FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - A. Saks 21" Expandable tote - First impressions (review upcoming)
Old Feb 1, 2010, 10:24 pm
  #5  
tfar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Berlin and Buggenhagen, Germany
Posts: 3,509
Alright. Here is what I threw in the bag:

1 suit
1 EC packing cube (full size) filled with a bulky sweatshirt and a bulky winter wool pullover
1 pair of jeans wrapped around the EC cube
1 pair of really bulky dress shoes (one shoe on each short side of the bag)
2 polo shirts
1 tshirt
1 very bulky Brookstone Dopp kit (I hardly use that when I want to travel light so this was just to check the volume. If it fits that thing it will fit anybody's toiletries.)
1 inflight baggie (EC pac-it sac with ear plugs, pillow, eyemask and such)
1 Incase 13" Macbook bag (this actually fits vertically and then leaves room for more stuff on the other side)
1 EC18 shirt folder (I left that empty but there was so much room still left in the bag it could have been filled with at least four shirts)

I pick up the bag and it is far from being filled. I would say 80% of capacity. Mind you, I put nothing at all in the front pocket and I didn't expand the bag. The front pocket fits easily another pair of men's shoes and a rain jacket for example.

The drop of the handles is long enough that I can put the handles over my shoulder without hooking them together. This results in a very tight package close to the body that I can carry under the arm on the hip. I'd have to double check but I think that is not possible with my beloved 235x.

The shape is very rectangular and it opens up completely. The cinch strap are attached in the deeper half or the case which is the backside. The straps also have really nice quick locks so you don't need to thread anything.

The material is quite shiny.

The bag holds its shape rather wel when packed like this. The packing accessories do help and I'd say they are necessary unless you only carry jeans, t's and sweatshirts for a casual trip. If you carry dress shirt or a suit, get some folders and cubes. If not, go "sans" and lighten your load.

Till
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