Carry on recommendations

[Jess_S]

This question is not ABD specific, but I thought you guys would have good ideas since you are so well travelled. It is time to replace our carry on luggage and I am seeking recommendations for bags and brands that work well for international travel.

Our next trip includes internal flights within Asia and we are eyeing the Africa ABD after that. I mention that because I know carry on dimensions vary and we are looking for an option that will work wherever we travel. I also would ideally like the bag interior to be roomy enough that we have the option not to check a bag on some trips. All things being equal, I would love bags that come in more than 1 color so that each member of the family can have their own color. (Also my 7 year old thinks our current all black luggage set is boring).

All advice is welcome and appreciated.

 

[BluesTraveler]

I love my Away carry-on.

 

[sayhello]

Not sure how much you're looking to spend, but I love my Briggs & Riley Torq Spinner International Carry-on. It's relatively small, but holds a TON of stuff!

https://www.briggs-riley.com/collections/torq/products/torq-international-carry-on-spinner-qu221sp

You can usually find it cheaper than this if you look around.

Sayhello

 

[Grnl706]

Went to England and Scotland in May and my husband and I LOVED our Away carry on's. We fit a lot more than we expected and they were so easy to move around on trains/public transport. We opted for the smallest one so we had more peace of mind that we wouldn't have any issues.

 

[Cousin Orville]

My well travelled Tumi bit the dust last year. I got it repaired, but I’ve since switch to an Away carry on and love it. Specifically the aluminum smaller carry on (International size).

 

[Jess_S]

Thank you guys. It's funny because I was looking at an away ad on the subway yesterday and had no idea what it was. Apparently they have a shop in Boston, so I will have to go check it out.

As for budget, I am willing to spend a little more for something that will last. We also don't have any trips planned until February so I can wait for a sale.

 

[Aelin1977]

We have a hard sided carry on that we use if we're going to Disney but when we travel internationally we have 2 different sized backpacks we use depending on where we're going. For Africa we have a Gregory Jade 24L daypack and for other locations we have a Gregory Jade 28L daypack. We have a different one for Africa because we can't have any supports in the bag because we could be on small bush planes. The 28L has support bars in the back. With the backpacks we don't have to worry about our carryon not fitting.

 

[Alacrity]

Depending on your stamina and desires I'd agree with Aelin1977 on use of a backpack or a bag without wheels for carry on. Especially out side the US where the agents can often be a little cranky about bag sizes. I've never been asked to gate check a bag without wheels but my wife's wheeled bag got eyed all the time (she now uses a backpack). It's also a little difficult to drag a wheeled bag over the cobblestone streets in Europe! Increasingly, I also notice that there is no room an airplanes for a wheeled, hard-sided roll aboards if you're not in the first groups to board. And, do be careful about the weight, especially outside the US, sometimes there are notable limitations on carry-on weight as well as size (checked bag weight limits can be different too).

I use an Osprey Nexus back pack usually. I can carry a mirrorless camera and lens, chargers and 2 or three days of cloths pretty easily. I'm not looking to not check a bag however. If you are looking for a "travel light" solution with maximum space, Red Oxx and Tom Bihn offer top notch, very durable and pricey bags. Fans swear they are worth every penny. At a nicer price, eBags offers a TLS Carry-On that receives good reviews. Personally I have used a, now aging, Rick Steves Convertible Carry-On bag. Similar bags offer more flexibility and organization but it has worked well for me.

 

[Cousin Orville]

Thank you guys. It's funny because I was looking at an away ad on the subway yesterday and had no idea what it was. Apparently they have a shop in Boston, so I will have to go check it out.

As for budget, I am willing to spend a little more for something that will last. We also don't have any trips planned until February so I can wait for a sale.

We've moved both our carry on's and checked luggage to Away. We've travelled quite a bit with them with no problems. FWIW, there's a YouTube couple: Kara and Nate that just did a promo vlog for Away - they've been traveling for 2 years straight with Away bags with no issues.

 

[Jess_S]

Thanks for all the suggestions and information. I will look for the YouTube video on Away and research weight restrictions for our upcoming trip. My hope is to get a week's worth of clothing into each bag so that we will be able to do a 2 week trip without checking a bag. (I have nothing against checking bags generally, but we have 3 internal flights on our next trip and a lodge that won't allow a large suitcase).

Unfortunately with a child who just turned 7, wheels are imperative. We make our son handle his own bag and he isn't big enough to handle carrying a suitcase. I probably also can't handle it anymore; my backpacking days are a million years ago now.

 

[BluesTraveler]

I also have this backpack, which is a true travel backpack as opposed to a book/school backpack in terms of how it is organized. It's small enough to fit under the seat in front of me, so with this + my Away carry on, I can take quite a bit:

https://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/tls-mother-lode-weekender-convertible-junior/241465

 

[sun_seekin]

For those of you with the Away carry-ons, have you had any issues with the ejectable batteries? I currently have an Away suitcase in the large checked-size, but want to add an Away carry-on to my collection. Debating between the larger carry-on and the smaller carry-on, and with or without the battery. Thanks.

 

[sayhello]

For those of you with the Away carry-ons, have you had any issues with the ejectable batteries? I currently have an Away suitcase in the large checked-size, but want to add an Away carry-on to my collection. Debating between the larger carry-on and the smaller carry-on, and with or without the battery. Thanks.

Are you planning on traveling internationally? I would recommend the smaller carry-on, as many international flights have smaller size limits on your carry-on than domestic flights. (I don't have an Away carry-on, I'm just basing this on the size of the pieces.)

Sayhello

 

[sun_seekin]

Are you planning on traveling internationally? I would recommend the smaller carry-on, as many international flights have smaller size limits on your carry-on than domestic flights. (I don't have an Away carry-on, I'm just basing this on the size of the pieces.)

Sayhello

Yes, we almost always travel internationally. Thanks for your suggestion...I'm thinking of going with the smaller carry-on to be safe.

 

[IzzyBella]

For those of you with the Away carry-ons, have you had any issues with the ejectable batteries? I currently have an Away suitcase in the large checked-size, but want to add an Away carry-on to my collection. Debating between the larger carry-on and the smaller carry-on, and with or without the battery. Thanks.

I have an older Away carry-on and just leave the battery out permanently. My husband and daughter have the new ejectable ones and haven’t had any problems. So either way i think you’re fine.

 

[Cousin Orville]

For those of you with the Away carry-ons, have you had any issues with the ejectable batteries? I currently have an Away suitcase in the large checked-size, but want to add an Away carry-on to my collection. Debating between the larger carry-on and the smaller carry-on, and with or without the battery. Thanks.

I have the ejectable battery and it works fine. I usually travel with it.

 

[anita46]

I really like my Floatti carry-on...exact to International standards too

 

[pjacobi]

I really like my Floatti carry-on...exact to International standards too

Unfortuately, there are no international standards for carry-on size! Each airline set their own size limits and can force you to gate-check carry-on luggage at any time.

There was an airline and luggage industry effort to define a certified, guaranteed to carry-on size for all airlines. It was rejected because no airline wanted to commit to an exact size or give up ability to gate-check at will.

Passengers can only follow specific airline rules which will only increase probability of carry-on, but not guarantee carry-on.


-Paul