RS backpacks and carry-ons. Pros and Cons

I have used the regular rolling bag and it works well. Plenty of room and some nice pockets to slip in some odds and ends for ready access. The Ravenna has a hard shell and is a little heavier. I also have used the Civita day pack and it works well as a day bag. It is very UNSTRUCTURED and fits empty in a suitcase without taking much room. Carrys what you need for the day and has several pockets and 2 water bottle carries. It is nothing special as far as bags go.

You might look at the rolling carry on bag as it is the right size And light in weight. And the least expensive day backpack would work.
If I couldn't make it with those two bags, I would reassess what I am carrying.
I am considering shucking the backpack on my next trip in April and leave extra shoes home. I can make it with my TravelPro 21 inch swivel wheeled bag.

David: Is this the one?

https://www.amazon.com/Travelpro-Maxlite-Expandable-Spinner-Suitcase/dp/B016IO9JOO/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519940678&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=travelpro+21+inch+swivel

Do you didn't have a problem with the four wheels over cobblestones and uneven pavement? Some other posters said that was an issue with the 4 wheels over 2 wheels.

I have had the rolling carry-on and the Civita pack for several years and been very happy. The carry-on is sturdy, with a very tough outer fabric. The telescoping handle at first blush seems a bit light and potentially fragile, but I've never had the slightest problem with it. You can stuff a lot of stuff into that bag, especially if you open up the expansion zipper, say if you want to bring home some wine or olive oil from Italy and check the bag on the way home. The only problem I've had is that one end of the buckle on one of the inside compression straps broke. I emailed the RS office with photos of the broken buckle and they promptly sent a couple of new, sturdier buckles. I had to sew them in (definitely not my strong point), but I managed the task fairly easily. I use the carry-on frequently for domestic travel and two international trips. I'd certainly recommend it.

I also use the Civita pack to carry my camera and whatever else is going out for the day. As a previous poster said, it is totally unstructured, which I'm fine with. I almost always just sling it over my shoulder, as you see Rick doing in his videos, though of course you can use both straps and wear it as a backpack. I find it more comfortable slung over one shoulder, but I've used it both ways. I've had one VERY minor issue. The fabric cover on the cinch cord on one of the mesh water bottle pockets started to fray. This happened shortly after my problem with the rolling carry-on. I sent a couple of photos of that and they promptly sent me a brand new bag, no questions asked.

Both of the problems I describe were quite minor, but RS totally stood behind the products and sorted out solutions quickly. While some people have had more serious and/or inconvenient issues with RS bags, most also testify that the company works hard to find resolutions. I'm very satisfied with my purchases.

We are happy with our Travel Pro spinner, but the Maxlite line (we have several Travel Pro’s) is our only disappointment. Made cheaply and lousy wheels. Needed to go back after one trip. Spend a little more and go to the Crew 11 line. You’ll see that one has much better wheels and, in person, the construction is clearly better. As for cobblestones and the like-we’ve not found it to be a problem. Buy a good quality spinner and the wheels will hold up fine. I can’t drag a two wheeled roll aboard as it torques my shoulder and back. But, when you have to drag a spinner, you want a well made one with good wheels. My favorite spinner is a Briggs&Riley expandable international bag, but it’s very expensive. Will last a lifetime and if it doesn’t they will replace it. My daughter had a RS bag fall apart on her while it was fairly new. Yes, RS will stand behind their products but when this stuff happens when you’re traveling it’s a pain. They apparently changed manufactures and their are numerous posts about lower quality on this board. As for the Civita: I have one many years old I use every day to go to the gym and on each of our trips. Some scuffs but otherwise like iron.

The Appenzell is really too big for a day bag, unless you're packing lunch, a change of clothes, two bottles of wine, extra hiking boots, and a dog. (Kidding. Sort of.) In fact, I use the Appenzell as my main travel bag, and carry pretty much everything I need for a 3 week trip in it.

The Civitá, however, is a great day bag. Now, the ones we have are older, so the quality may be different, but we've gotten a lot of use out of them. My DH uses his as our joint daybag, carrying guide books, maps, windbreakers or sweaters, water, and often lunch - for both of us. It's lightweight, but sturdy. In fact I use my Civitá here at home as my "training pack." To get in shape for climbing hills and stairs, I walk wearing my Civitá full of books. I've done this for several years now, and except for a bit of fraying on the top loop (not the straps) it's in perfect shape.

i own the Ravenna rolling suitcase and the original ravenna back pack (they now sell a newer version)

I'm very happy with the suitcase, but I must admit it has only logged about 4 trips that involved airplanes.

the back pack, on the other hand, seems stiff. it has a nice padded lap top sleeve, but if you are not needing a bag that is structured enough to protect a computer, id pass up the ravenna. (I have a cheap day pack that is much softer and will hold more awkwardly shaped items.

many posters like the civita line for its flexibility and lighter weight.

The Civita Day pack is really great to take on a trip, I've used mine for almost 8 years now and still love it. The Rick Steves company is good about replacing an item if it proves defective. Most airlines will let you bring both the rolling bag and the Civita pack on board as carry-on's.

Thanks all! really good information for me to digest. Sounds like the Civita day pack is far and above the preferred favorite although there is some debate that the older models are better made than the newer ones.

Alan: I checked out that bag and you are right! Wow! That was one nice bag. Not sure I want to spend $450 for this trip but if I travelled a lot it would be worth the investment. I also worry about the spinners because you have to add the wheel length to the overall length to be sure it meets my airline requirements which is 21.65". I don't know how strict Lufthansa is...?

So, I'm sold on the Civita Day Pack but still not sure which type of carry-on luggage I should get. Still looking so any recommendations about RS Ravenna Rolling Case, RS Rolling Case, or other specific brand, please feel free to comment. Thanks again...

The Civita works well as a single shoulder bag unless you are petite where I think it would work OK as a classic backpack. I've used two of them as daily packs before they fall apart over the past 4 years. They are small and unstructured but work well for a light day pack on city vacations.

I sill use his Backdoor bag as my primary luggage on trips and the defective one I was shipped was quickly replaced and is going strong and prepping for another trip this spring.

I use the RS wheelie. I love to buy suitcases and have several wheeled carryons in the closet. However, I can no longer bring myself to buy another bag or revert back to another brand in my closet. My 21" is several years old, has been on several international & domestic trips, is usually checked (because I prefer to do so) and it has no defects and still looks like new. In other words, it is not treated delicately like a bag brought on to the plane. I love the exterior organization of pockets. I see no reason to spend a lot for a bag.

Hold harmless: On my upcoming trip I am using my old 22/23" RS bag because we are staying put in one place. This bag is about 14 years old and is going strong.

BTW, can anyone tried both the Citiva and the Ravenna day packs so they can compare the two? People seem to generally like the Civita better but the Ravenna is not that much larger and can be added to the Ravenna Rolling bag (if you have that). Is the Civita easier to pack? Is one more comfortable than the other?

I'm not sure exactly what you meant by this: "be sure it meets my airline requirements which is 21.65. I don't know how strict Lufthansa is...?" Are you flying Lufthansa?

If so, and you haven't been their website for baggage info, this is a link to it. You will have to do the cm/in and kg/lb conversions. Be sure to scroll down the page for dimensions for your personal item.

I'd expect them to be pretty strict, and would be as concerned about weight as size. For example, you are allowed only one "large" bag in both economy and premium economy and the weight limit is 8 kg or about 17 lbs, 10 oz. That means you need to pay close attention to the weight of the bag empty before you buy it.

Hello Lo, You are correct. Lufthansa is my airline. I went to their site and converted centimeters to inches and their max size is 21.65 inches. Thanks for the reminder about the weight. It'll probably go over the way I pack. :)

op, the ravenna back pack has a LOT of padding (thats the one I have) and the civita has no padding

I own several RS bags - 2 Classic Back door bags, 1 Convertible Carry on, one of the old 22" rolling bags and 2 civita bags. I'm going to be the voice of dissent - After using the Civita bags on our first 2 trips they were set aside and not used again. I find them quite uncomfortable if you are carrying anything hard sided (water bottle / books). Because they have no structure and are so lightweight they really allow whatever is in them to bump / poke your back. We also have 2 of the RS Appenzell day packs which we love, but don't use for Europe. They are just too big for a day pack when sightseeing.

We have generally switched over to Osprey. We started with the Farpoint 55 with attachable day pack. We generally do quite a bit of train travel and hiking so the 2 things I love about these bags is that I can attach the daypack and have my hands free on and off the train. The daypack has a spot for a hydration bag which for us was really helpful. This bag also has an internal frame which makes it much more comfortable to wear for long periods vs. the RS back packs.

For our upcoming trip we are going to try our new Osprey Ozone convertible 22" bags which also have an attachable day pack. The big difference in this bag is that it is both a roller and a back pack. It's extremely comfortable to wear on the back and rolls very nicely. I've tried it out on a few domestic trips.

Regarding the Ravenna backpack. I put about eight pounds worth of stuff into it. The backpack straps wouldn't hold. One came loose and wouldn't stay cinched.

Good information, thanks everyone. Looks like I still have some thinking to do about how we'll be traveling and what will work best for that.

Anyone try the Appenzell Day Pack yet? They say it's perfect for a children's bag so thinking it could possibly operate as a secondary bag for an adult and have a little more structure than the Civita. My husband have to have one checked bag (medical reasons) so if that's the case, then I might check one too and split my clothing so in case it gets lost I'll still have half my clothes.

Will check out the Osprey model though. Not married to RS products but they seem to have a lot of what we need and good customer service.

Maria, I commented on the Appenzell Day Bag upthread. It's 23 liters, and has more structure than the Civita. It also has a padded back pocket suitable for a laptop. The padding makes the bag more comfortable against your back, which takes care of some of the problems that have been mentioned about the Civita. I use the Appenzell as my main travel bag when we go to Europe.

Thanks Jane, How do you think the Appenzell day pack would work in conjunction with the Ravenna rolling bag? On the RS website they say that (of course) the Ravenna back pack can sit comfortably on top of the Ravenna Rolling bag to make one unit, but I'm unsure still if that's the best option for me or if it's better to mix the Ravenna rolling (or similar rolling bag) with the Appenzell Day Pack. Then I would check the Ravenna Rolling with my husband's bag (which must be checked) and carry on the Appenzell as a secondary bag. Thanks for your review.

The Ravenna rolling case works well for my husband, and I use the Expedition rolling duffels from Eddie Bauer. I used our Civita Day Pack in Yellowstone last month, and while it is extremely lightweight, I like something with more structure. For our Italy trip I am ditching the Civita and trying the Veloce Shoulder bag (which is also a backpack). It fits on all of our luggage, and I like the expanding feature.

One way to mitigate the problem of hard items in a Civita daybag is padding the back with a sweater/fleece jacket that you were going to carry anyway. Love mine because it's light, squishes down for packing, carries what I need for a plane/train ride or daily walk.

Maria, I've never used a Ravenna bag, or any rolling bag, so I can't help you with that. Laura B is right about using a sweater or some other soft item as padding in your Civita. We usually have windbreakers, which my DH uses to pad his Civita when we're out for the day.

I own the Appenzell and Ravenna packs, and like them both but for different reasons. First, the Appenzell, while a decent overnighter and mid sized backpack, is too big in my opinion to serve as a daypack, especially if fully loaded. It also doesn’t have a pass through to fit on a wheeled bag’s handle.

The “new and improved” Ravenna daypack gained some actual structure from the older model, but is about the same size as the model it replaced. Great as a personal item for carrying on a plane, and it does have the pass through panel for carrying with a rolling bag. The laptop compartment is spacious as well.

My only complaint with the new Ravenna is the smaller water bottle pockets. The previous version had mesh carriers with a toggle to adjust the size, making it possible to carry, say, a 24 ounce bottle (I’m big on hydration and always carry a good sized water bottle.). The new version has a combination of a zipper pocket and an elastic mesh. And the zipper really won’t extend far up enough to accommodate more than a 16 ounce container securely. That’s normally a deal breaker for me, but I can probably carry my water inside the bag, properly secured. And the side pockets can be used for small items like earbuds and chargers.

In any case, a small or mid sized backpack with a trolley sleeve combined with a rolling bag is a good combination for packing light and still staying within carry on rules. If you pay attention to airline limits and measure your bags, there’s generally no problems.

Hello all! OP here. Sometimes these threads end without knowing how it all worked out. Well after reading ALL your responses and going back and forth and researching, I decided on these two...

For my back pack I got the Ash & Amber red laptop backpack/bag. Lightweight and more like a suitcase and has a slot that goes over the handle of your suitcase. Thought that was a good feature going through airports. On cobblestone I can take the back pack off and wear it while getting to the hotel and should be lighter.

https://www.ebay.com/i/253457011038?chn=ps&dispItem=1

For my suitcase I ended up getting a Delsey. Specifically the Delsey Luggage Cruise Lite Softside Carry-on Exp. Spinner Suiter Trolley, in blue. Is only 8 pounds and has lots of nice features that I think will work for me. Reviews said it went well over European streets.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MSTVUPK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So thank you to everyone who posted!! Your comments helped me figure out what I really needed and what I didn't.