re: What is your favorite travel bag, suitcase, or accessory?

I believe I have that exact carry on. My wife has a different set and I have the same check bag as her set.

If that's for two pieces, that's a steal of a price.

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Packing cubes are awesome. I’ll never pack without them after using them.

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Same for me. If you're going to more than one place, it's easy to sort your clothes so you can only get out what you need.

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Leather bags look great and are durable...but they're heavy before you even begin packing. And they're a nightmare if they get wet--take forever to dry, will transfer leather color to stuff inside your bag, often look like hell after they've been rained on if the color is light.

Maybe I just get caught in the rain more than others,

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The inside of that bag is lined so there’s no transfer of smell/color to the contents. It has gotten wet, not soaked, and dried no problem.

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but there is zero chance I'm schlepping a leather bag for anything other than a quick weekend car trip.

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I disagree. I think dragging a rolling bag behind you everywhere is more of a schlepp than carrying a bag in your hand or on your shoulder.

A duffle bag is so much easier than a roller while in and out of airports, hotels, shuttles etc. Think of all the escalators, stairs, narrow aisles you encounter when traveling.

Bose 700 NC headset

Recent convert (last 5 years or so), to packing cubes... I was skeptical at first, too.. no longer!

RE: roller vs duffle, spoken like someone who doesn't have back issues. I need to arrive at my destination as pain free as possible, and carrying all of the weight on one shoulder for an extended period of time is definitely NOT the path to health and comfort. Yes, a wheelie bag can be a drag (har-har) to pull or push, but it's a small inconvenience when it means I can actually walk pain free for the duration of a trip.

I'd love to have it all in a backpack, but those days are long gone. Back care is a priority.

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I'd love to have it all in a backpack, but those days are long gone. Back care is a priority.

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He's obviously young and strong! My shoulders wouldn't survive a trek through the airport.

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You just must not be very good at wheeling.

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I pretty much live in airports, I know how to navigate them and prefer not to have a rolling bag.

Y’all are right about having a healthy back, I took that for granted. But will definitely enjoy a duffle bag while I can still carry it.

Tom Bihn Synik 22 backpack: LINK
It’s very compact for the volume. If you’re taller, you’ll like the Synapse 25 or Synik 30 better. Tom Bihn flagship bag is the Aeronaut, but at 45 liters, it’s too much for me to carry as a duffle or backpack.

Tom B also makes a packing cube that turns into a crossbody bag, if you need a travel handbag but are still trying to minimally pack: LINK

Re: bottle holder, the center mid pocket works for me, but I don’t carry more than 32 Oz at a time. I can see it being a limitation if you’re used to carrying two bottles or a giant Nalgene silo. I haven’t tried it with a bladder style water pack. It’s certainly not a “backcountry” bag.