The carry-on bag

Monday 4 April 2011

The carry-on bag

The carry-on bag is not quite as critical as the day bag, as it's effectively only used when packing and transiting. You don't care what your bag is doing while you're in-flight/on the train/at your destination. You do care when you're trying to dash for the terminal at the far end of the airport because your plane was late getting in, or when you're trying to pack to meet the weight restrictions, or when the zips break.

Must haves:

Must not exceed international carry-on baggage limits, that is must not exceed 115cm (45"), and preferably less than 105cm (41"). (56cm L+ 36cm H + 23cm D = 115cm total)
Fully packed, must weigh not more than 7kg (15 lb). However, note that while wheeled bags are often check-weighed, backpacks are much less likely to be. Therefore a bag that can be worn like a pack may be able to tip the scales at little over 7kg
Must be easy to carry/move over long distances, which means either a backpack or wheels (or both), as well as handles so it can be carried like a suitcase

Strongly preferreds:

Empty bag should weigh as little as practical, preferably less than 2kg. Even at 2kg, that's more than 28% of your luggage allowance used up with packaging.
Should open fully with zips (not a top-fill, like a traditional bushwalking pack)
Should not be too tightly packed, so there is room for purchases (it can be checked for the return trip, so weight is not so much of an issue for the inbound journey).
Bonus points if it doesn't scream "tourist!"

I have three bags around the house that potentially meet the requirements. We'll need bags for all four of us for the India trip, so I can reasonably justify buying another if necessary. Comparisons of the options are after the jump.

For my trip to Las Vegas last year, I bought the Linehaul 35L from Kathmandu

Pros:

Compact, soft suitcase
Trolley works well
Plenty of room - 35 litres

Cons:

Fairly heavy - weighs 2.2kg
No backpack option

For a recent trip to NZ, my sister used a Mandarina Duck bag that appeared from somewhere, an Isi-trolley,

Pros:

Trolley works pretty well
Backpack function, harness can tuck away
Lots of clever pockets (eg to segregate shoes)
Plenty of room - 37 litres (per specs)

Cons:

Too heavy - 2.7kg by my scales, 2.9kg per the specs - puts it out of contention

My mother has also lent me her Caribee Kazzo bag (too old to find online pictures of). It's essentially a flat rectangular prism, not dissimilar to the Linehaul. Dimension are roughly 42cm L x 33cm H x 22cm D, suggesting a capacity of around 20 litres.