Rick's Appenzel Day Pack versus his Convertible Carry-On Bag

tim,

That's a difficult question, as the answer will depend to a large extent on how much travel gear and clothing you normally pack. You haven't provided any information on what you plan on taking. With some of the budget airlines, the Convertible Pack may be too large for carry-on, depending on how it's packed. I don't find it to be a huge problem to check luggage when flying with EasyJet, Vueling or other budget airlines.

One other point to mention regarding the RS Convertible, is that it has no internal frame, nor any method for torso range adjustment. If it's heavily packed and you have to carry it for any distance, your shoulders will taking all the weight (rather than distributing the weight to your hips with a hip belt). As it doesn't have an internal frame, it's a good idea to use packing cubes to keep the contents from settling at the bottom of the pack.

In addition to the RS Packs, you could also have a look at Eagle Creek, Osprey, Tom Bihn or Red Oxx. They offer a variety of different types of luggage (including Duffel Bags), so you may find that another style fits your needs better.

Happy travels!

I started out over 10 years ago with one of Rick's convertible bags, at 21 x 14 x 9 = 2650 CI. After a few years, as I learned to get along with less, what I took hardly filled the pack, making it a bit saggy. So I switched to a slightly smaller OPEC, now CEC bag, at 21 x 13 x 9 = 2460 CI. But it's now too big. A few years ago, I took everything out of my bag when I came home, put it in a box of known length and width, and measured the depth. The volume was 1400 CI. So I started looking around for a 1400 CI bag. The first bag I tried was the Appenzell bag. It fit everything I take (but just barely), but the limited opening made it difficult to pack and the lack of hideaway straps bothered me. I now use the Appenzell pack as a gym bag.

Do what I did. Find a box good, strong box (I used one that copy paper comes in), put in everything you take, keeping the filled level even, then measure the depth. If the length x width x depth is less than about 1500 CI, the Appenzell bag will work. However, be mindful that it opens like a backpack, not like a book, which really makes packing a little difficult.

In my opinion, the RS Rolling Backpack is a nice size and opens wide for packing. Almost ideal. Almost. Too bad they had to ruin it by putting on wheels, making the weight over 5#. I think people who want the Rolling Backpack's size are already packing light and don't need the additional weight of the wheels.

Oh, BTW, the Goodhope bag, although maybe a little smaller than the Appenzell bag, opens like a book and has hideaway strap. I used it for a domestic trip, where I took a little less for only four days, and liked it.

Thank you Ken for the suggestions. I think if I can find a duffel bag with shoulder strap that has multiple zippered pockets that might be the most comfortable for me.

I'm not really sure how much I will take with me which seems to be the first problem to solve. That's where your idea seems great Lee. Thank you. Once I get a total cubic inches idea, then I can go out and get my hands on some bags and see what works.

Thank you both for your expertise.

For the past seven years I have used the convertible bag (with cubes) and purposely left it a bit under packed to accommodate anything I might purchase during my trip. It doesn't hurt to have it a little lighter in the beginning because a full bag can be a pain going through airports with it on my back. When I'm returning home it is usually full and often expanded, but I don't mind then because I check it. I also pack an empty Civita Day Bag which makes a nice pillow with a shirt or sweater tucked inside. For Christmas my wife got me a Swiss Gear Computer Backpack which will handle all my electronics and fit under the airline seat. No more awkward computer bags, yea!