Herrick

Hi, I'm gearing up for a trip to Paris and looking for a good bag to use both as my personal carry on item and to use about town.

The Pacsafe z400 and Tom Bihn Pilot both appear to satisfy Air France dimensions of16X14X6 and I'm stuck deciding between them.

Any feedback that might tip the scales one way or another?

TJR9999

I am a fan of PacSafe specifically because of the metal cables in the shoulder straps and the metal mesh lining in most of their bags , which the Z400 has. Reason being I was with a friend who had the botom of her purse slashed and emptied on a trip to Argentina.

The tan version is on sale at Sierra Trading Post for $89.99

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/s~p...00/?perPage=24


I have no experince with Tom Bihn products ..

1holegrouper

On the reverse side I have no experience with PacSafe. However, Tom Bihn products are very well made and very well thought out. I am a loyal fan. I own or have owned many items from Tumi, Briggs and Riley, RedOxx, Kifaru and Hartmann and none of these come close to Tom Bihn. With either material available for the Pilot (Ballistic nylon or Halcyon) if you had an assailant trying to cut the bag you would have larger things to worry about if they were able to cut the bag effectively as these materials are very tough and are put through numerous tests. Adding a metal cable or mesh to these bags would be unnecessary and just add weight. Both brands have loyal followings and I'm sure you would have a great experience with either one.

Loren Pechtel

Count me as a vote for the security of the Pac-Safe stuff.

Herrick

I appreciate the input!

I wound up ordering the PacSafe less for the security features than the perceived functionality. I just wasn't sold on the small front pockets on the Pilot, and suspect that the PacSafe will be more versatile in what it can hold.

I'll return it for a Pilot if needed. The one down side for me is the weight since AF seems to be rather strict on this especially when flying Y as I will be for this next trip

turnleftbrighteyes

The Pilot is a fantastic bag: it is light (less than half the weight of the Pacsafe), and I've found it to be very versatile. I can use it as my sole bag for a 1-night trip with my laptop, or as a personal item on longer trips. It fits well, standing up, underneath the seat. The front pockets are useful for things like Bose headphones, 3-1-1 bag, iPad mini, and other such stuff. The back zips open to slide over the handle of a rolling bag, or is good for magazines or the like. The halcyon fabric is very durable and somewhat water resistant, and I'm not worried about having my bag slashed given my travel patterns so I'd feel confident using the Pilot and enjoying its much lighter weight.

TJR9999

I will have to look into the Pilot after reading the two posts about it.

guller

Tom Bihn Tristar is a great bag.

Herrick

I have considered the Tri-Star for other purposes, but am specifically after something that will qualify as a personal item per Air France allowance.

I may very well end up with a TB product if the PacSafe does not satisfy.
My only concerns re: pilot are how well I'd utilize the front pockets and that it looks a little less structured than I'd like.

PacSafe arrives tomorrow, so I'll know soon!

1holegrouper

You are at a bag crossroads. I would go ahead and order the Pilot immediately so that you can compare each at the same time. Otherwise, you will begin wear and tear on your Pacsafe and miss this opportunity to compare with Tom Bihn. I don't know about PS but TB has a great and easy return policy.

GadgetFreak

I love my Tristar but it's not the same type bag as the Piilot, as noted.

Herrick

Good advice, which I have followed. Just got the shipping confirmation from TB.

Herrick

I received the PacSafe a few days ago and immediately returned it. It appeared much larger than I expected and I feared that the same would be true of the Pilot.

The Pilot arrived today and looks like it will fit the bill perfectly. So close to the PacSafe dimensions but appears much more compact to me.

Also doesn't look like a purse as I had wondered about.
Quakity looks excellent too-thanks for the advice!

H