my kids in my bag. (They have their own bags, but as the trip goes on invariably I end up holding something for them!)

(Also, whatever bag I use for a long flight, I try to color-code my stuff sacks: e.g. Wasabi for snacks, Iberian for first aid supplies, Solar for clothing, UV for entertainment, and so on. Makes it easier to find things fast.)

You may be a more organized person than I am, in which case the S19 is a great size for stuffing under the seat in front of you. I do still prefer the SA for under-seat access though, because of that Upper Modular Pocket that seems designed for just this purpose - i.e., oriented for access from the front when it's lying on the floor.

ETA: I often take a rolled-up Shop Bag on long flights. If the under-seat area looks icky, I put the backpack in the Shop Bag to keep it safe from spills or other nasty stuff. (Alternately, one could use a clean garbage bag for the same purpose.) Then, when I get to my destination, I have a Shop Bag handy for shopping.

May do dual duty for Daddy/Diaper bag for my two year old

When my kids were infants, I had the backpack equivalent of an S25 or SA (extra capacity for stuffing a toy, blankie, or change of clothes for kiddo). By the time they were toddlers I transitioned to a Maker's Bag-style bag - quicker access. But the S25/S19 are both great for quickly locating different types of gear.

what size accessory bags fit in the bag?
right side/left side/"water bottle" pocket

I forget who posted this, but someone on the forums said (I'm paraphrasing) that the Synapse is a bag that performs better if you trust its innate organizational qualities, vs. using accessories. After a year and a half of using my S19 with various configurations, I find this is true for me, at least re: the external pockets. I can say that a size 1 Travel Stuff Sack fits nicely in the side pockets or the water bottle pocket - but I found it took me more time to fish out the SS and peer into it than it did to just store things directly in the pocket. Exception: I like to carry more pens than the number of pen slots, and I like to carry them on the opposite side from the pen slots, so I use a Stuff Sack in the right side pocket for those.

"Water bottle" pocket:
when filled with a 'grocery store" bottle of water
does it bulge into the main compartment?
1/2 liter and one liter

Yes, it will stick into the main compartment. I'm a little funny in that I often prefer to keep my water bottle in the main compartment. I find the tall front pocket is the most logical place for me to put my phone, that way I'm not rummaging in the main compartment.

Small front pocket

This I use for frequently accessed small items: lip balm, gum, hair ties, cloth for cleaning my glasses. I can get to them quickly, without having to look, if say I am at a stoplight and the bag is in the front seat. Or if I am in a movie theater and don't want to rustle through all the stuff in the main compartment.

Bottom pocket

I tried having a stuff sack in here and I found it was easier to just stuff my down vest/jacket into the pocket itself. Alternately, I sometimes carry an umbrella in this pocket.

Main compartment

For a while I had many, many Organizational Pouches and Stuff Sacks in here. To facilitate so many key straps, I added split key rings to each of the O-rings - this makes it easier to locate the attachment points (because they are shiny vs. the black O-rings) and gave me a larger ring to clip into.

Then I got a Freudian Slip for my S19 and that has taken the place of all the OPs. I like having the FS because

(1) it helps the bag stand up on its own (I have a Dyneema S19), and it provides
(2) support if I'm carrying papers
(3) vertical organization - if I want small things to stay near the top of the bag (e.g. my Jackery phone charger and cord go in the top FS pockets)
(4) front to back organization - I put lumpy things to the front of the bag, and soft or flat things closer to my back (papers, a folded hoody, iPad mini).

I do still have at least one Stuff Sack in the main compartment. Right now I have a size 3 (meds, eye drops, headphones - things I don't use as frequently) and a size 1 TSS (protein bar). If you have items you will frequently carry apart from the bag, it's nice to corral all those in one container, maybe even one with a Handle Loop - for instance - diaper-changing gear in a Snake Charmer. Oh, and I used to have all 16-inch Key Straps for my SS, but they would all get tangled up. So I've switched my KS out for the 8-inch lengths, at least the ones I use for tethering my SS.

does anyone use a Platypus PlusBottle?

I bought one for a 9-day trip to Asia (for use with my SA), but didn't use it all that much. If it was anything less than half-full it lacked structure, which made it just a little trickier to stow away in my bag. For future long trips I'll be taking my Klean Kanteen or HydroFlask. Or I may just leave it, since in practice we ended up buying water if there weren't good places to refill.

Any out side vendors used for custom zipper pulls?

I have not, but there are several posts here on the Forums (and maybe even a TB video) on how to do paracord pulls.

Anyone done any custom work/mods on the bag?

I don't recall any permanent hacks - maybe moriond or another mod has more info on this. But someone, I think @feijai, showed us a fabric sleeve he had commissioned on Etsy that exactly fit the water bottle pocket. So basically it was a custom Stuff Sack for that compartment.

The great thing that I've discovered about all my TB bags is that they are flexible enough to work for many different purposes and life phases or events. I love repurposing my TB accessories for different bags/situations than I originally intended. Hopefully you will find many fun and varied ways to use your S19 for many years to come!!

[billwilson]

Thanx guys
i love you all, already

[TavaPeak]

@billwilson, there are some great S19 threads for hacks and mods with straps, carabiners, etc. One thread tip I've used is to clip/hang a Side Effect or 3D clear organizer cube in the top of the main pocket, to maximize the "headspace." (Side Effect might be a good addition for a diaper bag kit.). There are also threads for Lunch Bots or other sealed food carriers that fit in the bottom pocket--great for lunch or toddler snacks.

I carry a small water bottle In a side pocket, and use the exterior middle "water bottle" pocket for other things. A medium organizer pouch (I prefer Dyneema) fits well in a side pocket. A Packing Cube Shoulder Bag fits horizontally in the main pocket if I don't carry a laptop.

[billwilson]

u guys rock

anyone have any links to the S19 threads

i will use the search dealy too

Miss Fussy Pants Who has Daddy Trained is still asleeep......

[TavaPeak]

This was a thread I was thinking of. http://forums.tombihn.com/general-ba...ight=Bah+hacks