Advice from the Forums: +1 Personal Item

CR88 posted: “I recently received my first Tom Bihn bag, a Black/Solar Aeronaut. I was so impressed by the design and quality that I purchased a second one for my wife (Crimson/Steel) as well as some packing cubes and pouches. Being a Steeler’s fan, I also love the Black/Solar color combination. Now I am in need of a good +1 personal item.”

Among the many helpful replies was one from BJ Nemeth, excerpted below:
“I have flown dozens and dozens of times with the Aeronaut and the Smart Alec as carryon bags, and never received so much as a second glance from the flight attendants. My Aeronaut is packed full, but not bulging, while the Smart Alec contains a Brain Cell for my laptop, a very full Snake Charmer, a Canon digital SLR, and an extra telephoto zoom lens in a case. The Smart Alec goes under the seat with my feet, and it sticks out a little, but it’s never been a problem.

For a while, I flew with an Aeronaut and a Brain Bag (same equipment inside), and still didn’t have any problems. The Brain Bag even passed inspection on several Delta international flights to Spain, and was under the seat the entire time. (I’m a thin guy of average 5’10″ height, and don’t need a ton of foot room.)

I can’t remember if the Aeronaut/Brain Bag combination ever made it on any regional flights (probably 1 or 2), but my Aeronaut/Smart Alec combination has handled about a dozen small regional jets without anyone ever asking me to check one of the bags. Meanwhile, most of the other passengers are asked to check one or both of their bags. My Aeronaut always slides right into the overhead compartment on even the smallest planes, and in compartments that appeared to be full on larger planes — there’s usually enough room to slip a full Aeronaut in there.”

Read the full thread in the TOM BIHN Forums.

darcy | 27 July 2010 11:26 am