Sorry GE Syn30, It’s Not You It’s Me

[ayazgood]

Sorry Guide’s Edition Synik 30, it’s not you, it’s me. I mean you’re really cute and all, and very practical, but after meeting you in person, I just don’t think we’re right for each other. I’m sure you’ll make some other traveler very happy some day.

I’m trying to Marie Kondo stuff before it winds up feeling neglected in my closet for years. Something about the GE Syn30 didn’t quite come together for me. FWIW, here are some random thoughts as to why I returned my pretty Wilderness bag:

It seems like it might make a good weekend bag, or good auxiliary bag for longer trips, especially if the trip included any hiking. But I have small and medium backpacks already that seem better for hiking, including a ventilated pack and an ultralight that can be rolled up or laid flat in another bag. Also, the straps and buckles on the Synik didn’t seem to operate as smoothly or easily as those on my other packs.

I liked the clamshell opening and the optional laptop space that doesn’t take up a lot of space if you aren’t using it. But I was hoping the sidewalls would not be quite so floppy. Using packing cubes sort of makes this a non-issue, but the Synik still seems a bit more cumbersome than using an A30 or Western Flyer.

Finally, I don’t travel enough to have a “system”. I’m a recent convert to PLOs, slings and packing cubes, but I would still rather just have 1 bucket to throw most stuff into. Puzzling out and remembering the most efficient use of a bunch of exterior pockets seems tiresome and not particularly useful for me personally. Even the end pockets on my A45 can be more than I want to think about.

I have my eye on one of the last Nordic A30s, but I’m too curious about the upcoming Trinity to fully commit to the A30 yet. Time will tell if a 3-way is in my future.