<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by chalf:
I have a North Face backpack with a detachable day-pack. I forget the model name, but IIRC North Face only makes 1-2 styles in this product line. It served me very well for a month in SE Asia, and has worked on shorter weekend trips as well. With the daypak detached even fully loaded it will fit in the overhead on a 737, and it will hold an immense volume (too much, but that is a user problem, not a design fault). The straps can be hidden away, turning it into a normal duffel with a shoulder strap. The straps also have proper support and padding ,something I noticed was lacking on many products in this range (i.e. one would be in extreme pain after walking mroe than a short distance with a fully loaded pack on one's back). If you want something more towards the backpack end of the spectrum (instead of just more portable luggage), I highly recommend it.</font>
I have this back. It's called the North Face Galileo. It comes in three sizes (S, M, and L). I used the "L" on a 3 week tour through Eastern Europe last spring and it was great. It's built well and designed with lots of user friendly pockets, etc. I got one on ebay for about $130, but it retails around $150-$200