Synapse 25 and Accessories Advice

[Andwer]

Hello,

I am an architecture student who travels to and from my studio and lectures on a daily basis. I am 6ft1, 170Kg and I live in the UK.

I have settled on buying a Synapse 25 and I also intended to buy a Snake Charmer (large) for the bottom pocket. Does this work well in the bottom pocket or indeed in other areas of the backpack?

I initially thought about buying a Cache for my 13" MBP laptop however I already have a protective case for this laptop and I would not use the sliding rail function of the Cache.

I am conscious about the structure of the backpack if it does not have many contents inside but I am not keen on buying the Internal Frame; this led me to think about buying a Freudian Slip. Would anyone be able to advise me if the S25 Freudian Slip adds structure to the backpack and if I could store my 13" MBP in the Freudian Slip, or either side of it, without a lot of movement?

Lastly, does the S25 come with a 8" key strap, and if so, in what colour?

Thank you in advance!

[tessa.vanz]

I believe all of the TB bags come with a black 8 inch key strap with the clip on either end. I don’t have an S25 or the S25 FS but I love my medium cafe bag sized FS... it’s outstanding. Highly recommend the FS


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[bartleby]

I have a S25 and I use a Freudian Slip to carry my MacBook Air which is 11’’ however. I don’t know whether a 13’’ Laptop would also fit thus, I hope someone else can answer that question. The Freudian Slip does definitely add some structure although not as much as the frame sheet.

The large Snake Charmer does fit into the bottom pocket.

[G42]

If you already have a case for the MBP you might find that it adds enough 'structure' to the bag to not want the FS or the frame... it depends on what you're trying to get to with structure - are you primarily looking for organization inside the main compartment or is the MBP in the FS to provide more rigidity on your back or ??

[DWSeattle]

The FS has a dense foam layer and several layers of fabric so it will ad some structure to the pack. The frame sheet is stiff plastic and has a aluminum bar down the center. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6olOR5lQa4 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdjgotQGmzo

[Andwer]

If you already have a case for the MBP you might find that it adds enough 'structure' to the bag to not want the FS or the frame... it depends on what you're trying to get to with structure - are you primarily looking for organization inside the main compartment or is the MBP in the FS to provide more rigidity on your back or ??

I imagine there will be times when my backpack is lightly packed. I'm assuming my 13" MBP will be somewhat small inside of the main compartment and I wonder if it will move around a lot if not secured or 'held in place' by a Freudian Slip by placing the laptop behind or in front of it (from what bartleby wrote it seems a 13" MPB might not fit inside of a FS).

Secondly, I am wondering if a FS will fill the full width and height of the S25, thus giving the backpack a little more shape at its extremities when it is lightly packed. I have seen some users comment that their FS can slide down the backpack; this might suggest it is not rigid or large enough to hold the backpacks structure.

If I had a FS I would of course use the organisation. I am not sure if it is absolutely necessary for me however if it provides structure, support and organisation, I would like to order one.

[Rei]

As far I know TB bag comes with a key strap
at least the S19/22/25/30 do, I own a S25 (Guide Edition so I received a full coyote keystrap, for normal edition it is black)

about the S25 FS I am also concerned about its slouching behaviour (though I don't know if I will buy one once)
Does anyone find a way to attach it from the top (through the handle for example) in order to prevent it from slouching?

[Andwer]

I have a S25 and I use a Freudian Slip to carry my MacBook Air which is 11’’ however. I don’t know whether a 13’’ Laptop would also fit thus, I hope someone else can answer that question. The Freudian Slip does definitely add some structure although not as much as the frame sheet.

The large Snake Charmer does fit into the bottom pocket.

Does the Freudian Slip stay in place if the bag is only lightly packed? I am looking for some structure to support the backpack and give it shape (of course the organisational aspect of the FS will be greatly appreciated too). I do not think I would want the Frame Sheet for using the backpack as an EDC bag.

If my 13" MBP does not fit inside of the Freudian Slip do you think it would be fine placed in front or behind of the FS without moving around the backpack? I guess I could always place it inside of the inner-pocket inside of the large compartment to prevent it moving.

Is the Snake Charmer collapsable, thus allowing room for other items when lightly packet? If I am not mistaken many people use the Snake Charmer (large) in the bottom pocket so I am sure it is a good solution to organising loose wires, chargers etc.

[G42]

I imagine there will be times when my backpack is lightly packed. I'm assuming my 13" MBP will be somewhat small inside of the main compartment and I wonder if it will move around a lot if not secured or 'held in place' by a Freudian Slip by placing the laptop behind or in front of it (from what bartleby wrote it seems a 13" MPB might not fit inside of a FS).

Secondly, I am wondering if a FS will fill the full width and height of the S25, thus giving the backpack a little more shape at its extremities when it is lightly packed. I have seen some users comment that their FS can slide down the backpack; this might suggest it is not rigid or large enough to hold the backpacks structure.

If I had a FS I would of course use the organisation. I am not sure if it is absolutely necessary for me however if it provides structure, support and organisation, I would like to order one.

I think the frame sheet is going to provide more consistent structure/rigidity than a FS, partly because the sheet attaches inside the bag and doesn't move around as much. The bottom of the frame sheet isn't attached but if you have anything in the main compartment, that will pin it in place.

The FS is a heavy foam+fabric construction and if you buy the S25 version, it is designed to fit nicely in the main compartment. Over time and wear, people have commented that it will start to scrunch down/slump, especially if there isn't something else in the bottom of the main compartment to keep it propped up. Other folks haven't seemed to have any issues.

The MBP is a couple inches smaller side to side than the S25, so you might get some movement. Putting it into the elastic pocket will reduce that but it shifts the laptop away from your back and to the outer wall. I rather have my laptop at my back, but lots of folks use the elastic pocket. The MBP is definitely shorter vertically than the bag, but unless you're doing a lot of jumping up & down, gravity should take care of that.

As for shape... the cut of the panels is what gives the Synapse and Synik families their shape. You don't need a frame sheet or FS to maintain it. They are not flat rectangular packs - the back, bottom, sides, front, are all cut/shaped/stitched in such a way that the pack changes shape as you load it up. It's why the pack doesn't sit up on it's own - it doesn't have a flat bottom 90 degrees off of the back panel. One of the reason (I believe) that the FS eventually slumps is that the back of the pack is not a rigid line or panel. The bottom of the back panel can curve away from your back if that makes any sense...it's hard to describe, but look at the photos on the description page and you'll see the different panels.
It's part of what makes them so unobtrusive looking when they are under or lightly packed through 'normally' packed... and when they are jammed full, you get what is often called the 'turtle' look... I think it's also what makes them so comfortable to carry.

At the extreme, if you only had a lightly packed Snake Charmer in the lower chin pocket and a MBP in a case in the main compartment and not much else, the bag will stay pretty flat/compact, but there won't be much to hold that laptop in place, unless you put it in the elastic pocket. It's not going to go anywhere though, so at some point it will probably wedge itself a bit sideways and sit there if you were moving around a lot...
If you're carrying those two things plus other stuff in the main compartment, pockets, etc in a common fashion, I think you'll see that the bag conforms a lot to the load and things won't be moving a lot. Everything will settle to the bottom and you'll have empty space at the top of the bag, but generally it won't look weird because of how the panels are constructed.

That was WAY too long a ramble, sorry.
I know it's hard because you're not in the cheap US shipping zone - ideally you'd try out both the frame sheet and the FS - together & separately... but there are a lot of Bihnions in the UK, maybe you could find someone to meet up with and check out their bag. And functionally, the S19 and S25 work the same way, in case you find an S19 owner.

And yes, you get a black keystrap with a non-Guide's Edition Synapse.

There's room in the lower chin pocket for more stuff if the Snake Charmer isn't full. I find the large too big for what I need to carry: a Mac brick; HP brick & cords; cell charger; and wireless mouse. So my small SC isn't totally full and yes, it will compress.

FWIW, my personal order of use/preference is:
-Synapse + laptop (rigidity from laptop against my back)
-Synapse, no laptop, no frame sheet (normal items)
-Synapse, no laptop + frame sheet (when I want rigidity because I'm carrying weird lumpy stuff)
....but once the frame sheet is in the pack, I rarely bother to remove it...
and I should mention I have more than one Synapse which is why the answer is a bit variable, I cycle through colours

I have a FS, mostly because I wanted to try it out, but I rarely use it.

[Andwer]

I think the frame sheet is going to provide more consistent structure/rigidity than a FS, partly because the sheet attaches inside the bag and doesn't move around as much. The bottom of the frame sheet isn't attached but if you have anything in the main compartment, that will pin it in place...

That is a wealth of great information, thank you!

If the backpack was moderately packed and I put the FS against the back of the S25 would that in effect give rigidity in the same manner your laptop does?

It sounds like the large Snake Charmer really is quite large if it was too big for even those items you carry. Why did you not just keep the large and compress it when it wasn't fully packed?

Regards,

[G42]

That is a wealth of great information, thank you!

If the backpack was moderately packed and I put the FS against the back of the S25 would that in effect give rigidity in the same manner your laptop does?

It sounds like the large Snake Charmer really is quite large if it was too big for even those items you carry. Why did you not just keep the large and compress it when it wasn't fully packed?

I don't think a FS will be as rigid as a metal laptop, but it is more rigidity than if the pack were empty.

My first SC was a small and it worked well for my cables... I have a second small one that I use for random non-wet toiletries when I travel - mostly because I have an electric toothbrush that is just a tad too long for the 3D Organizer Cubes...
The large SC I had acquired in an eBay bundle purchase... I played with it a bit, but it was bigger than I need and since I already had two small ones, I sold it, though it would totally have been fine to squish it.

I am also short and find that the S25 is a bit too long for my torso... I have one, but I usually carry one of my Synapse 19s instead. Since it's a smaller bag, the chin pocket is smaller too and I like how the small SC fits better. Every time I use the Synapse 25 (or the new Synik 30 I was fortunate to test pack), I'm astonished how much space there in that lower chin pocket - people put shoes in there!