A45 thoughts after test-packing

[carlesque]

Hi all, first-time poster here:

Recently I got this new A45, and after sorting out some accessories and doing a test-pack, I thought I'd share my thoughts:

- I love everything about this bag. It all feels like quality. The accessories are fantastic!

- Many people here have called the Aeronaut 45 too big or even huge. Perhaps they're better travelers than me, but my experience of it so far is that it's adequate but not overly big. With 4 days worth of socks and undies, some t-shirts, shirts, a pair of shorts and a pair of pants, a 3-1-1 bag and a packable-backpack, the main compartment filled up pretty quick. A pair of men's shoes, a shell jacket, toiletries and my electronics took care of the side pockets and that's the bag, comfortably packed. In my experience so far, I wouldn't want it be smaller.

- I have small surface-go notebook, which makes a great travel laptop because of its small size. I was able to grab the bottom of my main packing cube, tilt it up like a treasure-chest lid and slide the laptop and sleeve in under it. Then the notebook was safely nestled between thick layers of clothing, but still very easy to access.

- The small snake-charmer for electronics, sitting on its narrow end, and the clear-quarter-packing-cube for toiletries and misc items, fit perfectly side by side in one of the side pockets. They slide in and out just effortlessly with very little wasted space. It's fantastic!

- Fully packed as in the picture, the weight was no problem carried by the handle and I'm pretty sure I'll be comfortable toting it around the airport like that for short distances. If I have to walk a mile between terminals I'll pop out the backpack straps. I went for the padded hip belt. At 6' tall, I was able to carry most of the bag's weight on my hips. The bag was pretty comfortable on my back.

- I love how easily I can access everything when the bag is down and open. You really could live out of it without unpacking. I think I'm going to go with a big packing cube for my shirts, a stuff sack for socks and undies (as shown), and the rest (pants, swim-suits, or whatever) can go loose on the bottom. That way when I arrive, I can just lift out the packing cube and I have easy access to everything else in the bag without unpacking.

With a number of trips coming up this fall, I'm looking forward to traveling with this new bag!

[Kevin]

Glad your enjoying the bag so far. I finally picked one up last year after wanting one for a while but not feeling like I traveled enough to justify the price. I am glad I did, the bag has proven to be very versatile and equally useful for road trips or flying.

Do you like the packing cubes in the main compartment so far? Like you said it’s so easy to live out of the bag without unpacking I often find myself just using the tie down straps and leaving the cubes at home when I don’t need anything other than clothes in the main compartment.


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[tcyeric]

Thank you for your review!

Just wondering, did you get the internal frame given that you got the padded hip belt?

And just an off topic question but by any chance do you have a synapse 25? And if so would it fit (unpacked) into the main compartment of the a45?

[Kevin]

Thank you for your review!

Just wondering, did you get the internal frame given that you got the padded hip belt?

And just an off topic question but by any chance do you have a synapse 25? And if so would it fit (unpacked) into the main compartment of the a45?

I was sitting next to this combo when I read this post, so I checked. The S25 with its frame sheet fits flat in the A45 but both of the interior main compartment zippers that make the the side pockets wider have to be undone to fit the length of the bag. If you didn’t have the S25 frame sheet, you might be able to zip one of the sides back up but not both.


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[carlesque]

@Kevin I guess the true test will be when I go out traveling in September, but my plan is loose clothes, with the tie-down for the 'bottom layer', and a big packing cube + a stuff stack for the top layer. The thinking being that you can easily lift off the top layer and live out of the combo of the packing cube and the bag without unpacking anything else.

[carlesque]

If you fold the synapse once, it will fit just fine in the main compartment, but it will certainly take up a bit of space. I suppose you could also sacrifice the side pockets and lay out the S25 on the bottom of the bag. I'll send a photo later.

[carlesque]

Thank you for your review!

Just wondering, did you get the internal frame given that you got the padded hip belt?

And just an off topic question but by any chance do you have a synapse 25? And if so would it fit (unpacked) into the main compartment of the a45?

No I didn't get the internal frame, just the padded hip belt. Looks like I can get away without the frame. I wanted to be able to compress the bag if needed.

[ndtexaminer]

Love my A45, and Synapse 25 travel combo. Want to eventually get an A30 and try to pare down even more.

[theedge]

Love my A45, and Synapse 25 travel combo. Want to eventually get an A30 and try to pare down even more.

Funny, I went the opposite way : I had an A30 that I love and still use a lot, but wanted a bit more room for longer trips. So I recently bought an A45. It’s crazy how much more I can fit in and it can get much heavier than the A30 when full. Good thing I also bought the internal frame and padded hip belt. For me they don’t seem to transfer that much weight, but the difference is still very noticeable.

[Tony G]

Thanks, that's a really useful post. I have a Tristar and I'm considering adding an A45 for longer trips.

[linh.n]

> Many people here have called the Aeronaut 45 too big or even huge

I think it's because it's too easy to overpack it It gets pretty damn heavy (specifically for backpack mode).

[theedge]

> I think it's because it's too easy to overpack it It gets pretty damn heavy (specifically for backpack mode).

Exactly. In that regard, this could be a good reason to choose the A45 in Ballistic vs Halcyon for people who can’t decide.

[Mr. Zapato]

With a number of trips coming up this fall, I'm looking forward to traveling with this new bag!

I am currently on an 8-day trip in Asia with my Aeronaut 45. I love it for weeklong trips like this, but find it a little too big for 4-day trips like yours. That said, it’s still easy to use with less stuff packed in it. Although it’s soft, it doesn’t get all floppy when not fully packed out. I don’t use the internal frame and it’s still fine.

Definitely consider packing a daypack inside the A45. I travel mostly for business, so I pack the Daylight Briefcase inside the A45. After going through security at an airport, I take the DLBC out. Then I put the A45 in the overhead bin and the DLBC under the seat with me. I also use the DLBC for my business meetings at my destination.


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[Bogiesan]

Funny, I went the opposite way : I had an A30 that I love and still use a lot, but wanted a bit more room for longer trips. So I recently bought an A45. It’s crazy how much more I can fit in and it can get much heavier than the A30 when full. Good thing I also bought the internal frame and padded hip belt. For me they don’t seem to transfer that much weight, but the difference is still very noticeable.

Yar, I’ve got Patagonia’s MLC45 and my Aeronaut 30 fits inside it with lots of room to spare. 45 liters is crazy huge.

[bartleby]

Great thread! I am also a dedicated A45 fan! Being not a minimalist traveller at all I love the extra space. I love to have a bit of a choice on what to wear even if I bring home some unused clothes which to some minimalist travellers is certainly a no go

When I started my TB experience I wasn‘t convinced of packing cubes but that has changed completely. I never travel without anymore because it is so convenient to pack and unpack the bag. I just put the whole packing cube in the hotel closet and I am done. The laundry cubes are my favorites but perhaps I suffer form over organization syndrome