Posts Tagged bags
Tom Bihn Ristretto for iPad
Unless you absolutely have to, why lug your laptop around every time you travel? When you’re toting around your iPad or netbook, it’s so much better to bring a smaller bag—one that isn’t built to fit a laptop and the kitchen sink. The Tom Bihn Ristretto for iPad (and iPad2) is a great option.
While the size requires you to pare down, there’s plenty of room for your iPad or netbook, cell phone, wallet, notebook, pens, keys and even a water bottle. The padded compartment protects your iPad, while an easy-reach pocket allows you to grab your phone or pen on the fly. A zippered secure pocket is included, for items you want to hide away. The small bag is roomier than it looks. I was easily able to get a camera, book and sweater for the plane trip in with all the other gear.
Use the shoulder strap or a removable waist strap—perfect for securing your bag while you’re biking around any city. The Ristretto comes with the Tom Bihn “standard” shoulder strap, which has a 1 1/2-inch-wide nylon webbing strap and a wide foam pad for your shoulder.
For a little bit extra ($20), you can upgrade to the “absolute” shoulder strap, which has a soft, durable neoprene pad with comfortable stretch backing. I picked the upgrade strap, and it’s made a big difference when I’m hauling a lot of stuff around. It may not make the best sense for the Ristretto, since it’s a smaller bag, but I also use my shoulder strap on other bags—any that have hooks for D-ring attachments will do.
Tom Bihn makes other Ristretto bags that fit larger technology, so if you just can’t part with that 11-inch or 13-inch MacBook Air, there’s a Ristretto for them as well.
The Tom Bihn Ristretto for iPad lists for $125 and the one place to get it besides their store is on the Tom Bihn website. (Their bags are made in the USA and to enable them to keep doing that, they’re only sold direct from the company.)
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Posted by Jill in Business Gear, General Gear on February 24th, 2012
Osprey Flap Jill Courier
It’s hard to find a bag that can carry both your laptop and camera, have room for other travel items, be easy to carry—and look good while doing it all. The Osprey FlapJill Courier is my new favorite bag that meets those criteria.
Constructed much like the standard messenger-style bag, the Flap Jill Courier adds details that are much more than standard. One of the best things is that it has three different pockets (aside from the main pouch) to organize your things, whether it’s a cell phone, notebook and pens, or just your lip balm.
If you’re carrying your electronics, you certainly want to keep them safe from the weather, and this bag has a draw-cord collar closure to protect your precious gear. The padded laptop sleeve further cushions your electronic pal (up to 15.4 inches), so you can continue to work or play without smacking it around.
The strap has a comfortable cushion so it doesn’t cut into your shoulder, but even when your shoulders get tired, you can use the waist strap to balance the weight. And speaking of straps, you get three different webbing colors to switch out, so the bag always feels like new.
The Osprey Flap Jill Courier lists for $79 on the eBags website. It’s also available on RockCreek.com and on Altrec.com at prices ranging from $54.30 to $78.95, depending on color.
(There’s a men’s version of this too, called the FlapJack Courier. Get it…?)
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Posted by Jill in Business Gear, General Gear on January 27th, 2012
Eagle Creek Swift 22 Carry-on Suitcase
The Swift 22-inch rolling bag is another winner from Eagle Creek—if you prefer an open compartment over multiple pockets.
With most airlines sticking it to you for checking a bag on domestic flights, but only one in the U.S. charging you for a carry-on, most frequent fliers have gravitated to a 22-inch bag. These generally fit into the overhead bin okay and if you’re just moving around airports and hotels, you’ve got wheels to make it easy. If you pack well, you can get by for four or five days with one this size, or longer if you do some laundry. This Swift one from Eagle Creek has a capacity of 45 liters or 2,750 cubic inches.
There’s nothing fancy about the organization of this bag. Apart from a mesh section on the flap, it’s just one big compartment inside. This is because it’s meant to be used with Eagle Creek’s Pack-it cube system. (Watch for a detailed review of those cubes next week.) There’s a little diagram in the instructions tag telling you the most efficient way to pack using these. As I’ve posted before, I’ve got mixed feelings about packing cubes, so most of the time I don’t use them; I can stuff more into my bag without them. If you’re going to be moving from hotel to hotel though, they can help you keep organized. Here’s a quick rule of thumb: if your favorite retail outlet is The Container Store, you’ll love packing cubes. If you have a messy jumbled sock drawer, maybe not.
A set of compression straps will keep everything in place inside, then on the outside you’ve got one large pocket running the length of the bag and one small zippered pocket. This suitcase weighs in at 5 pounds 11 ounces (3kg), despite having a good handle system, heavy-duty large wheels, and rugged material with trademarked names like Stratus, Helix, Cordura, and “900D Bi-Tech.” It’s not advertised as waterproof, but the material did repel water in a drizzle and all the zippers are either covered or sealed.
There are two cushioned handles, which always makes me happy: one on the top and one on the side. One odd omission though: there’s no built-in luggage tag holder. It’s been a while since I saw a quality suitcase without one of those.
Overall this bag performed admirably on my trips, with smooth rolling action, a good handle mechanism, and a surface that can easily be wiped clean. As with all Eagle Creek luggage, it comes with a “no matter what” lifetime warranty—not something you see very often with wheeled suitcases.
This bag only comes in a black/gray combo but it’s different enough looking from the other sea of black bags that you can easily pick it out on the airport carousel. You can’t easily see it in this photo, but the surface has an attractive subtle striped pattern. It lists for $200, but goes for $130 or less at most online retailers. That’s a good value for something that will last a lifetime.
Find the Eagle Creek Swift 22 at Sierra Trading Post or buy the Swift 22 at Campmor.
See more Eagle Creek travel gear reviews
Posted by Tim L. in Business Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on January 18th, 2012
Osprey Sojourn Wheeled Suitcase and Backpack
If you go anywhere in the world popular with backpackers, you’ll see a lot of Osprey backpacks. You’ll also see a lot of their packs on hiking trails. They’re tough, comfortable, and guaranteed for life.
A while back though a few companies realized they could sell more bags if they convinced people they could have the best of both worlds: a backpack when you need to walk long distances through rough terrain or in a crowded dirt-lot bus station, but a suitcase when you’re in airports and cities with decent sidewalks. People bought the first ones in droves, so then everyone jumped in the game.
I’ve been trying out Osprey’s Sojourn 28-inch one to see if this idea really works well in practice. Can one of these be a good backpack and a good rolling suitcase? Yes and no.
First the good points, and there are plenty of those. This bag is just shy of 8 pounds, which is not bad at all for something 28 inches long with wheels and a strong chassis. It’s a good aluminum chassis too, with a nice retractable ergonomic handle, a fiberglass base, and large polyurethane wheels with sealed bearings. It wheels like a dream, feels good in the hand, and didn’t tip over when I stuffed it full.
The Osprey Sojourn holds 80 liters, or 4800 cubic inches. That’s about the capacity of the largest travel backpack you can get away with, though this one felt like it held less than other bags I’ve used with that listed capacity. This may be because it’s narrow and tapers at the top. Everything about it says “durable” and “high quality,” from the rubberized zipper pulls to the inside and outside compression straps.
I feel like there’s a load of extra fabric on this bag because of those outside compression panels though. I suppose the foam in those helps protect your belongings, but most of what’s in a bag this size is clothing and shoes anyway. You can certainly cram a lot into it this way though and still get it closed. There are handles to grab it by on the top and side, multiple mesh pockets inside, and a toiletries/small stuff pocket on the top.
Do you want a suitcase…or a backpack?
My real issue with this bag is not with Osprey, but with the category. I know these convertible wheeled backpacks are quite popular, but how often have you actually seen someone using one as a backpack—the wheels pressing against their shirt? I’ve only seen one I can remember in the last 10 years (though I’ve seen a few people that should have broken down and used the backpack instead of trying to wheel their bag over cobblestones for 10 blocks.) When I tested out the backpack feature with it full, I felt downright silly, like someone had strapped a suitcase to my back so I could fjord a stream.
Some double-duty travel gear works great: smart phones, Swiss Army knives, convertible travel pants, and iPad cases with a keyboard for instance. Other times the item feels like it has a split personality—like it needs to get off the fence and pick a side. Fortunately I could pick my side: Osprey attached the straps of this thing with snaps and a heavy-duty hook & loop system. So I pulled the straps out, stuffed them in a corner of the closet, and took advantage of the extra storage space. I’m done with the “convertible” part and it’s now a perfectly fine rolling suitcase I’ll probably only use on easy trips.
If you’ve tried one of these convertible bags before and really used it both ways, then Osprey’s Sojourn version is a fine choice. If you like the idea of a removable daypack too, check the Meridian line instead.
The Sojourn comes in three colors. It retails for $289 and you won’t be buying a replacement anytime soon: Osprey has one of the best guarantees you’ll find anywhere. They say “any reason, any product, any era.”
See more details about all their packs at Ospreypacks.com. Follow the direct links to check prices online.
Get it at Backcountry, Summit Hut, REI, or Rock Creek.
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear on January 4th, 2012
Guerrilla Packs Airporter Carry-on Sized Backpack
This Airporter backpack from Guerrilla Packs carries a wide variety of belongings for a very reasonable price.It integrates a laptop sleeve and gadget pouches in a versatile piece of luggage.
I’m a big fan of bags that adhere to the TSA carry-on sizes but are lightweight and multi-functional. I love a wheelie bag as much as the next guy when my trip is only about airports, hotels, and taxis. But when that’s not the case, having something without wheels makes me a lot more mobile and shaves off several inches and pounds. (Think of it as a diet luggage.) With European budget airlines, African bush airlines, and Nature Air of Costa Rica charging you a hefty premium for anything over 20-30 pounds, weight is money.
So this backpack is quite useful in those cases and I’ve seen people on multi-month trips through the tropics carrying nothing but a bag this size: it holds 50 liters in the main compartment and another 10 in the small daypack. That’s just the start of it though. Guerrilla Packs bills their bags as the first ones designed for the modern tech-laden flashpacker and by that measure this is a terrific piece of luggage. It’s got a built-in detachable laptop sleeve, which is really cool. It’s large enough for a 13-inch laptop and it’s inside the main bag (hard for anyone else to get to). Also inside the main bag are two compartment bags: one sized for a smart phone, one for a point-and-shoot camera It’s got two zippered compartments on the outside, loops for hooking things on, sleeping bag or pad straps at the bottom, and two water bottle pockets on the side.
You can carry it like a suitcase with it all zipped up, with padded handles on both the top and side. That always makes me happy. Or you can unzip and tuck the back flap and carry it like a regular backpack, with a padded waist strap and sternum strap.
It comes with a detachable daypack too, which is pretty standard, but this one is small enough that you won’t feel like a dwarf jumped on your shoulder and is pulling you backwards if you actually use it. (The design lets you clip it onto the front of your body though if so.) It’s a good size for a day of sightseeing, with room for all the essentials, a key clip, a zippered mesh pocket, and internal flaps. There’s one large flap with a Velcro tab that’s ideal size for a tablet.
All the pack’s zippers have pull tabs on them but have big enough loops to accommodate regular locks or cable locks.
So is this the most rugged, heavy-duty backpack I’ve ever tried? No, but for a $129 list price, nobody should expect it to be. It’s a great pack for that price, loaded with useful features, and the ripstop nylon should hold up well through a few years of heavy travel. All Guerrilla packs come with a six-month warranty.They also sell a few larger packs for carrying more of your stuff. (You can win one this month if you’re following Perceptive Travel on Facebook.)
These are just getting out to physical retailers now, but you can buy the Airporter direct from the company or get it from Amazon.
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Posted by Tim L. in Travel Light on December 15th, 2011
