New to tom Bihn-Areonaut

[bluedenim]

this is my first post to the forum and my first consideration of a tom Bihn bag....I am really leaning towards the Areonaut or the new one coming out for my three week trip to europe in September.

I have been reading all the various forums, reviews and packing lists and am not fully sure. I have traditioanlly used a wheeled suitcase but carry on size. I sometimes find they are limiting in a variety of ways.

I would love to travel one bag but with my camera bag I just don't see that happening. I am thinking about using the camera bag as my personal item and my travel partners personal item will be the small laptop bag.
I know we will have to check the main bag on one or two flights when we are flying with EasyJet as they have a strict one bag policy unless we are able to fit the camera bag and the lap top in the carry on.

When I see all the various packing lists they really seem to varry in terms of what people have managed to pack in the Areonaut. Some of them I wonder how did they get that much in them...like the link where someone packed four shoes and tons of clothes.

I am wondering if what I am planning on packing is too much....
roughly, not including what I am wearing (t shirt, jeans, light jacket, shoes)

1 dress pant
1 light weight pant
2 dressier/casual shirts
3 t shirts
2 muscle shirts
1 short
1 night club outfit
pair of pumas
pair of dressy shoes
sport jacket
5 pairs of socks and underwear
a small toiletry kit with small samples and minium things as I figure most I can buy when I am at the destination

I am wondering if I needed to if I could put my small camera bag in there as well I will be bringing an slr and two lenses.

thanks.

[pretzelb]

The only part of your list that had me wondering was:

1 night club outfit
pair of pumas
pair of dressy shoes
sport jacket

I can't imagine what the night club outfit would look like so it's hard to imagine the size. Including two sets of footwear will most likely mean you one in each side pocket, which could take all that space - depends on your shoe size. My size 10 men's sneakers usually take up one side pocket. I assume the sports jacket will be bulky and could take up a good amount of room. If you were looking to cut down on items I'd look at this list first.

But I think you could fit all that into the Aeronaut, but I don't think you could then also include the camera. Maybe you could put the lenses in between clothes but it wouldn't be very safe.

My longest trips are usually just over a week and I wash laundry in the sink during the trip. I use a large packing cube and two smalls in the main compartment. The large packing cube will fill pretty quickly with bulky large items like jeans so I try to keep that down. The small cubes is where I pack running shorts, socks, underwear, running (nylon/lycra) shirts, and t-shirts. It is amazing how much you can stuff into them, but the key is to try and get stuff that is thin and doesn't wrinkle.

I also take a DSLR with me on trips, but only domestic (US) so far. I find a small padded bag works good enough. I have some Domke wraps for the lenses and enough room for small items like a book, snacks, and iPod. I have started to cut back on how many lenses I take just because I find it a pain. But I should say that I only use prime lenses now so my lenses are much smaller and lighter than most.

When you read some of those large packing lists, you might want to pay attention to whether it's for a man or woman, or the general size of the person. A small person will be able to pack much more just because their clothes take up much less space. Seems like most lists that include 10+ t-shirts are from a petite person.

[bluedenim]

good points
I am size 10. I know pumas generally don't take up too much room the dress shoes will take up a fair amount of room.

The sports jacket is something that I am debating about taking. I have thought about just wearing a light jacket, something nice that could work as casual/dressy.

the "nightclub" outfit would probably be a pair of very dressy/trendy jeans.

[peregrina]

I think I'm the one you referred to who packed 4 pair of shoes and a ton of clothes in the aeronaut :P

The only reason I could pack 4 pair of shoes is because my foot is size 7 and most of those shoes were highly crushable women's shoes... I know one pair of my husband's shoes would have fit an entire side pocket. I would wear the dressy shoes (if they are bulky) on the plane and pack the casual shoes (the pumas?).

As for the clothes, if you use the rolling technique for shirts and tshirts, you'd have no trouble fitting all of that in your aeronaut with space to spare. Get two large packing cubes; they make it a lot easier.

You might have space but I don't think I'd fit a camera or a laptop in the aeronaut. I usually make sure that I'm ready to be parted from it if someone decides at the gate that it doesn't make the weight limit or something. So as a rule, I never pack anything other than clothes and shoes in it. But I tend to fly on airlines that allow a personal item or a second carry on...

[Akilae]

I also carry a DSLR and a laptop with me on my trips. However, my laptop is a netbook these days, and for my DSLR I only carry two pancake prime lenses with me. These two make it very possible to pack everything into an Imago (although, as an aside, I learned a painful lesson a few days ago and will never lend out my DSLR again... an idiot tried to "zoom" my primes, all the while turning against the autofocus motor.. ouch...). All my clothing items go into my Aeronaut. After a few trips I figured out my back will most likely break before I reach the limits of the Aeronaut's capacity.

I think that's the most important thing. The Aeronaut is meant to be carried by sheer manpower instead of wheelpower, so you have to make some adjustments there if possible. IMHO, three pairs of shoes is overkill without a very good reason, especially since shoe leather takes up valuable weight/space.

[pretzelb]

I also carry a DSLR and a laptop with me on my trips. However, my laptop is a netbook these days, and for my DSLR I only carry two pancake prime lenses with me. These two make it very possible to pack everything into an Imago

Really, the Imago? I tried this very briefly once and found it annoying. The camera jabbed me through the bag and I was paranoid when I turned around that I would bump the camera. Do you also carry the camera around in the Imago when you reach your destination?

Back to the original topic, I do think one thing to remember with a one-bag approach is you really have to pack smart, and I mean very smart. I've done it a few times and I'm still learning with each trip. For example, I now wish I had planned my "travel" clothes a bit better when it comes to colors. A very good strategy is to make sure that nearly every shirt/pant can be used together to maximize your combination potential. If you have one combo that can only be used together it's can really ruin your clothing rotation, especially if you are going to clean the clothes on the trip. The tough thing is there are just tons of tips and its hard to think of them all.

I do agree on the shoes. Not only do they immediate take up tons of space but they also bring the weight up very fast. I'm still not 100% happy with my shoe choices for travel. I like to run on trips so sneakers are a must. After that I try to get a shoe that can handle everything else but that means casual shopping, dining out in at least semi nice places, and maybe even light hiking.

A one bag approach can be tough but it has benefits, especially if you are on the go a lot on your trip.

[bluedenim]

thanks

Ya I am going to rethink some of my packing

the trip has actually moved a month to the beginning of october so my packing list will change slightly. There will be no shorts and I will want to include a few long sleeve shirts. In some ways it will be a bit easier to pack.

The shoe issue is always an issue. I think I could easily reduce it down to two pairs only.

I am curious about the new bag that is going to be released but I gather it will be smaller than the aeronaut and I think for this trip the Aeronaut will be my best bet.

I am looking at taking two lenses only my 24-105 and a wide angle.

[Akilae]

Really, the Imago? I tried this very briefly once and found it annoying. The camera jabbed me through the bag and I was paranoid when I turned around that I would bump the camera. Do you also carry the camera around in the Imago when you reach your destination?

Back to the original topic, I do think one thing to remember with a one-bag approach is you really have to pack smart, and I mean very smart. I've done it a few times and I'm still learning with each trip. For example, I now wish I had planned my "travel" clothes a bit better when it comes to colors. A very good strategy is to make sure that nearly every shirt/pant can be used together to maximize your combination potential. If you have one combo that can only be used together it's can really ruin your clothing rotation, especially if you are going to clean the clothes on the trip. The tough thing is there are just tons of tips and its hard to think of them all.

I do agree on the shoes. Not only do they immediate take up tons of space but they also bring the weight up very fast. I'm still not 100% happy with my shoe choices for travel. I like to run on trips so sneakers are a must. After that I try to get a shoe that can handle everything else but that means casual shopping, dining out in at least semi nice places, and maybe even light hiking.

A one bag approach can be tough but it has benefits, especially if you are on the go a lot on your trip.

Usually when I get to my destination the camera is around my neck, lol. If I do ever carry it around in the Imago, I wrap it up with Domke wraps. Not a perfect solution, but it works for me.

In terms of shoes, I've recently gone with ankle boots. There are quite a few shoe companies that make lace-up ankle boots that are built rugged enough for hiking in jeans/cargos, yet sleek and can be polished should the occasion call for it to go with khakis or slacks. I usually wear a pair of Alden 405s and have either a pair of sneakers or slip-on mocs in one of the end pockets of the Aeronaut (when flying I wear the mocs instead). Once you settle the shoe issue, it's easy to organize the rest of your wardrobe around your shoe of choice.