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I’m doing a preliminary pack for a long weekend in February (I’ll be kind of riding the rails so I wanted to be super mobile). I haven’t flown American Eagle with my Aeronaut 30 yet and I didn’t want to take the risk of it being gate checked – because O’Hare airport is consistently the airport of chaos and evil. Instead, I’ll be using my Synapse 25 and I loaded it up with just the basics to see how it feels.
So far I have socks and underwear, a merino wool shirt, pajamas, my sleep system and charging cords in the TB Packing Cube Shoulder Bag and travel cubelet (both in Island blue, either of which can be used as a purse while I’m there), flip flops in a shoe sleeve (from who knows where), my stuff pillow. Not pictured: my little kit that I never go anywhere without as well as my 3D organizer cube that I use as my purse catchall that I will clip into the top of the bag from the cache rails loops. I’ll have a long down coat that packs into its own envelope that will go in there when it arrives, a couple more T-shirts and probably a few more odds and ends or presents that I’m bringing people.
In the front side pocket, I have dry toiletries and a travel towel (see below for a list with linkies) that don’t need to be separated out for TSA.
In the other front side pocket I have a couple of shopping bags, a power plug, a couple of cables and things I might need to get to easily in the airport.
Front small pocket will have my ear buds and some batteries, bigger pocket will have a water bottle and my reusable straw.
I bought the new frame sheet from Tom Bihn recently and I am excited to try it out on the Synapse 25. I already have the frame sheet for the Aeronaut 30. I used it when I went to Detroit last month and it really made a huge difference. (I carried my Aeronaut in Paris and much whining ensued about the long walk with ALL our stuff since the metro station nearest us was closed; the difference between carrying it without the panel vs. with it is incredible!)
I’ve had this backpack for several years now and while I do use it, I don’t use it as regularly as I would if I like the panel as much as I did on my Aeronaut. This might make the difference between being madly in love with it and just thinking it’s pretty cool.
I’ll definitely do a final set of pictures when I get all this packed up, for now, I’m pleased with the set up.
I had an earlier version of the travel bug back in the 1990s, so I guess I’ve always had a soft spot for a little day bag that was low profile – and generally made by Eagle Creek 😉
Mostly I need something that I can go hands-free when I’m walking around a travel destination or shopping or just generally going through the airport.
The latest iteration of the travel bug has some great new features. Locking zippers, passport sleeve (the RFID blocking thing has been talked to death and generally proven wrong, but I don’t care, it’s a good pocket with a hook and loop closure to keep my passport from flying around in the pocket.) I’ve got room for my phone battery, a key clip, my regular sized iPad fits in there without taking up all the room, a side pocket AND a zip away water bottle pocket to help keep the profile sleek.
I can fit my day to day survival kit in the bottom of the main compartment as well as a knitting project.
Features
PROTECTION: Armed with two-way lockable zippers on the main compartments and two central lock points, this backpack will keep all your belongings safe and secure.
PERSONAL SAFETY: Reflective accents throughout the bag with a light attachment loop for nightime visibility ensuring your safety.
ORGANIZATION: Each bag includes smart organization features such as; mesh & slip pockets, pen loops & key fob, and a passport sized RFID blocker pocket to help [prevent] ID theft.
DIMENSIONS: 9.5 X 15 X 5 in. | 10.5 Liter capacity
This really is a lovely bag. Well made, good materials and environmentally friendly production.
Lets get to the parts I love most then we’ll get into why I’m wavering in keeping it:
I love the materials. Black canvas, leather strap points… nifty.
The interior organization is good. I love the clamshell opening then having zip compartments for your stuff. The clamshell feature is mostly what attracted me to this in the first place.
Actually, I first wanted the Allpa but it was too big for my purposes, and happily the Nazca is not.
The straps are great to wear and it has a larger webbing hip belt that does well for the smaller bag. Super comfy. I think mostly I won’t need the hip belt because I probably won’t have it stuffed that full.
it holds the right amount of stuff.
it looks sooooo pretty
Now the things that made me doubt if I want to keep it:
It is a longer pack, and I have a very short torso. This messes with me in backpacking packs as well. I’ve come to terms with the longer packs (one of my all-time favorites ever was the Eagle Creek Bedouin, but the straps on it with any weight at all were painful. I’m still looking for ways to replace them without breaking the bank.)
I thought the weight balance would be awkward with the 2 rectangular sections put together, but it is only slightly so on my short torso. To be certain I will look like a derp (as I do anytime I use a hip belt on a loaded pack) if I need to go miles in this thing, but I can handle that I think. The weight balance seems doable.
I think I need just a bit more division on the main compartments. That’s just a personal thing. I’ve seen many folks load it up and it packs just fine. If they had miniaturized the Allpa I’d be content.
I actually don’t need the laptop compartment. 😉 I put my collapsible daypack in there.
So far so good. After all was packed I could put the pack on and not need the waist belt. Using the waist belt pushed the pack up on my back (short torso, remember?) but was still doable-especially without a laptop in there. I could definitely wander about in a foreign city for hours without too much discomfort. If I was doing that I probably wouldn’t have a laptop anyway. I only ever take my laptop on business trips.
Verdict: No. I tested various configurations and my short torso is just too short for this.
I’m sad now.
Yes! I keep because I love 😉
I’ll probably be using this for a trip I have in mind that has several driving segments and a flight segment.
Here are some pics of starting to pack for this upcoming trip:
Outside, not stuffed full:
The small front pocket:
Pack opened when somewhat packed:
Left side of opened pack: cpap and gear and dry kit, still room for another packing cube:
Right side of pack with basic clothes in cube:
There’s definitely enough room for me to put another packing cube and my Tom Bihn Sidekick if I need to, but I tend to want that where I can access it or put my hands on it easily.
Buy the Nazca 24L on Amazon here or on Cotopaxi’s site here.
Here are some other folks who use this pack:
Cotopaxi.com | Our founder, Davis Smith, grew up in Latin America and lived for several years in Ecuador. When he wasn’t in school, Davis was exploring and camping in Cotopaxi National Park. It was here that he developed a lifelong reverence for the strong, hard-working people of the Andes. His time in Latin America also showed him the plight of those in abject poverty… [Read more]
