My Favorite Work Bag Has Pockets in All the Right Places
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Roughly one-quarter of my closet is covered in stacks of backpacks. Most usually stay there after I’m finishedtesting them, but a few make it into a separate pile of bags I regularly use. To make it into that rotation, a bag needs to be nice to look at, be comfortable to wear, and make all my essentials easy to grab. I don’t typically like to compromise on any of those things when it comes to my personal items, but Tom Bihn’s Synik 30 is so good I don’t mind its strictly utilitarian design.
While many bags aim to be as stylish as they are useful, the Synik is all about pragmatism. Its zipper-clad exterior — a busier, more technical look than I’m typically fond of — is made of a sturdy nylon. Despite its toughness and durability, the fabric is pleasant to touch and has a subtle diamond pattern that adds some character. You can get the Synik in ten colorways, ranging from a deep forest green to a vibrant yellow.
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The five external pockets on the Synik may take away from the classier look of more minimalist bags, but even on short trips to a coffee shop or park, I’m grateful to have all of them. I usually like to carry at least a few gadgets I can test for work whenever I go out for a few hours, so I often have some combination of my phone, aportable charger, ane-reader, and somewireless earbuds. In less organized bags, things quickly get cluttered and hard to find. Not so with the Synik.
The compartments are thoughtfully placed. I can drop my water bottle in the designated pocket up top, and it doesn’t make my bag unbalanced on one side as side bottle pockets do. For things I need to reach for in a pinch, the Synik has two vertical pockets you can unzip while still having the bag on one shoulder. I use them for things like my passport, sunglasses, a small Field Notes notebook, and somepensfor jotting down ideas. And if I need to carry a charger for my laptop or iPad Pro, there’s a horizontal pocket along the bottom of the front that’s spacious enough to hold even a large charging brick. That’s plenty of organization for me, but if you tend to travel with a lot of smaller items, Bihn’s ecosystem ofsmaller bagsandorganizerslets you keep each pocket from feeling like a free-for-all.
Beyond being a good work bag, the Synik’s 30-liter capacity makes it an excellent backpack for a quick trip. I recently went out of town for a weekend with family and decided to give the Synik a shot as my only bag instead of my usualCotopaxi Allpa. I managed to stuff it with a few days’ worth of clothes — two pairs of jeans, three shirts, a sweatshirt, and a couple of pairs of socks and underwear — plus myiPad Pro, a Kobo e-reader, some earbuds, and all my toiletries. There was even enough room to toss in the company’sSide Kicksling to carry some smaller items when my family and I went out.
Despite holding all that, the Synik has never felt overly bulky. The compression straps on the main compartment keep everything from puffing out too much. And because it’s shorter than many other bags with similar capacities, including theGregory Rhune 25I used for about a year, it’s easier to tuck under an airplane seat. There’s even a loop at the bottom of the bag that makes it easy to grab when your plane lands.
The Synik’s shoulder straps are among the most comfortable of any backpack I’ve ever worn. They’re thicker than most and more cushiony, so I’ve never felt them dig into my shoulders, even when the bag is packed with a bunch of heavy gear. The compression straps help keep all the contents closer to your body, which makes the whole thing easier to carry. The bag also has sternum and waist straps to provide extra support — perfect for when you’re running through Salt Lake City’s unbearably long terminal to catch a flight.
That versatility has kept the Synik in my rotation for over a year. Its abundance of pockets and space ensures that I have room for everything I need and know exactly where to reach for it. All the padding and extra support make it comfy enough to wear for both long walks and short trips. I don’t see myself getting rid of my pile of top-notch bags in favor of aone-bagger lifestyleanytime soon, but I don’t see the Synik leaving the top of that pile, either.
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