Luggage lighter than RS bag

Hi Elaine. The bag I went with was an Osprey Ozone. It weighs in at 4.5#. And yes, I weighed it on a home luggage scale and it weighed exactly as advertised.

I have only taken it on one trip, that was to Italy last Fall. I flew Delta from Spokane to Seattle then on to Paris where I transited through and caught an Air France flight to Milan. I wanted to do carry on only after the awful luggage issues in Amsterdam and London last summer but worried that I might not make the 12 k weight limit for the Air France leg. They have a dimension of 55x35x25 cms. The RS made that dimension but is 6#. I am almost as old as dirt and have trouble lifting weight over my head.

In the end no one in Paris even appeared to look at my bag as I was boarding for Milan but there had been some anecdotes on here where people had had luggage weighed and I felt much more relaxed for being well within the weight/size limits for AF.

Pros:

• very lightweight but the fabric feels quite sturdy and a friend and forum member who used to work at REI and knows this brand well felt like it would hold up to being checked if needed.
• Really nice grab bar on the bottom which helps with lifting or retrieving.
• Had a color other than black, lol
• Monopole handle decreases weight but is sturdier than the double handle on the RS rollaboard
• 2 very sturdy bigger wheels makes it easy to pull or push. Did fine on broken sidewalks in Rome and around piles of doggy doo there. Did fine on cobbles and dirt.

Cons:

• Monopole handle doesn’t really accommodate adding a bag with a trolley sleeve. I don’t use a bag with a trolley sleeve so this didn’t bother me
• Packs weird. A forum member told me this when I was considering it and she was correct. Random empty spaces show up, lol even if you load it the same way every time.
• The zipper needs to be coaxed around one corner
• It’s hugely overpriced.
• The lid is divided into 2 inside zip pockets. Feels like it would be more functional if it were 1 large pocket.
• The outside pocket is extremely narrow and is almost unusable but if I were able to get stuff in it the would make the bag wider than the stated dimensions.

I’m happy with it and have done some trial packs for an upcoming trip. It’s a bit of a weird bag and would not suit everyone.

The RS bag served me well. It’s about 9 years old and is a bit scuffed on the corners from being checked. I’d kind of retired it for a TravelPro I got at TJMaxx which now has a handle that doesn’t extend properly so I was looking for a replacement.

I think Osprey is a Boulder company. I ordered from their website and had it in 3 days much to my shock.

Let me know if you have questions.

Osprey is a high end lightweight backpacking company to start. Smells like Boulder CO, but off top of my head can't confirm.

I've coveted some of their products, but never bought. Either not the right fit or price prohibitive.

But a quality top end brand to be sure.

Thanks Pam for the reply and complete review. May look into it.

I would have the same problem of lifting a heavier bag up into the overhead compartment.
Roll on, Girl!!

If you decide to buy one, look on backcountry.com. You should get an offer of 15% off if you give them your email address. You can always unsubscribe later from their mailing list. I wasn’t able to find the Osprey Ozone on sale anywhere, and some places it is sold out (REI for one).

I've had the Osprey Ozone for a couple of years now and really like it. I have used it on probably six or seven trips ( mostly domestic). I took it with me to Italy last summer and it worked great on cobblestones. It is light enough that even when packed full, I still have no problem lifting it in to the overhead compartment (I'm 5'4"). I have checked it a few times and it has held up without any issues.

Lola, the sold out problem is one I ran in to last summer. By mid-August when I was ready to purchase, the Ozone was sold out everywhere. I literally dogged the Osprey site every day and bingo...Monday before Labor Day it was suddenly added to the site at $50 more than the previous model had been but I ordered it immediately. Got it that Thursday.

SLWS, good to know you had good experiences with checking it!

Lifting things over head and this time of year lifting the summer/snow tires in/out of the back of my rig is when I feel my age!

Interestingly last Fall I popped for flying Delta One back home. I was shocked when on each flight in the Delta One or First Class section men offered to lift my bag for me. I have never had anyone offer to help on any of the Delta flights I've taken over the last decade - usually in Comfort +. I quickly thanked them and said I've packed so I can lift it myself.

I checked it out on back county to see the photos. Besides the high price I know I would have difficulty with the inside lid zipper compartments. I am used to one large zipper compartment where I can put my slacks and/or capris fold in thirds. I would hope that the front outside zipper pocket would fit my rain jacket but it looks pretty slim/shallow front to back. I would love the lighter weight but I think I would struggle with changing my packing style.

Thanks to all for comments.

Now that one looks interesting and a possibility.

Thanks

"Unlike Pam's, it is NOT a spinner."

Actually mine is a 2-wheeler, not a spinner. Not a fan of spinners.

There was a recent thread on the Osprey Daylight - cute prints with that one!

Like Tom Bihn, Osprey makes equipment you buy once. And you pay a premium for USA manufacturing. I have several Osprey products that solve interesting problems in unique designs. I do not have one of their travel packs, though.

We have offices in Poole, England, as well as design and manufacturing facilities in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where Mike and Diane lived for four years to build relationships and transparency with our employees and suppliers abroad. Besides our headquarters, we have a distribution center in Ogden, UT, and also continue to employ local Navajo sewers at our original warehouse in Cortez, CO, where we proudly deliver on our All Mighty Guarantee.

Pam, is this the one you have? Inquiring shoppers want to to know! https://www.osprey.com/us/en/product/ozone-2-wheel-carry-on-40l-21-5-OZONECO2WF22_550.html

BTW, Osprey's corporate headquarters is in Atlanta GA.

Mardee, yes that is the one I have in the Coastal Blue color.

AMann, that is interesting about the seamstresses (sorry I just can't call them sewers, lol!! Sewing persons...)

The suitcase is shaped more like a backpack than a suitcase with the rounded corners.

AMann, that's interesting - I checked out their website and according to them, their base is now in Colorado. They probably keep the headquarters in Atlanta for convenience. But I hate to break it to you - Osprey was bought by a conglomerate a couple of years ago. Same thing happened with Tom Bihn, although the quality of the bags does not seem to have suffered.

AMann, that is interesting about the seamstresses (sorry I just can't call them sewers, lol!! Sewing persons...)

Ha ha, Pam! When I was working in theatre as a costumer (before my legal career), we would hire people to sew for each show, and they were called "stitchers." Now if you look online at blogs from people who pattern and sew, most of them call themselves "sewists." I guess that sounds more elite.:)

"Sewists"....good grief....

We are traveling soon on cheapo airlines. Icelandic, ryanair,easy jet. Do the Steve’s bags fit and can you also have a backpack or computer bag as carryon? Any recent experiences?

jconroy--The RS bags will not fit Iceland Air. The depth for them is 7.8" and most bags are 9 or 10".