Review of the Luminary 12

[awurrlu]

Thank you! Looking at the dimensions, it seems like the SideKick should be able to fit horizontally, but only barely. Do you think it would fit that way? (I have the Halcyon version, so it's pretty squishy.)

There Side Kick does fit horizontally. The opening of the L12 is slightly narrower than the width of the SK, so there's a little squishing involved. The Halcyon version is slipperier than the ballistic, though, so it should be a breeze to slide the SK in if it's not stuffed to the point of rigidity.

[ChaosLib]

I have the original Luminary (10? 12?) and if my halcyon Side Kick isn’t completely full I can fit it in horizontally at the bottom of the Luminary when the water bottle pocket is unzipped.

[chialea]

Perfect! Thank you so much.

[Quiltmama]

I took some pictures with a ruler

That's helpful thanks. It looks like it's 0.25-0.5" deeper. Good to know. Thanks!

[aedifica]

I have the original Luminary (10? 12?) and if my halcyon Side Kick isn’t completely full I can fit it in horizontally at the bottom of the Luminary when the water bottle pocket is unzipped.

The original Luminary is the same size as the new L12, but its official volume changed from 12 liters to 10 and then back to 12. Darcy talks about it here (you can click on the red arrow at the top of the quote box to go to the original post):

An update on the volume measurements of the new Luminaries
There’s always been (and probably always will be) confusion over volume measurements.

As mentioned in that last link, we came up with our own variation on the ASTM standard and we updated the volume of the original Luminary (and only the original Luminary; the volume wasn’t updated for any other bags) from 12 to 10 based on that variation. After further consideration and review, we determined that our variation would likely cause more confusion, which was the opposite of our original intention. A standard is a standard for a reason.

The upshot: the original Luminary is back to being the Luminary 12 and we’re sticking with the same volume measurement standard we’ve used for the last quarter century.

Volume measurements will always be a little confusing because we make soft bags: the volume of a bag is determined by how much you under or overstuff it. That said, the volume measurements we provide are a great indicator of how much stuff you can generally fit in any bag. If you’re wondering if a specific item or items will fit in a specific bag and want more assurance than our specifications, photos, and videos can provide, please don’t hesitate to emailus@tombihn.com

[aedifica]

awurrlu, thanks for this review! I've been enjoying seeing the variety of things different people think to mention about the Luminaries.

What is that lunch bag you have, that looks like it has a roll-and-clip top?

[Cristina]

Thank you! Looking at the dimensions, it seems like the SideKick should be able to fit horizontally, but only barely. Do you think it would fit that way? (I have the Halcyon version, so it's pretty squishy.)

Yes you'll have to squish it a bit. The Field Journal Notebook is pretty much the same size as the Side Kick but is rigid, and it was tricky getting it in and out of the L12, mostly because I was afraid I might abrade something somewhere. But unless you're carrying something rigid in your Side Kick that takes up the full length of it, it should fit ok with a bit of finesse.

[linh.n]

awurrlu, thanks for this review! I've been enjoying seeing the variety of things different people think to mention about the Luminaries.

What is that lunch bag you have, that looks like it has a roll-and-clip top?

lol, I came to ask the same, but I think it's the BlueAvocado Click 'n Go Bag. Seems to maybe have quality and size issues? Maybe we need a TB version :)

[awurrlu]

lol, I came to ask the same, but I think it's the BlueAvocado Click 'n Go Bag. Seems to maybe have quality and size issues? Maybe we need a TB version :)

It is the BlueAvocado Click 'n Go. I love that it's got a good capacity and is lined while still being flexible. If something has a small leak, it's easy to clean. The velcro they use is subpar, though, and it doesn't really need it. A TB lunch bag would be great!