I just saw a notice in the RS store regarding the Convertible Carry-On:
We heard you! Our bags will be taking a short "siesta" in order to improve hardware quality. Please check back in July.
We're sorry, this product is temporarily out of stock. Please check back soon.
It will be interesting to see what changes are being made.
Sounds like the design will stay the same, but better clips, etc..
RS company must have received many complaints and returns. This is a responsible company, trying to serve its customers while still making a profit. It’s a financial balancing act.
The listing linked above now says:
"Back in stock with new and improved hardware!"
I can't remember what year I bought mine but the hardware on it has always been fine,
so I'm not sure of which vintages were responsible for the uptick in complaints.
It's like those Super Tuscan reds that were made from the crops that got too much rain :-)
I'll be interested to see what the actual improvements are. Will the specs change--as in weight?
I wished they would change the zippers to make them easier to lock or connect. With all the talk RS does about theft, you would think he'd make the bags zippers easier to connect some way to prevent wandering hands. Especially when it's on your back.
Additionally some of the backpack clips were difficult to use.
Frank II,
I have an old RS rolling suitcase. Still using it. Great bag. Anyway, the two sliders on the zipper have end loops. So, when the two sliders are pulled together - a luggage lock or cable wire loop/safety pin can be placed to hold the main compartment zipper shut. The smaller, outer pockets do not have this feature. However, any pocket that has two sliders could be joined together with a cable wire.
I looked up Zipper Anatomy. Pull-tab: finger grab that attaches to slider base. Slider: the flat base that moves along the track to open and close the track. Teeth: the interlocking “serrations” lining the track.
Stopper: tab at end of track to keep slider from falling off.
SunBaked.....I'm surprised many of the zippers don't have a place to connect unless they are double. For single zippers, they could attach small o-rings. That's what most manufacturers do.
And thanks for the zipper anatomy lesson but since I used to work with bags, I'm aware of the terms.
