a slender Aeronaut....an Aeronette?

[foozler]

The Aeronaut is a great bag, but how about a thinner version for those of us who don't need/want a "maximum" carry-on? A new bag only seven inches deep, versus the current nine, would provide a usable volume mid-way between the existing Aeronaut and the Western Flyer, while giving us a more svelte, less bulky and more manageable bag --- with all the great Aeronaut features.

[TdeF]

I Second that.

[PM4HIRE]

Checkout the Tom Bihn Western Flyer bag!

[foozler]

The Western Flyer volume is given as 26 L, and the Aeronaut as 45 L, a sizable gap. My suggestion would split the difference.

[nan]

I wholeheartedly agree!! I sadly - had to return the Aeronaut. The breve version was just too big for my 5' 3" frame. And the Western Flyer seemed like an option until I finally saw that it had a sling strap.. I was sorely disappointed. That was a deal breaker for me, I can't use sling straps. Tom, please consider making a medium (sling-strap free) carry-on bag!!

[thax]

Hello all,
If what you looking for is between 26L and 45 L and a backpack and not sling bag why not consider the Brain bag? It is 36L and a backpack, so that should work.

thax

[moriond]

Hi Thax,

Hello all,
If what you looking for is between 26L and 45 L and a backpack and not sling bag why not consider the Brain bag? It is 36L and a backpack, so that should work.

I don't think the Brain Bag would work for nan if she finds even an Aeronaut Breve too large for her frame. One reason that total volume isn't a good guideline of what works is that a backpack can be too long for your torso, as mentioned in this post by aakepley explaining why she switched to a Smart Alec. In fact, here's a quote from aakepley's post in the original design thread from what became the Aeronaut:

I think this is more than distributing weight better for the female body as some bags are physically too big for smaller people to carry. A maximally sized carry-on (22" by 14" by 9") is going to be too wide and too long for my body. It would be nice to see a petite version of this bag that would be a inch or so narrower and a couple of inches shorter. This would even be convenient for larger people traveling abroad as some international airlines limit carry-on size to 19" by 13" by 9" (particularly for travel that's not to or from the US) and its hard to find a bag here in the U.S. that meets these requirements.

See also, the comments and quotes in other posts by women 5'4" and under, some of whose comments (e.g. mrae and just) show that they actually own a Brain Bag.

I would have guessed that the Aeronaut Breve might have been workable. Gmich posted about one-bagging with the Aeronaut and included pictures of him and his girlfriend (5'2") carrying this bag. He said:

For reference, I'm close to 6'0" and my girlfriend is 5'2". The Aeronaut is pretty big on her, but unless it's loaded to the max (as it was on our way to NC), she's been able to carry it comfortably in backpack mode or with the Absolute shoulder strap.

I'm an inch taller than nan, and I do use the Aeronaut Breve. So does eristick, who is of similar height. The Breve is probably just on the edge of working for nan. I have had friends (other women, my height) who initially thought their Tom Bihn bags might not fit, but who were quite happy with them after adjusting straps, etc. YMMV.

Cheers,

moriond

[thax]

Hi Moriond,
Excellent use of references there! I hadn't seen most of those posts before and your ideas seem very sound.
So if it isn't just about volume I.E. wanting something between sizes then how would another bag solve things? The first thing I thought about was the breve, but they already said that the breve did not work.
Could also a different packing methodology help distribute load? I have spent many years backpacking and a long time in the Army. How you load it and the positioning of the heavy/bulky items can have a huge impact on weight over the hips and off the shoulders.
Trimming an inch or two would not load it better vs setting heavy items close to the back and high in the load stack. Thusly not creating a resultant of vectors that pull the load back away from the body and pushing on the tender front of the shoulder with a shoulder strap.

Any pack packed poorly will be a burden. But if it is just too darn big for the body then a smaller bag and loss of volume is a better solution. I would have thought the more dedicated strap system of the backpacks in the line to be more comfortable than the tuck away system on the Aeronaut. I believe a good hip belt and suspension system to be a godsend for anything over 40 pounds.

Entertaining discussion, thanks for pointing this out :-)

thax

[timothy]

Originally Posted by aakepley, quoted above by moriond:

"It would be nice to see a petite version of this bag that would be a inch or so narrower and a couple of inches shorter. This would even be convenient for larger people traveling abroad as some international airlines limit carry-on size to 19" by 13" by 9" (particularly for travel that's not to or from the US) and its hard to find a bag here in the U.S. that meets these requirements."

I would love to see a T. Bihn bag made to fit those international dimensions, in part because I can see U.S. airlines tightening up their travel size dimensions as well. Perhaps it could be the "Undernaut" or "the Aeronut" or even the "Stockholm" (as in, the syndrome marked by an identification and bonding with the airlines, as a means of harmonizing obvious irrationalities with reality).

timothy

[moriond]

Originally Posted by aakepley, quoted above by moriond:

"It would be nice to see a petite version of this bag that would be a inch or so narrower and a couple of inches shorter. This would even be convenient for larger people traveling abroad as some international airlines limit carry-on size to 19" by 13" by 9" (particularly for travel that's not to or from the US) and its hard to find a bag here in the U.S. that meets these requirements."

I would love to see a T. Bihn bag made to fit those international dimensions, in part because I can see U.S. airlines tightening up their travel size dimensions as well. Perhaps it could be the "Undernaut" or "the Aeronut" or even the "Stockholm" (as in, the syndrome marked by an identification and bonding with the airlines, as a means of harmonizing obvious irrationalities with reality).

timothy

I agree with this. See my remarks in the Western Flyer Q&A thread.

[mrae]

I've found the Aeronaut surprisingly easy to use. I was worried about it being too large for me since I'm barely 5 feet. I bought a strap for it and use that- it's much easier for me than my brain bag.

I'd buy a smaller version of it for brief trips. I wonder if a bag much smaller would work for a long trip as an only bag.

[cpau]

I too want a 19x13x8" bag.

Apologies for bringing up this old-ish thread, but this is quite a serious issue now, with airlines tightening their baggage limits, not just for checked luggage but carryon too. For example, Virgin Blue (Australia, where I live) only allows up to 41" dimension bags as carry on (that translates to 19x13x9", or 48x34x23cm). Some international carriers also go with these 40 to 41" (105cm) limits rather than 45" (115cm).

I have a maximum carryon bag (22x14x9") that I have found is a bit TOO BIG even for long international trips - but not by the amount that would make me comfortable using a Western Flyer for, say, a month in Europe.

The desire for a medium-sized bag mostly has to do with weight limits more than outside dimensions, but going to 40-41" would definitely help keep the weight down while being roomy enough for comfort. It also helps in "the battle of the bins"

Please, please can we have, say, a Western Flyer with one more inch? (or a briefer Aeronaut). With backpack straps :-D .

[Darcy]

I'm certain you'll see a bag similar to what's being asked for in this thread sometime soon!

[Jenne]

I, for one, am waiting eagerly to find out more! I don't have an Aeronaut, and I'm very intrigued by them, but I would love something slightly smaller (I'm 5'4").

Any chance of it being in purple? :-)

[cpau]

I'm certain you'll see a bag similar to what's being asked for in this thread sometime soon!

That is excellent news; if it fits in the 40-41", 19x13x8-9 limit, and not bigger, I will fall at your feet and buy one in a heartbeat, even with the absolutely horrendous cost of international postage!

Purple is good. I'll volunteer as overseas tester :-D