Hi. New to the forum - looks like a ton of great info. I take a lot of overnight trips requiring a change of clothes (sometimes 2) and my laptop. I would like to find a rolling, vertical carryon that has sufficient laptop protection. Of course, the smaller the better for carryons. Any advice? I've spent some considerable time on ebags and others but the number of choices is a little overwhelming. Thanks for your help.
Can you give us a little more info on what is required? That will help narrow down the choices.
For example, what is contained in "change of clothes or two"? Only shirts and underwear or a complete second suit or another pair of shoes?
Also, what and how much do you cary in terms of tech equipment and files? Do you have for example a 17" laptop and big file folders or a more moderate load? Will you use your existing laptop briefcase inside the rolling bag? Or do you want a rolling bag that is actually more the size of a briefcase rather than the size of a 22" roller?
All of these will help us to determine what might best fit your needs. I know the hundreds of models on ebags can be overwhelming.
Surf the recent threads a little, too. There are similar topics here that might be helpful.
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If you are looking for something on the budget end of the spectrum, I would look no farther than Target for a bag by Swiss Gear. I used a Hartman for close to 10 years and put a tremendous amount of mileage on it. I wanted a new bag that matched a similar criteria as yourself but I don't travel as often as I used to. Buying a new Hartman was out of the question so I decided to give the Swiss Gear bag a try. Not bad and I have plenty of room for my belongings. I recently used it on a business trip of four days with a suit and relaxed clothing. Not a problem for the bag.
Can you give us a little more info on what is required? That will help narrow down the choices.
For example, what is contained in "change of clothes or two"? Only shirts and underwear or a complete second suit or another pair of shoes?
Also, what and how much do you cary in terms of tech equipment and files? Do you have for example a 17" laptop and big file folders or a more moderate load? Will you use your existing laptop briefcase inside the rolling bag? Or do you want a rolling bag that is actually more the size of a briefcase rather than the size of a 22" roller?
All of these will help us to determine what might best fit your needs. I know the hundreds of models on ebags can be overwhelming.
Surf the recent threads a little, too. There are similar topics here that might be helpful.
Cheers,
Till
Sorry for the slow reply - been traveling. I have a 15" laptop and carry the "normal" gear for it (portable hard drive, power supply, mouse, etc) so nothing too large. I normally have a couple of fairly thin files, and a book.
As far as clothes - luckily I don't need to travel with suits. A change of clothes would amount to a pair of jeans, shirt, underwear, socks and maybe a small jacket.
I would prefer an vertical roller that would not require me to use a separate laptop bag inside of it. Hopefully, there is a roller that offers enough laptop protection. If I had to, for more protection, I could use the sleeve that's currently inside my Brenthaven backpack in the roller.
If you are looking for something on the budget end of the spectrum, I would look no farther than Target for a bag by Swiss Gear. I used a Hartman for close to 10 years and put a tremendous amount of mileage on it. I wanted a new bag that matched a similar criteria as yourself but I don't travel as often as I used to. Buying a new Hartman was out of the question so I decided to give the Swiss Gear bag a try. Not bad and I have plenty of room for my belongings. I recently used it on a business trip of four days with a suit and relaxed clothing. Not a problem for the bag.
Thanks. I will take a look. Initially, it does not look like this bag has a dedicated laptop pocket.
Thanks for the info. If I understand you correctly there is actually not really that much stuff to take even all together with clothes and professional supplies. I know you said you wanted a roller and a vertical one at that. Why so?
In your case, a privileged and rare one, it would be ideal to just travel with a hand/shoulder carried briefcase that has an extra compartment for a change of clothes.
There are people who'd kill for that. Imagine how easily you will zip through security and never be asked to gate check your bag. I am jealous just thinking of it.
In my experience that kind of packing list should end up around 15lb or 18lb max. That weight can easily be shoulder or hand carried by a man and most women. Getting a vertical rolling case will only add extraneous weight in terms of frame and wheels and it will give you more volume than what you need. There are also some neat backpack options. The Trillium bag I just posted about here would fit the bill nicely. Room for files, clothes, peripherals and an extra sleeve for the computer which can be used solo. The bag can be carried like a briefcase, a shoulder bag and like a backpack. Cost is $150 or 160. Very reasonable for such a well designed product.
If you do want wheels, I'd go for wheels that you can ditch when you get sick of the weight. Something like the EZM Mvision T500 (see other thread here) or an expanded Tumi 26141 with a Samsonite Micromover cart (it's what I have) will do. I can guarantee that these bags will offer good protection and fit your change of clothes because I tried it in my Tumi. The T500 with cart should be around $270 and Sebastian, a fellow Fter, just got one. He will post more impressions about it soon I hope. The Tumi with Samsonite roller will probably be around $350 unless you can find both at outlet prices.
Otherwise, Andiamo Bravo has some discontinued rolling briefcases that are awesome and heavily discounted but have no warranty and the wheels are fix on the case which means the case itself weighs 8lb, as much as a 20" vertical roller.
If you do absolutely want a vertical roller, I'd get the discontinued Travelpro Platinum5 19" model. Read my review of the 22 incher on www.1bag1world.com. That one still has full lifetime warranty incl. airline damage on it and can be had for around $100.
I'd simply get a slim sleeve with a strap for your laptop so you can carry that around once you arrive at your destination.
More general advice would be to look for a bag in the 36-38 linear inch category (add up H+W+D) without wheels. Don't go higher than 40 linear inches and don't do wheels unless you absolutely must because you have a back problem or something like that where you cannot carry anything.
Thanks Till. You are certainly a wealth of information. I will look into all of these options. I guess the reason I was contemplating the vertical roller was because on rare occasion I do need to carry some extra gear. It may be smarter, however, to get a smaller bag for most trips and just add a 2nd bag when I need to carry more.
Thanks Till. You are certainly a wealth of information. I will look into all of these options. I guess the reason I was contemplating the vertical roller was because on rare occasion I do need to carry some extra gear. It may be smarter, however, to get a smaller bag for most trips and just add a 2nd bag when I need to carry more.
Thanks again.
Indeed, much smarter to get a bag as small as possible for normal use and add a second one for those times you need to bring more.
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I've been looking at bags for similar travel requirements and saw this Eagle Creek Tarmac Plus One bag at REI today and really liked it.
I want something to carry:
Up to 15" Computer and other electronics: ipod, noise reduction headset, chargers
1-2 days of clothes: business casual, no suits (usually wear my sport coat if required for meetings)
Usual shaving/personal needs and the quart bag for liquids.
Might need extra pair of shoes and clothes for working out
The size with the backpack atached is 14 x 19 x 15 which is technically too big for the baggage sizer (9X14X22), but maybe passes muster of most GA's.
I liked the size and the design that the computer bag zips onto the rest of the bag, so it looks more like a single carry on. The computer bag is also a backpack and includes a strap to go around the handle if I ever need to use a larger roller board.
Do wonder if the almost $300 price is too much, but I like Eagle Creek and know people that had good luck with other bags.
I've been looking at bags for similar travel requirements and saw this Eagle Creek Tarmac Plus One bag at REI today and really liked it.
I want something to carry:
Up to 15" Computer and other electronics: ipod, noise reduction headset, chargers
1-2 days of clothes: business casual, no suits (usually wear my sport coat if required for meetings)
Usual shaving/personal needs and the quart bag for liquids.
Might need extra pair of shoes and clothes for working out
The size with the backpack atached is 14 x 19 x 15 which is technically too big for the baggage sizer (9X14X22), but maybe passes muster of most GA's.
I liked the size and the design that the computer bag zips onto the rest of the bag, so it looks more like a single carry on. The computer bag is also a backpack and includes a strap to go around the handle if I ever need to use a larger roller board.
Do wonder if the almost $300 price is too much, but I like Eagle Creek and know people that had good luck with other bags.
Certainly a good bag and my own experience with the brand would tell me that the price is justified. Do look around because prices around 20% better can be found online.
I wouldn't be as optimistic though in terms of passing muster with the gate agent. Even the height of 15" might make it quite difficult if not impossible to fit in most overheads. However, if you take the backpack off it should be no problem at all to get on board and to stow.
The only thing I wonder is whether this is not a tad too big for just 1-2 days. You might be able to get away with something smaller and lighter. An 18" boarding tote with a slim briefcase might do the trick as well and could be shoulder carried or wheeled with a cart. Would be around $100 cheaper, too. Depending on the tote you could even forego the extra briefcase and just use the tote as a briefcase.
And it would be absolutely ideal for what you propose. No extra briefcase necessary but a slim one will fit inside if needed. Tons of room, organizational features, loop for piggybacking. The big compartment is also easily big enough for a pair of shoes. Get an EC 15" folder for your shirts and for packing ease. This will weigh and cost half of the Tarmac model and be probably a smarter solution. It has three compartments: A big deep one in the center, a two inch deep one toward the body and a 1" deep compartment toward the front into which the computer can slip in a sleeve. Plus there is the front organizational compartment.
I test packed mine with a list for 2-3 days including laptop. No problemo.
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Ive gotten pretty interested in the Eagle Creek Tarmac Plus. I have been using a Skytrain combined with a briefcase. It works great for 1-2 day trips, which is a substantial part of my travel. But it really does get a bit heavy for 3-5 day trips. Plus I crapped up my knee a bit and walking through long airport corridors is not pleasant at the moment. I have a 4 day trip coming up this week and will probably just to my B&R roller (either my 18 inch or rolling cabin bag) plus a briefcase or other carry on bag sitting on top of it. But I like the idea of having one bag that I can roll around then split on the plane. Longer trips for me will typically be in AA or UA 762s or 777s. I suspect that if I ended up on an RJ I would have to certainly split the bag and possibly split it and check the rolling part. Does anyone have experience with this bag? Thanks for any comments.
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Nice bag. I like the concept and own an EC Super ORV Trunk myself. However, in the case you describe, I don't see a real conceptual difference between having either your BR 18" roller and a briefcase or other bag on top of it and this EC bag.
The overall dimensions might make gate agents nervous and ask for a gate check. You then have to explain. In any case, you'd have to separate the two modules because it won't fit in the overhead as one piece. In that case it is easier when you have two bags that are separate anyway. At least you don't have to fiddle undoing them or zipping them bag together but just stack them.
When you are rolling the bag it LOOKS like one bag. But in reality you are still rolling two bags. I don't see the difference of rolling two bags that are zipped together or two that are stacked except that stacked is faster; see above.
Now I do see one advantage and that is weight. The EC Tarmac weighs 8.5 lbs. The BR 18" weighs 8.4 and if you use your Redoxx Metro (that's what you'd use, no?) it adds 3.15 lbs. So basically, you would get an overall tare weight that is 3lb lighter. The combo of BR+Metro has 2670 cubic inches, the EC combined has 3050 cubic inches. So you do get a better volume to weight ratio, too.
Skytrain plus Metro get you to the same volume as EC Tarmac with 1.4lb to spare. Even if you add the super light EZM roller you are still lacking 0.4lb. http://www.ezm.com/mvision_cases/mroller.aspx
BUT you are $250 ahead, don't have another piece of luggage to deal with for packing optimization and storage, have a lower carbon footprint (if that matters to you), and you can use the cart for other things, too. Of course, that would be easier if the Redoxx bags had a handle slip and were a bit stiffer but it would still be possible.
Since you are rolling anyway, the 3lb you'd win over your current set-up don't seem so significant, unless you say it is hard for you to lift the BR into the bin with your knee injury.
I don't know, as cool as the EC Tarmac combo is, personally, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't spring for it.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tfar
Nice bag. I like the concept and own an EC Super ORV Trunk myself. However, in the case you describe, I don't see a real conceptual difference between having either your BR 18" roller and a briefcase or other bag on top of it and this EC bag.
The overall dimensions might make gate agents nervous and ask for a gate check. You then have to explain. In any case, you'd have to separate the two modules because it won't fit in the overhead as one piece. In that case it is easier when you have two bags that are separate anyway. At least you don't have to fiddle undoing them or zipping them bag together but just stack them.
When you are rolling the bag it LOOKS like one bag. But in reality you are still rolling two bags. I don't see the difference of rolling two bags that are zipped together or two that are stacked except that stacked is faster; see above.
Now I do see one advantage and that is weight. The EC Tarmac weighs 8.5 lbs. The BR 18" weighs 8.4 and if you use your Redoxx Metro (that's what you'd use, no?) it adds 3.15 lbs. So basically, you would get an overall tare weight that is 3lb lighter. The combo of BR+Metro has 2670 cubic inches, the EC combined has 3050 cubic inches. So you do get a better volume to weight ratio, too.
Skytrain plus Metro get you to the same volume as EC Tarmac with 1.4lb to spare. Even if you add the super light EZM roller you are still lacking 0.4lb. http://www.ezm.com/mvision_cases/mroller.aspx
BUT you are $250 ahead, don't have another piece of luggage to deal with for packing optimization and storage, have a lower carbon footprint (if that matters to you), and you can use the cart for other things, too. Of course, that would be easier if the Redoxx bags had a handle slip and were a bit stiffer but it would still be possible.
Since you are rolling anyway, the 3lb you'd win over your current set-up don't seem so significant, unless you say it is hard for you to lift the BR into the bin with your knee injury.
I don't know, as cool as the EC Tarmac combo is, personally, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't spring for it.
Till
Good points. Thanks. I dont remember, do you have the EZM roller? That looks very nice if it is easy to open and close and stable.
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"And the only sound that's left after the ambulances go
Is Cinderella sweeping up on Desolation Row"
Still, it fits in all of my carry-on bags and they all have sleeves or loops to attach them to it. So that's dandy. Maximum load is 50lb just like the EZM. Warranty should be easier to get honored than EZM. The wheels on the Sammy are ordinary skate wheels. Easily replaced. The EZM wheels look proprietary.
It also has two more advantages over the EZM. It comes with straps to secure stacked bags. But this could be rigged with an elastic cord on the EZM. And it only costs $25 instead of $50. Not too much money in the absolute but a 100% difference nonetheless.
So far it sounds like the Sammy is the better deal, right?
Well, I am not so sure. Why? Because it is a royal PITA to fold back together. Unfolding it already takes some skill but can be accomplished in under ten seconds. But folding it back together is not so easy and takes about 30 seconds. let me put it this way. I am not mechanically challenged but I still had to read the manual and it took me some time to figure out how the mechanism works. The mechanism on the EZM roller seems to be much smarter!
One thing to consider is that the outriggers that hold your luggage on the Sammy are deeper. Even a deeper bag will fit. But it would be a preferable that the bag be rather rigid or else it might slump between the outriggers. All of mine are rather rigid, so that is not a problem for me. One could also make the argument that on the EZM roller, even though it has a platform, the outside of the bag might slump if it is not a rigid bag. How much that matters in real life, I don't know. It's just a consideration.
So, for similar reasons that I wouldn't spring for the EC bag, I have a hard time shelling out $50 for the EZM roller or the very nice T500 bag ($255 with roller) because I already have the very similar Tumi 26141 and Micromover combo.
And now, a word of truth. I have not yet had an occasion where I actually felt I had a need for the cart. For me, I either have so much stuff that I can take my Plat5 roller and stack a briefcase on top, or I can do with two shoulder bags or in some cases with one shoulder bag.
I have not yet had an occasion where I had a simple overnight, e.g. fly out for a lecture or presentation and fly back the next day. If that ever is the case, and it quite likely will be, I am looking forward to just using either only the Tumi, perhaps expanded, or the Andiamo VT18. The VT 18 would even work for 2-3 day trips with computer, files and books, IF I don't need to bring another suit. That's what I'd call an efficient trip.
If you are going for weight, consider this:
As you know, the lightest cart is the EZM and the lightest carry-on is the A. Saks AE 21. 816+545g=1361g= 3.0lbs exactly!
So 3lb and $90 for the lightest rolling carry-on combo possible which is even more versatile than the 1900g travelite from Germany or the 2177g Sub-0-G bag from the US.
That plus the Metro or your briefcase of choice and you'd be very light, mobile, practical and more economical than with the 2.7lb heavier EC Tarmac that costs three times that price.
Hope that helps. Gotta work on a paper now. Chinese contemporary art.
Still, it fits in all of my carry-on bags and they all have sleeves or loops to attach them to it. So that's dandy. Maximum load is 50lb just like the EZM. Warranty should be easier to get honored than EZM. The wheels on the Sammy are ordinary skate wheels. Easily replaced. The EZM wheels look proprietary.
It also has two more advantages over the EZM. It comes with straps to secure stacked bags. But this could be rigged with an elastic cord on the EZM. And it only costs $25 instead of $50. Not too much money in the absolute but a 100% difference nonetheless.
So far it sounds like the Sammy is the better deal, right?
Well, I am not so sure. Why? Because it is a royal PITA to fold back together. Unfolding it already takes some skill but can be accomplished in under ten seconds. But folding it back together is not so easy and takes about 30 seconds. let me put it this way. I am not mechanically challenged but I still had to read the manual and it took me some time to figure out how the mechanism works. The mechanism on the EZM roller seems to be much smarter!
One thing to consider is that the outriggers that hold your luggage on the Sammy are deeper. Even a deeper bag will fit. But it would be a preferable that the bag be rather rigid or else it might slump between the outriggers. All of mine are rather rigid, so that is not a problem for me. One could also make the argument that on the EZM roller, even though it has a platform, the outside of the bag might slump if it is not a rigid bag. How much that matters in real life, I don't know. It's just a consideration.
So, for similar reasons that I wouldn't spring for the EC bag, I have a hard time shelling out $50 for the EZM roller or the very nice T500 bag ($255 with roller) because I already have the very similar Tumi 26141 and Micromover combo.
And now, a word of truth. I have not yet had an occasion where I actually felt I had a need for the cart. For me, I either have so much stuff that I can take my Plat5 roller and stack a briefcase on top, or I can do with two shoulder bags or in some cases with one shoulder bag.
I have not yet had an occasion where I had a simple overnight, e.g. fly out for a lecture or presentation and fly back the next day. If that ever is the case, and it quite likely will be, I am looking forward to just using either only the Tumi, perhaps expanded, or the Andiamo VT18. The VT 18 would even work for 2-3 day trips with computer, files and books, IF I don't need to bring another suit. That's what I'd call an efficient trip.
If you are going for weight, consider this:
As you know, the lightest cart is the EZM and the lightest carry-on is the A. Saks AE 21. 816+545g=1361g= 3.0lbs exactly!
So 3lb and $90 for the lightest rolling carry-on combo possible which is even more versatile than the 1900g travelite from Germany or the 2177g Sub-0-G bag from the US.
That plus the Metro or your briefcase of choice and you'd be very light, mobile, practical and more economical than with the 2.7lb heavier EC Tarmac that costs three times that price.
Hope that helps. Gotta work on a paper now. Chinese contemporary art.
Till
I will cogitate on the micro movers a bit. For this trip I will go with the BR 22 inch or cabin bag roller and a briefcase. I may take something like a BR104x, BR221 or BR231x instead of the metro. Im paranoid about possibly having to check (and hence lose) a bag so if I am carrying a roller I like to also include something large enough that I can throw a change or two of clothes in it. That is formally possible with the Metro but I found it a bit tough when I last checked. If its on top of a roller one of the BR bags I have, mentioned above, will work and will definitely fit under seat if not over packed.
Thanks and good luck with the paper!
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"And the only sound that's left after the ambulances go
Is Cinderella sweeping up on Desolation Row"
