CoPilot - input appreciated!

[Chill]

Hello all,

I am considering getting a CoPilot.

I currently use SE as my EDC, it functions as my wallet, practically. With some lifestyle changes I'm thinking I need to carry more stuff... so I am back on TB looking...

I would appreciate if someone could provide measurements on the front compartment(s) and the bottle compartment of the CoPilot (LxWxH), and the depth of the large compartment.

How does the snake charmer (small) fit into the main compartment of the CoPilot? Pictures appreciated!

What accessories would you recommend to go with CoPilot?

I'm a lady here Would Nebulous Grey look too guy-ish on me?

I read the older reviews about ballistic being a bit "too hard" for the CP (back when it was 1050D), can anyone with the 525 ballistic voice your opinion on it? How about it being "boxy"?

Thank you for your responses! I really appreciate it!!

[Rei]

Hi @Chill,

I don't own a co-pilot (but a 525 Ballistic S25)

Grey is not too guy-ish, it is rad it is great color which works for manly guys and girly women (and everything between) it is a color which compliments any style I think

my guess about the fabric (since I own one 525 Ballistic bag) the 525 Ballistic will likely help co-pilot to stay in shape better than Halcyon (though I would also choose the halcyon one because is more floppy and stylish)

[runningtravels]

I have a black ballistic (525) Co-Pilot and I have to agree that it looks a bit boxy. I'm also a woman and the bag looks kind of comically huge on me- I can get away with it when traveling, but it feels really awkward as an EDC. How much extra stuff are you planning on carrying? I just got a SK and am obsessed with how much it can hold while still looking proportionate to me.

[Chill]

I have a black ballistic (525) Co-Pilot and I have to agree that it looks a bit boxy. I'm also a woman and the bag looks kind of comically huge on me- I can get away with it when traveling, but it feels really awkward as an EDC. How much extra stuff are you planning on carrying? I just got a SK and am obsessed with how much it can hold while still looking proportionate to me.

Thanks runningtravels, I look another look and wondered if the SK might do the job. Right now my SE is "full" (in a comfortable way, I don't like to over-squeeze).

I will be having whatever is in the SE (which I imagine will go into the front compartments) and:
towel + socks + a change of clothes (jogging stuff basically)
1x3DOC
pens
thermos
cardigan
sanitary napkins
tissue paper
glasses (case)

I would like some organization in the bag since it's my "purse" as well.

Open to suggestions!

[runningtravels]

I understand now why you thought about the Co-Pilot- while that stuff could possibly fit in the SK, it'd probably be super stuffed and not very practical.

Maybe someone with a halcyon CP can chime in- their experience with it might be different from mine since the halcyon fabric is floppier and might look less boxy than the ballistic.

[luvdabags]

Daylight Briefcase might work too-less boxy feel. Or maybe the Medium Cafe Bag. If you need the bring the workout clothes, then the Side Kick definately is too small.

Good luck in your search!

[G42]

I have had a 1050 ballistic CP that was very soft and supple since it was 5+ years old, but when new out of the box, they are very stiff and will look boxy for years.
The halcyon is obviously a lot more flexible from the beginning.

I second @luvdabags thought about the DLBC - I have two of them and use them more often than my CP. It is more rectangular than square and narrower. It's a bit smaller at 8L, but way bigger than the SE.

A full change of clothes is a lot of stuff - or is it just the jogging things (light t-shirt/leggings/shorts)?

If at all possible, you should try to get both an test pack them - just read the FAQ for how to do it & still return:
https://www.tombihn.com/pages/contact-us/#faq38


ETA: Nebulous Grey is a lovely colour for everyone!

[tress29]

First, a little back story! Last night my son told me he needed a new TC. When I asked what was wrong with the lovely olive\violet one I got from G42 he told me he spilled lemonade all over it! After laughing at him, I offered to wash it for him. He then asked to borrow my SE. My favorite original halcyon SE! I took all my bits and bobs out of the SE and put them in my SK.

Since my SK fits my insulin stuff, my kindle, keys, work badge, etc, I just decided to use that for work today. I ended up out the door with my SK, a LARGE crochet project that has outgrown my LSB, a water bottle, and a container of soup. Even though it takes up a lot of room in the main compartment, I'm kicking myself for not just putting the SK into the CP! I can stand the SK on end, and the soup would have fit in the main pocket, with the water bottle in it's own pocket. While I love the capacity of my SK for out and about, I really love the SE/CP combo for EDC.

[aedifica]

I have a Halcyon Co-Pilot, one in 525 Ballistic, and one in 1050 Ballistic. (And I've had two others in 1050 Ballistic that I've given away to family.) Obviously I like the Co-Pilot a lot. For me the 1050 Ballistic was too thick for the Co-Pilot even when the fabric had softened up from years of use, but it's great in 525 Ballistic and in Halcyon.

I'll go take some pictures and those measurements you asked about. Depending on the size of your towel and clothes, I'm not sure the CP would actually be big enough. (Like @G42 said, you can order bags to try test packing them and see what works for you... or you can make your own out of cardboard like @jujigatame did for another bag. )

I agree with other posters, Nebulous Grey is a great color for anyone! It had never crossed my mind that it might read as masculine. My CP isn't Nebulous but I have a couple of other bags that color; I especially like Nebulous with Island, whether it's Island Halcyon or Island Ballistic.

[Titus]

I have an original halcyon copilot and I can get a pretty full packing cube shoulder bag in the main compartment, a 3DOC in each of the front pockets, and an 18oz wide mouth hydro flask in the water bottle pocket. It’s insane how much you can get in the little bag, but fully loaded it can get a little bulky.

[DWSeattle]

I would consider the Maker's Bag. It is another 2" /50mm deeper than the Copilot and that much longer as well, but soft enough to not be boxy. With the large opening you could put your clothing in a packing cube and there would be plenty of room for more organizer pockets.

[G42]

First, a little back story! Last night my son told me he needed a new TC. When I asked what was wrong with the lovely olive\violet one I got from G42 he told me he spilled lemonade all over it! After laughing at him, I offered to wash it for him. He then asked to borrow my SE. My favorite original halcyon SE! I took all my bits and bobs out of the SE and put them in my SK.

LOL, sounds like it's time for laundry lessons for your son

[Chill]

Love love your responses!

To answer some questions above...

It's a small towel, microfiber, much for dabbing off perspiration. It's palm sized (after folding it down), so pretty much "tiny" as you can get.
Clothes are not the bulky type.

I also plan to use this bag when I travel, mainly to hold the stuff that needs easy reaching, like passports, kids' jackets (they just give them to me when they don't use it...)

I don't like to pack it too tightly, so I am looking for something with a bit more space, but doesn't look like it has that kind of space (at least from the outside). I am not sure about Halcyon, but the 525's have great colors so... I'm leaning toward them :-)

I'm looking into SCB, MCB, Maker's bag, TC (this one took me a while to figure out) with all your suggestions. I think the TC is VERY enticing... I could downsize my purse and then consider hauling the rest in a separate pack, and do a bag-in-bag...

@aedifica Thank you I would appreciate it very much! Looking forward to your measurements and pics!

Ordering the packs to test will be an expensive option since I do not live in the US, that's why I appreciate all of you Bihners helping me out here! :-D

[aedifica]

I would appreciate if someone could provide measurements on the front compartment(s) and the bottle compartment of the CoPilot (LxWxH), and the depth of the large compartment.

How does the snake charmer (small) fit into the main compartment of the CoPilot? Pictures appreciated!

OK, measurements! I thought I was going to be replying much sooner, sorry.

Depth of the large compartment: 2 3/4" from seam to seam (though I've fit deeper things in there)
Front side compartments: about 4 1/8" side to side and 2 1/2" front to back
Water bottle compartment: about 3 1/2" wide

However, one or both of my depth measurements has to be off because the bag is officially 4.9" deep and my measurements add up to 5.25".

A small Snake Charmer works pretty well, even though its official measurement is 4.3" deep and that compartment is only 2.75" deep. The center wall of the Co-Pilot moves forward a little (unless that front pocket is stuffed) and the back wall bulges out a little. If the small Snake Charmer's contents can be compressed, it will even fit into the front pocket though it doesn't slide in easily there.

Photos:
1) Small Snake Charmer in back of Co-Pilot
2) Closed Co-Pilot, wider where the SSC is and narrower where the CP is empty
3) SSC in front of CP
(in all photos: a bit of yarn from my current project--my SSC was half empty so I stuck the skein of yarn into the other side of the SSC to fill it for these photos)

[aedifica]

I was planning to do a comparison photo of 525 Ballistic and Halcyon, but I've misplaced my Aubergine 525 Co-Pilot! I'm sure it's around here somewhere.

The Side Effect can squeeze into the front pockets of the Co-Pilot, but not as easily as I'd like. It helps if the SE is both Halcyon and underpacked--it's about an inch bigger than the side-to-side measurement of the CP's front pockets. If you want to really downsize the stuff you carry in your SE, the 3DOC does fit beautifully in the CP's front pockets!

I would also suggest that you consider the Parental Unit--it's not just for parents even though it was designed to be a diaper bag. It zips entirely shut, like the Co-Pilot, and unlike the Co-Pilot it looks pretty slim when it's nearly empty. (Though it looks kind of like an American football if you stuff it!) I think @Cristina and others use the Travel Cubelet bag-in-bag with the PU, the TC fits nicely in the center section of one of the PU's curved pockets. (So does the SE.) If you're on Ravelry, you can also read a thread where several people were helping me decide whether to get a PU, @Cristina was also persuaded to buy one, and then she and I each posted about how we use ours: https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/tom-.../3767962/26-50 (must be a Ravelry member to view). I think the PU carries best when one of its three sections is empty, rather than filling all three sections.