RS bags: Convertible Carryon vs Classic Back Door Bag?

My husband had a classic RS bag for years. His actually came with a shoulder strap and he never, ever used it. (maybe this is why they no longer include it) It was just easier to put it on his back. Last year he decided to get a new bag. I thought he might upgrade to a convertible- but he stayed with the classic. (Partly because he absolutely loved the first one) His reasons: He packs light and didn't feel he needed the expandable feature. As mentioned: you can't carry it on a plane if you use that feature and my husband never checks his bag. Second: he did not think the waist belt was that important. He is a backpacker and realizes the importance of a waist belt when he goes on a 5 day trek. However, his RS bag never goes over 13-15 pounds (even after 5 weeks I don't think it was more than 20)-He carries it for less time. Lastly, the whole structure of the RS bag is different from a real "backpack" and he doesn't think that feature is as necessary or helpful as one might think. (If you want a more detailed explanation see him- he explained it to me and I was lost. So if the classic has everything you need except a shoulder strap-I'd go for it!!

Wow! Thanks for all the help and great advice!
One more follow-on question for people with the convertible bags with backpack straps, typically how often do you wear it like a backpack, carry it like a suitcase, or carry-it over-the-shoulder.

Right now for most of my airline flight (shorter, within US, 2-4 day duration) I have a soft-sided duffle bag with a sturdy shoulder strap, and that seems to work fine for me, although I usually never have to walk too far with the bag, basically through larger airports from gate to gate.

I'm not going to try and use the duffel bag for a RS trip, I think a rectangular shape will pack more efficiently. But I'm also going to try to pack as light as possible, so I'm thinking the expansion feature wouldn't be something I'd use? I already have shoulder straps, maybe I could get a classic and add my own D-rings?

I realize everyone's different, but just trying to get a feel for how frequently people use the bag in backpack mode?

Thanks again for all the help!!

The Convertible Carry-On also has a padded waist belt which will help distribute the weight of the bag when worn as a backpack. The classic bag doesn't have this.

The convertible bag also expands, which is nice. It's much harder to carry when it expands (the few inches tear apart your back), BUT it's great to be able to expand it on the last day or so. The expansion actually does add a quite a bit of space.

The convertible one also has pockets on the side and an extra pocket on the front top I think...and it's better looking (it has darker accents around the pockets, rounded pockets, and just looks nicer).

My convertible bag came with the shoulder strap and I've never found it helpful to carry it on the shoulder...but I'd still choose the convertible based on the waist strap and expansion detail alone.

Buy it when it's on sale at the Rick Steves store, and it winds up being the same price as the normal one usually is.

I have an RS an original "Classic" (ca. 2000 Convertible) which has D-rings for a shoulder strap and I also have a Campmor Essential Carryon convertible with a shoulder strap. I find that for more than a few minutes, the shoulder strap cuts into my shoulder, and the bag is more comfortable if I use it with one or both packback straps.

Four of my seven trips have been with Lufthansa, which has a 17.6# weight limit, so I have developed a packing list that is less than that (~15½#), and I stay in that weight limit even when I have use U.S. airlines. At that weight, I don't come close to filling the bag, so the expandable feature is useless. The biggest issue for me is bag weight, which is why I now use exclusively, the 1-3/4# Campmor bag.

So, if you are going to fly a European airline and have the discipline to stay below the weight limit and carry on, I would say get the lightest bag possible. If you can't pack light and are flying a U.S. airline or checking, then the other features might make a difference.

I use my classic in the backpack mode almost all of the time. When I bought it, I didn't think I would use that feature as much as I have come to use it...mostly because it is so easy and convenient. Lee is right...if saving weight is the first priority, the campmor is a great bag. For me, I've managed to carry on for almost all trips (including Luftansa)...SAS is the only one that I had to check...they had a 6.6 Kg limit. I doubt that I'll ever get that light.

Having traveled on a few trips by train, I end up doing some walking from the train station to the hotel. I'd recommend the Convertible because it has a waist belt. I find it much more comfortable to have the weight supported by my hips/waist than my shoulders.

I have all the bags mentioned--im a travel gear aholic--and the best thing I ever did was buy a Tom Bihn Shoulder Strap. Sure, it costs $30, but it is the best, most comfortable shoulder strap on the market. I much prefer this shoulder strap to the backpack straps unless I'm walking long distances through an airport. (And carrying it messenger bag style makes it feel even lighter.)

How you carry your bag is a personal preference. Weight of bag, shoulder strap vs. no shoulder strap, shoulder strap vs. backpack straps, waist belt or not....all of these are personal considerations.

Matt,

As mentioned in a previous reply, one of the main differences between the Classic Back Door Pack and the newer Convertible Pack is the waist belt. If you have a longer torso length, the Convertible Pack may not be the best choice.

One of the most important criteria in choosing a Backpack is the torso length measurement, as most of the weight should rest on the hips and not the shoulders. If you're only carrying a light Pack for short distances this may not be a concern, but I prefer to use a properly fitted Backpack.

Regarding the Shoulder Strap, I have a very robust and well padded Strap for my Eagle Creek Backpack, but I hardly ever use it. It's just so much easier to carry it on my back, even for short walks through airports.

I'd suggest sending an E-mail to Rick's staff. Explain your circumstances and ask for suggestions. I've always found them to be very helpful. Given your location, another option might be to stop by the ETBD Store and actually try the packs. That would be the best idea!

Good luck with your selection!

Ken, your comments seem to sound like you use this bag for real hiking, backpacking, camping? I have several backpacking bags that I use for camping and hiking and they have great hip belts etc. I was assuming that the RS bags are targetted more towards just sightseeing type use, walking around an airport or to/from a train station, etc.? I'm not planning to do any extensive hiking with this pack. I'm thinking of this more as a suitcase thats easier to carry when I have to walk a few blocks to my hotel.

On a RS tour what is the longest you will ever be expected to walk carrying all your luggage?

Thanks again for all the help, I'm a total newbie, so this is all great infor for me, and I apologize if I'm repeating questions that have already been asked or answered.

Every RS tour is different. Go to your tour page and click on "physical requirements." It will tell you what you want to know.

And yes, the RS bag is meant for normal "suitcase' type travel...to and from hotel, in airports, train stations, etc. Not serious backpacking.

Matt,

I don't use my Backpack for hiking, backpacking or camping at all. It's strictly for travel. I chose my Backpack based on features such as the stowable harness, detachable Daypack (that I use for carry-on), robust construction and good warranty (which I've had to use once). I felt the hip belt and "torso fit" were important for "worst case scenarios", where circumstances might require longer periods of walking with it.

In most cases the walk from the station to Hotel / Hostel is fairly short, but I've experienced a few occasions where this turned out to be 15-30 minutes (often due to being in a new city and not familiar with the layout). In those cases I was really happy that I had the hip belt as it made the walk much more comfortable and easier on the shoulders. I usually try to choose Hotels that are reasonably close to the station so that waking is minimized, but there always seem to be a few that are further afield. On one occasion in May, my train was about an hour late, and I just left the Pack on while I waited as it was so comfortable.

You didn't say which RS Tour you're taking (V/F/R?), so it's difficult to predict how long the walk will be from the Bus to each Hotel? On the last tour that I took in the spring, there was a 15-20 minute walk to a few of the Hotels as the large Coach wasn't able to get closer due to the narrow streets. The path to the Hotel included cobblestone streets and in one case up & down a bunch of stairs (those with Wheeled Bags WEREN'T happy!).

Many travellers (both those on tours and those that travel on their own) use the RS Packs and are very happy with them. However, I've also encountered a few people that found the fit didn't work for them and they weren't happy.

Again, your best bet would be to make a trip to the ETBD offices in Edmonds and have a close look at the Packs and try one of their fully loaded "demo" models to see whether it works for you.

Good luck and happy travels!

Matt- For the most part, my husband has never had to carry his RS for more than 15-20 minutes. There have been a few exceptions. (Like the time we wandered around lost in Venice trying to find our hotel) Most of the time it is from the hotel to the car or the train station. What he likes about the RS pack versus his "backpacking" one is that it packs like a suitcase. It keeps his clothes neat and he can get into it and get stuff out of it without having to "pull" everything out. (I guess his Marmot backpack packs from the top and if you need something on the bottom...) Having said that, I have seen many people traveling with the more traditional backpacks so they can work great. My husband loves his RS classic-He won't leave home without it.

To answer your second question, I used the bag almost exclusively in "backpack" mode.

And I would have hated carrying it around without the waist strap.

Matt, I spent three and a half weeks in Europe in May carrying one of each. Borrowed the classic, bought the convertible. My husband and I swapped bags routinely, so we spent time in both. My husband swore by the waist belt while I almost never wore it. Neither of us ever used the over the shoulder strap, because it was much easier maneuvering in and out of the trains with it on our backs. I will say that both were quite comfortable. I will say I wouldn't have enjoyed either bag nearly as much without the packing cubes. They made all the difference in the world in terms of the bag not being a disaster. When you open it wide open, the contents tend to want to spill out because the sides aren't stiff.

Matt, I don't use packing cubes, per se, but I did get a variety of "stuff bags" at a camping/surplus store. I have two different colored larger bags for clean/once-used/dirty shirts and a smaller bag for underwear, another smaller bag for electronics (camera and notebook charges, extra batteries, and plug adapter). During the first week of a two week trip, one large bag is for clean shirts, one for once-used shirts; during the second half it is once-used and dirty). For my last trips I acquired polyester blend underwear and golf shirts and blow up hangers, so I can keep washing as I go. Now my bags are clean and once-used.

Anyway, the gasthäuser in Germany always have Schranks (external closets with shelves). When I unpack I just move the stuff bags to the shelves. While I am there, I keep things in the individual bags, where I can get to them easily. When I am ready to move, packing takes just a few minutes to take the stuff bags out of the Schrank and put them in the convertible bag.

The smaller bags (packing cubes or stuff bags) are just a way of staying organized. I've made seven carry-on trips to Germany this century, including my "Blitz" trip (5 one night stays; 3 two night stays) around Bavaria last year, and it worked great.

I use packing cubes and won't go back to not using them.

They keep your stuff organized, make it easy to go through security, helps to keep me from forgetting something,no need to rummage through everything to find one item (just go to its packing cube) and no need to constantly pack and unpack. Just take out the cube.

I also use packing folders when I need to keep shirts wrinkle free, packing sacs for smaller items. and ziploc bags for more organization.

Kind of slipping off topic slightly here, but I'm curious about the "packing cubes". I've seen others mention them in posts, and seem to think they're helpful, but since I'v never used them I can't quite picture how people use them or how they'd be helpful.

What I'm picturing is just another container that you would put stuff in and then that container would go inside the larger pack? Like one cube for socks, one for shirts, one for pants, etc? But I'm thinking that since everyone seems to think they're helpful, there must be more to it, I need some elightenment! :-)

I use packing cubes and stuff bags.I never used the shoulder strap that came with my bag when I bought it from Steves in 1995.I use one of the backpack straps for short hauls but on long walks the two backpack straps work very well.

Everyone seems to be taliking about the type of bag to use for going from plane to hotel. My biggest concern is with train travel. If a train is the least bit crowded, there may not be any luggage storage space. So a Rick Steves bag is great in small spaces. But the biggest issue is changing trains. Often you must climb up stairs to a bridge to get to another track or climb down stairs to a pedestrian subway. Also, it is much cheaper to use the Tube or Metro to get from a train station to your hotel (and quicker if there is a block long queue for a taxi. Back straps are a godsend when trying to hope on a subway train with luggage.

I went to the RS travel store in Edmonds this week because I wanted a new bag but couldn't figure out which one. All the green bags are 30% off right now, so I knew I'd find a sweet deal. Here's what I thought:

We have a vintage back door bag, which is great, but very unstructured and floppy. (I nearly always use the backpack mode with this bag, and my husband nearly always carries with the shoulder strap.) The new convertible carryon is so nice with the additional structure, pockets, and an impressive waistbelt. The Classic still looks great too, but I like the idea of being able to use a shoulder strap. Not sure if the Convertible comes with a shoulder strap - I think not, so you should check.

As impressed as I was, I didn't end up buying either bag. They are huge in volume, and picking up the 20-pound partially packed ones at the store convinced me that I wouldn't want to carry it too far (but I'm a whimp, so YMMV). What I did buy was the Veloce backpack. You should take a look at it. It's an amazing bag (for $55 in the Evergreen color) that has 2400 cubic inches of well-organized space - almost as much as the 2500 on the others. It has a suitcase-type space that can expand by 3 inches, and a second space that would be great for books, gadgets, etc. Also, 11 organizer pockets, a water bottle holder, etc. The only drawback is that you can't carry it like a suitcase or with a shoulder strap - it's backpack only. But it's a great amount of space in a very compact package that will always fit even the European airlines' carry-on restrictions. I'm excited to try it.

The Rick Steves set of packing cubes is great. I can't fit all 3 in the Veloce, but a large and smaller one fit fine. Personally, I couldn't live without packing cubes. They can compress several days' worth of clothes into a tiny space, and keep me organized. Rick's are a great value, and the full set fits in the bigger bags just perfectly.

Have a great trip!