Western Flyer or Tristar for a petite female?

[Pita11]

Thanks, Lani. I was lucky enough to score a black ballistic roll/sleeve WF on eBay and let me just say OMG! It fits so much in it. Like a lot of people, I packed it wrong just to see what this deceptively small bag could hold. In 18-inch Eagle Creek folder: 3 pants, 4 dress shirts. In EC packing cube: 1 capri, 4 short sleeve and 3 long sleeve. Added mesh bag of underwear and socks and vibrams. Weighed 13 lbs (wow!) and it did not look stuffed at all. I then went, "what the heck", and added my MBP 15 -- fits!! Total weight (with power brick) was close to 18 lbs. Nice!

I'd probably put my electronics in a separate pack though to make it easier during security checks if I had that much in clothes. I know I want to get the new side effect w/o straps ... Need to figure what laptop backpack I want to get. Maybe a synapse? How about a dyneema WF with backpack straps ?

BTW, Lani, you used the WF w/o backpack straps this trip, right? Did you miss the backpack straps?

[jannilee]

I LOVE the backpack straps. I hardly notice I have it on and it makes it so easy to navigate plane aisles and other narrow places. A 15" mbp is quite a tight fit in a synapse and there wouldn't be room for padding. It just barely fits widthwise across the top of the synapse. I have a dyneema synapse so it is a bit easier fit. Otherwise a synapse it great. It holds almost as much as the wf.

If they do the dyneema wf with an ultraviolet or wasabi I don't think I'll be able to resist.

[Pita11]

Lol. @jannilee, I agree. I'm waiting for a dyneema WF with a wasabi interior myself.

[Grandcache]

[QUOTE=Pita11;45670]Never thought of leaving the middle compartment of the TS empty ...

I'm currently leaning towards the TS due to the different options (laptop or not, underpacked or stuffed). If I do get the TS, to help stop overpacking, I may need to pack like I have a WF. (But I guess I'll have to get a WF as well, huh, to figure that out .... TB buying syndrome here I come).

When I was trying to decide between the WF and TS, I actually purchased a Packing Cube Shoulder Bag and a Packing Cube BackmPack. I was then able to practice packing, knowing that the Cubes would fit in either bag. I found that I could fit clothes for a 4 day trip with room to spare in a WF. I ordered a WF...no regrets here! :-)

[Pita11]

A 15" mbp is quite a tight fit in a synapse and there wouldn't be room for padding. It just barely fits widthwise across the top of the synapse. I have a dyneema synapse so it is a bit easier fit. Otherwise a synapse it great. It holds almost as much as the wf.

Thanks for the info on the dyneema Synapse. I wanted a smaller backpack to go with the shoulder carry. I use a padded sleeve right now with my 15" mbp.