Carry-On Traveller's bag

[backpack]

Color update: The Aeronaut will be available in Steel, Crimson, Black, Kiwi, Sage, and Hunter Green (only one in Hunter Green -- we're testing this color to see if we like it). No Grape -- sorry!

backpack -- I think using two Monoliths inside the Brain Bag, in each compartment, would be the best solution if you need to carry two laptops. Is there a reason why this doesn't work for you?

I need one Monolith for the ibook 12" and one for the ibook 14". I understand one of the size I need in not in stock right now and I am concerned about the weight. Would a Soft Cell be lighter?

Also I fear that a Soft Cell could slip out of the Brain Bag in the security shuffle.

[backpack]

Color update: The Aeronaut will be available in Steel, Crimson, Black, Kiwi, Sage, and Hunter Green (only one in Hunter Green -- we're testing this color to see if we like it). No Grape -- sorry!

Why not in Blue? Sorry for being a pest :)

[Darcy]

The Aeronaut page is up and you can now place a pre-order for the bag, which will ship in early April. Our factory is working on the Aeronaut as I type.

What do you think of the Aeronaut? Click on the Details button or the 'Want to see larger pictures' link. Are the larger pictures of the bag helpful?

I know we need to add some interior shots that feature the pockets. I'll work on those in the next few days.

backpack --

A Soft Cell would be lighter, but it doesn't provide the hard-shell protection of the Monolith or clip inside the Brain Bag, and both of those features sound important to you. The Size 4 Monolith you need for your 14" iBook will be out soon, definitely by late March and most likely before that (our factory has been working hard.) If you're sure you want the Monolith, I'd recommend placing a backorder for it now. People who place backorders or pre-orders often receive the product before it is officially in-stock.

We'd love to make the Aeronaut in blue, but we just haven't found Ballistic Nylon in a blue color that wasn't ugly. We'll keep looking.

[renegadeot]

What do you think of the Aeronaut? Click on the Details button or the 'Want to see larger pictures' link. Are the larger pictures of the bag helpful?

I know we need to add some interior shots that feature the pockets. I'll work on those in the next few days.

Looks really great, the large pictures really help. The page mentions packing cubes? Any more information about accessories for this bag?

[backpack]

The Aeronaut page is up

and you can now place a pre-order for the bag, which will ship in early April. Our factory is working on the Aeronaut as I type.

What do you think of the Aeronaut? Click on the Details button or the 'Want to see larger pictures' link. Are the larger pictures of the bag helpful?

I know we need to add some interior shots that feature the pockets. I'll work on those in the next few days.







backpack --

A Soft Cell would be lighter, but it doesn't provide the hard-shell protection of the Monolith or clip inside the Brain Bag, and both of those features sound important to you. The Size 4 Monolith you need for your 14" iBook will be out soon, definitely by late March and most likely before that (our factory has been working hard.) If you're sure you want the Monolith, I'd recommend placing a backorder for it now. People who place backorders or pre-orders often receive the product before it is officially in-stock.

We'd love to make the Aeronaut in blue, but we just haven't found Ballistic Nylon in a blue color that wasn't ugly. We'll keep looking.

The big pictures are Great, would you be able to post pictures of the differents colors and pictures also pictures of the interior of the Brain Bag including the pockets

I would love to set up a sleek and chick Aeronaute, Brain Bag, Monolith set.

Could you tell me which of the straps work with both the Aeronaute and the Monolith, and would be comfortable and not slide from my shoulder.

Tom Bihn: Cool stuff and great people.

Thanks Darcy :)

[Cobos]

My girlfriend/fiance always goes all crazy when she sees products in purple, any chance that you could make the Aeronaut in a purple color ?

I really like the look of the A but my only problem with it for my own use is that I usually bring a large wheeled suitcase and one piece of handluggage when I travel abroad. The handluggage has been the last years a Smart Alec or a ID bag. And the advantage of that is that the Smart Alec and the ID also works excellently as a daypack when I arrive at my destination, while I image the Aeronaut would not be very convenient as a daypack. So let's say I bring my ID and the Aeronaut or the Smart Alec and the Aeronaut. How would it work to carry them both ? One over each shoulder ?

Cobos

Edit: Darn keyboard, can't even spell my nick right :)

[Joy]

Ooh, I love it! I can't wait to see the pictures of the inside (it would be nice to see how it looks packed, partly packed, and empty, to give a sense of scale).

I usually use my Brain Bag as my main bag when I travel. (I've even checked it a few times, and it always comes through fine.) So now I just need to figure out how to justify this bag to myself. :) How is the capacity compared to the Brain Bag? Does it carry much more?

Are the black straps on the sides just to help the bag keep its shape, or do they have some other purpose?

Darcy, you might want to take a look at the Aeronaut FAQ and fix the "Is the Brain Bag available in stores?" question. ;)

[Cobos]

Looking at the info section on the website it seems the Aeronaut is a little bigger than the Brain Bag (and that seems to match the pictures we've seen of the Aeronaut on people).
Brain Bag = 2200 cubic inch = 36 liters

Aeronaut = 2700 cubic inch does NOT equal 22 liters but actually 44 liters
(the Aeronaut page says 22 liters)

The black straps on the sides are the handles made to help you ease the bag in and out of overhead storage bins or so I thought from the descriptive text on the Aeronaut page.

Cobos

[Joy]

Aha, you clearly read more carefully than I do, cobos. Thanks for the info.

[Cobos]

You mean, me being obsessive :)
The liter thing was just because I never got my head around cubic inches and the fact that they say the Aeronaut is a lot smaller than the Brain bag seemed "odd" :)

Cobos

[bbcamp]

WooHoo!

the Aeronaut page looks good. Can we please have interior shots?

Does it have tie-down straps on the inside, to keep stuff from shifting? How wide is the central opening?

I want one--but ironicaly, can't order it yet--I'm on a trip and away from home for the next four months. Just have to wait......

[Tom Bihn]

Colors: someday we may do it in a blue, but having dye lots of ballistic nylon made (in this country, no less!), is a huge investment, so we try to minimize the number of colors we offer in ballistic. The Kiwi color is someone else's dye lot from which we have been invited to nibble :)

Straps inside: I've been using various prototypes of this bag for almost a year now, and I've found the "bookends" effect of the end pockets to really help keep folded clothing in place and have had no problems that inside straps would solve, IMHO. I will get right on those packing cubes though!

Regards carrying the Aeronaut AND another bag: I've carried the Aeronaut both as a backpack and at other times by a shoulder strap concurrently with my Imago ( a sort of smaller ID bag or larger Cafe bag, which is being sampled in the factory as I write this!) and while less than ideal for much distance, it worked OK. When I had to walk across the city of Oakland one day last summer (I exaggerate only a little), I simply squooze everything into the Aeronaut and happily carried it as a backpack.

Replacing a roll-aboard with an Aeronaut? Like we say in the FAQ, if you are physically fit and know how to travel light, the Aeronaut could be the answer.

More pictures? I agree - Darcy and I will work on that as soon as we have a final product from the factory (the crimson one pictured has the inside mesh pocket mentioned in the description, but I redesigned it just before it went into production).

[eristick]

Straps inside: I've been using various prototypes of this bag for almost a year now, and I've found the "bookends" effect of the end pockets to really help keep folded clothing in place and have had no problems that inside straps would solve, IMHO. I will get right on those packing cubes though!

My only concern about packing cubes is whether they provide compression and not too much bulk? I find the internal compression of most bags to be not great -- the X kind tend to be cheapo and weak, and the two parallel straps ignore the middle third of the bag -- but I really rely on being able to compress contents, particularily when I'm living out of a carry-on for a couple of weeks. Limited compression is better than none.

Maybe those packing cubes could be designed to specifically provide compression to the contents of the cube? Maybe some sort of integrated strappy system on the outside that can be tightened?

P.S.
I hate the plastic-bag compressors. That plastic material is just horrid.

P.P.S.
Is this Imago something that's slated for future release? 'Cause...hmmm. Interested.

[Cobos]

Hmm the fact that you can use it together with another bag is really making this a good bag... And I should be leaving on vacation this summer...sounds like a perfect time to test out a new bag :)

Cobos

[leftistelf]

... I will get right on those packing cubes though! ...

Any ETA yet?