Tom Bihn Synapse 25 Overview - Everyone needs a bit of kimchi in their life ;)

[@jonmnelson]

I have this in black halcyon with a wasabi interior and I think it looks pretty stylish, except for all the zippers. I used this as my only bag for a 10-day trip to Sweden and the Netherlands in December 2019 and it was perfect. It would fit under my seat on the plane and was a perfect day bag when walking around Stockholm and Amsterdam. It rained some on my trip and the fabric and zippers kept the water out. It’s amazing how much this bag holds; it’s like a clown car. And those o-rings … such a simple idea but once you get some accessories and start to use them you realize the brilliance of the design. It definitely has a dad bag vibe, but maybe it’s so uncool that it’s kinda cool, if that makes sense? Love mine. Congratulations on the baby!

[@jtinseoul7041]

Thanks!! And I do think the black halcyon is a great look. I have an M81 now that I like :)

[@sandraludwig1546]

Thank you for a thorough review. Regarding the Wire-Dopp: how flat does it lay? Or does that really depend upon what you've packed in it? Thanks!

[@phywyc]

Greet review! Could you make a comparison video between this one vs GORUCK bags? Which one do you prefer?

[@Jimbo397]

I approve of the kimchi metaphor

[@jtinseoul7041]

Was the best way I could think to describe it.

[@themightyapefish]

Thanks for the review.. I have a hard time deciding what to buy.. I want the Synik.. and the 22 is probably going to be too small.. and the 30 might be too big to work as a daypack.. maybe the synapse 25 is something to consider..

[@ssraj94]

The Synik 30 is the same size as the Synapse 25 with some additional volume for the padded laptop sleeve. So the main cavity space would be the same.

[@jtinseoul7041]

Thanks! I think I prefer the Synapse for most things. The Synik is quite shallow so even though its clamshell I find it to be not the easiest to pack. They are similarly priced by the time you add the frame sheet and cache so it isn't really a price thing. I'd say the Synapse is a better everyday size. If there was a Synik 25 this might be a different conversation!

[@jtinseoul7041]

My friend has a Synik 30 and it certainly looks a lot bigger on someone's back than the Synapse 25. There's no way that laptop sleeve equals 5l..

[@themightyapefish]

@@jtinseoul7041 Thanks for the replies.. I live in europe so it's really expensive to order a tom bihn bag over here.. and unfortunately there's not that many pictures or videos of people wearing the synik 30 so one can get a visual of how it looks.. most reviews are showing only the bag..

[@jtinseoul7041]

I know the other commenter mentioned they are the same "size" but in my experience the Synik 30 certainly appears a lot bigger on someone's back. I think it's mostly because the top is more "square" if that makes sense.

[@The_Distance_111]

Another excellent review. Great bag, well designed. It does look best in black IMHO, but there are many color choices. Yep the web site says the dimensions (except for the depth) are the same as the S30, yet side by side in pictures the Synik looks bigger overall.

[@jtinseoul7041]

Yep, and I think it's the overall shape. I compared my Synapse with my friend's Synik 30 and certainly his bag "appeared" much bigger when worn.

[@orbispictus6127]

I'm still wondering if that laptop sleeve design is really TSA friendly. From my experience, I was always demanded to put the laptop in a tray and the bag in another. Sometimes, the laptop tray passed no problem but they pulled the bag tray back to check. I imagine if the sleeve was attached to the bag, then the both trays would be pulled back? I don't know, maybe it works.

[@jtinseoul7041]

I think that's a super USA only kinda issue. So different in other countries what they allow and don't allow. In Korea, the laptop has to be fully taken out of the sleeve no matter what so. It really all depends.

[@orbispictus6127]

@@jtinseoul7041 I see. Same here in some European countries, the laptop has to be fully uncovered. Beside that, I'd say the laptop could be kept safe by anti-thief ability.

[@jtinseoul7041]

Makes sense! I think it probably depends on the agent no matter where you are. In Korea sometimes they don't care either. Depends on who you get I guess! I will say, I rarely ever actually slide it out of the bag. I think in this video was like the fifth or sixth time I ever did since I owned the bag. Gets kinda annoying to do when the bag is full-ish.

[@toodamnskippy6220]

Nice review, but the kimchi metaphor made me hungry. Actually, everything makes me hungry theses days. It’s hard to warm to a bag that looks like that, sorry TB, it just reminds me of North Face. I’ve never seen one in the flesh (fabric) so it’s not an empirical observation and I wonder how many cross the 49th parallel. Notwithstanding that, I enjoyed learning about Binh bags, maybe I’ll trip over one of them someday.

[@jtinseoul7041]

I think they are a bag that is hard to like even when it's on your "bag wall" but then when you use it and forget what it looks like it becomes the best bag you've ever used. It's such a weird thing for a bag guy that I wish they would just figure out a way to make it "cooler" because the functionality is off the charts.

[@lynnb2562]

Seeing you sit there with a mask on incorrectly in a room by yourself it's enough to turn me off but then you told the whole world that your wife just had a baby and you got nothing but time to make videos? Usually when people are a horrible husband and father they keep that to themselves... I genuinely have no interest in anything else you have to say at this point.

[@samnero387]

🤣🤣🤣 I agree!!!!