Laptop in Brain Cell in Tri Star Question

[davewg]

So, I've been looking at the Tri Star for business travel (even though I really don't travel enough to justify the cost) and wondered about how people handle this situation.

Laptop goes in Brain cell in center compartment which works great. Easy to pull out for TSA, etc. But for me when I travel its airport to hotel, then hotel to office. What do I use with the Brain Cell to carry my laptop's (14" Dell) power brick/cords, wireless travel mouse and a few small odds and ends (USB drive, USB cord or two). These could all go in a pouch, but how to carry with the Brain Cell is the part I can't figure out.

Part of my interest in the Tri Star is not having to carry a second bag during travel, but I'm a little stumped on the hotel to office part. I don't need anything fancy and while I think it would work the packing cube backpack isn't quite up to office snuff.

Does that make any sense or do I need more coffee?

TIA

[misterN]

So, I've been looking at the Tri Star for business travel (even though I really don't travel enough to justify the cost) and wondered about how people handle this situation.

Laptop goes in Brain cell in center compartment which works great. Easy to pull out for TSA, etc. But for me when I travel its airport to hotel, then hotel to office. What do I use with the Brain Cell to carry my laptop's (14" Dell) power brick/cords, wireless travel mouse and a few small odds and ends (USB drive, USB cord or two). These could all go in a pouch, but how to carry with the Brain Cell is the part I can't figure out.

Part of my interest in the Tri Star is not having to carry a second bag during travel, but I'm a little stumped on the hotel to office part. I don't need anything fancy and while I think it would work the packing cube backpack isn't quite up to office snuff.

Does that make any sense or do I need more coffee?

TIA

Ok, perhaps I can help decipher this, as my coffee has not worked its way through my system yet... So your problem you're having is--when you're on business travel, when you arrive at your destination, you just want to take the brain cell and the necessary laptop accessories with you to your travel workplace--but obviously, the brain cell can't hold all of that stuff. So you're wondering what to do.

I have seen on here, that several people have used their Tri-Star as their "briefcase" when on business. This isn't bad when you say, get the black/black combination. I'm assuming that you don't really want to keep all of your clothes packed and what not while you are on business, as wrinkles would probably start to become a problem after multiple days inside of a packing cube (or even bundle wrapped.) Without the clothes and travel essentials, they have had the bag work out fairly well as a briefcase.

Otherwise, I'm a little stumped on what to do, especially if you only want to travel with one bag. Perhaps, grab a snake charmer, two small 8 inch key chains, and lash together the snake charmer and brain cell? It should work out alright--are you going to be using a strap to hold it over your shoulder? Or just the small handles on the top? Only problem is, that it wouldn't look the most professional. Below is a picture I took--sorry about the quality, phone isn't super good.




Here's what I was able to do just stuffing the front portions of the brain cell. They are pretty elastic, mind you, even with the extension 3 prong cable to my macbook brick, your dell 14 inch brick will be much bigger probably. Inside of the padded pouch I put a hard backed moleskin + ipod touch, which should be near the size of your typical mobile usb drive. On the right is a folded small clear organizer pouch, with 3 different usb cables in it.

[davewg]

Ok, perhaps I can help decipher this, as my coffee has not worked its way through my system yet... So your problem you're having is--when you're on business travel, when you arrive at your destination, you just want to take the brain cell and the necessary laptop accessories with you to your travel workplace--but obviously, the brain cell can't hold all of that stuff. So you're wondering what to do.

Yep, you've got it.

Your solution sort of mimics the one product that I'd found that made sense. It was using a laptop sleeve and pouch arrangement from another bag maker, but since their two pieces were designed to work together it looks more elegant than in your pictures. I was hoping to see what Bihner's were doing.


It doesn't need to look law office or MBA professional, but can't be sloppy as I need a solution that I can walk into a client meeting situation with and not draw raised eyebrows.

[misterN]

Yep, you've got it.

Your solution sort of mimics the one product that I'd found that made sense. It was using a laptop sleeve and pouch arrangement from another bag maker, but since their two pieces were designed to work together it looks more elegant than in your pictures. I was hoping to see what Bihner's were doing.


It doesn't need to look law office or MBA professional, but can't be sloppy as I need a solution that I can walk into a client meeting situation with and not draw raised eyebrows.

Please keep in mind that I don't currently have a Tri-Star. I was just brainstorming ideas and showing options from what I had available. There could be ideas from others who have attempted to use the Tri-Star in a single bag format while toting around their electronics. However -- given what TB has available, the only other option (and I'm pretty sure your laptop would be too big) would be to fit an Imago inside of the center section. But then you have a bag within a bag. On top of that, I'm pretty sure the Imago is a little bit too fat to fit in the middle section (which I believe fits 2.75-3 inches of stuff before it starts to expand the center section into the outside panels, but I could be wrong.)

From prior searching on these forums when I was deciding what bags to start buying, I do believe one of the most common ways Tri-Star owners have dealt with what you want to do was simply to use the bag as his/her briefcase for their meetings.

[Jenne]

I usually just tuck all the accessories in the mesh side pocket on the Brain Cell. It holds the charger for my Dell Latitude, a wireless mouse, and a couple of extra cables. I have an older model Brain Cell- the mesh pocket goes from side to side. If I feel self conscious about the bulge, I carry it with the mesh pocket to the inside.

I use the absolute strap and just switch it from the Tri-Star to the Brain Cell. It works just fine and I definitely don't need to use my snake charmer. Occasionally, I'll use one of my Dyneema storage pouches (medium) which also fit nicely into the mesh pocket.

I personally feel a bit weird carrying a Tri-Star or Western Flyer as a briefcase. Not sure why-- it just feels awkward.

You could fit a 14" Dell in an Imago, but it's awkward to try to get an Imago into the middle of the Tri-Star, and you'd have to carry the laptop without a case. I've fit my 15" Dell with extended battery into my Imago.

[misterN]

I usually just tuck all the accessories in the mesh side pocket on the Brain Cell. It holds the charger for my Dell Latitude, a wireless mouse, and a couple of extra cables. I have an older model Brain Cell- the mesh pocket goes from side to side. If I feel self conscious about the bulge, I carry it with the mesh pocket to the inside.

I use the absolute strap and just switch it from the Tri-Star to the Brain Cell. It works just fine and I definitely don't need to use my snake charmer. Occasionally, I'll use one of my Dyneema storage pouches (medium) which also fit nicely into the mesh pocket.

I personally feel a bit weird carrying a Tri-Star or Western Flyer as a briefcase. Not sure why-- it just feels awkward.

You could fit a 14" Dell in an Imago, but it's awkward to try to get an Imago into the middle of the Tri-Star, and you'd have to carry the laptop without a case. I've fit my 15" Dell with extended battery into my Imago.

I think I'd feel a little weird with just walking in with a Brain Cell. I'm not certain if you can tell from my pictures above, but that top flap sort of sits at an upward angle when it's stuck to the velcro on the first flap. It just seems a little weird. One idea that might not be bad would be a "Breve-type" bag that has the annex clips to hook a brain cell into, and a couple of pockets for fitting a power cord and a portable hard drive. I'm certain that would fix the OP's need, plus probably a lot of other peoples needs.

[davewg]

Yeah, I'm not in love with the idea of using the Tri-Star as a work-a-day office bag.

It is interesting to know that the Brain Cell can hold the charger/wireless mouse. If only there were Brain Cell sized Freudian Slips that attached to them for carrying a pad/pen or two.

The search continues....