I'm trying to convert myself - and especially my wife - into one-carry-on-bag travelers, so for those seasoned travelers out there, what bag among the Rick Steves collection would you most highly recommend? I'd appreciate a recommendation for both:
-the best back pack version (no wheels)
&
-the best back pack/rollable version.
Thank you.
Tom Malone
Atlanta
Well, it might be hard to find someone who's tried them all and can say which one is best from experience. I can say that I have the Classic Back Door bag (backpack), and I think its a bargain at $79 (less during sales). Its very light for its size. I suspect others would suggest you not limit yourself to the RS line of bags.
Ok, thanks for that.
For the RS bags, my husband and I both have the convertible carry-on and I have the rolling carry-on. My husband always uses his convertible carry-on and loves it. I'm past the point of wanting to carry my bag on my back (I have back issues that can flare up unexpectedly) and the rolling carry-on works well for me. I've tried on the rolling backpack and found it wasn't comfortable for me. Your experience could be different.
My wife also has occasional back issues, so your solution may work perfectly for us too. Thanks.
For the last 3 years my husband has used the RS Convertible Carry-On, and I used the E-Bags Weekend Motherlode backpack. We were both happy with our choices and could fit quite a bit in, still staying at a reasonable weight. After the first year, we used a shoulder strap quite a bit to carry them on our shoulders. For this year, we each got the rolling version of our bags. They hold a bit less because of the poles for the handle, and a rigid bottom. We haven't used them yet, so can't give you a verdict. E-Bags are at E-bags.com.
Thanks a lot for all of that information.
