RFordUT

OK, I know I'm likely beating a dead horse here, but I could use some help from some of the experienced one-baggers out there. Finding a perfect one-bag solution has somewhat become my holy grail of late. I am a moderate to sometimes heavy business traveler and I am taking a 10-day trip to China in mid-May for my EMBA program. I found a lengthy thread last night on OBOW discussing the MEI Executive Overnighter bag. It was started in 2008 primarily by Skip, Jon, and a few others. They detailed their conversations/experiences with Ahmed at MEI regarding the design and tweaks to the EO at the time.

I was about to pull the trigger on the Air Boss. I like the design enough and the build quality is unmatched from what I've read. But there's this 500-lb gorilla in the corner of the room in the fact that it doesn't have the backpack straps. I'm perfectly capable of carrying a bag such as this on one shoulder, but those straps would be a welcome addition for certain situations. The thread talked about some of the updates that Skip and others were requesting and Ahmed seemed to accommodate all of them.

So I have a few questions I was hoping others could answer for me:
1) Is MEI a viable company? That thread was 18 months old and I want to make sure they're still operational.

2) Is Ahmed still in the business of accommodating certain custom requests to the EO bags? I bought a 4" wide laptop clamshell (perfect for the Air Boss center compartment) and I'm not sure it would fit well in the EO.

3) Is the EO really as good as people say it is? There seems to be a cult following to this bag and considering their relative lack of Internet presence, I'm curious why this is.

4) Are the photos on the current MEI site the actual ones of the bag being shipped? The photos don't show that all three compartments zip completely around to lay flat (this was fixed in the '08 forum, or at least I thought). Also, why is the bag called the EO Towne & Country Traveler now?

Thanks for your help. Any additional info about the Air Boss or EO would be appreciated.

Ryan

GadgetFreak

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You might take a look at the Red Oxx Skytrain. Only two compartments though but the clamshell might fit in the small compartment. It is a great bag.

tfar

GF's advice is very good, IMO.

As for the Mei EO you are right that the company and its internet site are very low-key to say the least. I'd just contact them and see how things are going. Personally, I think I would prefer the EO over the Airboss unless there was a certain Airboss color combo that I really liked.

I think Redoxx should have a good return policy. You could order a Skytrain and an Airboss and then compare first hand. I'm not sure how MEI will be reliable on returns.

Till

RFordUT

Thanks for the replies. I should have mentioned that I don't particularly care for the Sky Train. I'm sure it's a well-constructed bag, but I've read too many negatives on the backpack straps. Plus I really would like three compartments instead of two. But if the EO turns out to be a questionable purchase because of the company, I will go with the Air Boss and have no qualms.

Does anyone have recent experience with MEI and their Executive Overnighter bag?

GadgetFreak

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Straps are great but I agree on the wish for two compartments. I make due though because of the other qualities. Have you considered the Tom Bihn Tristar?

RFordUT

GF, yes, I have considered the Tristar. It looks like a great bag as well. But I think it's a tad small for my liking. I have a feeling it would be difficult to stuff a sport coat in there. Plus the center compartment wouldn't hold my briefcase either, which is a big thing for me.

I can't believe how hard this is to select a bag. I also can't believe how much the search has consumed me. I literally think about it all the time right now, especially since I'm currently on the road. Maybe I have a problem.

But it appears to me that there is a hugely untapped market out there for business travelers (and non-business) that need a 3-compartment bag with backpack straps, high-quality materials, enough space for a small laptop brief (true one-baggers), and a good website/marketing campaign.

oldpenny16

If you decide to order an Air Boss or a Sky Train from RedOxx, please consider ordering some of their smaller bags to use to organize the interior of your bag.

I use the much smaller SunChaser and put a couple of other bags inside in the same color as the interior of the big bag. This results in making some useful hiding places for small items that are more secure from sticky fingers.

The Nomad shaving kit ($25) is a remarkably useful bag for many other things. In my case shoes in the interior and odd bits of jewelry in the exterior zip pockets.

The RedOxx people are great with questions on the phone or by email and have seen me through the angst of getting a bag to suit my new iPad (yet to arrive as I ordered a 3G). Settled on the Chica.

RFordUT

Thanks OP16. Not sure about other bags. I've considered the Nomad as a shoe bag though. Don't need it for toiletries as of now.

I really think Red Oxx missed the mark with their Sky Train bag. While I've never used it, the lack of three compartments, the direction it opens, and their supposedly poor attempt at backpack straps made the decision easy for me not to choose the bag.

I like the company and their products. But I really think they could dominate the market if they started from scratch on the backpack version of the Air Boss. Their web videos say that it wouldn't have worked to do an Air Boss with straps like that. But if that's true, why is MEI doing well with the Executive Overnighter and they have almost no Internet presence? It obviously can be done with some modifications to the design.

FatManInNYC

I have an MEI Voyageur, an Air Boss and now an eBags Weekender eTech Convertible. The later compares nicely, I am told, with the Executive. (BTW: I sincerely like all three, I just have a thing for gadgets and such.)

Of the three, here is how I break down their use.

If I were looking to pack as much as possible and try to be as comfortable as possible, and were not in a business situation, I would go with the Voyageur. It's a pack, not a suitcase, and when the straps are stowed it takes on a weird shape, so I would only use it as a backpack. It's strong, but is soft sided, and even with packing cubes and using the internal compression straps you're going to get wrinkled clothes. It is wicked comfortable, and the waist/ hip supports really off-load the weight. Most the time, however, I don't need that much support.

The eBags Weekender is very new to me, have only used it on three flights, but am very impressed. The straps are a step down from the MEI, and the waist supports are non-existent, but everything hides away nicely, making it a true convertible. The material is heavier, and its ability to hold its share greatly surpasses the Voyageur's. It lacks a shoulder strap, and adding one requires a slightly odd configuration as you must connect one end of the shoulder strap to one of the two bottom shoulder strap metal loops. However, it wears fine once so connected. For me, if it's okay for me to wear a backpack (ie, not business), this will be my goto bag.

The Air Boss is great for business travel. Lots of compartments, though I wish the center one was padded on the bottom, and it looks sharp. This bag has joined me on travel to five continents and never let me down other than it can be uncomfortable when weighed down with electronics and books. (Hence my acquisition of the Voyageur, which is overkill most times, hence the Weekender.)

For the reasons presented above, and if the Executive truly compares with the Weekender, and were I an MBA traveller, I'd go with the Executive/ Weekender before the Air Boss.

Hope this helps.

tfar

Redoxx now has a shock absorber element to pad the center compartment. It's $15. Otherwise you can just throw some socks or t-shirts in there. Will have the same effect for free. Or some bubble wrap. Or a piece of foam from a camping mat.

Till

RFordUT

Thanks FatMan. I actually purchased the Ebags TLS Weekender Convertible about two weeks ago because it was on a 25% sale. I've used Ebags many times before, so I know that is about as good as it gets with discounts on their new bags. I ended up canceling the order (wasn't going to ship until 4/23 anyway) because I did more research and came across some better bags for me, plus the onebag.com, flyertalk, and 1bag1world.com websites. The TLS weekender looks like a great bag, but there were better (though more costly) options out there for me.

I did receive a few responses from MEI answering my questions. They were very quick to respond, which is reassuring. But I'm not receiving responses from Ahmed (who typically answers customers), it's someone named Sipra. The main things they told me were:

1) The bag dimensions are now 21" x 14" x 10". I believe this differs slightly from their website, but the bag is still within the FAA's 45" mandate. Plus the exterior compression straps help minimize it's bulk when packing lighter. The Air Boss doesn't have this feature, which I think is important.

2) The EO unzips 3/4 around on all three compartments and has a compression strap in all three as well. Good design there.

3) The interior panels are now a khaki color instead of black, which should make it easier to find things.

4) The garment bag is an optional purchase for $25, making the total bag purchase $225 shipped anywhere in the continental U.S. (I think this bag is made here, but I'm not positive). Not sure if I will go with the garment bag or not. It fits in any compartment easily and is made from 425 denier pack cloth (not familiar with this material). It is 43" in length and is a tri-fold design.

5) They are now stocking more of these bags, so I shouldn't have any issue getting one by the end of April.

I'm probably going to pull the trigger on this bag. The company has been very responsive and the bag seems to be the best combination of features, price, and durability out there. I may buy a Tom Bihn Absolute Strap to go with this bag. It appears that the strap for the EO is a knock-off to the Red Oxx Claw. I've heard the TB strap is much better.

I will try and post photos / ideas about my packing escapade for my China trip in mid-May. It very well could be my first truly one-bag trip. Might as well go all in when you're playing!

tfar

Cool. Thanks for the info. It is nice to see that they are responsive and that they are working at making the bag better. I also like the design more than the Airboss. You don't need the garment bag. Read the packing sticky and learn how to pack a suit.

If they still have it, I really think the brown color is very nice. Very understated, yet different and will show very little dirt and dust.

Till

RFordUT

tfar, you're probably right about the garment bag. I will have to research how to pack a suit.

Are you talking about the color they refer to as "coffee"? Or do you mean something lighter, like what is shown on their website for the EO? I was curious about the coffee color too. Someone sent me this link that shows the steel gray color, and I really like it. Black is always appropriate for business travel, but it's somewhat boring and shows more dust.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=260534983432

All I can say is that I wish I was looking for a bag when this auction was live. Someone got a great deal.

tfar

Yes, the coffee color. Gorgeous warm brown. One of the nicest I've seen. The grey would be my second choice. Both brown and grey work in a business context, too, I'd say and I'm pretty picky on these things.

RFordUT

Are all of the straps black on the coffee bag?