RS Convertible carryon or RS roll around?

I recently sold my RS rolling bag when I discovered the Ebags mini rolling duffel. I now swear by that bag. (And they are currently on sale.)

http://www.ebags.com/ebags/mother_lode_mini_21_wheeled_duffel/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=68256

Since you say you walk with a cane, ask yourself if an extra 15 to 20 pounds on your back would make it that much harder.

If you're looking for a lightweight "convertible bag" you might look into the Outdoor Essentials convertible Carry On sold at Campmor for $30. It weighs more than a pound less than Rick's bag. I just got one and I'm impressed for the price.

https://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=49527

Lastly, stay away from the discount store luggage. I used to be in the travel business and have seen those bags fall apart in no time.

Hi Sue,

I took a look at both last weekend at a travel show. The roll-aboard weighs 7lbs, I think they said. I have a small roll-aboard now (not Ricks) and took carry-on only and lifted it up and down on trains for 2 weeks in Italy. My roll-aboard weighs less than 7lbs, and weighed 20lbs full. By the end of the trip - I was weary.

So, I am seriously looking at Ricks convertable. I like it because it has the backpack straps that tuck inside when you want them out of the way, it has a handle on the long side like a suitcase has and then also has a long shoulder strap. You can carry it different ways depending on the situation; (train, walking, etc.). It's got great pockets to separate things too.

I have always used luggage with wheels, due to my back issues, but I think with the ability to put it squarely on your back will due me just fine.

Looks more and more like I may go with the RS convertible. My husband is looking at the roll-aboard for him. He will be going to Sicily this summer to work at a college field school and wants something for his lap top and electronics stuff. He will have a checked bag for everything else.

What I am planning on doing this evening is laying out what I think I will be taking on a trip. I do have an old back-pack that I used in college. It will do for a weight check.

I had thought about using the old back-pack; however it is a top loader and is made from heavy canvas.

I read that also. It was great for carrying college text books. I actually anchored it on a portable roll-around and it worked fine for that purpose. But for traveling, I will would prefer the other style.

Sue, read thru the info at http://www.onebag.com/bags.html. As for personal experience, I used the RS convertible bag on a RS tour last year. The bag is nice, and holds more than the roll-aboard. However another person on the trip had the MEI Voyageur bag and I like it better (in fact I bought one for my next trip). It has better padding and 2 bars for an internal frame so the bag has some rigidity and distributes the weight better.

You didn't mention your age or physical condition. If you can do the backpack I'd recommend it over the rolling bag not only for carrying capacity, but because in Europe there are lots of stairs (train stations, hotels, etc) and with a rolling bag you have to lug it by the handle; try it and you'll see its not fun. And in older parts of town there are lots of brick and cobblestone, the rolling bags don't work so well on these surfaces either.

I was at the Rick Steves store in November and the roll-around suitcase is quite light - lighter than any other suitcase I've had to cart around on business trips. I was impressed.

I am in my mid fifties and do use a walking cane; however, I love to hike in the state and national parks. I have hiked in my own flat-land Florida and also in North Georgia and Colorado where there are more mountains and hills.

I have actually never been to Europe yet, but am hoping to take my first trip before long. I am using opportunities here in the states to sort of train myself for the European adventures. :)

I may look into the other brands of luggage; however, I do need to watch my pennies. I know that Wal-mart carries luggage that is fairly reasonable, but a lot of theirs is kind of on the heavy side.

I've made six trips to Europe using a convertible bag. I wouldn't want the added weight of wheels. I fly Lufthansa with a 17.6# weight limit. If I had to pack my stuff in a 7# rollaround that would not leave me with very much weight for clothes, but with a 2# convertible, I can take plenty.

My husband and I both used the RS convertible bag for a 2 week trip to Italy. We had that and a small daypack. We were on trains, public transport and our feet the whole time. I am 5'3 so I got the "shorter" version. (I do not see that offered any more.) My husband used it as a shoulder bag (we bought straps at Target) and I used it mainly as a backpack with the waist band clipped. I have a bad back, but the pack was fine for me. I had about 16-18 lbs in it. I recommend it without hesitation. I am getting two more for my sons for our 42 day trip in 2009.

I do recommend getting some kind of small "divider" bags for inside the bag. It kept things well organized.

My husband and I have used Rick's convertible bag for more than 20 years. Yes, the SAME bags for more than 40 trips. They still look great! They are easy to pack and very easy to carry. They can go on your back, on your sholder or in your hand. I can easily fit more than I need for a 3 week trip and it will weigh less than 20 lb. My husband is a true light-weight packer; his bag usually weighs less than 10 lb. Wheels would be a real problem for us- takes up too much space in an overhead bin and we dont' want any added weight. The new bags have even better features than ours- but I am hoping to wear this one out before I buy again. It may take a LONG time.

I prefer the convertable. I like the lighter weight and added packing room without the wheels.

My wife prefers the roll-on. Her clothes take up less space and she likes not having to carry through airports, stations.

non roller - keep the weight under 17lbs for most (8kg) limit carry on, if they ask you to weigh it - which they may well do if you dont check anything (unless youre in biz - where you can have 2!). Kep the heavy book/camera item in you purse/daypack/etc personal item bag but dont over stuff it. It can probably be heavier as long as it didnt look like its over stuffed (mine usually is with the books/electronics etc)

Thank you all. I am setting a personal goal of 10 pounds or less for my stuff. I may not succeed, but it will, perhaps make me stop and think about every single thing I put into the suitcase.

I had exactly the same dilema last year. After years of rollers, I decided on a backpack for the Italian hilltowns. I figured the wheels wouldn't be much help on the cobblestones anyway. 14 lbs total - I was so proud! The joke was on me! I am only 5'1", and 100 lbs. After a 3 hour layover in Philadelphia, my back and shoulders were on strike before I'd even left the US. I gave in and bought a cheap roller bag on the street near the train station in Florence.

I went with the RS convertible just before our November 2007 trip to Italy. Best decision in luggage that I've made. I was fortunate enough to get it at 20% off during his European travel fair - one of the perks of being a local.
As far as a laptop backpack goes, I love mine by Outdoor Products. First, it doesn't "look" like there's a laptop in it. It doesn't have the typical brand names that those backpacks do. It's full of compartments for all of the electronic gadgets that may come with, and then some. you can see it here:
http://tinyurl.com/2ywf8p
I got mine in blue.

I don't have either the RS convertible or roll-aboard, but wanted to offer a few things to consider. 1) Airport corridors are looooong, and I'm glad I had wheels instead of having to carry all that stuff on my back, especially when I had to rush to transfer from a late flight; 2) The wheels on my roll-aboard worked just fine on the cobblestone streets in several cities I went to. Just make sure they're sturdy wheels.

I think that before I make my final decision, I am going to lay out everything that I will be packing and put it in an old back pack that I have. This will give me an idea of what I will be carrying around for a week. That way, I won't delude myself into thinking that I can carry more than I think I can.

Either way, I am still going to have to lift the thing to get it into an overhead compartment.

Marjorie, if your back and shoulders were sore then you either had the wrong pack or weren't using it correctly. A good bag (like the one Rick sells) has a waist belt for carrying the weight. The belt is padded so that the weight of the pack rests on your hip bones.

Regardless of whether you're backpacking in the woods with a traditional backpack or wearing a travel backpack, the weight should be on your pelvis and not your back. This is important, as your example points out. The straps are just there to keep the load against your back (or you can use them alone for short distances). Even if you only weigh 100lbs, I bet you could stand all day with 14lbs comfortably distributed on your pelvis and not be bothered.

MARJORIE, to elaborate on MIKE'S post, a properly fitted Backpack should distribute most of the weight on the hips and NOT the shoulders. Usually there are "load balancing" straps to allow the user to adjust the ratio between hips & shoulders. A robust and WELL padded hip belt is essential.

In the case of Rick's Convertible Backpacks, these appear to be designed to fit a specific torso range, so might not work for everyone (contact ETBD for details on the torso range).

JANET, traversing the long airport corridors and getting to flights quickly is EXACTLY the reason I use a Backpack. Almost without exception, I travel much quicker than those hauling "wheelie bags" (which I'm often tripping-over in the corridors). Certainly, everyone has to find which method works best for them, but I MUCH prefer a properly fitted Backpack. My Pack is often heavy (Camera gear), and with the weight on my hips, I hardly even notice it most of the time.

Here's what I've learned....there are backpack people and there are wheelie people. And then there are those like me who like both and decide which to use depending on where I'm going.

A 1-3 day business trip gets a wheelie bag (wheeled duffel). A 1-3 week European trip moving around a lot gets a backpack. A weeklong stay at one place gets a checked bag.

And none of the above is written in stone.

to follow up a bit more, a link at REI that talks about fitting backpacks is at http://tinyurl.com/27ovge

A travel backpack doesn't have all the adjustments one for the woods does, but the overall principles are the same.

I prefer the backpack. For me it is easier to handle and I have my hands free.

I bought the Jansport Euro Sak. I travel 2-3 times a month and use this bag exculsively.

On sale and cheap here: http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39277885&memberId=12500226

Great pictures of the bag inside and out:
http://www.ebags.com/jansport/euro_sak/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=81964

OK, This question is mainly for the women who prefer the convertible carryon to the roll around. How much weight can you comfortably carry on your back? This will be another deciding factor.

I decided and bought the roll-Aboard for our trip to Italy in Sept. I don't regret my decision. It was so nice to just pull it along and not carry it. I attached my carryon bag to it. Sometimes I would put up the handle and rest against it if we had long waits, example at the train station. I did cut back on what I would normally take because of suggestions on this web site. The bag has lots of great zippered compartments to organize your stuff. I would recommend using one of those TSA locks. I did not going over and someone took my rain jacket that was in the top of my suitcase. This happened somewhere were my luggage was in transit on the plane over to Europe. I could have really used that jacket in Venice. I had a lock and started to use it the rest and the trip on trains and on our flight home.

I made a decision.

For myself, I ordered the Convertible Carry-on. My decision was based on taking everything I planned on packing, putting it in an old back pack and weighing it. I also included my purse which weighs about the same as the convertible does (3.5lbs). The total weight was 10.5 lbs. I had no problem hauling it around.

For my husband who prefers wheels, I ordered the 21" Roll-Aboard and the Avanti Rolling Tote. He wants to use the rolling tote for his laptop, small camera, and small gps unit. He can also use it for his classes.

Thank you everyone for all of your advice and suggestions. We believe we have made the best choices for our needs. We may change our minds later and get something different, but I am reasonably sure that we have a winning combination. At least we will be able to give the three pieces a good test run.

Sue - I think that was a wise choice to buy one of each. That way you can test each. My wife and I have both the convertible carryons and the 21" roll-aboards. We find ourselves using the roll-aboards more, but the lesser weight of the convertible is nice. Our 20-something kids are fine with the convertible version.

We also just bought a pair of the Avanti rolling tote, which we plan to use for short trips. Rick Steves has a carryon version (no wheels/handle) of this bag as well which was tempting.

I think you made a good decision by buying both. Different people need different things.

I know this was a really hard decision for me to make as well. I'm a wimp and don't like carrying things so the roll-around looked awful nice. However, I also knew that roll-arounds might be a pain going up stairs and cobblestone streets so the backpack was looking mighty fine.

So I split the difference. Last weekend I bought a rolling suitcase that had duffel straps on the side and backpack straps on the back.

I am sure there are better fitting backpacks I could have chosen, but I think the moral of my story is:

Stick with what is tried and true for you so that your vacation goes as smoothly as possible. If you don't have much upper body strength and haven't carried a backpack since college, don't let some fantasy image of a carefree backpacker make you think that anyone can easily do it.

For those who cant' decide what to get, I think I found a compromise.

Ebags makes a rolling carry on bag with hidden backpack straps. It weighs the same as Rick's Rollaboard but gives you the option of carrying it. (and only weighs 4 pounds more than the convertible carryon:

https://secure.ebags.com/ebags/weekender_wheelie_special_buy/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=89051

True it doesn't have a waistbelt, I started using Ricks original bag in the early 1990's. It didn't have a waist belt and we survived.

Ebags also makes their own version of a convertible carry on:

https://secure.ebags.com/ebags/weekender_convertible/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=15026

And if you're a member of AAA you get a 15% discount. I own a couple of ebags brand duffel bags and they are of excellent quality. (And no, I don't work for the company.)

What they seem to do is find the most popular bags on the market and then make their own version of it for less money.

Hello Sue. You said (1/27/08) your husband will have a 21" roll-aboard bag, and the Avanti Rolling Tote. Will he carry both of those bags into an airplane ? (coach section). When he is walking, will he be pushing (or pulling) both of those bags on their wheels, at the same time ?

My wife and I have both the Rick Steves 21" Roll Aboard and the backpack (my wife has the shorter backpack). Rather than bringing just one on the trip, we each brought both. It was quite easy to roll one while slinging the other on your back. When we do this, we check the roll aboard and carry on the convertable.

For my business trips, I just bring the roll aboard. I really like this bag because it has always fit properly in the overhead bin, as my older bag always had to go lengthwise.

I am not sure how he will carry the two cases. I am thinking that he may stack them; however, the stuff he really wants on board.... laptop, camera will be in the avanti. He could check the 21" since it will have everything else.

I am sure that he will figure it all out. I know that some European airports only allow one carryon so, he will be prepared if that happens.

As for me. I am sure that I will be happy with the convertible carryon. I have practiced carrying various weights around and am quite comfortable with it.

At any rate, my cases should be here by Monday. My trip isn't until late April. If the thread is still around, I will come back and report on how things went. (Maybe I can do a impromptu commercial for the RS bags :D)

One of my favorite travel partners used the roll-aboard and the Avanti last year...but the Avanti without the wheels. It worked really well for her although she intended to and did put the roll-aboard in cargo.

Just letting you know that our RS convertible, roll-aboard, and roll-avanti came today. I am really exited and happy.

Why not do both? I bought a Timberland bag with wheels and it ALSO had backpack straps in the back I could zip away when not in use and used it in Italy for 17 days in May. Great bag! Actually never had to take out the backpack straps but had them just in case. It also had a daypack that clipped onto the front of the larger bag and came off for use on day trips - perfect! Fully packed they both weighed 20#. I found it at TJMaxx for $60!

Frank, is the Ebag a check in bag or carry on?

Frank, thanks for the link on Ebags. I'm going to take a look at them.

I have back problems so prefer one with wheels. My kids will do fine with backpack type luggage. Hubby wants a duffle bag but I am having a hard time seeing his logic.

Can someone enlighten me? He hates a backpack, does not want wheels but thinks the gym type looking bag would work for him. I see the hanging on one shoulder being an issue...sigh.

Eli, you might have a valid concern. A lot of us worry about the weight/stress of one shoulder strap, although they are really convenient for short walks. Has your hubby looked at the RS bag? It has backpack straps, but it also has the D-rings for a single shoulder strap. He could use it as a traditional shoulder bag whenever and as much as he wants..but he'd have the backpack straps available if he started to get sore from the shoulder strap.

The Ebag Weekender comes in both a wheeled and non-wheeled version. It's basically the same bag. I have both. They're very good.

I suggest you take either bag, fill it up, and have your husband walk around for an hour with it. If he can, and doesn't complain about sore shoulders, then help him find a duffle bag. If not, suggest either a covnertible bag or a rolling bag...or a combination of both.

Well, I have to tell you, I LOVE my RS convertable. I am getting ready for my trip to California and have already packed the convertable once and weighed it. I can pack everything I need and it only weighs 10lbs. Plus, I have room to spare in the bag.

My husband loves his RS avanti bag. He has already put it to use for his college work. Now, we did get him the RS rolling bag because that is what he wanted. For his particular needs, it is the better choice for him.

I vote for a bag with wheels. I feel like my arm is a foot longer after carrying a non-wheeled bag through several big airports! Or if you carry it on your back, you can bump the backpack into people or things when you turn around. Also, I can secure my second smaller bag or purse on top of the wheeled bag and not have any weight on my shoulders or back! I travel a lot and love the wheels

Still haven't found a bag we like in town, so might be looking online and reading reports.

My RS packing cubes will be arriving Thursday. :D

Sue, I can see you dancing, LOL

I also like the Jansport that someone posted a link for. At least online it looked pretty good and comes with a Lifetime warranty. Does Rick's stuff have much of a warranty?

How about his day bags, are they that different from your regular Jansport backpacks? We have some that are used mainly when we're travelling for holding drinks/snacks.

I didn't get any of the day bags because I already have a suitable tote.

I do have a Jansport book bag that I used all through college and it is still in the best of shape. As a matter of fact, I had contemplated using it for my trip; however decided that I wanted something that looked more like normal luggage and that opened like a regular suitcase.

I am sort of laughing now because up until now, my husband and I seldom traveled by air and mainly did auto-vacations and campgrounds around the US (and we have a tent, not a fancy RV). Our luggage of choice then? Plastic clothes baskets.

We've come a long way baby :D And yes, I am dancing.

o>-< o<-< o>-<

FYI: ebags has a 20% sale this weekend for those who liked Frank's idea. I'm going to buy the wheelie he recommended :-)

Sue - something for your husband to keep in mind - when he rolls that puppy up to security, he will have to get into it to get the laptop out and toss it in one of the baskets.... He might want to give thought to a simple tote (canvas or ripstop bag) that is the right size for the laptop. Carry the laptop through security, THEN load it all into the carry-on. I know from my trip that the minute you start fumbling around for that bloody laptop, folks get restless - both the security folks AND those behind you in line... The tote would quite likely come in very handy while he is working as well.

Bob (Sue's other half) here...

I've got a bunch of other specialized electronic equipment going, so I plan on calling ahead to let them know (and I'll see if we could step aside for the inspection- no need to tie up everyone else). I also plan on getting to the airport a bit early so if their inspection takes a bit longer than usual, it won't cause any problems.