Way to piggy-back Co-Pilot (or Pilot) on Tri-Star (or Aeronaut)?

[jmoz]

Hi all,

I'm very excited for my Pilot on pre-order (as some of you might already know), and I thought I'd pick the brains of this clever group of folks for something I've been kicking around in my head. It's nice that the CP/P have the slip on the back to fit over the handle of a rolling bag, but most of us don't want to use a rolling bag. (Ever, if possible!) That said, I like carrying my Tri-Star using the Absolute strap most of the time. I can carry the TS and P on opposite sides (both with shoulder straps), but it seems like there should be a good way to piggyback the CP/P on a Tri-Star (or other bag.)

I was considering building straps that connect the Pilot to the Absolute strap on the TS, but I wasn't sure if that would stick out too far and create a long lever arm for the weight of the Pilot. I was considering wearing the TS low and finding a way to attach the Pilot to the top, but I wasn't sure how to do that without it being a mess. It seems like there should be a good way to use the slip-opening on the back of the Pilot, but I'm not coming up with a clever solution just yet.

Any ideas? I'm not at all afraid to cobble together a prototype of something. Perhaps if we come up with something good and flexible, TB will even make it? I surely can't be the only person looking for a better way to carry the Pilot/TS together. I have considered carrying the TS in backpack mode, but I like the option of the Absolute strap approach.

Thanks!

[tpnl]

jmoz

I agree - it would be great to have the flexibility of attaching two TB bags together and carried as one (for a short period as I am sure that the weight would really become an issue quickly!)
What about attaching key straps - one end on your tri-star and the other on the Pilot? If the 8" is not long enough, the 16" should be fine and you could fine tune the length by knotting it a few time. It would look like a supersized version of another company's (W/F) piggyback small pack.
I keep thinking Dr. Evil and Mini Me!

Cheers

[jmoz]

tpnl- Exactly! I worry about the strength of the plastic key strap connectors for the Pilot, but this is kinda the idea I have in mind.

Alternatively, I was considering doing something like OpTech's Camera/Backpack connector to attach both bags (with side-release buckles) to the Absolute strap. I would use OpTech's SwivelHook connector to attach to the Pilot. I'm pretty confident in OpTech since they make the Absolute strap. (I hope that isn't a secret. I assume it isn't, as the OpTech tag was underneath the TB tag on my Absolute strap.)

The rub so far is that I would really love something like the TB Sternum Strap Assembly, but that would fit on 1.5" webbing instead of 1". Since I can't find that, I'm still looking around. for a way of attaching side-release buckles to the Absolute strap.

[Skoop]

but it seems like there should be a good way to piggyback the CP/P on a Tri-Star (or other bag.)

Why? You're attempting to defeat the design spec and style of the two bags.

Carry them on opposite shoulders, or get a bigger bag.

[jmoz]

Skoop- I don't agree. Most of the time, I can likely carry the Pilot IN the TS or one bag at a time. But, when one ends up with extra stuff during travel, you might need to carry them separately. One of my goals is to avoid carrying 2 (relatively heavy) straps. The other is to avoid being a "wide load" walking through the airport, which seems like a real risk with opposite shoulders. There are lots of ways of carrying bags. It's possible that opposite shoulders is best, but I'm not sure that's true. obviously, the goal here is to avoid building a monstrosity, but the Pilot (or Co-Pilot) is small enough that it wouldn't necessarily be absurd piggy-backed on top of a Tri-Star.

[Trailhiker]

By the way,
The copilot fits perfectly into the bottom (horizontally) of the synapse 25.
With room up top for your pillow and flight box lunch.
;-)

[tpnl]

Jmoz

I think the Think Tank Camera Support Straps might work too:
Camera Support Straps V2.0

Hook one end to the Absolute Strap Webbing and the other end to Pilot / Co-Pilot Shoulder Strap attachment points. What do you think?

To those wondering as to the wiseness of doing this, I agree that this is doing something that the bags were not intended to do. However, for me, the reasons are more for convenience - just like hooking the handle of a briefcase over the telescoping handle of a roller piece of luggage - not perfect (ie you would prefer a passthrough as is on the TB bags) but it gets job done - to accomodate the convenience of not having to carry 2 bags separately.

Cheers!

[moriond]

Skoop- I don't agree. Most of the time, I can likely carry the Pilot IN the TS or one bag at a time. But, when one ends up with extra stuff during travel, you might need to carry them separately. One of my goals is to avoid carrying 2 (relatively heavy) straps. The other is to avoid being a "wide load" walking through the airport, which seems like a real risk with opposite shoulders. There are lots of ways of carrying bags. It's possible that opposite shoulders is best, but I'm not sure that's true. obviously, the goal here is to avoid building a monstrosity, but the Pilot (or Co-Pilot) is small enough that it wouldn't necessarily be absurd piggy-backed on top of a Tri-Star.

@jmoz I would try using the Double Carabiner clips that were announced with the Knitting Tool Pouches, and that can also be separately purchased from the Parts section of the Accessories page. I'd actually be more inclined to use this with a smaller bag like the Western Flyer, carried either by the handle or with both bags secured to the Absolute Strap and shoulder carried. Hook one end of each Double Carabiner Clip to location you would normally attach your strap on the side of the Co-Pilot, and then hook the other end of the Double Carabiner Clip to the location on the Western Flyer where you would normally attach your shoulder strap. If you're actually using an Absolute Strap to shoulder carry both bags, I'd attach the other end of each Double Carabiner Clip to the clip end of the Absolute Strap. This works for either model of the Western Flyer, if you want to save on weight and be able to use the back pocket of the model with the Rolling Luggage Handle Pocket. (I have the model with backpack straps, but I admit to being curious about the other model once the Dyneema options appeared, especially because of the additional weight savings. Nordic anyone?) Here's what this looks like, just securing the Double Carabiner Clips to the shoulder strap attachment sites for hand carry:


For the Tri-Star, because the bag is wider and the position of the shoulder strap loops are staggered to accommodate the width of the bag, I'd modify this scheme by using one of the webbing straps with the gate keeper clips at the end to attach to the shoulder strap loop that is set further back on the Tri-Star. I'm not sure which of my bags the two different end straps come from, but this is the size of strap that you can use as a waist band for the Side Effect. I think the shorter buckle insert strap end at the right might be from another bag, but you can certainly order these combinations separately from Parts, and you might also experiment with the Triangular Metal Hooks. These are all 1" webbing straps I am using with the webbing already attached to 1 end of the double Gatekeeper clips. Here's what that strap looks like attached to the left side of the Co-Pilot that is sitting on top of my Tri-Star:

Hook the free end to the loop for the Tri-Star Shoulder Strap and tighten the strap to take up the slack. However, I think in practice you may get better results passing the end of the Absolute Strap through both the strap loop on the Tri-Star and one end of the Double Carabiner Clip. I'm sure that Tom could design something better.

I think that one of the key points in this type of carry is to not actually have a lot of weight in the Pilot or Co-Pilot bag being piggy-backed. Although the Co-Pilot in the pictures is Steel Ballistic Nylon, I'm looking to get my Pilot in 400d Dyneema.

Also, the strap attachment I showed can be used to secure other bags to the handle of a rolling luggage bag or travel cart, if attached to a Side Effect or other bag. (I've separately ordered the Lead's Pocket in Navy from the Guide's Pack accessories, and this can also be secured to the top of a Smart Alec through the Annex Clips, or you can use the strap to secure to a rolling luggage handle or cart -- none of which I am using.)

I also have to add that some of the Knitting Tool Pouches are wonderful for non-Knitting, general purpose use. If you carry small items like the tool for popping out sim cards or the adapter plug for using the new Mac laptops with the older power bricks, you can slip these in front of the end guards of reinforced ballistic nylon and still have those items visible, separately secured, and have the rest of the pocket's contents visible through the clear window. This is only called out as an aside in the product description: "An added bonus of those reinforced ballistic ends? You can tuck a small item like a button, memento, stitch marker, or even a label of contents between the ballistic and the clear urethane." Also, if you keep a spoon or fork (or both) handy while you travel - even something you pick up while dining en route -- the size 2 knitting tool pouch is conveniently sized, let's you secure one end under the reinforced ballistic ends to keep things from shifting, and fits completely within the Side Effect. (Darcy, please make more of these pouches in Kiwi, as was requested in the original forum thread for the New! Knitting Tool Pouches.)

[moriond]

Jmoz

I think the Think Tank Camera Support Straps might work too:
Camera Support Straps V2.0

Hook one end to the Absolute Strap Webbing and the other end to Pilot / Co-Pilot Shoulder Strap attachment points. What do you think?

To those wondering as to the wiseness of doing this, I agree that this is doing something that the bags were not intended to do. However, for me, the reasons are more for convenience - just like hooking the handle of a briefcase over the telescoping handle of a roller piece of luggage - not perfect (ie you would prefer a passthrough as is on the TB bags) but the gets job done - to accomodate the convenience of not having to carry 2 bags separately.

Cheers!

Probably a better solution than my suggestion for heavy loads. there are lots of Op Tech connector options for heavy camera equipment that would fit into the standard webbing connectors.

[backpack]

In the Accessories page, there is a Parts page. There the 1-1/2" Metal Snaphook: as The Crew uses on the Absolute Shoulder Strap can be bought separately.

Because let's say somebody tried a Simple Strap on their Large Cafe Bag and it didn't do so, the person installed the Absolute Strap bought initially for the Aeronaute. So, I was left with those Metal Snaphooks, you might be able to install two pairs of Metal Snaphooks on your Absolute Strap.

Another alternative would be to install two 1-1/2" Triangle Metal Hook: as used on the front of the Brain Bag to secure an Utility Strap the square part to each Triangle Metal Hook and the clip side to the Pilot.

You will need the two 1-1/2" Triangle Metal Hook and two Utility Straps.

[tpnl]

In the Accessories page, there is a Parts page. There the 1-1/2" Metal Snaphook: as The Crew uses on the Absolute Shoulder Strap can be bought separately.

Because let's say somebody tried a Simple Strap on their Large Cafe Bag and it didn't do so, the person installed the Absolute Strap bought initially for the Aeronaute. So, I was left with those Metal Snaphooks, you might be able to install two pairs of Metal Snaphooks on your Absolute Strap.

Backpack - I really liked this idea and decided to try it out and was surprised by something I had not expected. I originally had envisioned the two attached bags being side by side. However, because the snaphooks were on the same shoulder strap, I was able to put one bag on top of the other and everything was still stable - just like putting a bag on top of roller luggage. It kept things neat and no becoming a "wide load" walking through the airport as Jmoz wrote! I was even able to use the Co-Pilot handle to carry the whole assembly (both bags).

I took some pictures of the setup and with the Co-Pilot on top and on the side of my Aeronaut. BTW - the extra snaphooks I used were parts I bought from MEC (an Canadian Outdoor Activity Store). But, I think I will buy the TB snaphooks in the future as they are metal and high quality.

Closeup of the two Snaphooks



The two TB bags - one on top of the other (which I was surprised worked so well)



The two TB bags - side by side




Thanks Backpack for the idea!

Cheers

[BJ Nemeth]

The copilot fits perfectly into the bottom (horizontally) of the synapse 25.

Wait, do you mean the Co-Pilot fits inside that bottom pocket on the front of the Synapse 25? I'm stunned; the Synapse 25 must be larger than I imagined!

[jmoz]

OK, backpack and tpnl- thanks for the awesome idea and the excellent implementation. Although that seems to work quite well, it gave me an idea that I like even better based on it that I thought I would share.

I have a pair of the 1.5" Cheater D (see the parts page) and a few 1.5" Tri-glides that I bought for a project that I ended up abandoning. (Apparently, I'm not really content to leave well-enough alone, am I?)

I'm thinking of using the Tri-glides to attached the Cheater Ds to the absolute strap. This means the height is adjustable, as opposed to the bag just being wherever it is. I'm thinking that if I make something like the simple strap, but adjustable to be much shorter by being a closed loop rather than a shoulder strap configuration), I can use one of those on each side of the Absolute strap to attach the Pilot to the Cheater Ds. I should be make each of these with a short length of webbing, a pair of the snap hooks, and another tri-glide. Although this is more complicated than your elegantly-simple approach, I like the adjustability, especially because the hook-mount-point-thingees on the Tri-Star are offset from each other.

Thanks, all, for the inspiration. Once I make this work, I'll report back.

[Trailhiker]

Wait, do you mean the Co-Pilot fits inside that bottom pocket on the front of the Synapse 25? I'm stunned; the Synapse 25 must be larger than I imagined!

Not the bottom front pocket.
Inside the main cavity on the bottom.
I'll try and post a picture this evening.
:-)

[jmoz]

As promised above:

Step 1: Absolute strap "modified" with Cheater D....



Step 2 will need to wait until the straps I ordered came in, and Step 3 won't be possible until my Pilot comes in. (I don't have a Co-Pilot.)