Synik 30

Great bag, Great design!

I was fortunate to discover Tom in his little shop in Santa Cruz many years ago and he made me a custom backpack which I still own and use today. This is my fourth bag and the quality is second to none. The stitching, the versatility, and durability are second to none! I am so happy I decided to purchase this Synik 30 for my daily use. It's compact, yet big enough to hold everything I need to get through my day. Tom Bihn bags are simply the very best and they stand the test of time!

My first Tom Bihn Backpack

I have only had one trip with the Synik 30. I originally purchased the Nebulous/Cerise colorpath as a second choice color. I was not sure about the Mars Red as it appeared to change colors in different pictures. Within a month of my purchase the Wilderness was listed and I jumped on it then returned the Nebulous. I have never had organizers before as I just used the available pockets but I dived right in to the Kool-aid for organizers. The Synik has a lot of pockets but I am still getting use to the one large divider as my previous backpack had three. This is where I found the organizers to be rather helpful. The first thing I checked when the backpack arrived was the fit of both laptops. I am pleased to tell you my personal Dell Latitude (16.25" x 10.625" x 0.75") is a very tight fit but does slide in to the laptop sleeve. However, I cannot zipper the sleeve. The work laptop, a Dell Precision (14" x 10.125" x 1") also fits in the laptop sleeve. I bought the Cache 16 and the Precision fits in that so I can hang it in the pocket on the opposite side of the laptop sleeve. To list some of the organizers I have the Cublet, Everyday Cublet, Packing Cube Shoulder Bag, Small Snake Charmer and my favorite the Size 1 Handy Little Thing. The little thing has so many pockets! The Synik appears well made and I like the ballistic material. Some of the zipper pulls are large and I am glad I picked up some Kiwi Pull Du Jours which help keep the clanking at bay. Customer Service is great. They listened and replied to every email I sent when I started my journey into the Tom Bihn world.

Excellent bag for Flexible Trip

I was looking for a bag to complement my Aeronaut on a 3 week long trip in Europe that would see multiple transfers (planes, trains, and automobiles) and everything from walking through an ice palace, hiking inside a mountain waterfall, elevation changes, and traipsing around cities. This bag held up for all of our various activities. I loved the design and the biggest part of getting the bag was learning where my stuff was designed to go without the Tom Bihn team knowing that's what I was bringing. Specific pockets for snacks vs electronics, easy but secure access to passports while international. The water bottle holder was great while were hiking for someone quickly grab and put back while the main pocket was full of other gear. A little detail that really impressed me was inside the main pocket was what seemed like a water bladder holder with loops to hang my water bladder. And somehow Tom Bihn knew that I wasnt just going to have 2 bladder to carry but also my son's and so there were naturally 2 loops ... how convenient. Overall a great pack that I used for this trip that I'll also use extensively as my work pack for carrying laptop/tablet, books, papers, cords, etc. Would 100% recommend to anyone looking for a well designed, durable, backpack.