The Synik 30 in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey) Ballistic with an Zest (orange with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey) Ballistic with an Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey) Ballistic with an Tidal (pale blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey) Ballistic with an Seafoam (pale green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Nebulous Grey (medium grey) with the Marigold (yellow with light yellow grid) 210 Cerylon interior. A Nebulous Grey Ballistic Synik 30 with the side pocket open showing the Cobalt Cerylon lining color. The Synik 30 in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey) 525 Ballistic with an Acuity (light blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey) 525 Ballistic with a Moab (dark red with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey) 525 Ballistic with a Solaris (yellow with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey) 525 Ballistic with a Wasabi (green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey) Ballistic. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Nebulous Grey (Medium grey) Ballistic. The Synik 30 in Deep Blue (dark blue) Ballistic with a Wisteria (lilac purple with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Deep Blue (dark blue) Ballistic with a Zest (orange with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with a Coyote (brown with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with a Solaris (yellow with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Deep Blue (dark blue) 525 Ballistic with a Taiga (olive green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Deep Blue (dark blue) Ballistic with a Acai (purple with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Deep Blue (dark blue) Ballistic. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Deep Blue (dark blue) Ballistic. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Deep Blue (dark blue) Ballistic. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Deep Blue (dark blue) Ballistic. The Synik 30 in Wilderness (forest green) Ballistic with a Wisteria (lilac purple with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Wilderness (forest green) Ballistic with a Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Wilderness (forest green) 525 Ballistic with a Taiga (olive green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Wilderness (forest green) 525 Ballistic with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Wilderness (forest green) 525 Ballistic with a Moab (dark red with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Wilderness (forest green) Ballistic. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Wilderness (forest green) Ballistic. Synik 30 in Aubergine Ballistic with Wisteria Halcyon interior. Synik 30 in Aubergine Ballistic with a Tidal 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Aubergine (dark purple) Ballistic with a Dusk (purple with light purple grid) 210 Cerylon interior. The Synik 30 in Aubergine (dark purple) Ballistic with a Mountain (grey with light grey grid) 210 Cerylon interior. The Synik 30 in Aubergine (dark purple) Ballistic with a Marigold (yellow with light yellow grid) 210 Cerylon interior. The Synik 30 in Aubergine (dark purple) 525 Ballistic with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Aubergine (dark purple) Ballistic. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Aubergine (dark purple) Ballistic. The Synik 30 in Cloud (light grey) Ballistic with a Cerise (pink with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Cloud (light grey) Ballistic. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Cloud (light grey) Ballistic. A side shot of the Synik 30 in Black Ballistic with the new Red Label and a Sakura 200 Halcyon interior. A side shot of the Synik 30 in Black 525 Ballistic with the new Red Label and a Cerise 200 Halcyon interior. A side shot of the Synik 30 in Black 525 Ballistic with the new Black Label and a Zest 200 Halcyon interior. A side shot of the Synik 30 in Black 525 Ballistic with the new Black Label and a Seafoam 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Black 525 Ballistic with a Sitka (green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Black 525 Ballistic with a Moab (brick red with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Black 525 Ballistic with an Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A side shot of the Synik 30 in Black Ballistic. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Black Ballistic. A side shot of the Synik 30 in Black 630 Ballistic with the new Black Label and a Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon interior. A side shot of the Synik 30 in Black 630 Ballistic, closed pocket, with the new Black Label and a Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon interior. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Black 630 Ballistic with the new Black Label. The Synik 30 in Burnt Orange 525 Ballistic with a Mountain Grey (grey with light grey grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Burnt Orange 525 Ballistic with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Burnt Orange 630 Ballistic. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Burnt Orange Ballistic. The Synik 30 in Constellation (light blue) Ballistic with a Island (blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Constellation (light blue) 525 Ballistic with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Constellation (light blue) Ballistic. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Constellation (light blue) Ballistic. The Synik 30 in Coyote (brown) 525 Ballistic with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Coyote (brown) Ballistic. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Coyote (brown) Ballistic. The Synik 30 in Mars Red 525 Ballistic with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Mars Red 525 Ballistic. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Mars Red 525 Ballistic. The Synik 30 in Ursa (brown-grey) Ballistic with a Zest (orange with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Ursa (brown-grey) 525 Ballistic with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Ursa (brown) Ballistic with a Dusk (blue-grey with light blue-grey grid) 210 Cerylon interior. The Synik 30 in Ursa (brown) 525 Ballistic with a Cobalt (blue) 210 Cerylon interior. The Synik 30 in Ursa (brown) Ballistic with a Mountain (grey) 210 Cerylon interior. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Ursa (brown-grey) 525 Ballistic. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Ursa (brown-grey) 525 Ballistic. The Synik 30 in Steel (dark grey) 420 Parapack with a Navy (dark blue) 420 Parapack interior. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Steel (dark grey) 420 Parapack. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Steel (dark grey) 420 Parapack. The Synik 30 in Black (black with grey grid) 400 Halcyon with a Solaris (yellow with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Black (black with grey grid) 400 Halcyon with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Navy (dark blue) 420 Parapack with a Mountain Grey (grey with light grey gridding) 210 Cerylon interior. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Navy (dark blue) 420 Parapack. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Navy (dark blue) 420 Parapack. The Synik 30 in Black (black with grey grid) 400 Halcyon with a Moab (brick red with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Black (black with grey grid) 400 Halcyon with a Taiga (olive green with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Black (black with grey grid) 400 Halcyon with a Island (bright blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Black (black with grey grid) 400 Halcyon with a Zest (orange with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Black (black with grey grid) 400 Halcyon. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Black (black with grey grid) 400 Halcyon. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Black (black with grey grid) 400 Halcyon. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Black (black with grey grid) 400 Halcyon. The Synik 30 in Original (black with white grid) 400 Halcyon with a Northwest Sky (bright blue with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Original (black with white grid) 400 Halcyon. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Original (black with white grid) 400 Halcyon. The Synik 30 in Taiga (olive green with grey grid) 400 Halcyon with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Taiga (olive green with grey grid) 400 Halcyon. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Taiga (olive green with grey grid) 400 Halcyon. The Synik 30 in Night Walk (blue-grey with grey grid) 400 Halcyon with a Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Night Walk (blue-grey with grey grid) 400 Halcyon. A face shot of the Synik 30 in Night Walk (blue-grey with grey grid) 400 Halcyon. The Synik 30 in Beaver Camo (camouflage) 1000d Cordura with Coyote (tan) 210 interior. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Camouflage 1000d Cordura. A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Olive (green) 1000d Cordura with Cloud (light grey) 210 Ballistic interior A profile shot of the Synik 30 in Olive (green) 1000d Cordura. Synik 30 in Marine (blue) X-Pac with Zest (orange with white grid) interior. Synik 30 in Marine (blue) X-Pac with Moss (green with light green grid) interior. The Synik 30 in Marine (blue with blue grid) X-Pac®. The Synik 30 in Marine (blue with blue grid) X-Pac®. Synik 30 in Black X-Pac with Zest (orange with white grid) interior. Synik 30 in Black X-Pac with Acai (dark berry purple with white grid) interior. The Synik 30 in Black X-Pac® with a Wasabi (green) 200 Halcyon interior. The Synik 30 in Black (black with black grid) X-Pac® with a Solaris (yellow with white grid) 200 Halcyon interior. Synik 30 in Black X-Pac with Northwest Sky (light grey with white grid) interior. The Synik 30 in Black (black with black grid) X-Pac®. The Synik 30 in Black (black with black grid) X-Pac®. The Synik 30 in Black (black with black grid) X-Pac®. The Synik 30 in Black (black with black grid) X-Pac®.
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$330.00


Color: Aubergine Ballistic/Northwest Sky 200 Halcyon

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Full clamshell main compartment. Two-point access suspended laptop compartment fits up to 16" laptops. Need we say more?

30 liters / 1830 cu. in.

Looking for the Synapse 19, Synapse 25, or Synik 22?

TLDR

The Synik 30 is our bestselling everyday travel backpack, designed to do —and fit— it all. It has many of the well-thought out features of our original Synapse:

  • 5 exterior front pockets with independent volume
  • Interior, banded open-top pocket
  • Comfortable, durable, edgeless shoulder straps
  • Removable sternum strap and waist strap
  • Webbing loop on exterior bottom of bag to hook items
  • Meets the personal item size requirement on most airlines
  • Generally fits folks between 5'6" and 6'6" comfortably 

Plus, we added more features to the Synik:

  • Full clamshell zipper opening to main compartment
  • Two-point access suspended laptop compartment, fits up to 16" Macbook Pro
  • Fully integrated, yet removable, internal frame 
  • Rolling luggage handle pass-through pocket
  • Padded grab handle and bottom

Full Description

What the synik shares with the synapse

Now, here's what's unique to the synik...

Design Story

The original Synapse 19 debuted in 2009. Tom originally designed the Synapse to serve as a day-hiking backpack, but our customers saw the backpack's potential beyond hiking and began using it both for everyday carry and minimalist travel. Over the years, we started receiving requests to make a slightly larger version, and we did: the Synapse 25 debuted in 2013. 

You've also asked us for other sizes and features over the years: maybe a 22-liter Synapse, or a 30-liter version, and what if we added more travel-specific features, like a full clamshell zipper opening? How about a dedicated laptop compartment? A luggage handle pass-through on the back panel? Done, done, and done: meet the Synik. 

5 Front Exterior Organizational Pockets

The Synik 30 has an abundant amount of organization for your everyday essentials, big and small: the exterior of the bag has five pockets with independent volume. The pockets are designed and patterned in such a way that they don't steal space from each other and they look good (not too caved in, not too bulgy) whether full or empty.

The water bottle pocket is intentionally centered in the bag, allowing one of the heavier objects in your bag to be balanced in the middle, resulting in a more comfortable carrying experience while maintaining a clean, straight-forward exterior aesthetic. We've found that most standard 32 oz / 1 liter water bottles can comfortably fit in the water bottle pocket.

Below the opening for the water bottle pocket is another small zippered pocket that is just deep enough for keys, a wallet, glove liners, or a small camera.

The side pockets are generously sized for sunglasses (in a case or alone), a first aid kit, or even a light Windbreaker-type jacket or down vest compressed in a Travel Stuff Sack. The right side pocket has a small organizational pocket; the left pocket has one pen slot and two wider slots for tools or more pens.

The bottom pocket is a great spot for extra clothing or snacks and will easily accommodate a thin sweater, light down jacket, or Windbreaker-type jacket. If you care to add organization, we recommend storing a Size 2 Handy Little Thing here. 

Each of the top four pockets has its own O-ring, and the bottom pocket has three O-rings. You can use them to attach our mini or small Ghost Whale Organizer Pouches or Mystery Organizer Pouches

Interior Banded Open-Top Pocket

On the front interior side of the main compartment, there is a banded open-top pocket. It's spacious enough to fit a wide range of items, such as books, tablet, pair of sandals, or our Clear 3D Organizer Cube. Above this open-top pocket are two O-rings, where you can tether additional pouches, such as the Ghost Whale Organizer Pouches. Between the two O-rings is a set of Cache loops. It is the perfect spot to tether a Size 2 Handy Little Thing or a small device stored in a Cache. All these tethered items can be stored inside the open-top pocket too, if you want.

Edgeless EV50 1/2" Shoulder Straps

Conformity is overrated — except, perhaps, when it comes to shoulder straps. The edgelessness of this strap allows it to more softly conform to your shoulder; we find that this increases comfort. Yet the straps aren't too soft: the 1/2" thick foam means the strap is robust enough to carry a heavy load.

There's enough length on the shoulder straps to accommodate a wide range of body types. If you need to tighten the straps to the maximum amount, don't worry about having dangling ends — we've included sewn-in strap keepers to help keep those at bay. 

Webbing Loop on Exterior Bottom

On the exterior bottom of the bag is a 1.5"/38 mm webbing loop. Originally, the Synapse was designed for hiking, so the intended use of the webbing loop was for hooking on a flashlight (highly recommended if you ride a bicycle or walk in the dark). If you're planning on using the Synik for travel, we've found the webbing loop serves as an extra grab handle, allowing you to easily pull the Synik from under the seat or the overhead compartment no matter which direction you stowed it on your flight. 

Full Clamshell Zipper Opening

The biggest change we made between the Synapse and the Synik is the opening of the main compartment. The Synik can open fully clamshell — the zipper starts at the bottom edge of the bag, rather than the middle, so you can pack your bag like a suitcase.

Due to the clamshell style opening, there are also additional features added to the main compartment of the Synik. First, on the back interior side of the main compartment, we have included two sets of removable tie-down straps. You can strap down clothes or even a Packing Cube without worrying about the contents falling out while opening the clamshell all the way. Second, we added padding to the exterior bottom of the main compartment to protect the zipper sliders. 

If you are using your Synik for daily use and don't need to fully unzip the clamshell each time, know that you can also unzip the main compartment halfway and pack it like the Synapse or any front-loading backpack. The #10 YKK Aquaguard zippers that we use have enough resistance to keep the main compartment in place when it is opened just halfway. We've test-packed the Synik to its maximum to see if that would unintentionally force the clamshell open, and rest assured, it did not.

Two-Point Access Suspended Laptop Compartment

On the back interior side of the main compartment is also a built-in zippered laptop compartment. It is made with the same padded foam fabric as our Cache on the side facing the main compartment, and backed by the main lining fabric of the bag. The laptop compartment is suspended off the padded bottom of the bag, ensuring that your laptop is protected each time you place your backpack on the ground, whether gently or not.

There are two access points to the laptop compartment. You can access it from the inside of the main compartment. Or you can access it from the external zipper, located on the back left side (when facing the front of the backpack). We find the external zipper especially helpful when you want to directly pull out your laptop without having to rummage through the contents of the main compartment (say maybe in the security line at the airport). 

Above the interior zipper are two additional O-rings. More places to attach pouches.

The laptop compartment (size 14.15" x 9.75" x 0.75" / 359mm x 248mm x 19 mm) can fit devices as large as the 16" Macbook Pro. Please note: It's no biggie in practice, for these bigger laptops, if you want to fit them through the external side zipper access, you will need to do a two-point turn (no need if using internal zipper access).

Integrated Yet Removable Internal Frame

The Synik is designed to accommodate an optional internal frame. It is made of die-cut .055" thick High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), with a nylon webbing sleeve sewn down the center that encases a 8-1/4" / 210mm tall and 1/2" / 13mm wide 6061 aluminum half-stay.

We include it for you, but if you're not a fan of the extra rigidity, you can remove the internal frame (here's a video tutorial) by sliding it in and out of the back panel through an opening at the top of the panel. You won't see the frame itself unless you're adding it or removing it, and we've tested the bag enough to know that the frame also won't slip out.

The internal frame assists in ensuring a laptop stowed in the laptop compartment is suspended off the bottom of the bag, as well as adds a firm barrier between the laptop and (if you're using one) a rolling luggage handle that's inserted through the luggage pass-through slot. 

On the internal frame is also an aluminum half-stay. It allows us to pre-bend the frame at a curve that will be comfortable to the vast majority of people. 

Rolling Luggage Handle Pass-Through

We know many of you like to use our bags as personal items alongside roller luggage when traveling, so we added a pass-through pocket to the Synik, tucked between the back panel and the internal frame.

We recommend making sure that the internal frame is closest to the bag itself and the handle of your rolling luggage is on the outside of the frame. This ensures that there's a barrier between the laptop compartment and the luggage handle.

There are, of course, different sizes of rolling luggage with different handle lengths and widths. If you'd like to place your Synik 30 over the handle of your rolling luggage, that handle will need to be at least 470 mm / 18.5" height and at most 185 mm / 7.25" wide.

 

More Substantial Grab Handle

The depth on the shell of the Synik gave us the real estate needed to add a more substantial, padded grab handle (vs. the simpler webbing handle on the Synapse). The padding offers extra support, and the bowtie shape is more ergonomic.

P.S. does our bowtie handle look familiar? It's the beloved side grab handle from our Tri-Star.

What's Included

Included Removable Sternum Strap + Waist Strap

As with all of our major backpacks, we include adjustable and removable sternum and waist straps: if you don't like or don't use your waist or sternum strap, remove them!

Note: we slightly lowered the waist strap attachment point on the Synik so that it better fits a wider range of heights and tall folks in particular.

8" Snaphook/Snaphook Key Strap

As with most of our bags, we've included a key strap. 8" long from tip-to-tip, a snaphook on either end. Good for attaching your keys to. 

A Set of Black Zipper Pulls

A set of pulls to extend or replace your metal pulls. 

What's Optional

Size 2 Handy Little Thing (HLT)

You can attach a Size 2 Handy Little Thing (HLT) to the pair of cache loops above the open-top pocket, or you can store the HLT in the bottom front pocket of the Synik 30. It is the perfect clamshell organizer pouch for those looking for a lot of organization.

Synik 30 Packing Cube

If you're using the Synik 30 as a travel bag, we recommend that you use our Synik 30 Packing Cube to organize your clothes and shoes. Cinch it down with the included tie-down straps for extra security. 

Packing Cube Shoulder Bag

The Packing Cube Shoulder Bag is the perfect 2-in-1 packing cube. It's big enough to store rolled up shirts. Once you reach your destination, attach a shoulder strap and use it as a crossbody. You can pack this on top of the Synik 30 Packing Cube.

Freudian Slip

Love organizing and want even more pockets? The Synapse 25/Synik 30 Freudian Slip adds an additional fifteen organizational pockets to your bag. One side of the Freudian Slip has two folder pockets that can fit folders/papers horizontally or vertically, as well as four open-top pockets for a small tablet in a Cache or a notebook. The other side has two mesh pockets for bulky items, two large zippered pockets, four pen slots, and a business card slot.

Cache

The Synik 30 can accommodate a wide range of devices. If you plan on stowing your laptop in the built-in compartment, we think there is enough padding to skip a Cache. If you plan on putting a second device directly in the main compartment, outside of the laptop compartment, or in the interior banded open-top pocket, we recommend adding a Cache. 

The original Synapse 19 debuted in 2009. Tom originally designed the Synapse to serve as a day-hiking backpack, but our customers saw the backpack's potential beyond hiking and began using it both for everyday carry and minimalist travel. Over the years, we started receiving requests to make a slightly larger version, and we did: the Synapse 25 debuted in 2013. 

You've also asked us for other sizes and features over the years: maybe a 22-liter Synapse, or a 30-liter version, and what if we added more travel-specific features, like a full clamshell zipper opening? How about a dedicated laptop compartment? A luggage handle pass-through on the back panel? Done, done, and done: meet the Synik. 

What the Synik shares with the Synapse

The Synik 30 has an abundant amount of organization for your everyday essentials, big and small: the exterior of the bag has five pockets with independent volume. The pockets are designed and patterned in such a way that they don't steal space from each other and they look good (not too caved in, not too bulgy) whether full or empty.

The water bottle pocket is intentionally centered in the bag, allowing one of the heavier objects in your bag to be balanced in the middle, resulting in a more comfortable carrying experience while maintaining a clean, straight-forward exterior aesthetic. We've found that most standard 32 oz / 1 liter water bottles can comfortably fit in the water bottle pocket.

Below the opening for the water bottle pocket is another small zippered pocket that is just deep enough for keys, a wallet, glove liners, or a small camera.

The side pockets are generously sized for sunglasses (in a case or alone), a first aid kit, or even a light Windbreaker-type jacket or down vest compressed in a Travel Stuff Sack. The right side pocket has a small organizational pocket; the left pocket has one pen slot and two wider slots for tools or more pens.

The bottom pocket is a great spot for extra clothing or snacks and will easily accommodate a thin sweater, light down jacket, or Windbreaker-type jacket. If you care to add organization, we recommend storing a Size 2 Handy Little Thing here. 

Each of the top four pockets has its own O-ring, and the bottom pocket has three O-rings. You can use them to attach our mini or small Ghost Whale Organizer Pouches or Mystery Organizer Pouches

On the front interior side of the main compartment, there is a banded open-top pocket. It's spacious enough to fit a wide range of items, such as books, tablet, pair of sandals, or our Clear 3D Organizer Cube. Above this open-top pocket are two O-rings, where you can tether additional pouches, such as the Ghost Whale Organizer Pouches. Between the two O-rings is a set of Cache loops. It is the perfect spot to tether a Size 2 Handy Little Thing or a small device stored in a Cache. All these tethered items can be stored inside the open-top pocket too, if you want.

Conformity is overrated — except, perhaps, when it comes to shoulder straps. The edgelessness of this strap allows it to more softly conform to your shoulder; we find that this increases comfort. Yet the straps aren't too soft: the 1/2" thick foam means the strap is robust enough to carry a heavy load.

There's enough length on the shoulder straps to accommodate a wide range of body types. If you need to tighten the straps to the maximum amount, don't worry about having dangling ends — we've included sewn-in strap keepers to help keep those at bay. 

On the exterior bottom of the bag is a 1.5"/38 mm webbing loop. Originally, the Synapse was designed for hiking, so the intended use of the webbing loop was for hooking on a flashlight (highly recommended if you ride a bicycle or walk in the dark). If you're planning on using the Synik for travel, we've found the webbing loop serves as an extra grab handle, allowing you to easily pull the Synik from under the seat or the overhead compartment no matter which direction you stowed it on your flight. 

Now, here's what's unique to the Synik...

The biggest change we made between the Synapse and the Synik is the opening of the main compartment. The Synik can open fully clamshell — the zipper starts at the bottom edge of the bag, rather than the middle, so you can pack your bag like a suitcase.

Due to the clamshell style opening, there are also additional features added to the main compartment of the Synik. First, on the back interior side of the main compartment, we have included two sets of removable tie-down straps. You can strap down clothes or even a Packing Cube without worrying about the contents falling out while opening the clamshell all the way. Second, we added padding to the exterior bottom of the main compartment to protect the zipper sliders. 

If you are using your Synik for daily use and don't need to fully unzip the clamshell each time, know that you can also unzip the main compartment halfway and pack it like the Synapse or any front-loading backpack. The #10 YKK Aquaguard zippers that we use have enough resistance to keep the main compartment in place when it is opened just halfway. We've test-packed the Synik to its maximum to see if that would unintentionally force the clamshell open, and rest assured, it did not.

On the back interior side of the main compartment is also a built-in zippered laptop compartment. It is made with the same padded foam fabric as our Cache on the side facing the main compartment, and backed by the main lining fabric of the bag. The laptop compartment is suspended off the padded bottom of the bag, ensuring that your laptop is protected each time you place your backpack on the ground, whether gently or not.

There are two access points to the laptop compartment. You can access it from the inside of the main compartment. Or you can access it from the external zipper, located on the back left side (when facing the front of the backpack). We find the external zipper especially helpful when you want to directly pull out your laptop without having to rummage through the contents of the main compartment (say maybe in the security line at the airport). 

Above the interior zipper are two additional O-rings. More places to attach pouches.

The laptop compartment (size 14.15" x 9.75" x 0.75" / 359mm x 248mm x 19 mm) can fit devices as large as the 16" Macbook Pro. Please note: It's no biggie in practice, for these bigger laptops, if you want to fit them through the external side zipper access, you will need to do a two-point turn (no need if using internal zipper access).

The Synik is designed to accommodate an optional internal frame. It is made of die-cut .055" thick High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), with a nylon webbing sleeve sewn down the center that encases a 8-1/4" / 210mm tall and 1/2" / 13mm wide 6061 aluminum half-stay.

We include it for you, but if you're not a fan of the extra rigidity, you can remove the internal frame (here's a video tutorial) by sliding it in and out of the back panel through an opening at the top of the panel. You won't see the frame itself unless you're adding it or removing it, and we've tested the bag enough to know that the frame also won't slip out.

The internal frame assists in ensuring a laptop stowed in the laptop compartment is suspended off the bottom of the bag, as well as adds a firm barrier between the laptop and (if you're using one) a rolling luggage handle that's inserted through the luggage pass-through slot. 

On the internal frame is also an aluminum half-stay. It allows us to pre-bend the frame at a curve that will be comfortable to the vast majority of people. 

We know many of you like to use our bags as personal items alongside roller luggage when traveling, so we added a pass-through pocket to the Synik, tucked between the back panel and the internal frame.

We recommend making sure that the internal frame is closest to the bag itself and the handle of your rolling luggage is on the outside of the frame. This ensures that there's a barrier between the laptop compartment and the luggage handle.

There are, of course, different sizes of rolling luggage with different handle lengths and widths. If you'd like to place your Synik 30 over the handle of your rolling luggage, that handle will need to be at least 470 mm / 18.5" height and at most 185 mm / 7.25" wide.

 

The depth on the shell of the Synik gave us the real estate needed to add a more substantial, padded grab handle (vs. the simpler webbing handle on the Synapse). The padding offers extra support, and the bowtie shape is more ergonomic.

P.S. does our bowtie handle look familiar? It's the beloved side grab handle from our Tri-Star.

Included Removable Sternum Strap + Waist Strap

As with all of our major backpacks, we include adjustable and removable sternum and waist straps: if you don't like or don't use your waist or sternum strap, remove them!

Note: we slightly lowered the waist strap attachment point on the Synik so that it better fits a wider range of heights and tall folks in particular.

8" Snaphook/Snaphook Key Strap

As with most of our bags, we've included a key strap. 8" long from tip-to-tip, a snaphook on either end. Good for attaching your keys to. 

A Set of Black Zipper Pulls

A set of pulls to extend or replace your metal pulls. 

Size 2 Handy Little Thing (HLT)

You can attach a Size 2 Handy Little Thing (HLT) to the pair of cache loops above the open-top pocket, or you can store the HLT in the bottom front pocket of the Synik 30. It is the perfect clamshell organizer pouch for those looking for a lot of organization.

Synik 30 Packing Cube

If you're using the Synik 30 as a travel bag, we recommend that you use our Synik 30 Packing Cube to organize your clothes and shoes. Cinch it down with the included tie-down straps for extra security. 

Packing Cube Shoulder Bag

The Packing Cube Shoulder Bag is the perfect 2-in-1 packing cube. It's big enough to store rolled up shirts. Once you reach your destination, attach a shoulder strap and use it as a crossbody. You can pack this on top of the Synik 30 Packing Cube.

Freudian Slip

Love organizing and want even more pockets? The Synapse 25/Synik 30 Freudian Slip adds an additional fifteen organizational pockets to your bag. One side of the Freudian Slip has two folder pockets that can fit folders/papers horizontally or vertically, as well as four open-top pockets for a small tablet in a Cache or a notebook. The other side has two mesh pockets for bulky items, two large zippered pockets, four pen slots, and a business card slot.

Cache

The Synik 30 can accommodate a wide range of devices. If you plan on stowing your laptop in the built-in compartment, we think there is enough padding to skip a Cache. If you plan on putting a second device directly in the main compartment, outside of the laptop compartment, or in the interior banded open-top pocket, we recommend adding a Cache. 

Upper Back

Spacer Mesh

Back

Closed-cell foam back

Straps

Edgeless EV50 1/2” / 12mm shoulder straps (EVAZOTE® OEKO-TEX® foam)

Components

Duraflex®, Nexus, and Woojin buckles and related components

Zippers

1x #10 YKK Aquaguard® water-repellent zipper with metal slider (main compartment)
6x #8 Racquet Coil water-repellent zippers with metal sliders (all other exterior zippers)
1x #5 coil zipper with plastic slider (interior laptop compartment zipper)

Specs

Dimensions

13.4" (w) x 20.0" (h) x 8.0" - 10.8" (d) / 340 (w) x 508 (h) x 205 - 275 (d) mm

Weight

Bag with Frame:
400d Halcyon: 2 lb 13.7 oz / 1295 grams
X-Pac®: 2 lb 13.9 oz / 1300 grams
630d Ballistic/200d Halcyon Lining: 3 lb 0.1 oz / 1365 grams
420d Classic Parapack: 3 lb 1.0 oz / 1390 grams

Frame Sheet:
5.1 oz / 145 grams

Volume

30 liters / 1830 cubic inches (ASTM Standard Measure)

Shoulder Straps:

.5" / 13 mm padded and contoured backpack straps with .75" / 20 mm removable sternum strap

Laptop Compartment Maximum Dimensions

14.15” x 9.75” x 0.75” / 359mm x 248mm x 19mm

Luggage Pass-Through Sizing:

Minimum Length: 20" / 510mm
Maximum Width: 7.25" / 185mm

What's Included:

1x 8-inch Black Webbing Snaphook/Snaphook Key Strap
1x Black Zipper Pulls w/ Plastic Ends (8-Pack)
1x Sternum Strap Assembly
1x Gatekeeper Waist Strap
1x Internal Frame w/ Aluminum Half-Stay
1 pair Tie-Down Straps

Total O-Rings:

11

(1 in the water bottle pocket
1 in the small middle pocket
1 in the left pocket
1 in the right pocket
3 in the bottom pocket
4 in the main compartment)

Choosing an Exterior Fabric

You like choices and we like to give you choices! Our Materials Glossary explains each fabric in great detail, but here are some quick facts that may help you decide which exterior fabric to choose.

High Tenacity Ballistic Nylon

Weave
2x2 “ballistic” weave
Fibers
630 denier type 6,6 (high tenacity) filament nylon, twisted
Coating
heavy urethane
Made in
South Korea with Canadian Yarn

Choose this fabric if

  • You want your bag to be soft and supple yet tough as nails.
  • You want a fabric that's stately enough to be at home at work, the mountains, or a nice hotel.
  • You don't want your bag to collect pet hair or abrade your clothing.

X-Pac® RX-30

Weave
3-Ply Polyester Laminate
Fibers
300 denier 100% Recycled Polyester Face
Coating
0.5mm Polyester Film
Made in
USA

Choose this fabric if

  • You want a lighter weight fabric that has remarkable tear strength and good abrasion resistance.
  • You're looking for a fabric with a modern, "technical" appearance.
  • You want a fully recycled fabric with 0-Chain DWR coating

420d HT Nylon Classic Parapack

Weave
1x1 plain weave
Fibers
420 denier type 6,6 (high tenacity) filament nylon
Coating
heavy urethane
Made in
U.S.A with U.S.A. yarns

Choose this fabric if

  • You want your bag’s fabric to have a soft, smooth hand yet be quite durable and have an interesting backstory.
  • You want a fabric that's stately enough to be at home at work, the mountains, or a nice hotel.
  • You don't want your bag to collect pet hair or abrade your clothing.
4.9
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars
Based on 727 reviews
96%would recommend this product
727 reviews
  • Brian K.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Good Storage Size, Made in USA
    1 year ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Good Storage Size, Made in USA
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Keep coming back to Tom Bihn

    So I’ve never actually worn out a bag or backpack that I’ve purchased from Tom Bihn. This is either my 5th or 6th bag and it’s been 15+ years since my first purchase. I’m still using the original bag I bought to this day which is the Empire Builder. I also have a Brain Bag that I love using for when I need to take a lot of stuff on trips. The reason I bought the Synik 30 is I wanted something a bit smaller than the Brain Bag by big enough to carry 2 laptops and an iPad Pro when needed. I also have a Synapse 25 that I was using ore pandemic, but my son loved that bag so much he borrowed it and won’t use anything else now. The differences between the Synapse 25 and Synik 30 were enough to make me not worry about picking up another bag. The side entry for the laptop makes it easy to quickly access my iPad Pro which is what I store there. I also have a MacBook Pro 16” in a sleeve attached with the older clips to the front of the inside large compartment. When needed, I also carry an Alienware m17 R3 gaming laptop in between the two and can use my old Brain Cell for extra protection. Additionally the extended zipper makes it easy to open the entire large compartment and make even more efficient use of the space. Another great bag, which is why I’ll keep using and recommending your products.

  • Emily
    Verified Reviewer
    Bought For Other
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, Durable
    1 year ago
    Bought For Other
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, Durable
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Almost my unicorn!

    After sprinting through Schiphol this past year (twice!!) I decided I needed to upgrade my high school backpack to something designed for travel. I spent a couple of months going down Reddit and Facebook rabbit holes, researching countless different travel backpacks. I finally decided on a Tom Bihn with after e-mailing with some super helpful customer service people, and husband bought me the Synik30 in Black Ballistic for my birthday.

    This bag is completely fantastic. It is designed so well with a ton of organization. I'm impressed with the quality of the material and craftmanship. The only thing is that this is a little bit too big for my 5'2" self. BUT, I loved the overall design so much that husband happily took my Synik30 and I purchased a Synik22 for myself.

    We used both bags this past weekend for the first time while flying, and couldn't be happier. His Synik30 carried a large packing cube, two small packing cubes, his travel kit, Nintendo Switch, Bose headphones, Kindle, laptop and accessories, jacket, and whatever else he felt he needed for a 4 day trip plus a few extra things I crammed in there at the last minute and when I ran out of room (one bagging is not in my future). Refrence pictures included of how his black ballistic Synik30 and my Nightwalk Halcyon Synik22 fit under the seats in front of us on Allegiant.

    Don't hesitate to buy anything from Tom Bihn. Somehow, I've managed to acquire 4 different bags since June and they have all been great for their…

  • Michael L.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Comfortable, Sewn in USA, High Quality Finishings
    1 year ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Comfortable, Sewn in USA, High Quality Finishings
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    I probably shouldn't like a backpack this much

    Before the Synik was released, I carried a Synapse 25 for a while. While I really liked the general design of that bag, it had a few things that irked me a bit.

    The biggest issue was that if you packed it full, it got a bit "egg shaped", and became a bit awkward on your back. Adding the frame remedied this issue, but you had to stick the frame inside the bag, and it felt like an afterthought. I also have never been a fan of the Tom Bihn's cache system for carrying a laptop, and the Synapse doesn't have a built in laptop compartment.

    Enter the Synik. I. love. this. bag. The frame is designed right in from the start, so you don't even know it's there. It's removable if you'd like to do that, but why would you? The Synik also added a laptop compartment so I didn't have a cache taking up space in the main compartment anymore. With that said though, I'm not the biggest fan of design of the laptop compartment in the Synik. There's nothing wrong with it, I just like the design of the laptop compartment in the Paragons better.

    Like the Synapse, the Synik has the awesome back panel with that little section that sits so nicely right in the small of your back. Plus the Synik has those amazing edgeless straps that my old Synpase didn't have. A word about those edgeless straps. As someone that has worn my Synik almost daily for a few years now, those straps will "form" to your bodyshape after a while, and it is the best thing ever. Its like they were custom made for…

  • Michael W.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Versatile
    1 year ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Versatile
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Pack perfection

    I am a back pack fanatic. I have owned and loved multiple packs from Kiffaru, GoRuck, Hill People Gear, Mystery Ranch and many others. Tom Binh’s packs have always been on my radar but for some reason (probably my preference for military styled packs) this is my first time trying one. I shouldn’t have waited. This is the perfect EDC pack. I feel like it lacks the exterior toughness of the aforementioned packs and I have to struggle a little to fit my 16” MacBook but the light weight, comfort and pockets are such a treat. My new favorite pack.

  • Phil M.
    Verified Buyer
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Good Storage Size
    1 year ago
    Bought For Myself
    Product Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, Good Storage Size
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    First Tom Bihn Purchase…

    This was my first TB purchase and I was not disappointed one bit. The quality and craftsmanship is noticeable and I cannot wait to use this pack for life. I was skeptical of the center-of-the-pack water bottle pocket because I tend to carry an oversized water bottle. It doesn’t fit my largest bottles but I was surprised when it fit a 32 oz bottle. There is so much room in this pack for being 30L. One bag travel for multiple days is easily doable. I love the Ursa Brown color as well. Very happy with my purchase.

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Sewn in Seattle

Our bags are designed and sewn right here in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

That allows us to be control freaks in the best way possible; we have direct control and oversight of the quality of our materials, our products, and the jobs and working environment that we help create. It also offers us a unique spontaneity: when we have an idea for a new product or accessory, we can design it, figure out how to build it, add it to our website and be ready to ship it out our front door all within just a few weeks. How cool is that?

Intrigued? You can find out more about the unusual way we do business on our Company Philosophy page.

THE BIHN Guarantee

Everything you buy from us here at TOM BIHN is satisfaction guaranteed. We’ve been in business since 1972 and we stand behind what we make.

If something goes wrong and it's our fault, we'll fix it for free. Repairs due to normal wear and tear or due to other things that are not our fault will be performed, when possible, at a reasonable charge right here in our Seattle factory where your bag was made. Defects in materials or workmanship are uncommon and almost always evident while the product is still new. Keep in mind that bags and packs are often subject to extreme wear in everyday use: do not expect them to last forever. Only true love lasts forever! You can expect a TOM BIHN product to give years and years of hard service.

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