Smart Alec or Western Flyer

[Badger]

OK, I know you already bought a Synapse, but since I had taken the photos of the stuff I'm packing in my SA this weekend, I decided to post it anyway.

This is a combo of my clothes and Mrs B's clothes, which all fit in the 15" Eagle Creek sleeve.



I decided I will leave my MBP at home and just bring my iPad to my meeting. So here's the iPad w/cache and my other random stuff.



Here are the toiletries.



I didn't take a pic of the SA all packed since it still looks empty. There is still a ton of room in there. I think that for the amount of belongings you want to bring, and given that you also have a Ristretto, you'll find the Synapse just fine. A compression sleeve or some packing cubes will go a long way to keeping things organized.

FWIW, I'm also planning to get a Synapse in a few weeks to use for casual summer traveling and to haul my crap around. The SA is actually too big for my day-to-day needs, but I'm thrilled to have it for when I need a backpack-plus.

[LauraA]

Badger - thank you so much for the pictures. It is great to have a comparison. I still may need to return my order and get the Smart Alec, so it is great to see how you are using yours. I'll keep you posted. Thanks, LauraA

[moriond]

Hi Laura,

I think you'll like the Synapse, but if you want to view another video of Smart Alec contents, there's a YouTube video that pergrina made. I should add that I carry a 13" MacBook Pro in my Synapse (using a cache instead of a Brain Cell), and that I have the same version of the Little Swift that peregrina has (and popped out of her Synapse). If I just want to carry my iPad, I'll use the Little Swift and the iPad in a cache. My every day bag for carrying a laptop and papers is the Synapse. If I just want to carry the iPad and some other items or books, I use the Little Swift.

P.S. I really like the Synapse, and find the design of the back pad brilliant. The Smart Alec is a straight sort of back. I also find the backpack strap combination on the Synapse more comfortable for me than the Smart Alec's design. But that's to be expected, since Tom keeps working on these features, and the Synapse incorporates his latest designs in backpack structure.

moriond

[Badger]

Badger - thank you so much for the pictures. It is great to have a comparison. I still may need to return my order and get the Smart Alec, so it is great to see how you are using yours. I'll keep you posted. Thanks, LauraA

I'm glad you found it helpful. I changed my mind at the last minute and brought my laptop instead of my iPad (ARGH stupid looming conference proposal deadline!); everything was still very light.

The amount you fit into the Synapse was really quite astounding, I must say. As moriond notes, the SA is not the same as the Synapse in many regards, so you may or may not find it useful on your travels. For the light packing I often need to do, it suits my needs.