I’m trying to figure out how to best utilize my next Tom Bihn purchase without breaking the bank or buying something for only a single use.
Currently I have… Medium Café Bag, Pilot, Copilot, and Side Effect as the actual bags (edit - and a Synapse 19!). Also have two Ghost Whales (Forum Gifts ’18 and ’19), a clear organizer wallet, two Q-kits, a stuff sack, and a pocket pouch.
Medium Café Bag was my first purchase and it spent a few years as my go-to bag for tourism, for keeping my reading materials in one place in the car, etc. I still sometimes use it but mostly it’s been replaced by my Patagonia Atom Sling (8L) or just keeping my notebook/nook ‘loose’ in the car.
The Pilot and Copilot I love dearly and will never let go. I wish my Pilot was 1050D like my Copilot, however, so at some point I might try to make a trade there if the colors are right. The Side Effect fits into the back/interior pockets of these bags and gets used for random things when I travel with it – from a container for receipts, to a place to keep pens/pencils, to a clutch at a wedding.
But what I’m looking for now is a more efficient way of carrying (1) all my cables/electronics and (2) my reading materials when I’m traveling light via onebag philosophy (in which case I only take my Deuter Groden 32L – no personal item, only this onebag).
I don’t always take everything shown below, but the MAX I’d be carrying is…
- Phone charger (wall)
- 2x USB cords
- Phone powerbank/battery
- Extra phone (if in China)
- Camera charger (actual camera has it’s own case)
- EITHER a Nook Glowlight OR an iPad Mini (never both)
- A5 notebook (often with spiral binding)
- 2x pens
- Few pieces of random paper/notes/whatever
Option 1 -- Right now I’m leaning towards getting the Side Kick, as it appears that all of that might actually fit in one of them. I checked and I am fairly sure the Side Kick itself will fit into the lid-pocket of my Deuter (main bag), where I’d have easy access to pull it out. I will double check this later, but even if it won’t it can go into the main compartment.
What other bags/pouches fit into the pockets on the interior of the Side Kick? What sizes, etc.? Because I love how TB pouches clip onto O-rings for things like that.
Option 2 – I get a small Snake Charmer for all the electronics and either a Ghost Whale A5 OR a Medium Double Organizer pouch for the paper stuff (leaving the Nook/iPad in it’s own container).
The Ghost A5 or the Medium Double Organizer would have the notebook, random papers, and the pen.
I’m concerned I’ll rip/tear the mesh on the Snake Charmer.
I’m concerned that the Snake Charmer will be even less waterproof than the Side Kick. I don’t plan to get these things wet, but at some point they will get wet. I don’t go out of my way to be rough on my bags but I don’t make serious effort to be gentle either.
I’m not sure I have enough electronics to actually use the Snake Charmer, and I’m not sure I’d use it for anything else (like I do the Side Effect).
Option 3 -- Use my old MCB for the Nook/iPad/Notebook and my old Side Effect to organizer all the cables. The MCB isn't as well suited to being packing (while holding things) into another bag and I will probably not use it as a secondary bag during these trips (which would make it more viable). In this case I can turn the Side Effect into an electronics bag, and fit all of the above electrons (sans the Nook or iPad) into that.
Option 4 -- ???
Thoughts? I really just want to talk this out I guess!
Thanks!