Tom Bihn Aeronaut Maximum Carry On Bag & Accessories

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes

August 15, 2006

When Darcy, the VP of Marketing at Tom Bihn, wrote asking if I would like to take a look at their new Aeronaut Maximum Carry On Bag, her offer couldn't have come at a better time. My family was in the process of getting ready for our California vacation, and I was in the midst of a bag quandary. I was planning on bringing the usual heavy load of travel electronics, along with a Fuji laptop and my new (and as yet mostly unconfigured) DualCor cPC. As I started gathering all of my gear together, it was quickly becoming obvious that my regular bag was not going to comfortably handle the oversized load.

Now here's the thing, the Aeronaut is not billed as being a gear bag or a laptop bag. But I could tell by the website's description and some of the available optional items that the bag could likely be configured to be just what I needed. According to the Tom Bihn site, "the Aeronaut is hard to categorize: Is it soft luggage? A duffel bag? Or a backpack? The Aeronaut is all of the above. It takes the best of all of those bags and combines them into what may be the most versatile travel bag yet."

Available in Black, Steel, Crimson, Grape, or Hunter, the Aeronaut measures a generous 22" wide x 14" tall x 9" deep. Empty, the bag weighs 2.71 lbs, and has a volume of  2700 cubic inches. This is the largest legal sized carry on for most US airlines, meeting the sum of 45"; a handy list of most airlines' carry on limits may be found here. Keep in mind that after the latest latest terrorist scare last week, some non-US airlines are not allowing passengers with any size carry on bags.

As with every other Tom Bihn bag, only the highest quality materials have been used. The Aeronaut is composed of 1050 Ballistic nylon, and its interior is lined in 200 denier nylon "with a Dyeema (like Spectra) ripstop."

The substantial straps which compose the top handles are made of a tightly woven nylon webbing, similar to an automobile's seat belt - though not as slick. The padded handle that wraps the two straps to form a comfortable grip can be unsnapped; the wrapping portion is securely sewn to the rear strap for immediate retrieval when the straps need to be joined together again.

Those D-ring hooks seen in the following picture are not heavy duty plastic as one might expect; they are solid steel and are made to accept either of the optional shoulder straps, which I will cover further in the review.

The only branding present on the bag is the iconic Tom Bihn Portable Culture fabric label sewn to the lower right front.

Zooming in on those zippers reveals that they are YKK, the best in the world.

Not immediately evident - until closer examination - is that the decorative contrasting black trim following all of the zipper tracks is actually the YKK Uretek "splash-proof" zippers themselves. This design keeps water from easily entering the bag through what would normally be porous cloth on either side of a typical zipper's teeth.

Each of the bag's three main compartments have double zippers with easily grasped 1" long metal zipper pulls. Each zipper pull has a 1/4" hole, through which a  lock can be attached. Each side of the bag as a built-in 7" long x 1" wide reinforced handle which allows the bag to be grabbed when it is sitting on end.

The right side of the bag has a very handy zippered pocket measuring approximately 7" wide x 13" tall. Built into the top of the pocket is a removable snap lanyard which can be attached to keys or one of the smaller sized Organizer Pouches sold on the site.

The back of the Aeronaut has an arched zipper concealing what looks to be yet another handy pocket...

But instead it is actually the cover for the backpack harness system. Hidden inside the pocket are two padded adjustable shoulder straps.

The ends of the straps have heavy duty plastic clips which snap into their hidden receivers built into the fold at the base of the bag.

Once the shoulder straps have been snapped, the Aeronaut becomes the ultimate quickie backpack - ready for a hike from the airport to the cab line, from one hotel to the next, or wherever the wearer needs to go.

There is even a handy strap handle built into what is now essentially the top of the backpack.

There are two versions of the Aeronaut, both exactly the same in every aspect but one - their straps. The Standard Aeronaut straps are modified to fit people that are around 5'8" and above, or those with larger frames. The Aeronaut Breve's straps will better fit those that are under 5'8", or those that have a smaller frame. Here is Steve wearing my Breve. He said it was pretty comfortable and liked that the backpack option was available for times when his hands were full.

Here is a shot of it on his back.

That pretty much covers the bag's exterior - now let's take a look at what's inside...

Both the right and left sides of the bag unzip to reveal an open compartment measuring approximately 14" tall x 9" wide x 3" deep. The zipper unzips along the top and almost all the way down the front of the compartment offering easy access without the type opening that would encourage everything to spill out.

Both the larger sides of the compartment are lined in the 200 denier ripstop nylon. According to the Tom Bihn site, "these end pockets can easily accommodate size 12 running shoes, so now maybe you can take all the shoes you need with you. The end pockets also are great for segregating the clean from the un-clean, or perhaps socks and underwear from everything else."

The main interior compartment is accessed through the large U-shaped flap. This compartment measures approximately 17" wide x 14" tall x 9" deep. A 10" wide x 11" long zippered mesh pocket is built into the compartment's flap.

Inside this cavernous compartment are four snaps which are helping to anchor the side walls.

The Aeronaut Maximum Carry On Bag retails for $175.00.

Here is where things get interesting. Made to perfectly compliment the Aeronaut are four different types of Packing Cubes which are available in several configurations, and all are looped for hanging.

This is the small all mesh pocket, which is perfect for storing folded socks, underwear and other unmentionables. Four of these can be stacked "like bricks" inside the main compartment of the bag, or two can be stacked on top of the large bag.

This is the end pocket which fits perfectly inside one of the outer Aeronaut pockets. Four of these can also be used inside the main compartment of the bag, stacked "like books on a shelf."

I found that this cube was perfect for holding all of my electrical cables

This is the Large cube; its rear is made of the ripstop material and its front is mesh. Two of these will fit in the main compartment of the bag.

Packing Cubes range in price from $15 to $18 each.

Another possible configuration is to take one Packing Cube and use it in conjunction with a Size 5 Horizontal Brain Cell.

This protective case cocoons the packed laptop with 8mm of thick padding and a design which suspends the laptop in a "4mm hard corrugated plastic insert that protects from the front, back, and bottom. The sides are protected by dense cross-linked closed-cell polyethylene foam."

The Horizontal Brain Cell retails for $50.00.

A big bag needs a substantial shoulder strap, and Tom Bihn offers two styles. The first is the Absolute Shoulder Strap, which is my favorite. This strap features a neoprene pad with a stretchy backing and it is specifically made for heavy loads. Wearing it on my shoulder makes even a totally packed bag feel manageable; the strap is so wide and springy that it never feels like it is digging into my shoulder.

The clips which attach to the bag are heavy steel with a secure snap lock.

The Absolute Shoulder Strap retails for $25.00.

The second option is the TerraGrip Shoulder Strap, which according to the site, is "the only strap we've come across that won't slip off your shoulder. The TerraGrip is also an excellent strap to use with our maximum carry on bag, the Aeronaut. The TerraGrip Strap is made with state-of-the-art soy-based soft-touch polymer materials. It will remain completely flexible to -40 F and is U.V. stabilized (no fading or cracking).

However, "Please note that the TerraGrip Strap is built for grip more than for comfort. We recommend it for loads under 16lbs (7kg). For heavier loads, the Absolute Shoulder Strap may be a more comfortable option."

Here is a picture of the wide rubber grip which composes the TerraGrip shoulder pad.

Once again a steel slip is used with a locking spring bar.

The TerraGrip Shoulder Strap retails for $18.00.

I used the bag as a carry on for our trip, and I found that it easily fit under the seat of both our smaller commuter jet and the larger cross country airplane. Even though I had it loaded down with electronics on the trip to California, there was still plenty of room left to pack souvenirs and a couple loaves of Boudin Bakery's Chocolate Raisen Baguettes, which I brought home and used to make the most delicious Bread Pudding ever...

The Aeronaut is a big bag, and it holds a lot of things. But it is not hard to handle, and it is not so large that it becomes a burden while traveling. If anything, it makes travel easier because depending upon how efficiently one packs, it may be the only bag that is needed.

The beauty of the Aeronaut is that it can be configured to work in whatever way the owner needs. If it is needed as a piece of traditional luggage with clothing and shoes stored in its compartments, then it can be that; if it is called upon to hold a plethora of electronics along with other packed items, it will adapt. This bag can be personalized and customized to be exactly what the owner wants - even if the owner's needs change upon a whim. The Aeronaut, in combination with its packing cubes and the other Tom Bihn accessories, is the ideal travel bag for anyone that wants a quality piece of luggage that will adapt to their travel needs.

Aeronaut FAQ
Tom Bihn Guarantee