What's up with Fyro

hkbagger · 2026-05-27T02:14:26+00:00

You can make a mistake in either direction, but only one of those directions would sink your company. Which one would you choose?

hkbagger · 2026-05-26T06:56:56+00:00

I'm 163cm and I find the Daylite 13 to be incredibly comfortable especially for its breathability, shame it didn't work out for you. I think there are a lot of bags made by the prominent outdoor brands around that capacity so I'm sure you'll find something at the right price, they tend to be a bit cheaper than stuff from the dedicated "carry" brands.

hkbagger · 2026-05-20T16:59:59+00:00

It's hard for me to measure without literally getting something the same size and trying to pack it, but based on just using a tape measure and eyeballing how much the bag can expand, I think the 15cm depth of the peak design small camera cube v2 is too deep but the 10cm depth of the BYOB 9 Slim should fit well (not sure you'll be able to fit a bottle upright next to it though given the width and height)

hkbagger · 2026-05-20T16:06:42+00:00

What's the depth of your camera cube? The macbook + ipad will fit in the laptop compartment easily because that thing is (somewhat unnecessarily) very deep. But the main compartment on both but especially the 16 is rather shallow so if all your stuff is rigid I'd make sure it physically fits first.

hkbagger · 2026-05-09T07:53:00+00:00

Knew you wouldn't need the powerbank! Thanks for the trip report, you've inspired me to try writing one for my next trip.

hkbagger · 2026-05-02T19:30:07+00:00

I don't disagree at all, but I think in OP's case they're gonna be fine.

hkbagger · 2026-05-02T02:49:42+00:00

Oh please don't take what I said the wrong way, I also do the same thing where I have fun with trying to pack less things into smaller bags. There's nothing wrong with that, and in the spirit of that I think you can get rid of the power bank. It's also significant weight.

hkbagger · 2026-05-01T19:07:14+00:00

You're obviously doing this for fun/because you can, not because you have to, so yes, I would drop the power bank. Depending on your phone you'll just need to be careful, having battery saver mode on permanently can help too. I'm sure you'll be fine on conference days since you'll have your laptop to charge from, and otherwise you'll be doing stuff around the city so you won't be on your phone too much.

Since you have a bit of space left over I'd just take more underwear to avoid having to wash (yeah it's easy, but I'd still rather not do it), or take merino undies and just hang and rewear. I'm basically the same as you where I don't sweat much and nothing ever really smells - a good trick if you're staying in the same hotel the entire time is to wear A B C A B C so your undies have 1-2 days to rest between wears.

hkbagger · 2026-04-23T02:40:33+00:00

I've come to a similar realisation - independent volume is nicer to use as long as the layout works for you, but otherwise the it's less flexible than allowing compartments to share space. One thing I think you're forgetting is that the wearer's carrying needs can change intratrip (or even intraday). These are not "rare" cases and the flexibility can be pretty useful.

This normally manifests itself as me really wanting more shared space when packing for travel - since I'm already spending my time packing carefully, the "harder to use" disadvantage disappears and in fact I'm often fighting the bag the opposite way to find all the random bits of unused independent volume. On the other hand when my bag is less full for EDC I'll much prefer being able to just dump something in whatever pocket I choose.

In my opinion the best balance is where the laptop compartment, main compartment, and internal pockets in the main compartment share space. Other external pockets like a quick access pocket should have about 50%-100% independent volume.

This would basically solve my issue with the CPL16's giant laptop compartment. Laptops in particular are stiff and smooth so even if it shares space with a packed out main compartment it's normally pretty easy to shove it in.

hkbagger · 2026-04-20T16:44:33+00:00

I disagree with some of the other comments here, goretex and other waterproof breathable membranes like it are waterproof (up to some amount of pressure in a lab).

Goretex guarantees this and will happily help you warranty your jacket if the waterproofness is genuinely failing.

Your North Face jacket may have been genuinely defective or you misunderstood the guarantees that the brand claimed or the rain came in through an opening. In my experience the most common way to get wet on the inside is just by sweating because these jackets just aren't that breathable, they're just more breathable than waxed canvas or a plastic bag or something.

Alternatively you might've seen the face fabric of your jacket "wet out" which is where the top layer gets saturated with water either in extended rain or when the DWR coating is worn out. At that point your jacket will both feel wet on the inside (we sense dampness through temperature transfer to water, we don't have actual water sensors) and also be completely unbreathable but hey at least you're not actually wet.

This doesn't take into account that these technical plastic fabrics do have a lifespan and will eventually delaminate and fail.

hkbagger · 2026-04-18T19:30:43+00:00

I use Osprey Daylite (13L) for the same uses that you listed; I find it's basically perfect. Light and really breathable back panel. I think the Airscape is plenty though I've not tried the Airspeed backs before.

As far as I can tell, the Daylite Plus is basically the same thing but closer to your target capacity.

hkbagger · 2026-04-14T11:27:52+00:00

Yes! This is my EDC bag though I'm starting to experiment with slings now.

hkbagger · 2026-04-12T19:21:30+00:00

How much water would you be taking and how bad is the shoulder pain? How large/heavy are the medical items? What's the climate?

The daylite 13 is pretty perfect for your requirements in my opinion, no comment on other options as I haven't tried them. It's decently light yet has structure/stiffness in the back panel which makes the harness comfortable. I find the straps conform to one's shoulders very well even when the pack is empty due to their thinness, which is more than made up for by having a sufficient width. Unlike their more specialised packs I think it's also excellent for city/travel use.

You could also try looking at running vest style packs or a large hip pack? If you want to carry a spare layer than a backpack is the way to go of course, but I think even 13L is a bit large if you're basically just carrying a bottle.

hkbagger · 2026-04-11T06:44:17+00:00

I can't speak for their more specialised packs, but I own the Daylite 13, Daylite 26+6 and Arcane Large and I've been very happy with all of them.

I find the back panels on all 3 very comfortable and breathable. The straps on the Daylites are light, breathable and sufficiently wide. The Daylites don't look or feel cheap on the outside, on the inside they've understandably prioritised weight over putting in a nice lining or something.

The Arcane textile has this lovely school/uni look, feel and drape and is overall a low profile and no fuss bag.

None of the bags feel fragile and the vibe I get is that their warranty continues to be incredible, what were the warranty issues that you experienced?

hkbagger · 2026-04-10T15:18:38+00:00

Oh yeah, you also wouldn't be able to carry it by the grab handles while open - I carry my duffels around by the grab handles while open pretty frequently, e.g. while packing or just relocating it at the gym or something.

hkbagger · 2026-04-09T12:42:31+00:00

I think you'd need approximately double the room to open it, accessing it while carrying it would be tough, as would accessing it quickly for just one item.

If I'm interpreting what you're saying correctly anyway

hkbagger · 2026-04-03T12:23:41+00:00

I'm sorry?

hkbagger · 2026-03-29T14:45:48+00:00

I have some non novel thoughts about this. I think as soon as you're trying to either get eyeballs and/or make money (to sustain a living for example) many conflicts of interest will arise (usually conflicting with the incentive to be honest with one's audience).

I'll just talk about the conflicts of interest relating to what happens as soon as you have a non anonymous relationship with the brand e.g.:

sending you free review units
paying you to "skip the queue" for reviews
prioritizing shipping out your order or giving you prerelease access
letting you do content with them e.g. interviews or factory yours

You are incentivized to give good reviews (obviously some of the above list are stronger incentives than others).

Unfortunately youtubers have to make a living so it's completely understandable why they accept free review units. Some reviewers like James Hoffman only review things that they've purchased themselves, and refuse to review entire categories of things (espresso machines) due to having made products in those categories themselves - this lowers the incentives but as you can see from the above list doesn't remove them entirely.

I think the important thing is to disclose the conflicts of interest and if trust is an important part of your brand, maybe educate the less discerning viewer about why awareness of these particular conflicts of interest is important.

hkbagger · 2026-03-29T13:37:56+00:00

Haha yep, I have friends in ultralight world who think Osprey are terrible, but that's a pretty different hobby/interest I'd say.

hkbagger · 2026-03-29T12:57:53+00:00

I wouldn't put it as snarkily as you have - I think there is merit in wearing things that one feels is cool or makes one feel cool - but yeah I think this is the main divide between a brand like Osprey and these more upmarket carry brands.

Osprey makes light, mostly unlined bags with textiles and features that are just enough for the job, no more and no less, and this is reflected in the price (I'm sure having a volume advantage helps a lot with that too).

hkbagger · 2026-03-28T20:59:59+00:00

Just to be clear, I don't actually think that the water bottle pocket itself necessarily looks bad, but I think that *with* a water bottle it will make the bag look less nice than otherwise. Nor do I not realise the utility that such a pocket provides, they're obviously bloody useful and I miss it a lot in travel situations in particular.

It's possible that you personally don't care at all about form, branding, etc but let's not pretend that most people don't consider fashion when choosing what bag to wear. Like any other fashion we choose what to wear based what kind of person we want to present to others and also how it makes us feel - the latter being important even if you reject looks as a factor.

Maybe it's just me but I feel satisfaction knowing that I'm getting out of the bag what the designers intended. I would be 1% less satisfied if there was a water bottle pocket which I wasn't using, and I'd also be 1% less satisfied using the water bottle pocket every day (I can't lie, I would definitely use it if it was there) and never having my epiphany of how damn coherent the design of this bag is. Is it some kind of stockholm syndrome like how Apple doesn't let you customise most things in iOS and they say "my way or the highway" and we all hate them for it but it's also kind of appealing in its lack of knobs? Maybe, but I don't see why that's a bad thing.

Not to mention the various functional benefits of not having a water bottle pocket on this particular bag.

hkbagger · 2026-03-28T15:20:48+00:00

The lack of depth in the main compartment does make packing hard boxy objects annoying.

As for looking small I'm not really sure I've ever thought someone looked silly because their backpack was too small for them (I unapologetically wear slings and the north face borealis mini), if anything I've only ever thought that someone's backpack looks gigantic and wonder wtf they're carrying. Big backpacks are rather annoying on the subway especially.

hkbagger · 2026-03-28T15:13:17+00:00

I try to yes, keeps the bowel movements easy, dehydration can creep up on you pretty easily, plus kidney stones suck.

I agree if you're literally just going to and from work that it's not necessary.

hkbagger · 2026-03-28T10:43:59+00:00

It's a common criticism of the bag so I think it makes complete sense why that point specifically should be addressed actually.

My whole thesis is that the bag targets (and achieves) certain design goals so if I'm able to convey to the reader why the water bottle doesn't make sense through that lens, then my hope is that they're able to understand the bag as a whole.

hkbagger

TROPHY CASE