I'm a huge Gate8 fan (specifically, the Trifold bag which I reviewed earlier)
They released a 'vertical' stand up bag called the Cabin MATE which was launched in the US a short while ago. I was very interested in purchasing this bag for a few reasons:

a) It's a vertical stand up model, so I won't have to pick it up when walking through airplane aisles
b) I was curious whether it was any more stable than the trifold when fully stuffed

During my process of ordering the bag ( I called their US number with questions), Alistair offered to send me the bag free and asked for an honest review in return (which I would have done anyway). So here goes:

Summary (or as the Internet generation likes saying: TL;DR)
I'm afraid the bag needs to be reworked. Can't recommend it for the Ninja traveler for the following reasons:
a) Not wide enough to carry stuff as they advertise on their website
b) Just does not stand straight with a laptop+gizmo pouch (admittedly for a power user) + 3 days worth of clothes

As always, if there are other users who use this bag and it works for them, or if G8 has suggestions, please feel free to post how you pack and I'll be happy to try your method and edit this review if need be.

Detailed Review follows

From order to delivery
Incredibly fast. It arrived the very next day via UPS.

Exteriors

Here is the Cabin Mate next to the trifold (my current goto bag). Good size. Its well built, good quality material overall and good zips. With the Cabin Mate, they have reverted back to the black zipper grips keeping only one of the zip grips yellow - the one that connects the laptop bag to the main bag. Apparently their user base said v2's zip grips were too yellow. Fortunately, these zips grips are good quality (unlike v1 of the trifold), so its only an aesthetic change from the trifold

The telescopic handle is quite good - glides in and out with ease.



Some side views:


Hooray, a water bottle holder (does stretch)


As with other models, you can zip off the laptop bag


The nice addition here is that the laptop bag has shoulder straps stitched into the back and hidden inside a rear compartment. You can pull it out and make it a backpack like so.


Interiors

The inside of the bag looks nice, with the usual G8 watermarks.
As you can see below, there are two compartments:
a) The top part, which is open, and has a velcro attached quart sized transparent bag (for toiletries, likely)
b The bottom part, that has a mesh zip on top, as well as a padded button down clothes bar for packing (more on this later) as well as elastic straps to hold the clothes together before you zip the mesh


Their provided bag vs a standard quart zip-loc:



Trying to Pack
Okay, their website says you can pack 1-3 days. It also advertises you can put in shoes as well.
You'll see the pictures on their website. A copy of their website image is attached below:
(source here)

So I tried to pack for 3 days. Because for 1-2 days, you could use _any_ bag and it would work. I just don't think their bag is appropriate for 3 days. Here is what I tried to pack:
a) One suit
b) One pair of trousers
c) 1 T-shirt
d) 2 shirts
e) undergarments (3 pairs) + socks

My conclusion: Unless your body dimensions are like Bruce-Lee (bless his soul), you ain't getting your stuff in without a good amount of creasing.


Let's take a look:

Their main compartment has a clothes bar which you can open (unbutton). The idea is this - you place your clothes half-in the bag with the clothes bar opened, then clip the clothes bar and fold your clothes into the bag in half. The clothes bar acts like a regular hanger - quite a smart concept.



Here is a regular trouser that I tried putting in - looping it around their clothes bar as advertised. The width of the bag is too less for my trousers to fit. I tried different directions etc - bottom line, you are going to have to fold its sides a bit. While that by itself is not an issue, the other problem is the length of the bag is too short to get your trouser in by just folding at the clothes bar - You will also have to fold at the legs as you see in the picture above. And I'm 5'8".



Next up, I tried packing my suit as they advertise. See for yourself


To me this is not a comfortable fit at all (and this is the clothes bar, BTW, around which you are to fold the trousers and suit around to keep it from creasing)



So instead I reverse packed the suit with one hand inside the other and it was better



I then layered my UGs + socks on top and zipped it together. The reason I had to put the UGs here is because there are no straps or holds in the top half of the bag.

While I was not happy with the amount of creasing the clothes bar was causing, the clothes are in and secure.



Now lets focus on the upper part of the bag. So far I only got in a trouser, a suit and my undergarments. The shirts and t-shirt are left.

You really do need to use a shirt bag because given that the upper half has no straps, you can't just place shirts there without them folding if you need to open it during travel. So I used Gate8's shirt bag.

Here you go, 2 shirts and a T-shirt:


The shirt bag does fit in but as you see below, it takes up most of the space available (and like I said, you can't just place the shirts loose because there is no tie/hold here)


I could possibly stuff in some ties/small stuff on the side, but I sure can't put in shoes. (Again, maybe if meet the Bruce Lee size test, you probably could); And just so I'm clear: I'm a trim guy - not overweight by any sense of the word.


Now lets look at the laptop bag

Insides are similar to the trifold. Lots of pockets etc.


I use a 13inch MBP and an iPad mini retina for work with a tumi pouch for gizmos. This laptop bag is smaller than the G8 v2
But I still got the stuff in - as you see the gizmo pouch did not have space to fit in neatly



I then placed my toiletries pouch and another small pouch in the front pocket of the laptop bag


And here goes, packed for 3 days (but without my laptop - you'll see why in the video) .Looks good



The stability test video

And this is where this bag bombed. Reminder: Irrespective of whether you are going on an overnight or a 3 day trip, a power user needs their electronics. So I'm going to have to carry what's in the laptop bag all the time

I'm sorry to say that the bag just did not stand straight: (my wife did not push the bag at all in the video)
a) It fell with my iPad mini + MBP + gizmo pouch
b) It feel with my MBP + gizmo pouch
c) The only way it stood straight was if I took my MBP out

Video here (with annotations)


Suggestions for Gate8
a) The bag needs to be a little wider and longer - clothes don't fit as advertised
b) You need to increase length of the clothes bar - its too tight and if you put it any thing more than one pair of trousers, it presses in too much and creases the clothes
c) Just does not stand straight with equipment that any power user will need - you need to get this right. While the v2 gate8 bag tipped over with a nudge when fully packed, this one just keeps falling
d) I'd recommend adding some sort of straps to the upper half as well so I don't need to use a shirt bag (it eats up space)
e) I'd recommend adding a handle to the side of the laptop bag as well. Right now, You only have a handle at the top of the bag which is fine when attached to the main bag, but when you take it off, you will be carrying the laptop bag with the long side vertical which looks a little odd.
f) The velcro attached pouch is not a good idea - it easily falls off when you pack in stuff into it (and looks cheap). I'd recommend a small carabiner approach instead in the center of the cloth top.