Aeronaut ballistic vs halcyon

[pedromole]

Hi all, I'm a long time one bag traveller but new to Tom Bihn. I am trying to choose my first bag and as I am in the UK with international shipping and import tax I need to get it right first time.

Sorry that my first question has probably been asked loads of times, I've used the search facility but I'm still undecided.
For leisure travel I never need more than 20 litres but for work I might need up to 30 litres so I've decided on the aeronaut 30.

But I'm unsure of which material.

My question is...... Does the a30 halcyon seem floppy when only two thirds full? If I only packed the main compartment and left the end compartments empty would it still carry well in backpack mode?

Many thanks for any advice.

[bchaplin]

If you are likely to underpack the Aeronaut 30, I would advise you to get the ballistic version. It is a bit heavier, but holds its shape better and is unlikely to look lumpy. Everyone has a different opinion though, and it's really personal preference, and whether or not it is important to have the lightest bag possible.

Try going to the product pages for the Aeronaut 30 (and also the A45), and looking at the "Bags in the Wild" section at the bottom of the page to get a sense of what the different materials look like under real-life conditions. (However, the Halcyon bags pictured there are likely to be the older style, with more visible gridlines, and as you probably know, the newer ones have a more subtle patterning.)

[Amy G]

I agree with @bchaplin. I have two A30's in halcyon (most of my bags are halcyon) and rehomed an A30 in ballistic. In hindsight I should have kept the ballistic. While I love halcyon, when carrying in backpack mode I find it is very dependent on what is inside for structure. For carrying under packed, I think ballistic maintains its shape much better. Of course, your experience may vary.

[Denises]

I have a halcyon A30 and for weekend trips I quite often pack the centre compartment and leave the end ones empty. This works fine for me carrying in backpack mode.

[pedromole]

Thank you for the feedback. I'm not worried about the extra weight of ballistic and not too worried about colour either. I want to like the halcyon really as I like the idea of it being squishy enough that if underfilled then it will go under a seat on a plane but don't want the trade off being that it lacks structure when carried.

I'm still going round in circles.........

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[bchaplin]

That raises a good question. @Denises, when you pack your Halcyon A30 that way, just filling the center compartment, will it fit underneath an airline seat? And how does it carry?

[Pokilani]

I have both materials in the A30. If you can hold off until tomorrow, I will do a test pack for you can post pictures. If I were under packing, I would prefer the Ballistic for its ability to hold shape. If you want the flexibility to stuff a bag, Halcyon is the way to go.


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[Denises]

I haven't tried putting it under an airline seat, because that's where I put my personal item.

As to how it carries, it probably depends a bit on what sort of items are in the bag, but for a weekend away it's pretty light stuff, just some clothes and small sizes of toiletries.I would have maybe 3 kilos in there, even less if it's summer. If I take an additional pair of shoes other than the ones I'm wearing, I would put them in the bottom end pocket, as that seems to work best for me. It probably looks a bit saggy but that doesn't really bother me.

[Ca1i]

I was stuck having to put both my a30 (halcyon) and co-pilot under my seat on a puddle jumper in Texas. Those in the know had already taken all the very limited overhead space. I managed to squish both under there, but it wasn't pretty. The flight was short so I could live with it. I can't imagine European airlines have much less space under the seat as this was the most restrictive space I've run into lately. They might, however, be more strict about bulges. So, if you are ok with your feet confined to a small area, I think an under packed a30 in halcyon will fit under a seat.

I adore the halcyon but I'm very weight sensitive. I love the ballistic colors and it is always tempting...that said, as long as I am a carry-on only traveler I'll stick to halcyon. But I'm older so YMMV.

Edited to add that I agree with Denises and I pack only the center if I'm not taking much, but really I don't care if it looks a little floppy. It never looks sloppy to me.

Edited again to replace dyneema for (correct newish name) halcyon. I'm still not trained :-(

[pedromole]

@Pokilani that would be great if you could. The pics I have found tend to show the bag full with an emphasis on overfilling it.
I need to make a decision in the next week as in a few weeks time I will be going to Sri Lanka for a 3 week holiday so will only need to use the main 20 litre compartment. Then on my return I will be working for a week in Cyprus and then straight to Gibraltar for another week of work, both of which will need the full bag.
Ca1i and Denises.... Your examples are really useful thanks. I don't carry a personal item so that should give me extra room under seat if I need it.

[BWeaves]

I really do not like halcyon as an outer fabric. I prefer the ballistic. It's only a few ounces heavier than the halcyon. And the ballistic is perfectly squishable. I find the halcyon too floppy for all but the smallest bags (Side Effect).

The weight "savings" of the halcyon are really not there, because if you can squish just a little more in the halcyon version, then it weighs the same or more than the ballistic version. And I can squish quite a lot into a ballistic version, and the fabric still looks smooth on the outside and doesn't show the outline of the item I crammed in there.

[Pokilani]

OK, here are some photos...








If you do not need the flexibility (meaning you can stuff more in it) and slight weight savings of Halcyon, I would get the ballistic. TB's ballistic nylon is truly gorgeous (coming from a Halcyon lover, seriously, I love Halcyon). I had the Aubergine bag for about a year before I got the Halcyon. I can really get a lot more stuff in the Halcyon version, which I appreciate. Aestheically, I prefer the Ballistic in this bag.

[pedromole]

Wow those pictures are great! That is exactly what I needed to see. Thank you so much. Based on those and the concensus on here, the decision is made...... Ballistic.

[Perseffect]

Appreciate you having just made your decision but I would second it. I'm in the UK too so always concerned I'm making he rights choices.

One that I am always sure of is Ballistic for travel bags (I.e. Not personal items). They are still flexible to shove under airline seats, but are much more robust. I have the A45, A30 and Tristar all in Ballistic. In addition, the Ballistic works well for business travel 'look' in my opinion.

I've had my Tristar under an easyJet seat before so I'm pretty sure an A30 will be fine. No real room for a personal item but as you say, you don't have one.

I've got (or have had) Navy, Black and Steel in Ballistic. Can't really go wrong with those.

Good luck.


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[pedromole]

@ Perseffect thanks for the reassurance. With GBP being particularly weak at the moment these bags are not cheap for us in the UK. I still believe they represent value but its more important than ever to make the right decision first time.
Easyjet seems to have a large percentage of customers who can't pack properly and can't stow bags in the overhead lockers properly so it will be good to have the option of stuffing under seat if needed.