carry-on bag

Duty? Wouldn't NAFTA cover this? We buy from Amazon.ca and don't pay duty.

Christine, I order stuff from the U.S. on a regular basis, and haven't found the customs charges to be too bad. You will of course have to pay exchange, as the Cdn$ is down to about $0.94 at the moment. As I recall, ETBD uses UPS for shipping which involves "Shipping & Handling" charges, but UPS takes care of all the paperwork. It's a very easy process. If you'd prefer to only buy from a store in your area, check out Bentley or other luggage stores on the island. If you're planning a trip to the Okanagan in the near future, you could stop by Bags 'N All in the Orchard Park Mall as they always have a good seleçtion of different luggage items. If you know what you want and they carry it, they could ship it to you. If you DO decide to try ordering from the U.S., you could also look at the Magellan's website, as they have an extensive collection of all types of luggage and other travel gear. A few more sites to check are Tom Bihn and Red Oxx. Their products are pricey, but exceptional quality that should last a lifetime! Happy travels!

I have used both of these and they are located in Canada. http://www.jet-setter.ca/ Good service from these guys - I think they are physically in Winnipeg, but they ship quickly Also like this store in Vancouver - don't know if they ship but they have a lot of good stuff. http://www.wanderlustore.com/

I just checked the Wanderlust site - they ship and they carry some Rick Steves brand luggage. There is a toll free number to call too.

The Campmor Essential Carryon bag is similar to the Rick Steves convertible carryon (although slightly smaller). I've used one for years. Even with duty, exchange, etc, it would be less than the RS bags.

Actually, I use the Campmor while my husband uses the RS bag. There is a difference in size, features, and quality. But, like Lee, I like my Campmor.

Like Lee, I have the Campmoor also as well as another similar. Both are good substitutes for Rick's convertible bag. I use the Campmoor because it's the lightest I've found. You can get it online. Since it only costs $30, the duty can't be much.

The Essential Carryon weighs only 1¾#, about half of what the RS bag weighs. The savings in weight is due to lighter weight material, maybe not the best thing if you are checking it, but if you're carrying it on, you can protect it. I'd rather have the lighter weight, which gives me less chance of having to give it to the gorillas.