Travelling with a Synik (30)

[BihnBag]

After a couple of excellent and systematic reviews of the Syniks my review of the Synik 30 will be a rather narrative one mainly based on the experiences I made during my recent trip to the US from which I returned just yesterday!

My Synik 30 is in Navy/Steel Parapack. To me, Parapack is the most beautiful material in the TB portfolio (it is also used for the Guide’s Pack). Its look and feel are unique although the newer Ballistic, especially 525 comes close.

Attachment 23047

The Navy is very dark and saturated as the comparison with my S25 GE reveals (Parapack on the left, 525 Ballistic on the right). Its filaments are also finer giving it a very nice look and feel. It is also a little bit heavier than Ballistic but the difference is rather small (about 10 grams overall on the Synik 30 compared to the Ballistic 525/210 combo). You can find more technical information on Parapack in the respective glossary.

Your thread (thank you for the effort) has got me interested in maybe going for parapack, but I am quite worried about the abrasion resistance vs ballistic having never experienced either of those materials.

I see you already seem to have markings on the front of it perhaps, looks like white spotting in the mid-left of the pic you have there.


What's your experience with marks and scuffs with parapack vs ballistic? Do you find you really have to baby the bags or else they'll look quite scruffy in a couple of years time?

[moriond]

@Bihnbag,

I know that you’re waiting for a reply from @bartleby, but I thought I’d point out this reply from @terayon regarding her experience with Parapack in the same thread that originated with his Synik 30 review:

I have a six-year-old Navy Parapack S19, and it definitely shows scuffs much more easily than my 525 Ballistic S25. My Ballistic bags looked brand new for quite a bit longer.

But the scuffs are cosmetic, not functional, a lot of them brush or wipe off pretty easily, and I rather like the ones that are parmanent (they’re the bag’s “patina”). I also like the look and feel of Parapack a LOT (it has sort of an iridescence in sunlight that photos don’t usually capture), and functionally it’s been just as durable as the Ballistic.

FWIW (=for what it’s worth), I think that the iridescence and the “hand” of the smaller fiber Parapack are part and parcel of why scuffs appear more visible.

And, in response to the thread that Darcy just posted yesterday about eventually retiring Steel Parapack, I asked whether they might make some Side Effects (or even Side Kicks) out of their remaining stock. I have a Steel Parapack/Ultraviolet SE (as well as the 3D Organizer Cubes in this fabric), and I’ve always wished they’d made more Side Effects in both Parapack and 200d Halcyon.

HTH(=hope this helps)

moriond

[bartleby]

@BihnBag,

I use the Synik 30 since I got it (end of July) as my EDC bag. I don‘t pay special attention to it and I don‘t have the impression that it has more marks than my other bags (e.g my Synapse 25). I removed the marks that you see on the picture with a damp cloths and they are completely gone. I also have a Guide’s Pack which is also made from Parapack and despite some extended hiking it doesn‘t look distressed in any way. I can definitely recommend Parapack as the look and feel is very nice and you can trust the experienced TB staff that it will stand the test of time...

[BihnBag]

Thanks all. I placed the order.

I guess one thing I wasn't quite considering until I went over the pics in this thread again is that in this batch at least the interior is the exact same and so as strong and nice to the touch as the exterior, that is pretty rare.


I'll be sure to take some pics and add a small review then a longer term one later too (plus compare to my steel 1050 A45).

I grabbed a nordic halcyon daylight briefcase also.

[oncojeans]

Thanks Bartleby for a superb, informative and detailed review. I was so taken with your thoughtful description that I ordered one yesterday along with assorted side kicks etc! Any thoughts on the Halcyon 400 fabric?

[G42]

Thanks Bartleby for a superb, informative and detailed review. I was so taken with your thoughtful description that I ordered one yesterday along with assorted side kicks etc! Any thoughts on the Halcyon 400 fabric?

Welcome to the Forums @oncojeans!

I'm not @bartleby, but I have Synapse 19s in 400d Halcyon and love them. It's more flexible than the ballistics (though ballistic relaxes over time). Actually, all of my main bags (Synapse, Smart Alec, Western Flyer, Aeronaut 30) are in 400d halcyon.

[bartleby]

Thanks Bartleby for a superb, informative and detailed review. I was so taken with your thoughtful description that I ordered one yesterday along with assorted side kicks etc! Any thoughts on the Halcyon 400 fabric?

Thanks for the feedback and another welcome to the Forums @oncojeans! I don't have as much experience with 400d Halcyon as @G42 because my only 400d bag is my Daylight Backpack (in Nordic). Nevertheless, I can tell you that it is a wonderful material as it is light and has a unique, paperlike feel (or "hand" as they call it here). I think that Black Halcyon in particular is one of the most elegant fabrics in the TB portfolio!

[oncojeans]

Thank you very much G42 and Bartleby. Your advice and observations are extremely valuable and very much appreciated I can see my Tom Bihn addiction is only going to get worse!

[pcmike]

Excellent review! Now you have me torn between Blue ballistic with Coyote interior or Blue parapack.


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I think TB should make a deep blue 525 with island 210 interior. Anyone else thinking the same?