New to TB - Aeronaut color help and question about bag quality.

[monaheel]

I purchased my first TB bag, the aeronaut, last week. It is definitely a stretch on my graduate school budget, but it can be done. I have been struggling with the 2 issues and would love thoughts/comments from others:

1. Colors - I purchased the aubergine/wasabi color (haven't received it yet) - I am starting to wonder if I should have purchased a more "classic" color like steel/wasabi so it lasts the test of time since it's such an expensive piece (if I end up keeping it). Can anyone who has an aubergine or steel bag comment on the color please?

2. Comparison to other bags - I ordered the Timbuk2 wingman off of Sierra Trading Post. I got it for a steal at ~$50. It is similar in concept to the aeronaut (main compartment, 2 end pockets), and it also has a padded laptop compartment. I can't compare quality between the two yet, but has anyone struggled/worried about their laptop in just a sleeve for the aeronaut? Does the bag hold up well with wear and multiple uses? Any feedback would be great.

Thanks in advance!

[trin0042]

My only reget for getting steel is that it can got some dirty stains on it from checking it in one time. I cant seem to get the stain out. I'm sure I could get it out with enough effort, but it made me think how great a black exterior would have been...

As for durability and quality, my aeronaut has been on multiple international flights as well as domestic. I usually pack it with electronics and have never had any concerns with it. It looks like it did when I first bought it in 2009 (except for that stain I mentioned earlier).

[mifcnm]

I have the Aubergine/Wasabi and I absolutely love it! The Wasabi is nice because you can find something if you drop it in the bag. The Aubergine is very rich and I have had no problems with it. This is a very well made bag and worth every penny! I spent about a year trying to find the right bag, and I couldn't be happier with my decision.

[backpack]

I have 2 Aeronautes and both are in bright colors, Grape (the ancestor of Aubergine) and Nordic for the one in Dyneema.

I had a similar conundrum with my first Tom Bihn Bag, a Brain Bag which was available in Plum and Steel, I ended up buying the Steel. While I love the color, I find that I am happier with less conservative colors, I got a Sapphire Brain Bag and matching Large Cafe Bag as soon as I could.

I always missed not getting the Plum Brain Bag instead of the Steel, it has been reissued and I don't know if I will be able to get one before they sold out because I just got Dyneema travel bags.

My thoughts on getting Tom Bihn Bag is get the color your fancy the most in your first order, Steel and Black which are staple neutral colors can always be added later.

The Steel Brain Bag is my husband travel bag.

[GuyB]

I think you need to see how you feel when your bag arrives and you spend a few days with it, observing how it looks and feels.

The aeronaut is super well made and tough, so you'll have no problems in that regard. Will last a lifetime!

I guess that's also the flip too: the colour combo will be with you for a long time too so you really need to feel good about it.

I got the black/Iberian combo and love the impact of the rich bright colour on the inside while outside its sleek and discreet. And I've got a bunch of accessories, pouches etc in brights which give me all the colour I need!

But that's just me. I don't want my bag to stand out as I'm planning a big adventure around the world and want to minimise any unwanted attention from thieves etc

Also, I'd be bummed if I got a visible stain on my bag and black means I never have to worry about that happening.

Hope that's of some use! The best advice is to go with your heart! Owning an aeronaut is a very personal, special thing that will bring you pleasure every day you use it...so you've got to love the colour for emotional not just practical reasons! Good luck :-)

[ceb]

...2. Comparison to other bags - I ordered the Timbuk2 wingman off of Sierra Trading Post. I got it for a steal at ~$50. It is similar in concept to the aeronaut (main compartment, 2 end pockets), and it also has a padded laptop compartment. I can't compare quality between the two yet, but has anyone struggled/worried about their laptop in just a sleeve for the aeronaut? Does the bag hold up well with wear and multiple uses? Any feedback would be great.

Thanks in advance!

I admit it, I'm a bag freak - to the point that my wife said "get any bag you want, but for each new bag you get , I get something and an old bag has to go."

That said, I've had bags from every major brand and every price range (and lots of bags from smaller manufacturers too) and I've found that TB holds up the best. There is a reason that other bags are cheaper so you need to compare carefully as the differences may be very subtle (but important)

TB is often compared to RedOxx and they make very well made, sturdy bags but they just don't have the finishing and "finesse" of the TB bags. While most compare the RO Airboss to the Aeronaut, in design it is really more like a TriStar so I'll point out some feature differences in philosophy.

RO is an industrial large container, while TB is just more polished, a little softer and more elegant. The RedOxx will last forever and if the dreamliner catches fire and singes the RO, then RO will fix it (like Briggs & Riley). TB has a slightly different take on warranties that seems to fit the type of product very well - "if it was something we did, we fix it, if you (or someone else) does it, then you fix it. That works well for the intended purpose. The carry-on will most likely not get damaged by airlines so why increase the prices even more to account for those failures.

TB thinks about things like 'O' rings to hang things in bags and everything is pretty well thought out. The expandable large compartment in the Aeronaut is something you'll seldom find in other bags - and if you do it won't be so well implemented.

Timbuk2 makes some decent consumer bags and have made their name by making messenger bags that can be had in a zillion color combinations. I use one as a camera bag but it has several philosophical issues that bother me - they are philosophical because they seem evident on every Timbuk2 bag I've seen - they aren't quality issues or specific design issues but seem more general - the liberal use of velcro or the stiffer fabric.

There is often nothing "wrong" with less expensive bags - you'll not notice the difference for some years to come and some of the TB features may be unnecessary to you.

[aiethabell]

I'm also a bag geek, I have bags for anything! I have a Mariner Air Boss, which hasn't left my bedroom in at least 4 years - I think that's how old my Indigo/Solar Aeronaut is.

Indigo was a love it or hate it color-a very bright blue. I bought a matching Co-Pilot and Swift, and any pouch/doodad I could get in Indigo or Solar. I've been stopped en route and asked about my bag(s) more than once. And I can GUARANTEE I'll be able to see them grow legs without me! I say stick with the Aubergine. It will stand out in the black-bag sea.

If you want a companion bag (Synapse comes to mind, here), get it now while Aubergine and Wasabi are still available. Else you'll be like me, carrying a plum/ultraviolet Synapse because there's no more Solar to line the Indigo Synapses.

Oh. Don't worry about bag quality. Tom Bihn bags are top-notch, not even a loose thread to be seen!

Enjoy your new Aeronaut!

[Tlacltme]

Prepare for a lifetime of love

I understand your color quandry. I have ordered an item in more than one color just so I could see them in real life!

Like aiethabell mentioned, if you like a color combo, get it as soon as you can

[JLE]

Wait and see on the colour. As has often been said on these forums, TB colours have a richness and depth to them that just does not come across fully in even the best photos. I have an Aubergine OP and I think the colour is beautiful - rich, warm, distinctive yet still dark enough to be relatively conservative (in comparison with some brighter colours). I have the large travel bags in Navy and in Cardinal. These are also gorgeous colours!

And the bag, which has such a versatile design, will last a lifetime.

[monaheel]

Thanks for all the helpful comments - I got the bag and love it. Wasn't sure how I would feel about the color, but now that I have seen it in person, and I am so glad I went for aubergine instead of steel. It's dark enough to be a neutral, but rich and beautiful enough to stand out a little among all the black bags out there.

If anyone wants me to post pictures at some point, let me know (although they will likely be grainy iphone pics).

Compared to the wingman (for anyone curious), I think the aeronaut will last much longer and can withstand more abuse. The material is just much higher quality overall.

Think I'm sold on my first TB bag. =)

[Rocks]

"If anyone wants me to post pictures at some point, let me know (although they will likely be grainy iphone pics). "



Post pictures! Post pictures!

[Fat Crip]

We always want pics

[monaheel]

Sorry for the delay in posting pictures. They are poor quality, iphone pics, but hopefully they still help. One of them has the packing cubes I purchased in steel, wasabi, and UV. If you are debating on lining colors for the aubergine (as I was), hopefully it helps. I like the wasabi (and think I would have been equally happy with steel). The UV would have been too much in my personal opinion - but I can see how others would like the combo.

I will be going to Europe for 2 months over the summer -I am thinking of purchasing a co-pilot in aubergine/wasabi following the advice above to get a color combo I like before it sells out. Does anyone have advice on the co-pilot - can it hold 8.5 x 11 papers? The forum seems to have conflicting reviews, but that might be a deal breaker for me since I will be doing an internship and likely have notebooks/papers to carry. Any advice again would be greatly appreciated!!

[Badger]

Re: 8.5"x11.5" papers.

You might want to be sure that that's the size of the paper you'll be using. I get the sense that the standard European paper size is legal size.

I found that 8.5"x11.5" papers got a bit squeezed in the CP, but others may have had different experiences.

[mifcnm]

I have the same combo that you have for travel and a black/wasabi co-pilot for everyday. I'm in school for DNP and carry papers just fine inside along with my ipad that is in a dodocase. So you should have no trouble. I guess it could depend on the amount of paper, but as long as it's not a ream (lol) you should be fine.

Sorry for the delay in posting pictures. They are poor quality, iphone pics, but hopefully they still help. One of them has the packing cubes I purchased in steel, wasabi, and UV. If you are debating on lining colors for the aubergine (as I was), hopefully it helps. I like the wasabi (and think I would have been equally happy with steel). The UV would have been too much in my personal opinion - but I can see how others would like the combo.

I will be going to Europe for 2 months over the summer -I am thinking of purchasing a co-pilot in aubergine/wasabi following the advice above to get a color combo I like before it sells out. Does anyone have advice on the co-pilot - can it hold 8.5 x 11 papers? The forum seems to have conflicting reviews, but that might be a deal breaker for me since I will be doing an internship and likely have notebooks/papers to carry. Any advice again would be greatly appreciated!!