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My Opinion on the Travelpack Market

Page 1: Travelpack Basics
Page 2: General Prices of Travelpacks
Page 3: My Ultimate Travelpack
Page 4: My Opinion on the Travelpack Market (this page)

By now you're thinking that I must get money under the table from these manufacturers, because I have such wonderful things to say about so many of them. Well, not quite so fast. I have a couple of things I'm not happy with, and they have to do with size.

These travelpacks and traveling uprights (and it's major enough that it would cause me not to buy them) are too big for women!! A six-foot (two-meter) tall man can still have some dignity carrying one of these, but the large travelpacks are simply too huge for women.

My other complaint is that manufacturers seem to think that they should all strive towards maximum limits. "How big can we make it and still fit as a carry-on?" Well, maxibags are great for novice traveliters, but experienced packers like Doug Dyment and I can travel with bags that pack less than 2,000 cu. inches in volume. Currently, the only "mini-bags" on the market are the Magellan's Mini-Borneo, Eagle Creek Convertabrief, and the Tough Traveller Mini-Van. These packs however, are the size of day packs. Why is there no travelpack sized between these, and the huge maxibags?

My final complaint is that manufacturers don't make maxibags that include zip-off daypacks as part of the carry-on dimensions. As far as I know, every single travelpack on the market today that has a zip-off day pack, is a maxibag only when the day pack is zipped off. Why for example, does Eagle Creek not have a zip-off daypack for their Solo Journey bag, but do for its larger sibling, the Continental Journey?

Travelpack Extra Features

There are some novel features that add bells and whistles to the basic travelpack. These may or may not good for you, depending on your needs. Eagle Creek and TravelSmith have travelpacks that are expandable, in case you buy too many souvenirs at your destination. The expansion usually comes in an extra zipper that hides an extra inch or two in the width (thickness) of the bag.

Jansport, Eagle Creek and TravelSmith also carry models that allow the front pocket to be zipped off for use as its own daypack. These are particularly handy if you want to put the travelpack in the overhead, but retain a smaller bag by your feet. The newest feature I've seen takes the "all-in-one" concept to new heights in a travelpack/traveling upright hybrid--what I call the trollerbag. Currently, only Eagle Creek and TravelSmith have them. We're talking zip-off daypack, handles, shoulder straps, backpack straps, telescoping handlebar and rolling wheels. Too much? Maybe. It might be taking convenience to a ridiculous level.

Travelpack Extra Features

Next: Travelpack Samples.

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