What Goes Into A Tom Bihn Backpack?
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Techonaut 30 -
Techonaut 45
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Description
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Techonaut 30 Key Features
Three-Way Carry, Endless Flexibility
Three carry options adapt to your needs — backpack, duffel, or shoulder bag — each designed for comfort, flexibility, and ease on the go.
Pack More, Unpack Less
Wide-opening, U-shaped main compartment offers even more space and visibility than the Aeronaut — so you can pack big, find fast, and live out of your bag without unpacking.
Suspended Laptop Compartment, Built Light
Suspended off the bottom for extra protection, the padded laptop compartment adds structure and comfort — all without bulk, and always easy to access even when fully packed.
Accessible Pockets, Effortless Reach
Three quick-access pockets keep essentials close — each sized for easy reach and smart storage, from passports to water bottles.
End Pocket Reimagined, Space Maximized
One end pocket instead of two means more space, less weight, and a wider main compartment. Unzip the divider for one massive packing area — perfect for bulky items or flexible organization.
Three-Way Carry, Endless Flexibility
Three carry options adapt to your needs — backpack, duffel, or shoulder bag — each designed for comfort, flexibility, and ease on the go.
Pack More, Unpack Less
Wide-opening, U-shaped main compartment offers even more space and visibility than the Aeronaut — so you can pack big, find fast, and live out of your bag without unpacking.
Suspended Laptop Compartment, Built Light
Suspended off the bottom for extra protection, the padded laptop compartment adds structure and comfort — all without bulk, and always easy to access even when fully packed.
Accessible Pockets, Effortless Reach
Three quick-access pockets keep essentials close — each sized for easy reach and smart storage, from passports to water bottles.
End Pocket Reimagined, Space Maximized
One end pocket instead of two means more space, less weight, and a wider main compartment. Unzip the divider for one massive packing area — perfect for bulky items or flexible organization.
Three-Way Carry, Endless Flexibility
Three carry options adapt to your needs — backpack, duffel, or shoulder bag — each designed for comfort, flexibility, and ease on the go.
Pack More, Unpack Less
Wide-opening, U-shaped main compartment offers even more space and visibility than the Aeronaut — so you can pack big, find fast, and live out of your bag without unpacking.
Suspended Laptop Compartment, Built Light
Suspended off the bottom for extra protection, the padded laptop compartment adds structure and comfort — all without bulk, and always easy to access even when fully packed.
Accessible Pockets, Effortless Reach
Three quick-access pockets keep essentials close — each sized for easy reach and smart storage, from passports to water bottles.
End Pocket Reimagined, Space Maximized
One end pocket instead of two means more space, less weight, and a wider main compartment. Unzip the divider for one massive packing area — perfect for bulky items or flexible organization.
Reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 235 Total 4 star reviews: 18 Total 3 star reviews: 4 Total 2 star reviews: 2 Total 1 star reviews: 0
259 reviews
- JMJessica M.Verified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Comfortable, Sewn in USA, High Quality Craftsmanship, Easily Adjustable, Versatile3 years agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Comfortable, Sewn in USA, High Quality Craftsmanship, Easily Adjustable, VersatileRated 5 out of 5 starsPerfect travel backpack
I got this bag in Ursa prior to a two week trip to Europe, and planned to use it as my carry-on under the seat with a Hartmann duffel as my overhead/checked bag. I have LOVED the backpack so far. The straps are super comfy, even when fully loaded with a laptop and other heavy stuff like books and the little bottles of booze I purchased in the main compartment. It has fit under every airplane seat I've tried so far, including the smaller crafts with only 2 seats on each side. I was worried at first about how easily things at the bottom might fall put when I unzipped the front compartment, but they really don't: firstly the zipper is super sturdy and doesn't open further unless you pull the tabs, and second the shape is designed so even slightly wide things are cupped in to the body of the bag even while it's standing up with the flap open. Genius. I love the bottom compartment too, it's perfect for an extra pair of shoes.
I'm a female who is 5'3" so a larger pack might have looked silly on me, but this one looks just right (although I have to adjust the back straps to almost their tightest). Check out my suave reflection in a window in Nuremberg ;-) And the Ursa color is a beautiful brown.
Overall very happy. I'm carrying this along with a Le Grand Derriere on this trip, which I will review separately: they are a great travel pair! I pack then differently for the plane than for a day trip, but love that I can bring one bag and use it many ways.
- KTKatie T.Verified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, High Quality Finishings, Unique3 years agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Durable, High Quality Finishings, UniqueRated 5 out of 5 starsBest. Travel. Backpack. Ever.
This backpack is honestly everything I ever wanted and needed in a travel backpack. Just a little background on myself...pre-COVID I did quite a bit of traveling, planning about 3-4 international trips per year. These were all short term trips about 10-14 days long and mostly on budget airlines that required strict cabin bag dimensions (I never check in bags). I've used a 40L backpack (Osprey Farpoint) as my carry on for 5+ years but gradually began packing more and more minimally, leading me to crave a smaller backpack for my travels. I had looked into Tom Bihn bags in the past but was not drawn to the Aeronaut since it is primarily a messenger bag that can be carried as a backpack. I wanted something opposite of that: something that carried like a backpack primarily but can also be carried like a messenger bag or had handles to carry it on my side when needed. Enter the Techonaut 30, which was released in the Summer/Fall right in time for my 2-week trip planned for Portugal in November. What I love about this backpack besides it's size is that it is incredibly functional while also keeping a very low profile. I personally have the black 525 ballistic with Taiga interior. I love that I can wear it in an urban setting and it doesn't scream "backpacker" like a lot of other travel backpacks made by hiking companies. The 525 ballistic nylon is perfect because it's very durable but also allows the backpack to stand on it's own when laid flat, which is essential for packing. The…
- AWAlexander W.Verified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, Durable, Good Storage Size3 years agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, Durable, Good Storage SizeRated 5 out of 5 starsGreat travel backpack
Great build quality and materials on this bag. It's a pretty simple design without secret pockets or pen holdesr or small pockets, but I appreciate the simplicity. I tested this against several other bags (Aer Travel Pack 3, Cotopaxi Allpa 35, Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L, and the Minaal Carry-On 3.0) and the Technonaut 30 was the winner. It was easier to pack than the other bags and it was more comfortable than the other ones for me. The bottom pocket is great for shoes or anything else I would want segregated from the rest of the bag, but I like that the design of the divider allows you to basically negate it and give the main compartment some more space. It's also not so large that it would look silly as a day pack so that's a bonus too. Couldn't be happier with this bag!
- BSBenjamin S.Verified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Made in USA, High Quality Finishings, Good Storage Size3 years agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Made in USA, High Quality Finishings, Good Storage SizeRated 2 out of 5 starsGreat idea, expensive, execution leaves a lot to be desired
I'm a long-time Tom Bihn fan (obsessive?) and have owned and loved a great number of bags for different uses. My daily go-to is a Synik 22 (which replaced the earlier Synapse, much loved), and for travel I've enjoyed an Aeronaut 30 for many years. Along the way I've owned a number of smaller Tom Bihn bags, cubes, etc. and while I've occasionally sold some items for replacements which better suit my needs, I haven't really had a dud. The Techonaut 30 is unfortunately the closest that I've come to that - or at least, it's the bag that seems to have been made with the least thought or care for actual use. I wanted this to be the great upgrade to the Aeronaut I was looking for which had space for a laptop, etc., for a true one bag setup, but I don't think I've found that.
The pros of the bag are pretty straightforward: classically good build, reasonably good looks (chunky, but pretty enough), and you can certainly fit a lot in it. If you're used to the good construction of a Tom Bihn bag, this will not disappoint, and I do like the Design Lab logo in black that replaced the earlier gray one.
The cons are immensely frustrating, and they mostly pertain to carry, as in, it's not pleasant to carry this bag at all as a backpack. I am compact but not tiny - 5' 8" and athletic - and it is simply impossible to cinch this high enough up on the back to get comfortable. The straps, at their shortest available length, still have the backpack sitting way down under the hip, digging into…
TBTOM BIHN2 years agoHi there! Thanks for sharing this feedback with us! I was revisiting some older reviews and came across this one again- I sent you an email when this review was new but never heard back. I'd love to hear an update to how your bag is working for you after some time. If you've got additional feedback, feel free to emailus@tombihn.com with an update. -Mike
- NNinaVerified ReviewerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Compact, Good Storage Size, Thoughtful Design, Versatile3 years agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Compact, Good Storage Size, Thoughtful Design, VersatileRated 3 out of 5 starsBad fit for short people
This bag is nice but may not fit if you’re short. I’m 5’3”, 135 lbs, and female, with broader than average shoulders for my height and a 16” torso. This puts me in the 40th percentile for women in terms of height, and on the upper end of the “normal” BMI range, meaning I’m slightly smaller than an average woman, but I’m not a tiny person.
The bag barely fits me – I have the straps tightened to within 1” of the smallest setting, and if I lose a little weight, I’ll likely need to tighten them down all the way. If you’re any smaller than me, this bag won’t fit.
The hip belt doesn’t help me much because it’s a little too low, although I can partially overlook this. At 30L this bag is wearable without the hip belt if you’re careful to not overpack and keep the weight low. Because I need to tighten the straps a lot, the strap “tails” are very long. Strap keepers should come with the bag by default, although you can tuck the tails into the place where the hip belt can be tucked in. I also find that the distance between the upper part of the backpack straps is too small, which pinches the back of my neck; the tighter I have the straps, the worse this is. I wish they were about 1" further apart.
I’m really torn on whether I should keep the bag. I used it on a long airplane trip and liked the features, but it wasn’t very comfortable. I might give it to my husband instead, since I think it'll fit him better.
Everything else on the bag is great. I love the ballistic fabric; I’m…
TBTOM BIHN3 years agoHi Nina! Thanks for stopping by to leave this review. We really appreciate the feedback and will keep it in mind as we continue to design bags. Sorry to hear the Techonaut didn’t quite work out for you fit-wise, we hope you’ve found a travel bag that does work for you.
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