Searching for my "Unicorn" bag

By convertible, you mean cross body or backpack, correct?
Does it have to be 22” long? That seems kind of long for a cross body bag. You may need to look at convertible weekender bags. These usually do not open clamshell style. This really may be a unicorn bag. There are convertible bags. The stated dimensions seem boxy and awkward to carry cross body.

Ebags Mother Lode Travel Back Pack. Currently on sale for $90
https://www.ebags.com/backpacks/travel/mother-lode-travel-backpack/117754D260.html?productid=117754-D260&country=US&currency=USD&couponid=94790994&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAz8GuBhCxARIsAOpzk8y4yBkUrn1ULzW_gnDb2Q6kQ9ju1841sy37Gn1f4uU3hoBqjtqq4b0aAg6cEALw_wcB

How about the Cotopaxi Allpa - 35 or 42 L? Might find one of the colors subdued.

I read your Must Have and went right to the Cotopaxi 35L. Pretty sure you’ll hear from Jean-she LOVES hers.

One drawback might be color as they are pretty rich, but oh so fun!

The Patagonia Black Hole is very popular among the Reddit one baggers and has all the points except the organized separation, although the main space looks pretty cavernous. https://www.rei.com/product/208438/patagonia-black-hole-mlc-pack

The Tom Bihn Aeronaut meets most of your needs.

You and I were on the same hunt and came to the same conclusions! I was disappointed the 35 liter Osprey seems to be discontinued but it didn't have the non- hiking look I was after, anyway. Also, as an older solo traveler at 5"2" I didn't want to look like a backpacker. I went to my local REI where they had the 40 liter Peak Design and Coxapatli (as well as some others from my researching). Being able to actually see the features in person and try them on in front of a mirror was really helpful- could that work for you?
I chose the midnight blue Peak Design in the 35 liter, the 40 looked big on me. It's very sleek and about as unobtrusive as a backpack can be. Even the solid Coxapatli options are too vivid for my very neutral taste. I am not sure what you mean by the access points issue on the interior, unless the 40 is very different. The only weird (to me) opening besides the exterior zippers is on the side where there's a small opening you could theoretically keep an ID -or? It's too small for a passport anyway.
I am hopeful this is going to work for 3 weeks this summer, a mix of hiking and cities with lots of trains. I am going to take a zip-into-itself little duffel in case any purchases don't end up fitting. And use only a small crossbody and moneybelt for phone, passport, etc.

Cotopaxi Allpa 35L - have used it for 2 14 day trips, fits overhead bins easily, comfortable to carry. You can buy attachments for water bottles also. Many color options on their website, although they do favor the bright colors.

Thank you for all the suggestions! I'll look into them and report back.

Sun-Baked in Florida: To clarify, "crossbody" wasn't the best way for me to describe using a shoulder strap; I was trying to differentiate between a shoulder strap and the backpack straps. What I'm hoping for is to be able to carry it three ways: backpack, shoulder strap, and handle on the bag. It doesn't need to be 22" long, that's just the dimensions given by the big three US domestic airlines.

Bon voyage!: Yup, the exterior zippers on the sides. The videos show they line up with their specialized camera packing cubes, which I don't have or need. Tell me more about your Peak Design in 35L - is it the backpack or the travel duffel?

For all the recommendations for Cotopaxi, I may have dismissed it because of the bright colors, so I'll need to go back (with sunglasses on!) and take another look.

LLBean: Continental Travel Pack
This looks close. About $180. 10% discount offered now.

I use the now discontinued Osprey Fairview 40L XS. Because it is XS, it's 38L not 40L. It clamshells and has stowable backpack straps and hipbelt and stowable shoulder strap. I have used it as a backpack, shoulder bag and with just the handles. It does not have a separate laptop sleeve in the back. It does have exterior compression straps and a front pocket for organization. Because of the bulky design of the Osprey I got the Cotopaxi 35L in a solid light blue (no sunglasses required). I gave it to a friend. The Cotopaxi has interior zippered mesh pockets which do not work with my packing cubes. And I am a dedicated packing cube user. The newly designed Osprey Fairview and Farpoint now have laptop sleeves in the back. The Fairview also has an adjustable shoulder harness (which is why they don't need the XS size). The adjustable shoulder harness makes the bag even bulkier and heavier. If you haven't already ruled out the Osprey Fairview/Farpoint try to get one used from REI. That way you will at least eliminate the adjustable harness and the laptop sleeve.

Thank you all for your suggestions! Some are definitely contenders. A couple follow up questions and a comment:

• Anyone here have experience with a 45L being rejected/gate checked as too large? I know it is a possibility on some airlines, but on American/Delta/United does a "normal" 45L fit in the sizer?
  
• Several of the bags have an internal mesh divider that splits the bag into two or three large compartments. I really like my packing cubes and I wonder if the mesh is compatible with packing cubes. Anyone have any experience with this?
  
• Some of the Cotopaxi colors aren't too bad!
  

The llbean one has “tongue” shaped, zippered flaps. (I don’t have this bag.). You can probably just lay your cubes in the bags and zipper the mesh flap over the cubes. Alternatively, looks like you could roll up the mesh flap and tuck inside the bag and ignore it.

External compression straps allow you to squeeze down the contents so that your bag can fit any sizer. Also, the external straps keep a loosely packed bag from flopping around or having all the contents sag to the bottom of the bag.

I fly almost exclusively on AA. I have seen some huge backpacks go on flights, so I think if you are taking a 45 L backpack, there shouldn't be any issue at all taking it onto the plane. I've never seen a gate agent on AA make a passenger put a backpack into a bag sizer, either. AA often requires gate checking bags with rollers if the passenger is in one of the latter boarding groups, but I have never seen them say a word about a backpack..

In reading your description of your preferred backpack, I you might check out the Ebags Motherlode Junior backpack. It has stowable backpack straps and measures 19.5 x 14 x 9 inches so approximately 40 L and weighs about 2 3/4 pounds. I have one and it holds so much and it opens up like a suitcase. I have tried to figure out a way to make it a crossbody but haven't been successful at finding a way. I would carry it more often but it isn't that comfortable on me (about 5'4").

I really want the bag Hermione Granger uses in the last Harry Potter movie. A smallish sized handbag, that can contain clothes for three people, A family sized tent, and a medium sized library.

Patagonia or Tom Bihn - I have the Patagonia MLC 45 litre and is a very nice bag and have had not trouble using it as carry on. However I mostly use the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 30 as it hits the sweet spot in size for me. They also make an Aeronaut 45. TB is not cheap but excellent quality. Patagonia middle range in terms of price but I have several of both these makes (a bit of a bag problem, like so many others on this forum) and the quality is so good with both.

l.p.enersen - that sounds ideal! LOL

I think I need to put all this great info into a spreadsheet and rank them, then take a field trip to REI to check some of them out. Thank you all!

I'm not a backpack person. But I don't think anyone has mentioned Topo Designs.

They have some interesting looking bags including a 40-liter duffel with stowable backpack straps, top and side carry handles and a removable shoulder strap.

https://topodesigns.com/products/mountain-duffel?variant=42113756201013

khansen - interesting option, and I don't hate the colors. Currently sold out on the site, but it's going on my spreadsheet. Thanks!

Posted by SueH OP

khansen - interesting option, and I don't hate the
colors. Currently sold out on the site, but it's going on my
spreadsheet. Thanks!

Check out their other styles too. They have some "regular" looking backpacks and suitcases too.

One thing I thought was good was their rolling backpack, which I know you don't want. But the backpack straps are on the front of the bag, so when worn, the wheels are on the outside and the zippers against your body. Having exposed zippers while wearing a backpack is one of the things I would not like about wearing one.

You're describing an MEI Voyageur.

https://www.meivoyager.com/

I was at the REI flagship store last night and saw the topo design 30L bag. It looks good, with a streamlined appearance. It has two large mesh zipper compartments on one side of the bag which I think can be “ignored” if using packing cubes. My one personal objection to the bag is that it is longer, 22”, than the Cotopaxi 35 or osprey 40. That length could present problems on the budget European airlines. And uncomfortable for a shorter torso. I think it lacks an internal frame so it would be squashable. Good for carry on, bad if you will be doing a lot of walking while carrying the bag.

Thanks and adding to my list. I hope to review these options over the weekend.

Hi Sue, I’m back from our Spain trip, so I can comment on the Cotopaxi 35L. Mine is a Pacific blue with black sides & back so no sunglasses needed - LOL! And, yes, I do love it!

You could still use packing cubes which I always did previously with my roller bag. But, I found clothes stay in place well on the right side half of this clamshell without them. I place my toiletry rectangular bag at the bottom, pants or dresses above, and shirts at the top of that side.

I do still place underwear in an old RS mesh drawstring bag. And I use a gallon Ziploc bag for my misc. stuff. Both of those are on the left half of the clamshell.

If you don’t want to carry it as wearing a backpack, I don’t think you will like it, though. It’s not a crossbody or duffel design. If that’s important to you, pass on this one.

I havea 30l peak design and like it. I like that it is expandable. Wish the straps stashed a bit easier.

We are also going to try osprey daylite 44l. Seems to have everything i want. $130. I found a new one on ebay for $90.

I recently bought the samsonite detour backpack on sale for about $90. Pretty plum color. 20 x 13 x 9" and 2 lb. Backpack style with handle. No shoulder strap. Wide open interior compartment. I pack with packing cubes but tend to have some 'loose' things packed as well so I wish it had internal compression straps.

I am a fan of Hynes Eagle Rolling Backpack 42L

Maybe this morning’s post will help:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/packing/ny-mag-article-on-best-carry-on-backpacks

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm late in replying because I've been travelling and checking out other people's bags. Cotopaxi is high on my list but now I'm trying to decide on the size.

• larger size:
  underfilled bag can be droopy
  personal item could be smaller/lighter
  the larger Cotopaxi has the shoulder carry strap that I want

• smaller size:
  personal item may be stuffed to capacity and become awkward to carry

My current setup is the RS Convertible Carry-On (weighing about 22 lbs and a little droopy) and my personal item (weighing about 12 lbs and about 2/3 full). I'm comfortable carrying that combined weight though I keep trying to carry less. I'd prefer to have most/more weight on my back but my personal item has my electronics, liquids, and other items I want within easy reach on the plane.

One Cotopaxi user I talked to really liked her bag but wished she'd have gotten the larger one (she had the 35 L). Part of me wants the 35 L (forcing me to carry less?) while the other part wants to be realistic (but don't want droopy bag).

I guess I'm asking what size bag do y'all have and if you were to do it again, would you get the same size or go larger/smaller?

Please help me find my “unicorn” bag.

Just follow the unicorn to the stash of perfect bags.

:-)

Or the mary Poppins bag.....