Two bags with two fabrics?

[Jeff A]

Alrighty, I'm on the verge of buying a Tri-Star this spring and then an Aeronaut in the following months. My question is simple: should I get both bags in ballistic nylon or both in dyneema? Or better yet, one in each fabric. I do not own a dyneema bag yet. My Synapse 25 is black cordura and the Co-Pilots are ballistic nylon.

My assumption is that the Tri-Star would be more business-like in ballistic nylon (thinking Steel/Ultraviolet) and that the nylon would possibly prevent overpacking, resulting in some serious bag bulge. I already have a Cache for my MacBook Pro Retina, as well. It's a vertical cache and won't clip into the Tri-Star but it still would fit beautifully in the middle compartment. I don't do a ton of business travel but occasionally go on 2-3 night getaway weekends. Aeronaut would probably be overkill for those kind of trips.

On the other end, the Aeronaut would be used for longer personal trips and it's a bigger bag so the weight advantage plus casual factor would possibly go to Dyneema (thinking Nordic/Steel). The Aeronaut kind of goes against my "have a pocket/compartment for everything" mentality but the versatility is huge on this bag.

Both bags will be used on my trip to Cozumel next year. What say you, fellow Bihn-holics? Thanks

[Rocks]

I don't have a Tristar or an Aeronaut, but have a Dyneema Synapse 25 and a brand new ballistic Copilot. You can't go wrong with either fabric. I like the structure of the ballistic nylon and the flexibility and look of Dyneema. I wish I could be more helpful! But look on the bright side: you can't make a wrong choice.

[Canonsue]

This is always a tough decision. I went through the same decision process before I purchased my Western Flyer. I ended up with dyneema.

If I were to do this again, I might purchase both and then send one back. That way, I could handle each type.

But, I also agree that you can't lose either way. Both are great fabrics.

Sue

[snowbot]

The Tristar looks really classy and professional in ballistic.

[UK-Limey]

The Tristar looks really classy and professional in ballistic.

100% agree with snowbot !

For me, ballistic = business travel bag, dyneema = vacation travel bag.

[tpnl]

Agree too with Snowbot and UK-Limey.

Cheers!

[Tlacltme]

Rocks is right, it's a no-lose situation

That being said, my vote would be for the ballistic nylon. My 2 cents? I personally think the ballistic nylon is better-looking, though I realize that's just my opinion. It also seems sturdier for those unforseen situations where it needs to go in the cargo hold of a bus, etc. Unless you really like the way the dyneema looks or weight is a major concern (ie: various international airlines are very strict about weight), I'd say go ballistic nylon. Or at the very least, do as Canonsue suggested and order both- pack em, carry em, see what you think.

Good luck!

[backpack]

The main difference between the two fabrics is weight.

Dyneema will make you trips much easier because it is so lightweight, the best way to avoid the "bulging look" is to use Packing Cubes.
I am kind of the poster child for color coded Packing Cube Backpacks but Stephan's video of the Tristar makes a great case for mesh and mesh/Dyneema Packing Cubes which, I suspect, are even lighter.

Ballistic indubitably looks very professional and is gorgeous. My advice is to order the Tristar in both fabrics, and do the indoor with tags intact, test packing and modeling in front of the mirror.

Since you will be using the Aeronaute and Tristar mainly for leisure travel, I think Dyneema is the more appropriate, unless you prefer physically challenging type of travel; in buses where you might share a ride with farm animals, trains which have been in service for three centuries, low boats which hardly qualify as floating devices...

But, if you idea of a vacation consists of airport, taxi, hotel, the occasional stroll to cultural sites and restaurants, Dyneema will be perfect.

By the way, you can rig "a pocket for everything" setup in the Aeronaut, it is called using Cubes; Packing, Three Quarter and 3D as well as Pouches.
With them, you can turn the Aeronaute in a suitcase Tri Star, what's not to like?


Ordering a Pilot in Steel/UV, providing your laptop fits, might ease the conundrum of the business Tristar.

You can transport the Pilot, inside the Tristar middle compartment when you fly one bag strict airlines, or use it as a seat bag then a minimalist briefcase during business meetings.

[Badger]

I think I may be one of the weird people who has a Dyneema TS and a ballistic Aeronaut. If I had to do it over again, I think I would get everything in ballistic.

First, let me say that I really like Dyneema and have two Dyneema Synapses. I am not about to trash Dyneema.

Now that that's out of the way, here is my thinking on ballistic. I agree with those who say that ballistic keeps its shape a bit better than Dyneema, and I most certainly agree with the opinion that ballistic is more appropriate for business travel. Thus, I think that ballistic is a good choice for the TS in this situation.

Here's my reasoning for a ballistic Aeronaut. While it is heavier than the Dyneema version, it really does not *feel* that heavy to carry. I've traveled internationally with it and had no problems meeting the weight restrictions. I also just really love the way the ballistic Aeronaut looks: it's got rich color but it's conservative enough that it doesn't draw the attention of gate agents. In ballistic I think it could do for business travel in a pinch, as well. (Incidentally, I actually don't find the Aeronaut to be overkill on 2-3 night trips. It kind of just takes what you put in it and works well no matter what.)

I think that if your inclination is to get a ballistic TS, your reasons make a lot of sense. For the Aeronaut, it's really your call. If you've been jonesing for a Dyneema bag, this is probably the one to get since you'll see the most weight savings with it, even though in my opinion it probably doesn't matter too much in practice. However, if you like the way the ballistic TS performs (and in the event you decide you want your bags to match when you take them both to Cozumel), I can assure you that you'll love the Aeronaut in ballistic as well.

TL;DR: thumbs up to ballistic TS; for Aeronaut, listen to your heart.


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[giantsteve]

TB ballistic nylon is truly one of the nicest fabrics I have seen on any bag. It has a gorgeous look that does not fully come across in photos and it is amazingly durable. I don't baby my bags and they show no sign of abrasion or wear, even after sometimes being stuffed to capacity. If they get any dirt, a quick wipe with a damp cloth has them looking brand new again. On a note of personal preference, I like the monochrome look of the ballistic (naturally all my bags are black) versus the checkered look of Dyneema.

[Jeff A]

I appreciate everyone's comments I love the ballistic nylon on my Co-Pilot. Maybe I'll get a Nordic Dyneema MCB with the Tri-Star to see how I like the Dyneema exterior before committing to the big boy, the Aeronaut