Posts Tagged carry-on bag
Best and Worst Travel Gear of 2009
We’ve been cranking out first-person reviews of travel gear on a daily basis and trying out lots of things as we hike, backpack, explore new cities, and navigate airports. Some items disappoint, some thrill, some defy expectations, so here’s a list of what worked and what didn’t in 2009.
Kara Williams
Item I used on the most trips this year
These Lucy capris pictured above are comfortable and stylish—they can go from the hiking trail to the dinner table. I wore them on the top of the Continental Divide in Colorado, to Maya ruins in Belize, to an ecological preserve in Mexico, and eating lobster in New Hampshire.
Worst piece of crap I gave up on
This battery-operated mosquito repellent is a travel-gear don’t. The blue plastic fan looks like a toy, so it’s dangerous to young children. Plus, it’s dorky and doesn’t work.
Most useful item for $20 or less
The Flip & Tumble bag. A reusable shopping bag that compacts into a tiny, squishy, 3-inch ball is a must-have for any traveler. Use it to tote items to the pool, buy groceries at the local market, or protect packed clothing from dirty shoes on the return trip.
John Gordon
Item I now cannot live without
It took a long time, but I’ve finally found a Bluetooth headset I can love. Motorola’s Endeavor HX1 (pictured at the top) offers excellent audio quality for normal conversations and true bone-conduction technology, like special forces use, to knock out extreme noise. Voice prompts make it easy to use.
Worst “Do we really need this?” item
Some things I just don’t understand, like Planesheets for covering airline seats. Besides the dubious claims of cleanliness, I’d just feel a little weird being the only passenger on the plane sitting in a zebra-stripe seat.
Most questionable travel app
iPhone and iPod users are familiar with the marketing line, “There’s an app for that.” Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Without Fear app is supposed to calm white-knuckled flyers. There’s a screen that says, “This is natural. We know you’re scared. You’re going to be OK.” Like that’s going to help.
Never leave home without it
My AT&T Tilt 2 smartphone (same as the HTC Touch Pro2) lets me keep in touch with friends and clients whether I’m at the neighborhood store or in another part of the world. Sure, AT&T sells a lot more iPhones than this model. When the iPhone gets a real keyboard, can tether to my laptop and lets me swap out the battery, I’ll consider it.
Tim Leffel
Worst Case of Greenwashing
There was plenty of greenwashing to go around this year and the “green gear” tag keeps making its way onto things that really aren’t. I debunked plenty of these, but the most obvious one was this Altus Lumen LED light that burns through four AA batteries in an hour. Decent product otherwise, but the bombastic claim of being “the world’s first sustainable portable LED light” turned out to be based on one factor: the shell is 75% recyclable—provided you pry it all apart and separate the pieces when the thing dies.
What I used the most this year
There were plenty of items I tried out and then put on a shelf. The new things I tried that became a permanent part of my ensemble included the Tom Bihn Aeronaut carry-on bag (pictured at the top), my Teva Omnium sandal shoes, and pretty much everything I put on from ExOfficio—including their underwear. And I almost never pack my bags without a pair of Tifosi Optics sunglasses and some kind of Keen Footwear shoes.
Item that caused the most mixed feelings
I have to admit the Starbucks Via instant coffee tastes ten times better than Sanka or Folgers, but at $1 a serving, it sure better! If you already like the over-roasted, burnt taste of Starbucks, you’ll like this stuff. Even if you don’t, instant coffee that’s drinkable would be worth packing on a camping trip or when staying any place where hot water is more readily available than real coffee.
Honorable Mention – Past year’s standout that keeps coming back:
Travel gear item I would gladly do infomercials for
Only real travelers who have used it believe this $99 SteriPEN Traveler is for real. It looks fishy, I’ll admit: you stick this in the water you’re going to drink, the light kills everything, then you can drink away. But I, my wife, and my daughter have used this daily in 9, 6, and 4 countries respectively without getting sick. ‘Nuff said.
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear, Business Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on January 1st, 2010
Briggs & Riley Large Shopping Tote – Great Quality and Loads of Space
In all honesty, I just learned of Briggs & Riley Travelware earlier this year. The luggage company just wasn’t on my radar prior to my joining the social-media network Twitter (where the brand has a lively presence) and reading recent gear reviews from fellow travel writers. But I’m glad through word of mouth I’m now intimately acquainted with Briggs & Riley: its Large Shopping Tote ($139) accompanied me on a five-night trip to Belize last week and it served me quite well.
The tote was my “personal carry on” through four flights (DEN-IAH-BZE round trip), as well as three domestic flights on 14-seat planes in Belize (where twice I stowed the bag in the plane’s luggage hold). One feature that worked well as I navigated my way through airports: the “slip through back pocket,” which allows you to slide the tote over the handle of nearly any pull-behind roller bag. I found this worked on my way to Belize, when my tote wasn’t too full. But on my way home, when it was packed with various papers, brochures and flyers I picked up on my travels, I had a hard time slipping the tote through my pull-behind handles. It was just too overstuffed! Instead, I wrapped the bag’s leather straps around my pull-behind luggage handle and balanced the tote on top.
Indeed, I was able to pack a lot into this tote, which measures 13 x 17 x 7.3 inches. Even though I typically like using a checkpoint-friendly bag for traveling with my computer, I forewent that type of carry-on this go around so I could properly test the tote. So in the bag I fit my laptop in a sleeve, a gajillion chargers, camera, water bottle, book, aforementioned work papers, three (!) toiletry bags, sweater, scarf and snacks. The bag comes with a snap-on, waterproof pocket which I left at home since I brought along so many other little bags for small items.
In hindsight, I likely should have brought along the extra zippered pocket, because I wished I had had more spots inside the roomy bag to stash all my stuff in specific places. There is one huge zippered pocket inside, which became a dumping ground for all the little things that didn’t have little bag of their own, and it was hard to find my pens, notebook and tins of mints in the deep space. I also stuck items in the two, inside, open-topped pouches. The bag comes with a water-bottle pouch, but it was too slim to fit my 12-oz bottle; I used the water-bottle pocket for my hard eyeglasses carrying case instead. I always knew where my glasses were!
One brilliant zippered pocket that did help me stay organized: the slim, exterior SpeedThru pocket that’s the perfect size for carrying a boarding pass, flight itinerary (folded twice) and passport. I kept important items here at all times, and could easily access them when checking in and going through airport security. The pocket is lined in bright orange nylon so you can tell at a glance whether it’s unzipped. An additional exterior pocket has a magnetic closure to help keep your paperback book or other papers from falling out.
The Large Shopping Tote is built to last, as it’s constructed with thick, durable ballistic nylon. The bag — like all Briggs & Riley products — comes with a lifetime guarantee. Even if your bag is broken or damaged by an airline, the company will fix it free of charge.
I’d recommend the tote as a holiday gift for the female traveler on your list. If she already owns Briggs & Riley Baseline Wheeled Luggage, purchase the coordinating tote in chocolate, black or olive. Feeling extra generous? Give matching luggage at once! All of the Baseline (and Transcend) style products over $249 are on sale through Christmas Eve. Save $50 on items between $249 and $349, and save $100 on items over $350.
Or, if you’re feeling lucky, enter my giveaway to win a Large Shopping Tote, courtesy of Briggs & Riley. Just leave a comment below telling me what you’d do with the tote — keep it or give it away. And if you want it for your very own (and I don’t blame you), tell me where you’d travel with it next! I’ll take entries through Thursday, November 26 at 11:59 p.m., pick one name randomly, and announce the winner, fittingly, on Black Friday – the busiest shopping day of the year – November 27. One entry per person; U.S. mailing address only. Good luck!
Need Luggage or a new Carryon? Up to 60% Off on Luggage, Handbags, Backpacks & More. Free Shipping at eBags.com
UPDATE: Congrats go out to commenter#80 Renee Richardson, “With 3 kids (4 counting hubby) I would use this as an everyday bag. Diapers, wipes, drinks, snacks, cellphone. My whole life. LOL!! This would be perfect.”
I’ll email you, Renee, for your mailing address. Happy holidays!
Posted by Kara in Travel Light on November 17th, 2009
A Perfect Fit: A Review of the Briggs & Riley 20″ Carry-On Expandable Wide-body Upright
If you’ve done much flying, you’ve seen it happen—someone drags a bulging bag onto the plane and it’s stuffed as full as Santa’s toy sack. Of course, it will never fit in the overhead bin.
With airlines cracking down on oversized bags in the cabin—and most charging fees for checked luggage—finding just the right carry-on for your travels is becoming even more important.
The new Briggs & Riley 20″ Carry-On Expandable Wide-Body Upright is the right size for a wheeled carry-on, with plenty of room for packing. Weighing in 30 percent lighter—and shorter and wider—than previous models, this bag is built tough and backed by an excellent warranty.
Wondering how much you can get in a 20″ carry-on? Pack smart and this is perfect for a three to four day trip, maybe even longer.
I especially like the folding garment sleeve that will hold one or two suits in the upper zippered compartment. A foam roll bar keeps them from wrinkling.
The Briggs & Riley 20″ is wide enough to pack two full-sized shirts side by side. Panels keep clothes in place. There are pockets on the lid for undergarments, socks and t-shirts and another pocket for toiletries.
If you still can’t fit everything in, the zip-around expansion system adds nearly one-fourth more packing space.
A combination lock, TSA approved, is included.
No space is wasted. There are outside pockets for travel documents and to slip in your cell phone while going through security.
Part of Briggs & Riley’s Baseline collection, the bag weighs just under 10 pounds and is available in black, chocolate or olive. The exterior is made of ballistic nylon with self-repairing zippers. The frame is solid and the locking handle is manufactured with aircraft-grade aluminum.
The Briggs & Riley warranty is truly exceptional—and simple, with no legalese or fine print. The company’s lifetime performance guarantee says, “If your Briggs & Riley bag is ever broken or damaged, even if it was caused by an airline, we will repair it free of charge. Simple as that!”
Now, here’s something that won’t happen if you buy your luggage at a neighborhood discount store. Say your bag is damaged on a trip to watch the Tour de France, or anywhere else far away from a Briggs & Riley service center. Have it fixed wherever you travel internationally and Briggs & Riley will reimburse you for the repairs. That’s standing behind a product.
The 20″ Baseline carry-on sells for $369. I’d consider the price reasonable, given the quality and the warranty.
I showed this bag to a fellow frequent traveler and asked if he had heard of Briggs & Riley. He said, “That’s all I use.” I’d consider that a pretty powerful testimonial to the brand and the reputation of the manufacturer.
Indeed, in the crowded field of luggage manufacturers, a handful stand out for their quality, reliability and practical design. Briggs & Riley is firmly entrenched there. And this expandable carry-on continues the tradition.
Get the Briggs & Riley Baseline 20 Carry-On at eBags.com
Posted by JohnG in Adventure Gear, Business Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on July 27th, 2009
Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Trolley Bag by Aerovation
I first sampled a TSA-approved, Checkpoint Friendly laptop bag last year, and now I’ll likely never go back to traveling with “standard” laptop bags. These specially designed laptop bags allow you to send your carry-on along the conveyor belt at an airport security-checkpoint without taking your laptop out of your bag. This is a huge boon to any travelers (like me) who can’t stand putting laptops in those plastic grey bins for X-ray and trusting the universe that they’ll land in one piece on the other side.
I’ve carried a checkpoint-friendly shoulder bag for a while, but now I’m a fan of Aerovation’s Trolley Bag with retractable pull handle, wheels and the best part — a removable laptop compartment. It’s roomy, convenient and super handy for airport security checks.
The padded laptop compartment (16.5 by 12.6 by 2 inches) is secured by a top zipper and Velcro strips to the main bag, but folds open to lie flat to go through the X-ray machine. At the end of the X-ray, snap up your bag by the handle, and the laptop part will re-attach to the bag. Easy.
Compare this to my husband’s recent experience with his regular laptop bag: He sent through his shoulder bag, but left his laptop behind in the grey bin. For a few fretful moments we couldn’t find his laptop and wondered if someone else had picked it up. We realized his error, found the laptop, sent it through and we were on our way. Still, it’s unnerving not to know where your precious hard drive is!
Other highlights of the bag: since the laptop section can zip off with its own handle, you can use it solely as a sleeve for your computer once you’re at your destination. I used it to carry my computer to the library on my current vacation, and it also had plenty of room for folders and the electrical plug. (You can only do this when you’re not passing the bag through the X-ray, otherwise additional “stuff” will block viewing of your computer.)
The main part of the bag includes a slim section for folders, paperwork and pens, while another zippered area is huge. I think one could easily pack a night’s worth of clothes and toiletries inside. In fact, it’s helpful to pack the main section quite full, as it’s important to counterbalance the laptop side with weight. Otherwise, I found that when the handle is extracted, the bag tends to tip over from the weight of the laptop.
The only other problem I had with the bag was the zipper that attaches the laptop section to the main bag. It got stuck and the teeth didn’t line up properly. My husband had to use pliers to get it to work again. I’ll be more careful when zipping and unzipping the bag next time.
Purchase the Checkpoint Friendly Trolley Bag from the Aerovation website for $199.95.
Posted by Kara in Travel Light on July 17th, 2009
New Gear Review: Tom Bihn Tri-Star Travel Bag
On some flights, I’m torn between taking a backpack or a shoulder bag as a carry-on. Now, I don’t have to choose— thanks to the versatile and extremely well-made Tri-Star travel bag from Tom Bihn.
I can use the Tri-Star as a backpack. Or tuck the backpack straps into a compartment and carry it like a briefcase. Or snap on a strap and it transforms into a shoulder bag.
Finally, I can have it all in one bag!
My first impression of the Tri-Star is a bag that is well-built, with a lot of thought going into the design. Just introduced by Tom Bihn, it’s made of tough ballistic nylon with splash-proof zippers, which should keep your belongings dry even if a thunderstorm pops up.
At 19″ wide, 13″ tall and 8″ deep, the Tri-Star is big enough to carry what most travelers would need for a short trip. Yet it’s slightly below the maximum size allowed as cabin baggage on most U.S. airlines.
The Tri-Star is even designed to meet the size requirements for going through London’s Heathrow airport, which for many travelers is a painful experience with baggage sizers.
That’s an important point, since most carriers these days are charging additional fees for checking bags unless you fly enough to reach their elite levels like silver or gold or platinum. Packing everything you need in a carry-on also saves lots of time waiting for checked bags to be delivered at luggage carousels.
(Tom Bihn also makes a slightly larger carry-on bag, the Aeronaut, for those who need a few extra inches of room.)
So let’s take a quick tour.
Starting on the outside, the Tri-Star has four zippered pockets on the front. One is handy for keeping boarding passes and this pocket also has a cleverly-designed snap pocket to hold a water or soft-drink bottle. (Just remember to buy the drinks after going through security.)
The other exterior pockets can keep your passport, wallet, keys and other small items within easy reach. There’s also room for sunglasses, a book or even a Kindle reader.
Inside, the Tri-Star is divided into three main compartments. The center compartment is ideal for business gear, with clips for an optional pouch, the Brain Cell, to give your laptop added protection. Another option is the Freudian Slip, which gives you extra pockets for organizing files, papers, pens and other small items.
The front section can be further split into two compartments with a zippered divider, good for carrying an extra pair of shoes and more.
The rear compartment is made for clothing, with tie-down straps to help keep your wardrobe wrinkle-free or plenty of room for packing cubes.
There are grab handles on the sides, making it easier to retrieve the Tri-Star from an overhead bin. That’s a nice feature and, again, shows the thoughtful planning that went into the design.
Tom Bihn offers many accessories for the Tri-Star and the company’s full line of bags. These include packing cubes, clear organizers, key straps and two varieties of shoulder straps.
The Tri-Star comes in a choice of four colors: indigo, crimson, steel and black.
Tom Bihn bags are made in the good ol’ USA, in Seattle, and include a lifetime guarantee covering manufacturing defects, but not normal wear and tear.
They are more expensive than some bags—the Tri-Star is $240, plus whatever accessories you can’t live without. But the company chooses not to use cheaper materials and believes it can maintain better quality control by not farming out manufacturing overseas.
I’ve bought plenty of cheap bags in my time and been disappointed by their design and durability. So I’ve learned better quality is often worth the difference in price.
Overall, it’s refreshing to see a company like Tom Bihn that cares about its products and customers. The Tri-Star is a five-star winner.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on June 29th, 2009
