Tom Bihn Techonaut 30 vs. Patagonia Black Hole® Mini MLC® 26L
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Tom Bihn Techonaut 30
| Capacity | 30 L |
| Weight | 1 kg |
| Dimensions | 50×32×21 cm |
| Airline fit | 73% |
| Price | $400 |
Feature by feature
| Tom Bihn Techonaut 30 | Feature | Patagonia Black Hole® Mini MLC® 26L |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| N | Compression | N |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 1 | Opening | 1 |
| top | Passport | top |
| Y | Passthrough | Y |
| Carry | ||
| hideable | Backpack | hideable |
| removable | Hip Belt | removable |
| removable | Sternum Strap | removable |
| Inside | ||
| 16in | Laptop | 16in |
| 5 | Main Compartments | 3 |
| N | Organizer | Y |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | N |
| 1, side | Water Bottle Holder | 1, side |
| Y | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| 400d Halcyon/420d nylon ripstop exterior | 8.7-oz 300-denier 100% postconsumer recycled polyester ripstop with a postindustrial recycled TPU-film laminate |
Patagonia Black Hole® Mini MLC® 26L
| Capacity | 26 L |
| Weight | 1.3 kg |
| Dimensions | 52×30×18 cm |
| Airline fit | 88% |
| Price | $200 |
Key differences between the Tom Bihn Techonaut 30 and Patagonia Black Hole® Mini MLC® 26L
- Main compartments: 5 on the Tom Bihn Techonaut 30; 3 on the Patagonia Black Hole® Mini MLC® 26L.
- Built-in organizer: No on the Tom Bihn Techonaut 30; Yes on the Patagonia Black Hole® Mini MLC® 26L.
Both have: passport pocket, luggage passthrough, backpack straps, hip belt, sternum strap, laptop sleeve, water bottle pockets, water resistant.
Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on
We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 134 accept both. 4 accept only the Tom Bihn Techonaut 30, and 33 accept only the Patagonia Black Hole® Mini MLC® 26L.
Only the Tom Bihn Techonaut 30 fits
Etihad Airways, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian.
Only the Patagonia Black Hole® Mini MLC® 26L fits
Air Baltic, Air China, Air Malta, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Blue Air, Bulgaria Air, China Eastern, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, flybe, Icelandair, InselAir, Juneyao Airlines, Luxair, Meridiana Fly, Nordwind Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, Ryanair, S7, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sun Express, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), TUI, Ukraine International, VIM Airlines (Closed), Volotea, Xiamen.
Tom Bihn Techonaut 30 vs. Patagonia Black Hole® Mini MLC® 26L: which should you pack?
The Tom Bihn Techonaut 30 carries 4L more than the Patagonia Black Hole® Mini MLC® 26L (30L vs. 26L), while the Tom Bihn Techonaut 30 is the lighter pack at 1kg (vs. 1.3kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Patagonia Black Hole® Mini MLC® 26L fits 88% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Tom Bihn Techonaut 30; if you want to travel lighter, the Tom Bihn Techonaut 30 is the better call.