Talk about a powerful combo, the Traveler’s Choice cross Point Nylon Upright and Backpack Set comes with two great matching pieces at an affordable price. Originally retailing for $300, it is now often on sale through online retailers for more than two thirds off the overall price.
The package comes with the backpack tucked into the rollaboard bag with two wheels. Obviously, you would separate both and can use either one or the duo when traveling. They are designed with durability so that they can be used for outdoorsy adventures as well as regular travel whether for work or tourism.
The rolling upright bag measures 22 inches while the backpack is 18 inches tall. As a big fan of rolling bags, I found the wheels to be high quality with easy rolling meant for a variety of surfaces. Both bags have plentiful pockets including in the most important places. For me, it is imperative to have exterior pockets for items that you might need to grab in a hurry like keys and a boarding pass.
Inside the bag, there are further pockets to protect more important things like a passport and money. The mesh pockets are great for storing laundry or soft items that you don’t need to keep perfectly folded. If you are worried about things moving inside your bag and getting wrinkled, there are cross closures that allow everything to stay in place when the bag is in motion. The interior of the bag is quite spacious allowing you to pack quite a bit, and since the bag has a soft exterior, you can over stuff it a bit unlike hard shell bags.
One of the side pockets has a magnetic closure so it is even easier to grab items quickly rather than fussing with a zipper. I always recommend people to carry a backpack on their chest when traveling in tight quarters like the subway or a bus to prevent pickpockets from grabbing things without you knowing. It is also a good idea when boarding a plane to prevent your bag from swinging into people behind you without you knowing.
A retractable handle from the upright bag has two rods that are placed closer together and a handle that points slightly downward to be more ergonomic for your hand when you are pulling heavy contents for long periods of time. Inside the backpack, there are even more pockets including separate protected spaces for a 13 inch laptop and 10 inch tablet. Both are crafted from nylon honeycomb fabric that protects the contents from simple pokes and jabs.
Unlike most backpacks, the main zippered pocket completely unzips from top to bottom so that you can pack things horizontally as you would a suitcase rather than stuffing items in vertically through a zippered opening that only comes down halfway. Just be sure to fully zip the bag from side to side, and double check nosy security agents that rifle through your bag and often forget to fully zip it closed before you walk away.
Perhaps my favorite feature that makes these bags go perfectly together was what the company calls a “piggy back” strap so that the backpack can easily fit atop the rollaboard bag if you prefer to pull it behind you rather than wear it. That was a thoughtful touch especially for business travelers that may not want to wrinkle their clothes wearing a backpack.
The Traveler’s Choice cross Point Nylon Upright and Backpack Set is an incredible bargain retailing for less than $100 on various online websites including eBags. It pairs together two complimentary pieces that work well in many situations thanks to ample storage space and pockets.