Paragon - Is Halcyon Better?

[ayazgood]

As a followup, I tried both the Ursa and Wilderness GE versions of the Paragon and kept the Wilderness. I guess because of the plain lines of this design, I like it much better with a brighter color. The pattern of the original halcyon or black halcyon might also work for making it more visually...

[ayazgood]

Thanks, Moriond. Hiding in plain sight.

[ayazgood]

There used to be an easy way to mark all posts read (without reading them). Is there still a way to do that?

[ayazgood]

OMG, I think I've been drinking too much of the TB kool-aid! I ordered the Wilderness even though I have no idea what I'll do with it. Somebody help me!

[ayazgood]

My Tom Bihn Reviews has a very brief first look video, showing the bag in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AlN0aIDrlI
...

[ayazgood]

What are the dimensions of the main compartment. The stated 6 inch depth seems off.

[ayazgood]

Thanks, that makes more sense. Maybe Christina and G42 will also chime in. 6 inches would make it bigger than a co-pilot, and the main body doesn't look like 6" in the pics. I still would not generally want to be a hipster or a slinger with this size bag....

[ayazgood]

I'm trying to imagine myself using this but the 6" depth seems like it would be overwhelming. Are you hipping it, slinging it or shouldering it? How well does it carry full or not full? Does it flatten out a bit if not full and not compressed?

[ayazgood]

Dang, it's a monster! Stated volume of side kick is 3 L and stated volume of LGB is 8 L, so Darcy came pretty close. Highly unlikely I would wear this as either a fanny pack or a sling. Even as a shoulder bag, I would not be crazy about a 6 inch deep box on my hip. The compression straps should come...

[ayazgood]

Die Northwest Sky Die! Disappear into the grey, boring void from which you emerged!

On a more positive note, major kudos to TB for finally combining solaris and coyote with some of the other warm colors, like wilderness. They seriously need to do more of that, e.g. with burnt...

[ayazgood]

The grey is pleasant and neutral, even soothing, while still having nice contrast with the black and coyote. The blue is nice too for a bit more color. I go back and forth on TB bag colors. Some days I think I want to stay discreet and blacked out, and other days I want more color in my life! Wilderness...

[ayazgood]

Would be nice to have some interior pictures. Are the interiors of the main compartment or front pockets lined?

FYI, nobody else can have the wilderness version until I get mine! But the bright orange is also tempting, in case I ever need to direct traffic!

[ayazgood]

1st sentence of v5 description says "Our new non-medical V5 Mask features our original mask design." I took that to mean the same pattern as v1 and v2. The pics of v5 also look like v1.

v4 is described as similar to v3, and v6 is described as similar to v4.

[ayazgood]

I also like the muted grid halcyon colors much better than the dark grid halcyon colors (grey on black, white on Taiga), probably because I don't like seeing all those straight grid lines in any case. Any version of halcyon that makes the grid pattern more muted and less noticeable is better for me....

[ayazgood]

For what it is worth, I sort of answered my own question, by watching video reviews of both the Halcyon and Ballistic versions, and also looking at the TB pictures. It seems pretty clear the Halcyon version is thinner, floppier and more forgiving, i.e., has more give, while the ballistic is thicker,...

[ayazgood]

Yeah, I was trying to think what my use case was, and realized it was actually similar to a tote or shop bag, but with backpack straps. Given the robustness/cushiness of those straps, it seems like it would be great for a simple haul bag. I can see where the flexibility of the halcyon would make the...

[ayazgood]

Nope, didn't try it with pulls on. I can see how that would help. I suspect entry to front pocket would probably still feel small and rough....

[ayazgood]

So I sent back my black GE Paragon yesterday. I loved the simplicity, since I'm not into multiple pockets. I loved the comfort and carry capacity. I loaded it up with a heavy 15" laptop and a bunch of files (probably equal to a couple of reams of paper). It carried well and comfortably. I...

[ayazgood]

I had the same experience with the Oxo grinder. Got slowly worse over a year or 2, to where it would take forever to grind enough beans for a single pot. No amount of disassembling or cleaning would fix the problem. Very happy with the Barartza Virtuoso (and love the timer function)....