There's a Tom Bihn bag for just about every trip type at this point — and the collection has grown to the point where the bag actually gets chosen to match the trip.
The 45 is the right call for longer trips, winter trips, or any trip where souvenirs are part of the plan. The Christmas Markets trip — Brussels, Strasbourg, Nuremberg, Munich — is a good example. Lots of stops, lots of ornaments and gifts. Packed well, the 45 carries a surprising amount without getting bulky. There's always a little extra room left over, which is exactly what you want when you're still three cities away from home. This was my first Tom Bihn bag, bought in 2017, and it's still going strong.
When extra space isn't needed — and especially when the souvenir haul will mostly be fridge magnets — the 30 is the better option. Smaller, lighter, and just the right size for a trip where I'm not planning to come home with much. The size and form factor on this one are spot on.
Both Aeronauts are convertible, which is one of the things that makes them so useful. The shoulder straps tuck into a pouch on the back of the bag and clip to attachment points at the bottom — pull them out when you want a backpack, tuck them away when you don't. Shoulder strap and handles are there too. Having all three carry options in one bag covers most situations.
Used to carry a Medium Cafe Bag as a day bag while traveling, but switched to the Everyday Cubelet a while back. It's small — genuinely small — but fits everything needed day to day: passport wallet, travel cards, the stuff that gets pulled out regularly. It's the everyday carry for trips, and the amount it fits never stops being surprising.
These were an experiment for short weekend trips when dragging a full-size travel bag felt like overkill. Bought both because the Synapse 25 offers more room and the Synik 22 is smaller and lighter — some trips need one, some need the other. Having both means not having to guess in advance.
Found them the same way most people do: forums and YouTube videos. What made them stick was the materials and the way the bags are laid out. The design works well with how I actually pack, which isn't something you can always tell from photos. After several years and six bags, the quality has held up in a way that makes the price feel reasonable.