Brain Bag or Tri-Star for a log trip?

[Moose]

LauraA, is there a bowing icon? That's some packing list. I do pretty well but you've obviously nailed it. I LOVE that scarf. Great, another thing on my gotta have list. I love my Brain Bag. It's always comfortable no matter how much stuff I cram in it. I really really wish I could speak to the Tri-Star. A steel/ultraviolet one tops my "gotta have" list. Like TavaPeak I would LOVE to see pictures of what you're packing. I'll take any opportunity to improve what I'm doing.
Take care,
Moose

[TavaPeak]

LauraA, My Tristar really liked Addis Ababa and Kampala. ;-) There were women from Tanzania at our training conference, as well as women from 6 other East African countries. I loved having my Tristar bag stand up on its own in the hotel room (off the floor), and it was so easy to keep things separated once I go there. I was there 9 days, and liked how I could use the 3 sections in different ways, and keep clean clothes in a separate section of the bag from the dirty ones. BTW I packed the thinnest cotton-blend knit tops I could find, and they still took 3 days to dry after sink laundry. I couldn't bear anything polyester in the humidity. I'm rather tall for Tilley clothing, but I need a different solution for next trip!

I hear the packing cubes for Tristar really make a difference. I have a TS large packing cube on order (arriving on Wed, I hope). I've been using my old Eagle Creek packing cubes, which aren't bad, but they don't make the most of those Tristar inches. I have a kiwi Breve for my iPad2, which "files" neatly either horizontally or vertically in the center section once my TS is packed with clothes. The pockets on the Breve are finally stretching out a little bit, and now it's a little easier to store cables and chargers.

I was inspired by the clever person here who attached their 3-1-1 bag (the 3D clear organizer bag) to a strap, and just pulled it out of their Bihn bag and left it attached, while going through security. That makes SO much sense. No chance of forgetting it that way. I'm definitely trying that on my next trip.

Moose - sure wish I'd gotten an UV Synapse to match my steel/UV TS. (Clearly, T-birds have great taste.) I ended up ordering a navy Synapse last week, but I'm fairly sure my teenagers will see it and raise a ruckus. Keep hoping that the UV Dyneema Synapse will return one day. Until then, I'll use my old but dear Rick Steves Civita.

[LauraA]

Thanks Moose. Once I get the other things that I've ordered from Tom Bihn, I'll take some packing pictures. My next trip is Seattle to see grandkids and maybe take them to the Tom Bihn showroom, and then after a week and a half there, on to NYC for a week. I'll pack most of the same stuff for that trip, so I'll do the pictures then. That trip starts the second week in May. I've been packing light for a long time. The reasons that I got started where 1. we have 8 kids (6 of them were adopted), so there can get to be a lot of stuff pretty easily, and 2. When I go to Tanzania, I always take a huge duffle of donations, and that is all that I can check. The donations are mailed to me from their main office in the U.S. - that's how they get stuff to Tanzania - just have each worker carry a duffle. Take care all, LauraA

[JLE]

TavaPeak, the packing cubes for the TS are virtually indispensable IME. I couldn't imagine packing my TS without them! I find using them makes it easier to optimize the available packing space within each compartment. Even the large cube, which on one view could be said to just add weight without packing value, I find is particularly useful in the rear compartment, to keep tops and pants, skirts etc organized and tidy inside the bag. And it's amazing what a small cube will hold!

[LauraA]

Teva Peak - What type of training conference? Sounds interesting! I hadn't seen the idea of attaching the 3-1-1 bag with a strap- I'm going to do that for security - great idea!
Teva Peak and JLE- I love the packing cubes. I seem to always fit two medium ones into one compartment of the Tri-Star, although all of the reviews say that you can just fit a medium and a small into one compartment. I'm thinking of getting either the cube to use with a shoulder strap, or the large one that is a backpack. I don't have a large cube, but it might be good for my loose stuff that is usually in the middle compartment. Take care, LauraA

[moriond]

Sounds interesting! I hadn't seen the idea of attaching the 3-1-1 bag with a strap- I'm going to do that for security - great idea!
Teva Peak and JLE- I love the packing cubes. I seem to always fit two medium ones into one compartment of the Tri-Star, although all of the reviews say that you can just fit a medium and a small into one compartment. I'm thinking of getting either the cube to use with a shoulder strap, or the large one that is a backpack. I don't have a large cube, but it might be good for my loose stuff that is usually in the middle compartment. Take care, LauraA

Hi Laura,

TavaPeak is speaking about using a handle loop attached to a 3D Clear Organizer Cube. TXGirl posted a picture of the handle loop attached to a plum Side Effect in this forum discussion about the Side Effect. A number of forum members adopted using the handle loop for the 3D Clear Organizer Cube, as well. You can see some pictures of the Packing Cube Shoulder Bag in use if you scroll through Janine's Packed for the Hospital thread. (Check the second page for views of the packed contents.) Janine's pictures of obit the PCSB and the Side Effect are also a few posts up from TXGirl's picture in the first post link. I expect Lani will weigh in with comments about the Packing Cube Backpacks.

I have a Tri-Star, and I agree that the packing cubes are really useful for this bag (and also for the other Tom Bihn travel bags, such as the Aeronaut and the Western Flyer. Even when I use the Tri-Star for a lightly packed trip, I'll use a small packing cube to separate out worn underwear and other such clothing items. I was really surprised to hear you say that you found the Tri-Star more comfortable to carry, though. The Brain Bag is too big for me to use, but I expected, as you did, that this would be the more comfortable backpack for you. A great discussion thread.

moriond

[TavaPeak]

I ordered my Storm 3D organizer after reading in this thread about just tethering the 3D to the bag (using the o-rings) and leaving it outside the bag for security. The less loose stuff in those gray bins, the better!

3D organiser at the airport.

[lonestar6]

LauraA how did your trip go?