Hello fellow luggage fanatics. eBags.com is having an "insiders" (subscribers to their e-mails) deal today with 25% off and free shipping on any purchase. This is about as good as it gets with eBags, sometimes they do offer 30% off, but those events are rare and unpredictable. So I'm wanting to make an order today by 11pm MDT. I performed a search here and didn't find any appropriate threads on my questions.

My first question involves the eBags TLS Boot Bag, available in 3 colors: blue yonder (medium blue), green envy (lime) and "sinful red." Does anyone here own TLS bags in the sinful red color? (I own about 5 of the TLS bags in blue yonder.) Online "sinful red" looks very orange-y instead of a true red. If you own a sinful red bag, could you please describe the color. Is it red or is it orange?

I'm contemplating purchasing the TLS Boot Bag as a carry-on and car-travel bag for my husband. The dimensions of the bag are 14.5 in. deep X 15.5 high X 17.5 long. I realize most airlines specify 9 X 13 X 22 as the maximum carry-on size. So the second question is: Is it silly to purchase this bag planning to use it as the "personal item" for carry-on airline travel?

DH has big shoes and they take up too much room in his suitcase for long trips, he usually packs 2 pairs for a long trip. Last winter I bought him the eTech Weekender Convertible and the eTech Mini 21-inch wheeled duffel in RED. Neither of these bags is very good for a man with size 12 shoes. Hence the desire to buy a bag which would accommodate 2 pairs of shoes, his toiletries bag, an e-reader, and assorted odds and ends. DH doesn't have a computer, iPad, or other electronics, I'm planning to get him a Kindle for a one-month trip to Europe in the fall.

eBags makes an eTech Boot Bag which would perfectly match his other eTech items, but reviews are the bag aren't as good as the TLS. If the TLS bag is a true red, it would go with his other bags just fine. The TLS backpack straps are removable and can be stored in a zippered pocket, the eTech bag doesn't have this feature. He would definitely want removable straps.

Any advice or comments regarding the color of the eTech "sinful red" and the wisdom of using the Boot Bag as a carry-on would be greatly appreciated. The bag is actually designed for winter sports, to accommodate ski boots, helmet, and accessories. But it looks like a great bag as a general carry-on, providing the gate police will allow it into the cabin. Apologies for the length of this post, but my fellow luggage freaks will understand perfectly.