Best combination for TWO-bag travel?

[Cristina]

Thanks for the thoughts. In my search for a “personal item” for plane travel, I want a shoulder bag since the other bag is a backpack or A30 and it would be daily carry during the day. More “purse” appearance would be better but I need room for water bottle, umbrella and camera. Room for a DLBP would be great too. PU is good with zippers but Pilot easier to pack. MCB is open so easy for items to fall out. Any more considerations?

It might be easier to make recommendations if you are able to upload a picture of your items, especially the umbrella and camera. If that's not possible, could you tell us how big they are, and what model of camera? Cameras vary so much as do umbrellas. Also do you have your camera in a case? Which case?

[BrendaH]

Thanks for the thoughts. In my search for a “personal item” for plane travel, I want a shoulder bag since the other bag is a backpack or A30 and it would be daily carry during the day. More “purse” appearance would be better but I need room for water bottle, umbrella and camera. Room for a DLBP would be great too. PU is good with zippers but Pilot easier to pack. MCB is open so easy for items to fall out. Any more considerations?

[pkshooter]

Just did a 10 day international business trip with laptop, suit, 2 pair shoes, etc. Pilot and A45 were perfect. I have also done Brain Bag & Pilot combo, but typically when I use my brain bag it is for one bag travel.

[BWeaves]

I don't think the Pilot looks like a tech bag. It looks does look like luggage though. It's my favorite of the 3 bags mentioned because the pockets are the most useful for what I carry. Whether they are the most useful for what you carry may differ. I would buy based on how well your stuff packs in it.

[Threads]

I am about to travel and have narrowed down to an S19 for daily items and RB36 for clothing.

[Cristina]

I really like this thread, and it addresses my need for a personal item to use with a carryon bag. Which bag is less “video - steal me” - Pilot, Cafe bag, Parental Unit ?

I would say that the Pilot with its rectangular shape looks more like a bag carrying a laptop or other tech inside. The Cafe Bag and Parental Unit look more casual.

To narrow it down further, the Cafe Bag and the PU are incredibly different in use.

Firstly, the Cafe Bag does not completely zip closed so that may take it out of the running completely as a bag for a small video camera you want to protect against theft. All of the PU pockets are protected by zippers. And the PU has a lot of pockets! It is a symmetrical bag and you can keep your more valuable valuables against your body in one of the side pockets.


I hope that helps!

[BrendaH]

I really like this thread, and it addresses my need for a personal item to use with a carryon bag. Which bag is less “video - steal me” - Pilot, Cafe bag, Parental Unit ?

[MarkWebb]

Aeronaut 30 and Medium Cafe / Daylight Briefcase / Daylight Backpack / Co-Pilot if you are checking a bag through as well.

Aeronaut 45 and Pilot if you don't have checked luggage.

Reasoning: Aeronaut 30 and one of the smaller "personal item" category bags are more manageable if your overflow clothing and other items will be in a checked wheelie or spinner. The Co-Pilot is zippered which I prefer to "flap 'n' buckle" bags, less risk of something slipping out at seat - although you can use a Halcyon Side Effect or Side Kick to keep smaller items collected together in the Medium Cafe, or simply Ziploc them (1 gallon Ziplocs can't slip under the "wings" of the flap at the top). Fabric choice is important in terms of collecting dust smears, stains, repelling water - hence Ballistics, Parapack, and Halcyon are preferred. The one caveat is your choice of "personal item" may or may not make you more of a target - if the personal item (like a Co-Pilot) looks like a video camera bag, you become more of a target for grab and run thief.

For the "no checked luggage" scenario, I believe you've got to upsize to maximize you contents volume. I still prefer the Medium Cafe in 510d Ballistics over the Pilot or Co-Pilot because (1) looks less like a camera bag and (2) looks less like a tourist bag and (3) organizes and handles beautifully. I'm just not sure I like or dislike the recent move from "Bihn style strap material" to plain "seat belt strap material".

In terms of sizing to fit European jets - all of the Tom Bihn carryon luggage is soft sided so you can ease up on the amount you pack to make, imho, even an Aeronaut 45 fit. Also, if you compare onebags to wheelies, the overall profile of the onebag is far superior to almost any wheelie simply because there are no protruding wheels or handles. The problem for me, with onebags, isn't fitting overhead, it's hauling them across transit terminals - although usually there are free carts in the transit terminals I use.

[UpToNoGood]

Bag #1. A30, hands-down. Size does matter, so for reference I'm a 5'6 130 lb female, but the A30 is my go-to for 7-10 days trip around the world - muggy Asia in summer and frigid Europe in winter. For each trip I pack:
-Yogo yoga mat in the bottom end - get one at https://yogo.net/
-TB travel kit and assorted quick access items (phone charger, maybe a pair of flats or sandals and/or an aether A30 cube) in the other end
-Assorted merino clothing - a dress, tights, workout shirt and shorts, pajamas, undergarments, socks, a scarf, and a pair of nylon/polyester travel pants - in a PCSB or two (which also doubles as a makeshift purse once at my destination)
-Running shoes (in winter, when I'll wear boots on the plane) or an extra pair of sandals or flats
-A squished flat small shop bag in black halcyon that doubles as my "professional" tote for any meetings I have to attend
-Probably something else that I'm forgetting

Bag#2. *Sigh* The Maker's Bag (use the Absolute Strap for long trips). My dramatic sigh, as well as advocacy for the MB's utility, is explained here:

https://forums.tombihn.com/general-bag-discussion/14055-score-one-makers-bag-some-recommended-mods.html

Here's why 1 and 2 work so well. Because the A30 is awesome, and the ability to wear that backpack style during long runs across concourses and jetlagged waits on train platforms while your valuables and must-have readily accessible carry-on items are slung securely cross body with the Maker's Bag (and waist straps, if you so choose), makes transoceanic hauls very easy. You can get in and out of the MB relatively easily to grab your passport, money, and other key items while they're still clipped into the bag. (I do love clipping my keyring with my Chums Marsupial wallet onto my MB o-rings, so I always know where it is). Plus, the MB was water bottle pockets - always a plus in my book.

This set up isn't just good for business or adventure travel. It works well to help keep your hands relatively free when chasing after your child around baggage claim as well as to stash their jackets, books, toys - into your MB as they shed them at a whim.

[bartleby]

Here is another fan of backpack plus Yeoman: I often travel with either my Smart Alec or my Synapse 25 and my small Yeoman. I really love the Yeoman’s casual attitude.

https://forums.tombihn.com/photos-vi...tml#post157725

[LordAnubis]

That’s awesome input. I was thinking my next travel combination would be the western flyer and mini yeoman. Still not had the travel opportunity to test it out though.


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[ButtUglyJeff]

I'll just throw this out there. My last 3 trips I did with an S25 and a Yeoman Duffel. I tend to over pack the S25 and under pack the Yeoman. I have never received even a blink from any flight crew when I board. But they were just US domestic trips...

I do believe an Aeronaut and Pilot are Tom Bihn's best 2 bag pairing for travel, in general. But, that's all they would be for me, just travel gear I would never (well almost never) multi-purpose. My S25 was (my new GES25 will be) my everyday carry bag, and my medium Yeoman Duffel Bag gets used all the time with family activities. So I like the compromise.

[cdh]

Purchasing an S25 is never a bad decision.

[NParker]

Stowaway and an A30-like knock off is what I carry all th3 time. I can do business casual with laptop and projector for a week. Or take work clothes, boots, and hard hat for down in the dirt work. Walked many miles across airports and works just fine for me!

[rczip]

Depending on your goals and what you’re carrying, I would recommend perhaps the Stowaway and a Synapse 25. The MacBook needs the Synapse in this combination, but you can still fit some clothes in the stowaway with other stuff while making sure that you will have an item that is clearly smaller than the personal item size limitation that some airlines are starting to get strict about.

You mentioned international size restrictions so having at least one bag small enough to count as personal may be important.

When using the stowaway, I use a medium(small?) cafe bag Freudian Slip in the middle “backpack” slot. It works WONDERFUL to add some basic documents (folded only) as well as pens and pencils and other tools organization in a space that might go underutilized.