gaia06

aktchi, I don't know when I succumbed to the hype about how wonderful the wheeled carryons were, but I'm thinking it was when I was much younger and had to drag too much luggage around London (without wheels)! I didn't have the $$ or sense to know how to make my way to the hotel in an easier fashion at the time. Since that time, I've learned quite a lot about travel. One of those things is how unnecessary it is to have WHEELED luggage. I'm so happy to give up that very silly idea. Now, don't get me wrong...if someone comes up with a carryon with the same space and packing capacity as the Air Boss or the Eagle Creek Solo Journey, it has wheels and a handle and it doesn't weigh more than @ 3 lbs., I'm very interested...unless the price is out of this world!!

Until that time, I've seen the light and not going back to wheels on luggage.

gaia

Lurker1999

Wirelessly posted (Treo 650: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/Palm-D060; Blazer/4.5) 16;320x320)

One other nice thing about Red Oxx is that they'll modify your bag to your specs if possible, for example they added a snap-on, removable rain cover for the bag after I inquired about doing so as the zippers are water-resistant but I felt more comfortable with a cover.

I had to send the bag back to them but for I believe $20-30 they sent it back with the new non-standard rain cover.

jbuchow

For what it's worth, I've had the Air Boss for 2 months and have used it on the last two trips and have loved it. Both were for about 4-5 days and I've been able to put all clothes, 2 pairs of shoes, and most electronics in the bag without difficulty (I usually have another small carryon for the laptop). In a nutshell, I would definitely recommend it.

GadgetFreak

Welcome to Flyertalk! Thanks for your input on this. It is a useful comment. gaia06, I have REALLY mixed feelings about what you say concerning wheels. I have both wheeled and non-wheeled pieces although the larger ones (still carry ons) are wheeled. It is absolutely true that the wheeled cases have less room. On the other hand, when Im slogging through a big terminal carrying a B&R BB104X with a Mac powerbook, power supply, portable hard drive, in-flight power supply, ipod, Bose QC2s, Canon G7 (or worse 20D with 17-40 f4 and 70-200 f4) 2 cell phones, a couple flashlights, a book and some file folders I would really like to have some wheels. And that is without any clothes. Add in clothes and it is a lot of weight. So Im really torn on this idea, whether to abandon the wheels or not.

I go to LHR 5 or 10 times a year. I will probably get either the Red Oxx or B&R just for LHR and try it on a few other trips to see how I like it. Im also interested in a wheeled carrier such as the B&R 220 or BR221 but they are pushing the size limit. One other option is to get something like the RedOxx and toss in one of those expandable wheel sets. Does anyone have any experience with those that they can share? Thanks.

gaia06

Oh, gadgetfreak, I read you loud and clear about giving up the wheels when you're trying to tote around a bag with so much heavy stuff in it! That's always been my reason NOT to get a bag with just a shoulder strap or handles. Truth be told, as I pack for this next trip, I'm going to fill and weight it as I go to see if I can lift and carry it for a reasonable distance without popping a blood vessel or something! Really, since I'm taking two other much bigger pieces of checked luggage, I'm only going to bring essentials, meds, electronics, toiletries, clothing change, extra shoes, etc., so we'll see what happens! Ahem...being female...I've been told I pack far too much, so perhaps having to carry this bag myself will help me whittle down the non-essentials. Ha - I better start lifting weights right now!!!

gaia

aktchi

There is a reason why wheels were invented: they make it easier to pull heavy loads on even surfaces. The convenience is not cost-free: the frame associated with them does take up precious room; the frame's rigidity means you can't squeeze the bag into tight spaces like overhead bins or sizer bins.

In other words, we can list the pros and cons, but how they balance out will depend on each person's unique circumstances.

For myself, I often travel with a 26" suitcase with wheels and an Air Boss or B&R carryon without wheels. For the places I visit, that does work out to be the most practical combination.

GadgetFreak

Waiting 45 minutes for my *&#$* bag yesterday after flying LHR-JFK has really got me thinking about this. What I am looking for is a bag(s) that will do the following:

1) be a legal carry on (okay to smash to get there) out of LHR. That said, they dont seem to be checking the last two times Ive been through T3 unless the bags are stupidly oversized.

2) carry all of my stuff in 1 bag

3) be able to be "split" if something goes terribly wrong and there is no room in the overheads or if Im on an RJ. It would be ideal if it would fit under the seat on an RJ or the overhead but that is asking a lot. By split I mean, I can pull out of the bag a smaller bag with my laptop, camera, meds, glasses 1 change of clothes and a couple odds and ends that I can fit under the seat while the large bag got checked.

Possibilities are Im thinking of at this time are

The B&R BR220

The Red Oxx Air Boss with either the Red Oxx Gator Bag (or another Red Oxx but the Gator Bag looks interesting) or the Waterfield Design Cargo Bag (not sure which size, I have a small now) put in the center pocket of the Air Boss. I could pull that whole second bag if I needed to and check the Air Boss.


Any thoughts on this from Air Boss owners or others? Those bags would appear to fit in the middle pocket, clothes could go in one outside pocket for 4 or 5 days, the other stuff in the second bag or next to it in the middle compartment since they are not nearly as long as the Air Boss. Does that make sense? Any suggested improvements?


Edit to add:

In looking at the comments on the Air Boss on the Red Oxx site someone said they do just as I suggest above for the reasons I suggest and it works well. Also, on there they say that they should have a version with shoulder straps in October 07. Ill order that as soon as it is available. It is worth waiting for that one to me.

mfields

Thought I would jump in here as I did the very thing suggested...bought a red oxx air boss for traveling through LHR. Worked great for me both going and when I returned last Friday. Saw them looking at bags at the security checkpoint and turning away some with large bags. I combined my other smaller bag into the air boss and had no problems....then took it out after security. I spent a week in Senegal and was able to put everthing into the air boss. Heavy but nice not waiting for luggage nor worrying about my tight connection. I am quite happy with it...very good quality.

alanR

I think what people are missing is that the Red Oxx is two-thirds of the legal carry-on size for most of the traditional airlines - great if you want to travel on low costs airlines but losing a lot of space otherwise.

Why don't people just go down to their local luggage store (or even Walmart) with a tape measure and find out which bags do meet the limits even with their sticky out bits

gaia06

alanR, I don't really believe the air boss is THAT MUCH SMALLER than the traditional carryon, is it? I think it measures 21", but don't really remember the rest of the measurements. Thing is, this bag doesn't cause problems with ANY airlines or in any airports when it comes to adhering to carryon rules, yet it can hold MORE than my old traditional wheeled carryon measuring 22"+. Why would I NOT choose to at least order one and check it out for myself? I expect mine to arrive tomorrow, so I'll let you guys know what I think.

mfields, sounds like you really enjoy your air boss for many of the reasons I'm getting one. Hoping to get the smaller bag sometime in the near future.

gaia06

aktchi

We are not buying this bag for one flight, but for the next several years. We are not married to one airline but often use several of them, even in the same trip, and they all have different allowances. Is one supposed to buy a new bag in the middle of a journey just because one flight involves a more stingy carrier? We don't usually carry an empty bag; it has to meet size limitations post-packing. We want a bag that would serve us well under these circumstances.

The uncertainties as well as the current environment in the airports does not leave much room for brinkmanship with your bag. I am not suggesting that Air Boss and B&R are the only choices, but both are damn good ones.

Kiwi Flyer

Given my travel patterns I prefer wheels. Some places can easily be walking a few miles.

I agree with the comment made earlier that carry ons that look smaller do not attract as much attention. This is mainly beneficial on airlines with strict weight limits, rather than flying from/through UK (as a bulging small bag may still be seen as too big).

birdstrike

I have a roomful of bags, each used for a specific mission. The reason I want a BAAmax bag is because of the stupid one carryon rule. Since I schlep a -lot- of camera gear, and still want to carry on a few additional things, I need that special BAA-only bag.

Otherwise the Air Boss looks good - except I already have a couple of Air Boss equivalents.

aktchi

I understand. A unique combination of circumstances demands a unique solution. BTW who makes the BAAmax bag? Do you have a link to product description?

Zarf4

I've traveled with the Air Boss for a few years now between the States & Oz/NZ -- I like the bag but it's not perfect for my needs.

Pros:
- Holds an amazing amount of gear in a light bag.
- Comfortable, gripping shoulder strap.
- Great zippers.
- Doesn't shout "expensive stuff inside, steal me".
- Sort of looks like a duffel bag - on QF domestic there's a 7 Kg (15 lb) carry on limit - at some airports they weigh the carryon but the Air Boss is usually ignored - looks like a bag of clothes even though I pack a laptop or two, DSLR, 18-200 zoom, GPS (car & hiking), binoculars, etc. & wind up 'bending' the weight rule by a bit.

Cons:
- Floppy when just packing clothes under the straps. I'm much happier now that I found Eagle Creek Pack-it folders which work great with the Air Boss.
- No inside zippered pockets. I'd be happy with one just as a place to throw small items while in transit.
- No standard "locking hubs" in the zipper pulls to attach a TSA lock in case the Air Boss has to be checked or gate-checked. They have these nylon pulls which can be used but are pretty worthless. Before I get flamed, I know luggage locks are pretty worthless too, but I'll take something over nothing when I can't see my bag.
- It's pretty symmetrical, with a quick glance it's hard to tell the two top outbound sections apart, I wound up using colored cable ties to distinguish them (i.e., "pants in blue, snacks in red", etc.)
- Since it holds so much it's very easy to load up a bunch of weight.

I think I'm probably going to convert to B&R for travel to 1st world destinations but keep the Air Boss in the arsenal for an upcoming Antarctic cruise & for roughing it where weight is the critical factor.