22" Duffle Bag with Wheels Any Suggestions?

I would not call 7½ lbs (empty) light. I made 5 trips to Europe with a ETBD Convertible carryon. It weighs less than 3 lbs and is very well made. I got tired of carrying 3 lbs of "well made" around so I got a 1¾ lb Campmor Essential Carryon. It seems well enough made; so far it has stood up fine. The material is not quite as thick, hence the lighter weight. If I checked it and let baggage handler throw it around, I might need a heavier weight bag, but I carry it with me and handle it carefully.

This bag has wheels, is carry on size and weighs just under 5 lbs. It's the lightest carry-on bag with wheels.

Landor & Hawa Sub-0-G

Lee,

how do you like that Outdoor Essential Carryon? I'm searching for a backpack for a 3 month Euro trip.. and a couple of people mentioned that bag.. I've searched the net and can't seem to be able to find reviews or pics of it..

thanks!

Alex, the Essential Carryon bag is here.

I already have a ETBD bag, but I wanted to save some weight. It was only $29.99 at the time, so I thought, "Why not". It's only 500 denier cloth vs. 1000 denier for the ETBD bag, that's why it weighs less, but I don't abuse it. I'm about to take it on my 3rd trip to Europe.

The other consideration was that I reached the weight limit, 17.6# on Lufthansa, before my ETBD bag was ever full. This bag is a little smaller, 21" long instead of 22", so it packs better.

I have the Campmor Essential Carryon bag and it worked well on our recent 19 day trip to Europe. There is also the eBags Weekender Convertible bag, it weighs about 3 1/2 lbs.

My husband has the Rick Steves' suitcase (no wheels) and loves it. I had an LLBean duffel bag on wheels, but on those cobblestone streets in Europe, it would flip over. The past two years, I personally have carried a medium LLBean Duffel bag with no wheels and it's plenty big enough for packing cubes and the rest of my clothing.

Any thoughts on Tom Bihn Aeronaut vs. Eaglecreek Switchback 22" wheeled, vs. ETBD carry on? Thanks.

I personally think the Steves's carryon bags are a very good value. We have three of the older style for more than ten years and dozens of trips, two bags went through college, and a study abroad program with hardly a dent. I use an Eagle Creek carryon style bag that was twice as expensive but no more functional. Given a choice I prefer to use the Steves's bag because it packs better -- a littler narrower and deeper than the EC bag. In Europe we prefer the non-wheeled bags for some of the above stated reasons. They just don't work as well on crowed, rough streets. I am sure there are a lot of good bags available but the Steves's bag is very good.

I, too, just got a Tom Bihn Tri-Star and is it an excellent bag for both business and leisure travel.

RS has a new bag called the Autobahn Rolling Backpack that might be something to look at. It is just under 8 lbs, has wheels, backpack straps, is slightly smaller than his current rolling bag, and will soon offer a messenger bag and daybag to this new line.

I used the Outdoor Products Essential Carryon for my trip to Ireland last month and was very pleased with it. On the way home, I checked it and I expected some damage but it arrived without a scratch. It's tougher than you would think. However, I'll use packing aids when I use it again as it's kind of "floppy" without them.

Unfortunately, I think the current Rick Steves bags are not as well made as they used to be. We bought ours about nine or ten years ago. Last year my daughter bought one online and came to visit us with it. We were surprised at how much flimsier it seemed that our old ones.

If you need a wheeled bag, I think Eagle Creek has some fairly lightweight ones. But a wheeled bag can never be as light as a non-wheeled bags, so if you value lightness you may have to rethink how badly you want wheels.

I think I have now bought what wil be the last bag I will ever need. It is a non-wheeled convertible backpack style bags made by Tom Bihn called the Tristar. It isn't cheap but it is brilliantly designed, exceptionally well made, and manufactured right here in Seattle by a company that adheres to strict environmental standards and pays its workers a living wage. Those factors are all important to me personally. If they are to you, you might want to check this bag out at www.tombihn.com. There are some detailed reviews on the webiste of user experiences with this bag as well as others he makes.

Eddie Bauer has one that's only 4.5 lb. I carried/rolled mine onto 10 flights last month. It was under $60 on sale. It has the typical zip-top duffle style with a large pocket on either end and a compartment underneath. Loved mine!

We've used REI travel bags for 15 years now, and they still look almost new. They're expensive, and a bit heavy, but man, they last.

http://www.rei.com/brand/REI/c/4500012

If you have one near you, they do great clearance sales a couple times a year.

Maryann, Have you checked out Rick's new "rolling backpack"? Wish we hadn't purchased bags just last year...I'd really like to try out this new one.

I just got the tom bihn tristar used it for a long weekend, can not wait to use it for the my big trip in October.
This bag is well made with attention to detail.

I realize that it costs to produce a good bag but there may be a market for a 1000 denier cordura bag with #10 YKK zippers. Maybe that's something RS should look into. I'd be willing to spend more if the bag would really hold up.

Larry, substitute 1050 denier ballistic nylon and your suggestion describes the Tom Bihn bags. I do believe there is a market for bags of that quality, because I've already bought three of them (not to mention many of his other smaller bags and pouches).

We bought 2 Outdoor Products Essential Carryons and used them for 3 weeks last summer. I had issues with my laptop and the zipper on one. It did self repair, but was annoying. His was fine for just clothes, but it was difficult with the laptop shifting around.
It still looks great and is a great price, just not a good mixed use bag for us.

I purchased the Outdoor Essentials carryon a few years ago and we've used it for several trips. I think using it with the backpack straps is the best way to carry this bag because when I use it with just the shoulder strap it is much too "floppy". I usually pack one extra pair of shoes and also a guidebook or two. No matter where I put these in this bag, that section tends to pull away from my body and make it awkward to carry.

I recently (on recommendation from this board) purchased the Tom Bihn Tristar for my daughter. I was specifically looking for the slightly smaller than US carryon regulation size, in anticipation of her trip to Asia, traveling on different international airlines. I LOVE the extra sturdiness to this bag - it is just a heavy enough bag to more easily lend itself to carrying a few heavy items, even if you don't use the backpack straps. She thought it was perfect for her 2 1/2 week trip. I have just now purchased two more for my husband and myself because he too was really impressed with the quality, the amount of stuff you could pack, and, for us the lighter weight - we have, until this point used mostly roller bags - including the Rick Steves model. With the tightness of overhead space, especially in recent domestic flights, I am looking forward to carrying a slightly smaller bag.

To the OP's question - if you are looking for more lightweight, it is hard to get much lighter and stay with wheels. You really have to ditch them.

I also recommend that you check out the landor & Hawa bag that Frank II listed. I have the 19 inch one (no longer available). It has wheels & weighs only 4#6oz. The 20.5 inch bag weighs only 4.5#. The inside is all useable space. There are pockets in the top (both inside & outside) but the rest of the bag is entirely useable. The space isn't compromised by either the handle or the wheels or by useless pockets. It's just an open rectangle. I also have a 19" TravelPro, but can pack much less in it than in the Landor bag because of how they built in the wheels & handle. I can't wait to try my new Landor & Hawa bag next month. I may sound as tho I work for them, but I've been looking a long time for a bag like this.