Experience with the RS Rolling Carryon

My wife has one and does just fine with it. If you're looking to go even lighter, search the site for links to Frank's blog. He's the resident equipment guru.

My wife has one and does just fine with it. The only downside is stairs. She has to lift and carry.

PS. Pick a black or dark colored one to blend in with all the other dark carry-on rollers. We fly Horizon or SkyWest out of our burg. The puddle jumpers have smallish overheads and rollers are encouraged to be plane side checked. Horizon/Alaska calls this service Alacart. Bags are returned plane side on landing on a double decker luggage cart. Small black bags seem to all look alike.

My whole family used them last summer and they were great!

Commit to a size first. That is - 20" or 22", etc. Then, checkout Ebags brand, eagle creek load warrior or flatbed duffle, LLBean carryall Pullman, Eddie bauer Travex collection, etc.. Commit to a price range as well, then look for a sale.

If you're looking for a lightweight, European sized, carry on....I can recommend:

Rick Steves Rolling Backpack (I'm just finishing up a review on it and it is surprisingly good.)
Eagle Creek Flatbed Duffel 20 (This is a one compartment lightweight wheeled bag with an optional backpack attachment.)
Eagle Creek Activate Wheeled Backpack
Eagle Creek Lync 20 (This is a hybrid roller where the bag can be detached from the frame and the frame disassembles for storage.)

The bags above are all under 6 lbs.

There are bags that are heavier but I have all of the above bags and would recommend any of them for a Rick Steves tour.

If you're looking to save money, the RS bags are less expensive than the EC bags.

Thanks for all of your help.
Frank, if I just want a plain rolling carry on, no adaptations to backpack, etc, which would you recommend?

I have used the 22" RS carryon for years, no problems. Last year I downsized to the 20", works just as well.

Posie54....

Go with the Rick Steves bag. Compared to most other rollers it's very lightweight.

Just check the airlines you're taking to make sure they allow the 9" depth. If not, you'll have to pack "thinner" to make the sizer requirements. (I forgot how thick the shell is on this bag. Perhaps someone else will answer since I don't have this bag.)

I go to Europe every summer for about a month for 12 of the last 13 years plus travel between Hawaii and Seattle and have always used RS roller-carry-on bags. I have purchased two over the years from the RS store and they replaced one that had a manufacturers defect at no cost. I have never had a problem with them and when coming to stairs, I mearly (sp?) pick it up by the handle and away I go. Never had a problem that would influence me to change to another bag.

The Osprey Ozone is noticeably lighter than the RS carry-on, and it holds as much. It's the lightest wheeled carry-on that I could find. I've checked it a few times on return segments and it survived fine. I am small and I find that the difference of a few pounds between RS and Osprey makes a big difference.

I hate my RS 20 Inch rolling carry-on. So sorry I bought it as it is quite expensive for what I got. To make it functional, I have to pack it to a maximum total weight of 15 pounds and I cannot put any paperback books in it. Zipper extension is always closed shut and bag is properly packed. It lunges forward fast and hard if I dare take my hand off it. I'm always picking it up off the floor, and I've toppled newsstands and hit kids and dogs. I've had plenty of travelers yell at me.

Even at 15 pounds, the floppy soft front of the bag sags like a huge potbelly and the two tiny wheels vanish. I have to pull and drag it to move it, and that gets tiring. On cobblestones the bag tips over sideways and does a full rollover, twisting my wrist with it.

In September I got terribly ill on hot buses in Roma, and the next day I could Not drag the bag through the airport. It's got only two little wheels and the entire weight of the bag is on the person. It was 17 pounds at the time and it felt like 17 tons. I attracted the attention of Security and had to answer serious questions, then my Airline had more questions and watched me throughout the flight.

I need a carry-on bag that carries its own weight and moves with a light touch of the hand in the event I get ill and can't drag the weight. European travelers watching me said to get a structured soft bag. I am looking at the 22 inch four-wheeled Lipault bag. Total height is actually 21.6 inches, including wheels and handles. On rough terrain it converts to two wheels. All dimensions are within European Airline rules. It's a beautiful bag.

Has anyone else had the horrible experience that Sandra describes?

My husband and I both have the Rick Steves Rolling Carry-On with packing cubes. We used them happily last summer for 6 weeks of European travel in France and Spain. I carried 3 paperbacks in mine with no problems. I think the secret is not to use the extended zipper or it will become too heavy and lopsided in the front and risk tipping over. I only opened mine up to its full capacity right before we went home when I added souvenirs and then checked it onto the airplane.

Thanks! After reading the negative review, I was wondering if I should spring for an Eagle Creek carryon.

I am mystified by Sandra's experience. I have the 20 inch rolling carryon and it has been great. I honestly don't know what she is talking about. I also have the 22 inch and I like that one too. No problems with either one.

Check out Eddie Bauer Travex Medium. It usually goes on sale for $150 or so. I like Eagle Creek stuff - excellent quality. I also used the RS bag and found it fine. Years ago, I bought a cheapie clearance suitcase. It took a lot of abuse and still works fine. You mainly want excellent quality wheels and bar handle. Eagle creek is great about wheels and bar type handle. Don't get too hung up on this. Set your budget and look at important features only. Then, go travel! In the end, a suitcase is a box to lug your stuff.

How you pack a wheeled bag is just an important as the bag itself.

Put heavier items towards the bottom of the bag (near the wheels) and towards the back (near the telescoping handle when standing upright.) It's just basic physics. If you put heavier items up top, or in the outer compartments, the bag will have more of a tendency to topple over.

For some, a four wheeled bag will be preferred because they think it's easier. In some cases it is and in some it's not. They are generally heavier due to the extra weight of the additional wheels. They also don't generally move as smoothly on uneven surfaces because of the smaller wheels.

The way to test a bag is to stand it up. If it doesn't topple over when empty, it shouldn't topple over when packed unless you have too much in it or it's packed wrong. In most cases, it's the packer and not the bag.

For those who think pulling a bag is just too much effort and they don't want to exert any, there is a new bag that may be of interest to you. It moves by itself. You wear a small device and the bag will automatically follow you. It's not ready yet but I've seen prototypes.

There are also new bags being introduced this week that will charge your devices via usb, play music, use gps tracking to help find if lost, and act as a wifi hotspot. Some have built in seats and desks.

I think I'll stick with the basics. A bag that will get me from A to Z without any of the frills.

Thanks, Frank. I have seen golfers followed by their bags on a cart, probably using the same technology as you describe.
Without being too needy, could I ask if you would prefer the RS carryon or the Eagle Creek EC Adventure Hybrid, (which seems to have about 200 cubic inches fewer). With the discount and free shipping on ebags, the cost comes closer to the RS bag.
I just want to say how amazing it is to have so many people willing to help out on these forums. There are certainly a lot of nice people out there!

I assume you're talking about the 20" version and not the 22" version......

The Eagle Creek bag with the discount is $231. The RS bag is $160 plus shipping. If you don't mind spending the money, go with Eagle Creek.

But I have a feeling, and I can't confirm this, that there might be a one day sale this Saturday at the RS store. There's a full day of classes in Edmonds and the store is open extended hours. Usually, that means a one day sale.

Eagle Creek supervises the manufacturing of their bags. RS bags are made by Ricardo of Beverly Hills with a few left over from the days they were made by Kiva.

Both have great customer service. Eagle Creek offers a lifetime warranty. RS will also take care of any issues but that's not guaranteed.

If there's one design you like over the other, choose that. If not, both are good bags.

I don't have either one so I can't give you first hand experience. I'm giving general opinion on other bags both companies offer that I do have.

If you live near an REI or luggage store, they might have the Adventure 20 in stock and you can check it out in person. RS stopped selling his bags in retail stores a few years ago.

Mine will topple forward sometimes if the zipper is extended and it is stuffed. But normally I don;t travel with it like that - if it's the normal size and packed right, it stands up fine. :)

Kim

Frank II is right on in diagnosing the reported stability issue as likely being operator caused. Weight and center of gravity management or lack of is the probable cause of stability failures.

For those with backpack luggage packing the heaviest densest items close to the back and high makes for the easiest carrying. The reason back packers load heavy high rather than low is it takes less of a forward tilt to get the bag's center of gravity over your pelvic girdle. Backpacks with load carrying hip belts and suspentions transfer load to hips.

If you are rock hopping or skiing, packing heavy and dense close to your back still applies, but lowering the bags center of gravity to better match your body's center makes for better change in direction stability.

http://www.wildbackpacker.com/backpacking-gear/backpacks/how-to-pack-a-backpack/
This link has packing diagrams.

Backpacking Tip: For maximum stability, load your backpack so the
heaviest equipment is next to your back and centered in the pack.
Medium-weight gear should be carried toward the top and outside
portion of the pack and lightweight gear, like your sleeping bag,
should be packed in the bottom.

While trail hiking with an internal-frame pack, items with the most
weight wants to be centered high between the shoulder blades and close
to your back. By doing this, the weight is placed on the hips which
should hold most of our backpacking pack’s weight. When off the trail,
items should be placed a bit lower on the back, lowering your center
of gravity and stabilizing you better on rough terrain.

There are many good comments already so I will try not to be redundant. My wife and I have traveled three times to Europe with each of us using Rick's very light Convertible bag, which has an amazing capacity and can either be carried by the handles or by taking our the straps works as a back pack. Very easy not to pack it light unless you're careful. We have also used his 22" rolling bag and with both bags we have carried them on and checked them, which usually happens heading home when we don't care if the airline loses them for a few days. Depending on the amount of stuff you are taking you might consider his new 20" rolling back pack which rolls well in an airport and quickly becomes a back pack when needed. My experience with trains in Europe has been that if you have something on your back it is so much easier to enter and leave a train to make a quick connection as opposed to any other bag you have to carry. Even a rolling bag is a pain on the trains. The down side to the rolling back pack is that it is slightly smaller than the 22" rolling bag and does not expand, which the 22" and convertible bags both do. The only advantage I've seen with the rolling bag in Europe is in the airport or train stations where you have a long way to walk. I'm 69 and taking a three week solo trip in September to Italy and France and as long as my back can handle it my trusty Convertible bag will still be my preference. It's all I've ever needed. Happy travels.

I've used the 22" RS rolling bag for 12 years and many months (12?) of travel through Europe and love it.