They are still together now in fact, my mum has moved her girlfriend into the family home, while my father is living with his brother.

Apart from the obvious chaos that myself and my sister have had to deal with this year, we are now coming under a lot of pressure from our mother to have a happy Christmas with her and pretend that all is well in the world.

My father is being stoic, but still seems to think this might be just a ‘phase’ I feel like staying under the duvet for the 25th of this month, and my sister does, too. Would it be wrong if the two of us opted out and went abroad?

A: IT has certainly been a terribly tumultuous year for you and I can appreciate why you are so tempted to escape abroad and put all of this drama behind you. But what will that actually solve? It may offer temporary relief, but you and your sister will ultimately have to face up to your family reality at some stage in the near future.

Christmas is the ideal time to make peace with family members, and I would strongly advise you to make the effort to have as normal a Christmas as possible with your mum and her ralph lauren outlet online new girlfriend. It’s great that your dad is being brave throughout this, and whether it’s a phase that your mum is going through or not, she deserves some happiness and the support of her family.

Give this new lady a chance. While it may be an unconventional situation, you’re an adult and need to behave in a mature way. You never know, you might really enjoy this Christmas spent with them.

Q: I AM married with two children, who I gave up work to mind. My husband leaves all the day to day stuff to me, including the household budget, and often praises me for being as close to the perfect wife and mother as he ever imagined. The truth is rather different. Six months ago I saw a ralph lauren outlet online very expensive bag in a department store way out of my reach and bought it on the credit card. I got such a thrill that I d ralph lauren outlet online id this again and again until that card was maxed out and then I got some more cards. I am now 15,000 in debt and feel like there is no light at the end of this tunnel.

A: I FEEL that you require more help than I can possibly offer in this column, and most urgently you need some solid financial advice. I am assuming from your letter that your husband is unaware of your out of control spending.

As uncomfortable as it may be to break all of his false ideas about your abilities as a wife, it is crucial for you to tell him what’s happened.

He is your partner and you must be honest with him. You will have to work out how to get yourself out of this debt, and it may even be possible to return your expensive items or even sell them as secondhand and make a bit of money back from them.

I strongly advise you to face up to this immediately and do not let it roll over into next year. For the sake of your conscience and your marriage, as well as your financial security, it must be dealt with urgently.

Q: EVERY winter I put on weight and then the focus of my summers are to lose the weight. I can already feel the fat creeping in around my waist. And now with Christmas coming, it seems like a great excuse to go completely mad and eat all the stuff that’s on my banned list when I am being good. Most people have a winter and summer wardrobe according to what’s weather appropriate my winter wardrobe is two sizes bigger than my summer one. What can I do to break this cycle.

A: THIS is really just a habit that you have got into, simply because we all face the added pressure of revealing more skin during the summertime. It’s easy to wrap up in winter woolies and let our bodies grow heavier in winter, and in many ways it’s a perfectly natural reaction to colder weather.

But it’s really important to also keep an eye on how much weight you’re gaining, as there are so many problems and diseases associated with excess body fat, particularly around your middle.

My advice is to stay active throughout the winter months. Go out for a walk or jog daily, or join a gym and get involved in some fun classes. Staying fit will also help you to make better food choices.

Rather than having a list of banned foods that encourage a binge over the festive seaso ralph lauren outlet online n, allow yourself a treat once a week or fortnight, as long as you’re eating healthily the rest of the time.

Focus on eating more plant foods than animal foods and avoid sugar, processed foods, excess fat and alcohol as much as you possibly can. It is all about moderation, and keeping active is an essential part of surviving all of the winter temptations.

2) He a quarter Mexican. And a ralph lauren outlet online redhead. My friend son is also both of those things, which I assuming means there an enclav ralph lauren outlet online e of Mexican Redheads somewhere that nobody knows about.3) A la Mad Men, Slate appears to now be doing a TV Club on his show Louis. Unfortunately there only like 2 things to say about any one episode of Louis,thus making this particular incarnation of TV Club pretty damn boring.4) He totally awesome. In what other show can you meld an extensive, EXTENSIVE conversation about BJs with telling knock knock jokes to your two young daughters? Slate calls it traditional notions of plot and character ralph lauren outlet online development. I just call it fairly accurate depiction of my life goals. Maybe without the depression. Oh, and the lovely, lovely Children Books maven also has a quite decent post comparing Louis parenting prowess to ralph lauren outlet online the wisdom ofRichard Scarry.

I admit that I generally fond of Mary Kate and ralph lauren outlet online Ashley Olsen. As a kid I watched all their straight to VHS movies about saving the wild west and meeting cute boys in Hawaii, which helps me now when I doing those things in real life. But I must say: Their latest clothing line, Olsenboye, is even worse than their acting.

I was more than just disappointed by the affordable collection

(available at JCPenny) I was confused. These girls know fashion, and they know merchandising. Fame made the Olsens into total moguls before they could even g ralph lauren outlet online et driver licenses. They raked in so much with lifestyle brands that movies probably became an unnecessary annoyance.

As young adults, they celebrities who don really do anything but get snapped by paparazzi, looking chic and too small for their sunglasses and venti Starbucks cups. They became style icons and single handedly (er, double handedly?) ushered in the Great Boho Craze of the year 2000 and whatever with their penchant for undone hair and oversized everything. They always stylish, so it a good thing they stayed relevant by designing clothes instead of spewing out needless pop albums or becoming irritating spokes models for dise ralph lauren outlet online ases no one has forgotten about.

The Row is free of prints and full of cool silhouettes:

Hunting Dress in Black, $550. Check out the artsy website.

Elizabeth and James is a line with similar designer prices, but more personality:

WTF? I rather just wear the stupid fake vintage sports tee underneath.

So here the real problem: they marketing to tweens, basically, but tweens ralph lauren outlet online are too obsessed with High School Musical or Twilight or whatever to care who the Olsens are. The only girls who give a damn are in their 20s and simply admire them for their sense of high fashion.

I have three basic needs when traveling with my bike: to protect my precious cargo, pack it quick and easy and get past check in witho ralph lauren outlet online ut paying excess baggage fees.

The way air travel is these days, you’d be hard pressed to find a carrier that hands out mixed nuts for free. But the Aerus Biospeed Bicycle Travel Case does such a fine job of tucking your bike into a neat, inconspicuous package, if done properly, you’ll check it as a bag, pack everything else into a carry on and keep the cash in your wallet where it belongs.

What’s so special about the Aerus soft case? For starters, it ralph lauren outlet online doesn’t scream “BIKE!” It measures a discreet 48x28x10, and weighs in at around 30 pounds with a bike. I literally throw it over my shoulder with the padded strap it comes with for that very reason. The only logo you’ll find is the Aerus name. So as long as you don’t walk up to the counter looking like a poster child for the bike industry, there’s a good chance you’ll pull it off and keep your coin.

Because of this case, I have breaking my bike down to a science: Remove handlebars and strap them to the fork; pull out seat post and slide it into the side pocket; remove wheels, quick releases, stow in bags and slide into side pockets; remove rear derailleur, tuck it into the nifty derailleur po ralph lauren outlet online uch and strap it to the frame. Once the bike’s appendages are battened down, I anchor it by the bottom bracket to the foam docking station on the floor of the bag. It comes with a padded panel to wrap around the top tube for extra care. I don’t think its’ intentional, but the wheels reinforce the walls. And voila! I zip this sturdy pocket of protection up wit ralph lauren outlet online hout a care.

I’m always surprised by how easy it is to travel with my Aerus bike bag. Granted, I’m 5 foot 4, but the rep at Blue says it can accommodate up to a 61cm frame and integrated seat masts by removing crank arms and such. A 2 inch thick, nylon encased pad lines the bottom and both sides, insulating your bike even more from what might lurk beyond the conveyor belt. Liz Reap Carlson

Detroit is a knock around town. The roads are rough, the people resilient, the weather well, let’s not talk about the weather this time of year. Detroit is a tough town and that’s why it’s a perfect place to test out a classic motorcycle/scooter bag made by the people of Aerostitch, in Duluth, Minnesota. Up there, they realize what the term “useful durability” means to riders of all two wheeled vehicles. Since 1983, Aerostitch has been providing high quality motorcycling gear, being especially famous for their iron tough Roadcrafter riding suits, amongst others. To look through one of their catalogs is a thing of joy, especiall ralph lauren outlet online y if you are a gear hound like me. They make professional gear for serious riders. Sure, it largely isn’t cheap, but when something works well and lasts for years, what is the real cost? They offer repair services, as well, so consider that if the worst happens.

More Photos

Over my years of traveling, commuting and fun riding on my scoots, I’ve tried messenger bags, shoulder packs and back packs. All of them were just OK, and compromises abounded. Some were too small or too big, some too uncomfortable to wear, some just slipped off your shoulder. Solar batteries got weak, stitches came loose and some of them got dirty just sitting there. They were all OK, but none of them were ideal.

Santa was kind this year and somehow got me just what I wanted a day glow, high visibility Aerostitch “Dispatch” bag. The Dispatch is the smaller of the medium sized bags that they make, surrounded by the (smaller) “Letter” Bag, the larger “Courier” and the truly gigantic “Parcel” Bag. All feature similar construction, with heavy duty Cordura Nylon reinforced with heavy vinyl, all made in the USA. They are simple bags, with a strap, a flap and some buckles. Look closer through, and you see real hand stitching (by machine), some of which is double and triple stitched. Too simple you say? It’s the way that these simple features combine with the quality materials that makes Aerostitch bags so good.

I specified my Aerostitch Dispatch to come fully equipped. I added a optional grip strip internal organizer pocket for small items and a small zippered pocket to go on the strap. I opened my perfect gift and was eager to get the fun started. Sadly, Chr ralph lauren outlet online istmas day saw more snow on top of the base layer that we already had. ralph lauren outlet online Two weeks later, the sun came out and the scoot did too. I loaded up the Aerostitch and headed out.

Let me tell you a little bit about my job I work for a company that some remote branch that processes credit cards. I don’t work for that branch, but the security required for that results in a fully locked down laptop a heavy, bulky laptop. The client company where I was working then had a similar locked down, bulky laptop, both of which I had to carry several times a week. I also carry a Macbook Air and generally a lunch and a canteen of water. Was there enough room for all this stuff? I was about to find out.

I carefully loaded up the roomy Dispatch with all of this stuff. Two PCs (one with power supply and mouse), a Mac, my lunch and the various bits and bobs required for modern office life. It all just barely fit, and I had to adjust the keeper straps and the massive slab of grip strip up to accommodate the challenging load. I looped the wide strap over my head, adjusted the thick shoulder pad (itself a luxury item) over my shoulder, adjusted the big side release buckle to carry the bag slightly high, and headed out on the Reflex. Once the Dispatch settled in on the back of the seat, it disappeared. I felt the load sitting against my back, but the bag never moved. Since it has a flat bottom, it just sat on the seat, and with the strap crossways across my chest and the fuzzy, grippy shoulder pad sitting comfortably on my right shoulder, it felt secure. I got to work and slung the bag off. Everything was intact, and it was easy to unpack as well.

After a few more weeks riding experience with the Dispatch I can conclude that although it’s not flashy, nor really cutting edge, the simple, reliable, dare I say it, indestructible Aerostitch Dispatch bag (and its brothers) are very highly recommended. It’s just enough, with the simple but rugged construction, thoughtful touches like a large 3M reflective stripe and the aforementioned giant slab of grip strip closing surface. The accessories that I ordered are as useful, with the add in pocket having six pockets (one clear and zippered) and a good grip on the matching interior grip strip surface of the bag, and the small clear fronted zippered pocket holding my two parking and building access passes.

The only drawbacks are that indeed, the bright hi vis color did get a little dusty, but a damp cloth removed that and the occasional scuff that one gets swinging a bag around a dirty scooter in mid winter riding conditions in Detroit. The side release strap clip gets a bit fussy at the end of its travel as well. So much for the negatives. The standard key hook and single pocket in the bag work wonderfully, leaving all that big, beautiful room inside for my stuff. The bag just works and even with the occasional rain shower and light snow, not one drop of liquid got into the bag. In a heavy downpour, I’d suggest a waterproof bag around sensitive contents, as the side edges of the bag are not actually sealed. That said, the Aerostitch Dispatch bag ralph lauren outlet online was good enough to safely get my employer’s computers back and forth through the middle of January in Detroit. I’d recommend the Dispatch bag as a starter, but even now I’m looking at the massive Parcel bag just in case I have to do a weeks worth of shopping on the scoot. They’ve also added waxed cotton versions of the Dispatch, Courier and Letter bags, just to make sure that you have a good time looking at their catalog or website. Everyone should have at least one Aerostitch bag.

Upright break g’s: 2500g / 64 = 39G

After a frame by frame analysis of the video of the experiment (which could not be uploaded), it was found that it took the egg 12 frame ralph lauren outlet online s ralph lauren outlet online to make a complete revolution in the 30 fps quality. Therefore:

G’s: centripetal acceleration / gravity = 75.21m/s2/9.81m/s2 = 7.674 G’sThe camera flew off of the box because the tape could not hold the g’s required to break the eggs. The camera subsequently broke the eggs as it hit them at high velocity. It is thus observed that very high g’s, perhaps even too many for the class centrifuge, are re ralph lauren outlet online quired to break the eggs, as they did not break even at a high rate of spin.

The team is awaiting improvements on the camera mount for more insightful results.

It has been concluded that a stronger camera mount is required so that the g’s required to break the eg ralph lauren outlet online gs are reached. A better camera mount is also needed to protect the camera. The team, as well as the class, realized that eggs are surprisingly g force resistant.

Robotic dragonflies could be the next explorers on Mars, and a new design is already buzzing around on Earth. Developed by Festo, the mechanical insect exploits the unique mechanics of four winged flight, allowing it to fly in all directions, hover in mid air and glide without beating its wings (see video above).

Each wing’s motion can be fine tuned by controlling its amplitude, flapping frequency and thrust which is achieved by adjusting its tilt and twist. The team says a smartphone can act as a remote control to put the dragonfly almost anywhere in a given space.

Although it appears to be considerably larger than a real dragonfly, the robot is light thanks to a carbon fibre frame and flexible polymer shell. That structure holds a microcontroller, mechanical components, sensors and wireless modules, showing how different functions can be integrated and miniaturised

If you enjoyed this video, watch robot penguins take to the water and the skies or check out a shape shifting robotic bird.

You could soon see glowing objects in the sky: psychedelic planes are being developed. The aim is better aerodynamics, though, rather than ralph lauren outlet online messing with your mind.

Plasma, which makes neon lights glow, can also create jets of air to help propel small plan ralph lauren outlet online es when generated over wings. In this video, captured by Berkant Goeksel and colleagues at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany, the effect on the airflow is visible on a test wing as it extinguishes the flame from a lighter. Another clip, captured in a wind tunnel, shows how ionised gas can help regain lift. The wing is placed at a high angle of attack, a position in which it often experiences loss of lift. But the flow is excited when the plasma is turned on, allowing the wing to rise up again. The wing is loosely mounted in this demo to make the difference in lift visible.

A rare amateur video of the Challenger shuttle disaster has surfaced in Hicksville, New York, over 25 years after the tragic event when seven astronauts lost their lives.

Captured by registered nurse Bob Karman, the chilling raw footage was filmed from Orlando airport, just 80 kilometres from the launch site, as he was returning from a family vacation at Disney World. His late wife and 3 year old daughter Kim, who now works at New Scientist, are visible in the beginning of the clip. “After shooting the video, I had a sense that something went wrong but it wasn’t until we were on the plane that the pilot confirmed the tragedy,” he says.

Karman always remembered filming the event but it was only recently, while researching historic amateur videos, that he became aware of the video’s rarity. Captured in an era that precedes mobile phones, when few people owned camcorders, it’s one of few video recordings of the disaster by a member of the public. In 2010, an article in The Guardian documented the discovery of a similar video, claiming that it was the only one in existence.

According to NASA spokesperson Michael Curie, NASA does not have ralph lauren outlet online a collection of amateur videos of the disaster. “The Rogers Commission used all the NASA photography and videos in its investigation but we do not know if they used outside amateur videos,” he says.

The clip was digitised last month from an old VHS tape. Karman believes he could be the only living person to have documented the tragedy on home video.

For more space related videos, check out the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour or watch our video special of key events that took Apollo to the moon.

The roar of a rocket motor at a test range in Texas seems to herald America’s intent to launch people back into space. Built by SpaceX of Hawthorne, California, it’s one of eight rockets that will be fitted into the conical flanks of the Dragon manned spacecraft. The capsule will allow for propulsive landings on Earth, the Moon or Mars as well as helping astronauts escape a fiery end if the rocket below them explodes.

The motors are hypergolic, meaning that they spontaneously ignite when their two fuels mix. Unlike a solid rocket motor that has to burn fully like a firework, this allows them to be switched on and off at will. Another advantage is that the fuels don’t need to be cooled cryogenically.

In the event of an accident, however, volatile hypergolic fuels can be extremely dangerous. “The Komet’s fulminating rocket fuels would explode spontaneously when mixed in even minute quantities and on one hideous occasion had actually dissolved a pilot alive before rescuers could free him from his crashed aircraft,” he writes.

Since those early days, aerospace engineers have learned a lot about hypergolic rocket motor safety and SpaceX will no doubt have the tanks well protected.

If you enjoyed this post, watch a rocket sled eject a mannequin or see a nanorocket propel itself through liquid.

In this video, the cargo sliding out a plane’s back chute are giant water balloons developed by Boeing to fight wildfires. Specialised air tankers containing fire retardant or water are typically used to control fires but the US Forest Service only has 11 available for use. So Boeing is planning to equip other aircraft for the task by loading them up with cardboard crates lined with biodegradable bags. Air resistance rips the cardboard lid off, tearing off strips fixed to the box and releasing water.

You can read our full blog post about the technique here.

If you enjoyed this video, check out other achievements in aviation including the world’s first 3D plane and the most efficient way to board an airliner.

Boarding a plane can be a frustrating experience as all the passengers clamber through the aisle at the same time to find a seat. But now Jason Steffen, an astrophysicist at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois, has come up with a more effi ralph lauren outlet online cient method after running computer simulations. In this video, you can watch a group of people test it out.

You can read our full story on the technique here.

If you enjoyed this video, you might like to see an animation of the next generation of supersonic jets or watch a plane fly through the night for the first time using only solar power.

You no longer need high tech machines to create a plane. Armed with a 3D printer, Jim Scanlan from the University of Southampton and his team designed and built a drone in just a week. Even moving parts were produced all in one go doing away with the need for assembly. In this video, you can watch the plane take to the skies for the first time in an airfield close to Stonehenge in the UK.

Aerosol spray is a type of dispensing system which creates an aerosol mi ralph lauren outlet online st of liquid particles. This is used with a can or bottle that contains a liquid under pressure. When the container’s valve is opened, the liquid is forced out of a small hole and emerges as an aerosol or mist. As gas expands to drive out the payload,

some propellant evaporates inside the can to maintain an even pressure. Outside the can, the droplets of propellant evaporate rapidly, leaving the payload suspended as very fine particles or droplets. Typical liquids dispensed in this way are insecticides, deodorants and paints. An atomizer is a similar device that is pressurised by a hand operated pump rather than by stored gas.

The concepts of aerosol probably goes as far back as 1790.[1] The first aerosol spray can was invented in Oslo in Novenmber 23 1927 by Erik Rotheim, a Norwegian chemical engineer.[1] The patent was sold to a US company for 100,000 Norwegian kroner.[2] The Norwegian Post Office celebrated the invention by issuing a stamp in 1998.[3]

In 1939, American Julian S. Kahn received a patent for a disposable spray can[4], but the product remained largely undeveloped. It was not until 1941 that the aerosol spray can was first put to good use by Americans Lyle Goodhue and William Sullivan, who are credited as the inventors of the modern spray can.[5] Their design of a refillable spray can dubbed the “bug bomb”, was patented in 1943, and is the ancestor of many popu ralph lauren outlet online lar commercial spray products. Pressurized by liquefied gas, which gave it propellant qualities, the small, portable can enabled soldiers to defend against malaria carrying mosquitoes by spraying inside tents in the Pacific during World War II.[6] In 1948, three companies were granted licenses by the United States government to manufacture aerosols. Two of the three companies still manufacture aerosols to this day, Chase Products Company and Claire Manufacturing. The “crimp on valve”, used to control the spray was developed in 1949 by Bronx machine shop proprietor Robert H. Abplanalp.[5]If aerosol cans were simply filled with compressed gas, it would either need to be at a dangerously high pressure or the amount of gas in the can would be small, and would rapidly deplete. Usually the gas is the vapor of a liquid with boiling point slightly lower than room temperature. This means that inside the pressurised can, the vapor can exist in equilibrium with its bulk liquid at a pressure that is higher than atmospheric pressure (and able to expel the payload), but not dangerously high. As gas escapes, it is immediately replaced by evaporating liquid. Since the propellant exists in liquid form in the can, it should be miscible with the payload or dissolved in the payload.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were once often used, but since the Montreal Protocol came into force in 1989, they have been replaced in nearly every country due to the negative effects CFCs have on Earth’s ozone layer. The most common replacements are mixtures of volatile hydrocarbons, typically propane, n butane and isobutane. Dimethyl ether (DME) and methyl ethyl ether are also used. All these have the disadvantage of being flammable. Nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide are also used as propellants to deliver foodstuffs (for example, whipped cream and cooking spray). The valve can be preassembled with the valve cup and installed on the can as one piece, prior to pressure filling. The actuator is added later.

Modern aerosol spray products have three major parts; the can, the valve and the actuator or button. The can is most commonly lacquered tinplate (steel with a layer of tin) and may be made of 2 or 3 pieces of metal crimped together. Aluminium cans are also common and are generally used for more expensive products. The valve ralph lauren outlet online is crimped to the rig of the can, the design of this component is important in determining the spray rate. The actuator is depressed by the user to open the valve; the shape and size of the nozzle in the actuator controls the spread of the aerosol spray.

that uses a piston barrier system is often used for highly viscous products such as post foaming hair gels, thick creams and lotions, food spreads and industrial products and sealants. The main benefit of the piston barrier system is that is assures separation of the product from the propellant, maintaining the purity and integrity of the formulation throughout its consumer lifespan. The piston barrier system also provides a controlled and uniform product discharge rate with minimal product retention and is economical.

Another type of dispensing system is the bag in can system (or BOV “bag on valve”). This system separates the product from the pressurizing agent with a hermetically sealed, multi layered laminated pouch, which maintains complete formulatio ralph lauren outlet online n integrity so only pure product is dispensed. Among its many benefits, the bag in can system extends a product’s shelf life. The bag on valve, or ABS, is widely used by sun care marketers for its benefits: all attitude (360 degree) dispensing, quiet and non chilling discharge. They do not use compressed air, but rather other inert gasses.

There are two main areas of health concern linked to aerosol cans:

Deliberate inhalation of the contents to gain a high from the propellant

The piggy backing of more dangerous particles into the respiratory tracts1. ^ a b Bellis, Mary The History of Aerosol Spray Cans

2. ^ Kvilesj, Svend Ole (17 February 2003). “Sprayboksens far er norsk” (in Norwegian). Aftenposten. Retrieved on 6 February 2009.

3. ^ Image of the Norway Postage stamp

4. ^ Carlisle, Rodney (2004). Scientific American Inventions and Discoveries, p.402. John Wiley Songs, Inc., New Jersey. ISBN 0471244104.

6. ^ Core, Jim, Rosalie Marion Bliss, and Alfredo Flores. (September 2005) “ARS Partners With Defense Department To Protect Troops From Insect Vectors”. Agricultural Research MagazineVol. 53, No. 9 .

Welcome To Our Archive Site Switch Made Information about the switch Planned Move Wednesday, June 19 Are you ready for the new website? Anything to Declare? TSA Reverses Ruling on Knives How Safe is Your Carry On Bag AA’s New Boarding Policy Explained New Forum Categories Bye Bye “Nude o scopes” Bags for Sale Should You Trust Tripadvisor? Gear Review: Lat 56 Holdall How Much Room Under The Airline Seat? Hong Kong Duck Deflated Airline Fee Fever Another Reason to Pack Noise Cancelling Headphones Airlines Pay For Damaged Bags? Eagle Creek News Sale Still Not Sure If You Should Carry On? Gear Review: Lat 56 Small Messenger Case Unusual Sighting in Hong Kong Harbor Frontier Airlines To Start Charging Some Pax for Carry On United Increases Change Fee

Background: Until recently, and for several years, I used an MEI Voyageur for all of my carry on travel. I love the MEI’s backpack harness and hip belt, but don’t like that it’s one compartment and has no real shaping (ergo, it flops around like a duffel bag). I decided to try the RedOxx SkyTrain and the Bihn Aeronaut to see whether one of them would be an overall better solution.

Impressions: At a high level, these bags are similar. Multi compartment, backpack optional, and in the same ballpark in terms of volume. They’re VERY well constructed, with many thoughtful design features and top notch materials/stitching, and either should hold up for many years of traveling, if not a lifetime.

Testing: To test the two bags, I put together all the things I’d pack for a 2 week trip (which assumes having some capability to launder things at the destination). This worked out to just about 20 lbs of stuff, and doesn’t include things I normally carry on my person, like electronic doodads and what goes in the “personal item”. I also had a Bihn Absolute Strap which I used with both bags. I used bundle packing with both bags, and also tried packing cubes with the Aeronaut.

Findings: Both bags were able to accommodate my 2 week trip stuff, wi ralph lauren outlet online th a little volume left over. The bags are similar weight wise, and so each packed bag tipped the scale at just under 20 lbs. Because of the SkyTrain design, bundle packing was easier than with the Aeronaut (which critically lacks cinch straps and has a harder entry to negotiate with a large bundle). Because of the inherent nature of the Cordura used on the SkyTrain, it was more prone to bulge and sag than the Aeronaut (I didn’t try packing the bags to the gills, though, which could have evened out the results). I also preferred the main carrying handle on the SkyTrain, which was more comfortable.

However, ralph lauren outlet online in the end, I chose the Aeronaut for a couple of important reasons. First, I found the backpack straps on the SkyTrain not to work as well as the Aeronauts. They were more uncomfortable with 20 lbs of weight, and they also were treated (like the shoulder pad on the Absolute Strap) with a tacky finish that made going to/from backpack mode very difficult, as the straps would “grab” onto my ralph lauren outlet online shirt/jacket fabric and not easily ease into/out of shoulder position. I also found the end compartments on the Aeronaut to be more versatile than the full length compartments on the SkyTrain, and the grab handles on the ends well designed for overhead bins and general carrying, and staying out of the way when not needed.

A couple of Aeronaut caveats: This bag is ideally packed using packing cubes. Unlike with bundle packing, however, cubes are more prone to cause wrinkling, so you need to prepare by choosing appropriate clothing, using tricks like folding with dry cleaner bags, or “unwrinkling” at your destination. The other caveat is that ralph lauren outlet online while this bag has a lot of useful volume, it may be a little too big for some uses. For instance, European airlines have pretty strict size/weight restrictions that a slightly smaller bag would make easier to meet. Word is that Bihn may be designing a more svelte version of the Aeronaut (and larger than their Western Flyer), which could solve this potential issue for some travelers (pending how it works in the real world).

Finally, you won’t go far wrong with either bag, and which one will make your happier really depends on your own traveling style and needs. I wonder if the SkyTrain and the Western Flyer might not be a more apples to apples comparison. But even then I think you are dealing with two different sizes and thus not a fair comparison. I think your summary statement is correct in that a major difference is the bundle method vs packing cubes and wrinkles may be the deciding factor for anyone.

I am not sure why Tom Bihn doesn’t go right at the Air Boss market and make something like the Sky Train but larger. I like my Aeronaut but on my last trip I had to iron a few shirts out of the packing cubes because the wrinkles were just too horrible to ignore. It was then I started to think about the Air Boss and SkyTrain.

I also appreciate your notes on the backpack straps for the SkyTrain. I often look at the straps used by Red Oxx and wonder why they are so old school. I’ve asked them about it and they seem to think they’re just fine with respect to comfort. I always assumed that if the old basic strap was just as comfortable as the new ergo design you see in most straps today that we would see everyone using that old design.

Matt M: The “competition” would have been much closer if Red Oxx had supplied the Sky Train with contoured backpack straps and left off the tacky surface, both of which significantly detracted from its utility. Likewise, if the Aeronaut had an option for internal, adjustable stay straps to keep bundle wrapped cargo in place, it would give customers the choice they should have (IMHO). While the Aeronaut’s “hatch” is not as easy for getting bundles into the pack as the Sky Train’s wide open “mouth”, it can be done, but without stay straps bundle wrapping won’t maintain its form (which in turn prevents wrinkling).

As I said, I suspected the comfort of the straps on the Sky Train was going to be an issue just based on looks alone and you seem to have confirmed that. I did email Red Oxx a while ago and asked them why they didn’t go for the contoured straps and the reply was something along the lines that it wasn’t really necessary or they didn’t really provide any extra comfort. It’s too bad really because I want to like the Sky Train but one reason I didn’t go for the Air Boss was because I don’t like the comfort issue of having a heavy bag on one shoulder. But I have to admit that while I will easily torture myself to great pain during exercise, I am a big wimp when it comes to carrying bags.

If Tom Bihn decides to keep his straps and go for a larger version of the Western Flyer (to match the Sky Train or Air Boss capacity), I think he’d have a good number of customers. or recreational cal continental airlines decline this spirit airlines profit report .