Size Difference Between Western Flyer and Tri-Star

[rlandis]

I thought I posted this yesterday, but I cannot find it.

I'm curious how the WF is 18 x 12 x 7, and 26 Liters---and the TS is 19 x 13 x 8, and 33 liters. How can and additional 1 x 1 x 1 increase the size by 7 liters??

Does anyone use either of these as an EDC, or are they too big.

I'm currently using a Zephyr, and it's too small. I'd upgrade to an Empire Builder, but there are no colors. I wish the EB was available in a few colors.

[Seikoguy]

Well, let's run the numbers - WF is 18 x 12 x 7 = 1512 cubic inches, or 24.78 liters. TS is 19 x 13 x 8 = 1976 cubic inches, or 32.38 liters. That's a difference of 7.6 liters there. I have the Tri-Star and it's too big for a EDC for me.

[ceb]

Depends on what you carry. The EB is roughly the same size as the WF and aside from the 1 inch in height and width, the TS essentially is one extra full size compartment.

So, is the WF too big? I'd say not. The rear compartment holds a brain cell with a laptop and a cache for an iPad or a Freudian slip, with the front compartment left for everything else. At the very front are two flat pockets and a water bottle pocket

[rlandis]

Great replies...thank you all. That 1x1x1 difference between WF & TS is very deceptive, but the numbers are correct, as Selkoguy points out. I would have lost that bet.

[Fat Crip]

rlandis, you must have some subliminal marketing hidden in your posts. Yesterday morning, the song The Fool on the Hill was stuck in my head in that slightly annoying way that the last song you heard on the radio before you went out to work in the morning does... only I hadn't been listening to the radio. Only now do I see where I must've got it from! I had to find it and play it. Luckily it was on my iTunes. Looking on the bright side, it could have been a lot worse... can you imagine Owner, Poker Face Recording? That stuck in my head could have caused damage!

[Le_Pied]

I spent a long time sorting out the differences between the WF and TS. In the end, I felt the TS would be too big for my needs (one-bag travel + EDC). The trick is that dimensionally, as you point out, it appears very similar (only 1” difference), but that small difference can be enough to make big changes. For example, all those other features enabled by the extra inch add up to almost an extra pound in weight (3lb 6oz vs. 2.5lbs).
The WF has become my primary “office” and travel bag. The WF has been my sole travel and business bag since August. So far, it’s been around Europe, South America, the USA, and many trips around town and into NYC. Sometimes it’s carrying a laptop in a 6z Cache, sometimes not. It has handled my stuff for work trips up to 5 nights in duration. Once I get to my hotel, the personal stuff comes out, and the WF is my briefcase and EDC for the week. It’s like a large executive case or laptop bag. (I say “large” because I have been using small PCs and sleeves for a couple years now.) It doesn’t draw attention to itself as a piece of “luggage”, but it’s boxy-er than a shoulder bag or back pack.
I also use the WF when hopping a train to NYC for the day. It’s a fine choice for a day bag that needs to carry a laptop. With the Absolute strap, it can be worn cross-body, off the shoulder, or with the backpack straps. The shoulder strap is good for quick access and security, the back straps are good for walking down the street while your hands are busy with coffee, lunch, “road soda”, etc. If I’m not going into NYC, I may be walking to a coffee shop, or just moving my mobile office from one room to the next. With the ability to strap in a Brain Cell, room for folders and different configurations, and the ability to zip the sides open completely, it makes a great daily work bag. (I also stuff my PC in the back-strap pocket sometimes.)
FWIW, the last overnight trip it was used for was visiting a studio to track drums and percussion. A whole mess of percussion gear was in the back (sticks, shakers, Pandeiro, etc.), two pair of headphones on one side of the front, and clothes and other personal stuff on the other side. Of course, the bottle pocket was used to hold a nice bottle of Rioja just right. It all fit beautifully and could be carried with the shoulder strap or back-straps, and the bottle stayed securely zipped in place.

[matsui]

Once I get to my hotel, the personal stuff comes out, and the WF is my briefcase and EDC for the week.

Does it not look rather empty and redundant once you have removed your stuff and only have the laptop left and maybe few papers?

[Le_Pied]

Does it not look rather empty and redundant once you have removed your stuff and only have the laptop left and maybe few papers?

It never really looks empty - maybe a bit deflated. The pics on the product page are a pretty good representation of the WF in ballistic. The images of the black bag with backpack straps show a comparison. Without anything in it, the structure produced by the material and construction create a stable shape. The bag compresses into itself, but it never collapses. (Dyneema is a different story. Hop over to Lani's blog to see her review of the WF in Nordic Dyneema.) I'd describe its appearance as looking "slim" with a little bit of stuff in it, to "packed" with a sensible amount of stuff, to "swollen" when jammed to zipper-stressing ridiculousness. If I can get a good pic of what it looks like with only a laptop in it, I'll post here.

edit: Actually, the thread regarding the TS and a briefcase comparison shows good pics of an empty TS. This is pretty much what the ballistic WF looks like empty.