Packing Cube Backpack - how useful as a backpack?

[Mark1966]

I can appreciate not wanting to spend more than you have to on this bag. What about a Large Cafe Bag? The price is closer to what you are wanting to spend, it's TB quality and assuredly will outlive a disposable backpack. It too packs down into virtually nothing. It has a generous capacity for the items you mention. When carried with the Absolute Strap (useable also on your Tri Star) it's comfortable for a long duration. It would not interfere with the backpack carry method of your TriStar even with your wife's baggage in tow. It has nice organization for a variety of bits. The color choices are nice

Creative thinking and a nice option. The fact that every TB user here and elsewhere is encouraging me to buy more and more of their products is comforting - they must be good!

I'm pretty sure that we have a very similar size and style bag already - that is my first option. I'll check on that before looking at alternatives but this might just be useful as an option.

Thanks heaps!

[JLE]

Creative thinking and a nice option. The fact that every TB user here and elsewhere is encouraging me to buy more and more of their products is comforting - they must be good!

I'm pretty sure that we have a very similar size and style bag already - that is my first option. I'll check on that before looking at alternatives but this might just be useful as an option.

Thanks heaps!

Wait until your TS arrives and you have held it your hands, and travelled with it. Then you'll discover, in addition to the fact that you need those extra packing cubes, that you have TB Acquisition Syndrome just like everyone else (the symptoms sometimes take a while to appear, but yours seem to be developing nicely)!

[Mark1966]

Wait until your TS arrives and you have held it your hands, and travelled with it. Then you'll discover, in addition to the fact that you need those extra packing cubes, that you have TB Acquisition Syndrome just like everyone else (the symptoms sometimes take a while to appear, but yours seem to be developing nicely)!

ENABLER!

Do TB users get a commission on future sales? Is the whole TB business some form of pyramid or ponzi type scheme?

I suspect that you may be correct but am currently in denial. My only hope may be the high shipping cost to Australia....

Mind you some Aussie's I know are actively promoting TB products in other forums too (maybe they have the TB commission sewn up for Down Under) so maybe that will not be sufficient.

[JLE]

ENABLER!

Do TB users get a commission on future sales? Is the whole TB business some form of pyramid or ponzi type scheme?

I suspect that you may be correct but am currently in denial. My only hope may be the high shipping cost to Australia....

Mind you some Aussie's I know are actively promoting TB products in other forums too (maybe they have the TB commission sewn up for Down Under) so maybe that will not be sufficient.

Tick tock....

[Mark1966]

Order placed!

TB0940: Tri-Star Black/Iberian with Absolute Shoulder Strap
TB091: Packing Cubes - Tri-Star Small, Steel
TB091: Packing Cubes - Tri-Star Medium, Steel

Our existing Colorado messenger bag will be fine for around NYC

Thanks for all the help and advice!

[Lani]

Mark, I'm sure that Lani and others will chime in about this. But I'll also point you to a post about using these bags. People have also been fitting out the Packing Cube Shoulder Bag for use as a small camera bag.

I heard my name!!

I am a huge Dyneema fan. I'd call myself the Dyneema Princess except maybe "the duchess of Dyneema" sounds better. hehe.

OK anyway, my husband doesn't covet things, and he isn't into material things. That means he's rarely into fancy bells and whistles, and he absolutely LOVES his Packing Cube Backpack. He LOVES its simplicity. It's so simple, yet elegant and strong. He slides his laptop into a little sleeve and carries it in his PCBP on BART all the time. He takes it with him when we go hiking or to theme parks if he needs to carry something, and the items don't fit in his pockets.

I think some people use the PCBP as a camera bag but it will require inserting some foam dividers and whatnot.

Personally, my favorite item is the Packing Cube Shoulder Bag. If you can outfit it with foam inserts, you might be able to use it to carry your camera gear, although I can't speak from personal experience.

Any chance you might travel with a Co-Pilot? There have been some discussions recently about using it as your camera bag, and I've been very impressed with the photos I've seen. If you travel with a Tri-Star and Co-Pilot, you should still have no trouble traveling light. You can stash the Tri-Star in the overhead and keep the Co-Pilot by your feet. Of course if you're like me, you'll buy the Dyneema Co-Pilot... and those things actually squish down to nothing, so you can stash it in your Tri-Star, or pack *IT* with stuff and then pack that in your Tri-Star.

[Lani]

Moose,

I thought that the Synapse was a 'real' backpack with an exterior of '1000 denier U.S. Cordura'? It seems quite different from the PCBP.

The post I was writing while you were posting answers your question though about what I've decided.

You can buy the Synapse in Dyneema. The exterior is ALL Dyneema. Main difference between it and the Packing Cube Backpack, though, is that the Synapse is structured, and has a padded bottom. The PCBP has no padding anywhere. That said, as long as you provide some padding on your own, the fabric is virtually impenetrable.

[daisy]

ENABLER!



I suspect that you may be correct but am currently in denial. My only hope may be the high shipping cost to Australia....

You just have to make the product cost high enough to make the shipping fade into insignificance ... ask me how I know..... ;-)

on the PCBP - We have the aeronaut version - a very useful bag for a travel daypack, although I would not carry a large camera in it unless it was in a protective case (due to the lack of padding in the bag) and then I suspect it would be too lumpy (due to the lack of padding in the bag!).

It is great for carrying outer layers and lunch etc though.

[Moose]

HI Lani, I agree the Synapse is structured and does have some padding. The point I was trying to make, and not doing it well, was that the bottom of the bag that is the fabric looks like new even after I've abused it for several months. Part of the bottom is just the dyneema fabric without any padding or extra protection. I toss it, slide it, and pay no particular attention to being careful with it and still no snags, rips or loose bits. While I can't speak to size, shape and so on of the Packing Cube, I do think the fabric would take quite a bit of weight without any trouble.

Hope that makes more sense.
Take care,
Moose

[Imsajack]

I am wondering whether a Dyneema Synapse would fit into the end pocket of an Aeronaut (rolled or folded). I am after something lightweight to take as a daypack for light hikes on my Bhutan trip and I am a bit worried that the shoulder straps on the PCBPs wouldn't be up to the task.



The Dyneema Synapse is pretty flat when it's empty. It fits perfectly in the main compartment of the Aeronaut, and really does not take up much space.

[moriond]

ENABLER!

Do TB users get a commission on future sales? Is the whole TB business some form of pyramid or ponzi type scheme?

I suspect that you may be correct but am currently in denial. My only hope may be the high shipping cost to Australia....

Mind you some Aussie's I know are actively promoting TB products in other forums too (maybe they have the TB commission sewn up for Down Under) so maybe that will not be sufficient.

My earlier thought, which I did not voice, was that if you had second thoughts, you could place an order for an extra bag, have it shipped to one of our forum members in NYC (who would never dream of betraying a sacred trust by keeping aforementioned bag) and then you could pick it up -- and incidentally try out some other Tom Bihn bags in person. Didn't ken.w just meet up with Mr. jmachats in NYC less than a week ago, to try out the Synapse and Smart Alec, before placing an order for a Synapse? This would also let you save on the shipping charges.

Just another enabler here,

moriond

[moriond]

I am wondering whether a Dyneema Synapse would fit into the end pocket of an Aeronaut (rolled or folded). I am after something lightweight to take as a daypack for light hikes on my Bhutan trip and I am a bit worried that the shoulder straps on the PCBPs wouldn't be up to the task.

The Dyneema Synapse is pretty flat when it's empty. It fits perfectly in the main compartment of the Aeronaut, and really does not take up much space.

I've quoted JLE so it is clear who imsajack is responding to. @JLE, you can flat pack a Dyneema Synapse into the bottom of an Aeronaut, but you can't roll or fold it and put it into an end pocket. One of the reasons the Synapse is so comfortable to carry is the back panel, which Tom re-designed again at almost the last minute:

The back panel of the Synapse is padded with 1/4", high quality, closed-cell foam with exterior of Dri-Lex Aero-Spacer mesh and 420 denier nylon. This new combination of mesh and 420 denier nylon is designed to provide maximum breathability while still being gentle on most fibers used in clothing

The Dyneema model Synapses share this design, which means that they're just as comfortable to carry. It also means that the bag is not "rollable" or "foldable", and that you only save 6 or 7 ounces of the weight of the Cordura Synapse models. I'll just mention that even the Brain Bags don't have this comfortable a back pad design as the Synapse does -- this feature has been requested.

moriond

[gmanedit]

You just have to make the product cost high enough to make the shipping fade into insignificance ... ask me how I know..... ;-)

I'll bite. How do you know? And what do you sell?

[Mark1966]

Thanks for the help and advice enablers. I have thought of getting a bag sent to me in NYC if I got desperate, but...

I HAVE BROUGHT MY LAST TB PRODUCT

Sorry to have to say that in this forum of all places but I need to be clear. I will not be getting TBAD and do not need any more bags, organisers etc

Now I did show a picture of my TS to a mate who is a frequent traveller and he wants to see it when it arrives but that is not the same.

Great products, I can't wait to get mine but I don't need any more.

[Badger]

Hmm. Bold, all-caps and a smiling emoticon. Methinks thou doth protest too much . . .