The Synapse backpack: Q & A

[marbenais]

For anyone who bought the Dyneema version -- how is it holding up as compared to the ballistic or Cordura fabric bags?

[maverick]

For anyone who bought the Dyneema version -- how is it holding up as compared to the ballistic or Cordura fabric bags?

hi marbenais!

i don't have a dyneema synapse, but i have other bags in dyneema, including the shop bag which i use on a daily basis during the week. i use it to take my lunch, and it also comes with me to pick up groceries. the fabric is just amazing - it looks as good as the day i got it!

i am very excited to see tom bihn offering the synapse and co-pilot in dyneema, and hope that we'll see more bags offered in dyneema in the future!

[marbenais]

maverick, I have the Shop Bags and the Tri-Star packing cube backpack in Dyneema, but they're largely unstructed bags which I use for groceries and other non-daily use. I'm afraid that using a Dyneema bag as my everyday bag would not survive the DC Metro system!

[Darcy]

Dyneema/nylon is a surprisingly abrasion-resistant fabric. If it wasn't, we wouldn't use it as an exterior fabric. That said, it's not nearly as abrasion-resistant as our 1000d Cordura or 1050d ballistic nylon. If you think you're going to be exceedingly tough on your Synapse, you might want to choose Cordura instead.

[Espresso]

I have a dyneema Synapse that I use as an everyday bag. I carry with me everywhere -- on the subway, on the street car, shopping, to work. It's also gone on one trip cross country trip. I've had it since last November and it looks good as new.

It's a great sized bag. If I were to make any suggestions it would be to make the phone pocket just a little bigger to accomodate a Blackberry. Also, an o-ring in the water pocket would be helpful. I also wonder about moving the small pocket in the main compartment to the back. That way, the straps attached to the o-rings would fall into the pocket and papers would be less likely to get folded. Right now, if the outside bottom pocket is full the papers in the inside smaller pocket in the main compartment seem to bend.

Other than that, the dyneema synapse has worked out really well for me and it holds an incredible amount of stuff in a way that everything is easily accessible.

[notmensa]

Hi,
I've had the Dyneema Synapse since November. I use it every day, packed with almost everything in
this photo.

It's had 750 mL of water spilled through it (thankfully on an evening when my laptop wasn't in there!), been placed on the ground (concrete, paving, bricks, etc) at various times and been with me on planes, trains, buses, taxis (but as yet no ferries). My daily commute is a 30 min walk each way, so the Synapse get lots of sun and sometimes rain. There are absolutely no signs of wear or abrasion, and no fading. Dyneema also doesn't collect fluff which is awesome since my bag sits on the carpet floor at work.

[sleestak3]

I'm afraid that using a Dyneema bag as my everyday bag would not survive the DC Metro system!

It has only been a few months, but our Dyneema synapse seems to be holding its own against the DC Metro system. Time will tell, I guess.

[ex machina]

I have a shop bag in Steel Dyneema, and I would be surprised if Dyneema wasn't up to the rigors of daily use. In my experience it has been quite durable. I like it as a material for bags. I got a shoulder bag made in Solar Dyneema too. That however, I have used as a packing cube, and have yet to take out as a shoulder bag.

[cody]

Dyneema has been used for quite some time as an external material by several companies in their climbing/hiking packs.

Zpacks.com, Mchalepacks.com, cilogear.com are all respected backpack makers that depend on Dyneema and Spectra fabrics to be durable in an outdoor environment.

I've got a bag from Cilo Gear in Dyneema. The bag itself is only a single layer of Dyneema, and it has held up well with no issues at all.

The only complaint I have about Dyneema is the noise factor. To me, Dyneema is loud in the same way a GoreTex hard shell is. I hate the way GoreTex makes the swooshing, crinkling noise as you walk, and Dyneema is much the same.

Normally, I overlook the noise Dyneema makes when it offers significant weight savings. In the Synapse though, you're only saving a few ounces because of the construction. As such, Cordura seems just as well suited for me on that bag.

For those who complain about Cordura picking up lint and hairs, Dyneema doesn't do that in my experience. It's a smooth faced fabric, and hairs don't stick to it.

[bltkmt]

It looks like the Dyneema Synapse is not available...will there be more made?

[Doug]

Hi All,

I just received my vertical 4Z cache and wanted to let all of you know that it is a better fit in the Synapse! I think because the top goes in more since this is where the lip is. So I can fit that along with my kindle and a programming book! There is no stress on the zippers at all! So there you have it :) If I have time I'll make a video to show you all.

Now that a few months have passed, can I ask how the MBP 15 / 4Z cache / Synapse combo is working out? It would be a near ideal combo for my needs.

Thanks.

[Doug]

I am interested in the Synapse in Steel Dyneema/Solar Dyneema for daily and travel usage. Is the bag rigid enough for a 13" MacBook in a Cache, a digital camera and other office "stuff"? I like that it is light weight, but am wondering if it retains shape like cordura. Thanks.

I can't find a reply to this post. Can anybody comment on the Dyneema Synapse versus Ballistic from a structural "rigidity" point of view?

Any experience on how compressible the Dyneema Synapse is, when carried inside another bag?

Conflicting requirements I know - rigid enough to stand up, flexible enough to be easy to pack away. Not easy being a bag...

[backpack]

I can't find a reply to this post. Can anybody comment on the Dyneema Synapse versus Ballistic from a structural "rigidity" point of view?

Any experience on how compressible the Dyneema Synapse is, when carried inside another bag?

Conflicting requirements I know - rigid enough to stand up, flexible enough to be easy to pack away. Not easy being a bag...

I think Darcy answered that question, she said that the padded back makes the Dyneema Synapse rigid.

Packing cubes are the items you would want to order if you want to compress a bag inside a bag.

[bltkmt]

It looks like the Dyneema Synapse is not available...will there be more made?

Any update on this?

[jmart]

Now that a few months have passed, can I ask how the MBP 15 / 4Z cache / Synapse combo is working out? It would be a near ideal combo for my needs.

Thanks.

Doug - It has been working out perfect, no issues with any seams busting or any zipper problems. This by far is one of the best and well made backpacks I have ever come across! I own about 15 different backpacks all by different manufactures, and nothing beats the quality of this bag. As a matter of fact, I was on my way into the city this morning (I Live close to Chicago, and take the Metra in) and it was pouring rain out, and the water proof zippers worked like a charm! I can go on and on about this bag and how versatile it is.... Anyway hope this helps. J