Question: 520 Ballistic Vs. 420 Parapack on Synik?

[jroll]

I was looking to purchase a Synik and reached out to TB about the 525 Ballistic exterior with cloud Ballistic interior and they aren't planning to produce that combo.

I really want the 525 ballistic because of the durability and rigidness of the material. The issue is they only have Halcyon interiors with the 525. I am not a huge fan of the Halcyon interiors, so my other options is getting the 420 Parapack with the cloud ballistic interior. I am not too familiar with that material as I only have the A45 bag in ballistic.

I suppose I am wanting some recommendations and insight of the difference in rigidness and durability of the Parapack vs. the 525. I looked at the TB videos and descriptions, but its difficult until you see it in person. I could order some Parapack pouches, but I want to know if the Parapack is a good choice based off the characteristics I am looking for. I may have to bite the bullet and get the 525 with the Halcyon, but I really don't like that option.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

P.S. love these bags, and their customer service. I can see me getting hooked into this ecosystem.

[bartleby]

Hi jroll, and welcome to the forum! I voted for Parapack because I am a dedicated fan of the material. I have the Synik 30 in navy Parapack (review here) and the Guide's Pack in navy Parapack (and some 3DOCs in Parapack). It is an absolutely classy material. Other users have reported that it takes on marks more rapidly than 525 Ballistic. I also have a Synapse 25 in 525 Ballistic and my opinion is, there is not much difference in that regard. I use my Synik 30 for EDC since I received it end of July 2019. I don't take special care, I use it on my bike every day, I took it on planes and trains. I had some marks and stains but I could remove all of them with a damp cloth. Apart from that the bag looks like new. Overall, I trust in TBs philosophy and I doubt that they would use an exterior material that wouldn't live up to the expactancy of a long life with heavy use. So if you like the look and feel of Parapack my recommendation is go for it!

[jroll]

Thank you so much! Currently for my EDC I have a Booq backpack. I forget the model but it's exterior is 1680D nylon. Its super beefy and about 5 years old. I love it, but I need a travel bag with clam shell and I was drawn in by the community and many of the YouTube videos (Chase Reeves mostly).

I love your review and pictures. Looks like you had others with the similar question I had. I am not to rough with my bags, but just love the rigidity of the Booq. I will take your advise into consideration for sure!

Again, I appreciate your taking time to respond to my post!

[bartleby]

You are very welcome :-)

Just adding a note on travelling: The Synik 30 is certainly great for travel. I first thought I wouldn't use it for that purpose but the clamshell and also the tie-down straps add a lot of functionality. So I ended up loving it for shorter trips especially since it carries very comfortably.

[lang]

Hey Jroll. I've had a Synapse in the 525 material and I currently have a Synik in parapack. Parapack is personally my favorite, but those 525 Synapses are _nice_. If I were you, and you're thinking you really want the 525 Ballistic, I wouldn't second guess myself, because it's gorgeous material. Put simply, these guys choose _nice_stuff_ to make their packs with. Regarding the interior fabric, I feel like there might be less difference than you think between the Halcyon and 210 ballistic. They're both strong, lightweight material. My 525 was lined in Halycon, and there was never a time that I felt like it was too flimsy. If it's more about the aesthetic of the Halycon (i.e. you don't like the check pattern), then only you can make that decision. I personally have learned to appreciate "brighter" colors on the inside of a bag, as it can be pretty helpful when you open it up and your looking for something inside. There is no way I would wear something like "island" or "solaris" as an external color, but as an internal color, it's pretty handy!

[Lia]

I've handled the Synik in both ballistic and parapack. In function, they are very very very similar. They both hold their shape when empty. Basically identical performance. The parapack is just silkier feeling, so I think the difference is largely aesthetic.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[jroll]

Thanks for the info Lang! I placed my order last week and received the black Synik 30 with the Island Halcyon interior yesterday. The week before I ordered the A45 in Steel w/Island Halcyon interior and as a newbie to Tom Bihn, I am hooked. Its awesome and I am glad I got the A45 instead of the A30, as its still nice and compact. I did like the Island Halcyon and I totally agree, it makes it much easier to locate items in the pack. It's durable and feels nice but would not want that as an exterior color or the pattern in general.

So, I am very satisfied with the purchase. Added the Iberian zipper pulls to the black and it looks very striking (IMHO anyway).

[jroll]

Thanks for the replay! I ordered the 525 and love it! I think your right, they both would be great packs but I loved the Booq backpack I had with the 1680 ballistic nylon so I am used to the beefier materials.