ϳԹ staffers are on the road a lot. Just like everyone else, we’re constantly trying to avoid ever rising baggage fees by fitting everything we need for a trip into our carry-on bags. Here, six of our frequent flyers talk aboutluggagethat haswithstood the test of time and cramped overhead compartments.
Lo andSons the Hanover 2 ($115)
When it comes to the compartments in my carry-on bag, the perfect number is always n plus one. The is my new go-to, under-the-seat personal itembecause ofits understated look and plentiful internal and exterior pockets that help me stay organized even on a 48-hour, five-flight travel itinerary from Santa Feto New Delhi. It’s so well designed that I’ve also started using it as a gym/work bag—my running shoes go in its roomy main compartment, my computer in the separate laptop sleeve, my keys in an interior pouch, and my headphones in the nifty top pocket. As the proverbialsaying goes: aplace for everything, and everything in its place.
—Kelsey Lindsey, associate health editor
Roam Jaunt ($495)
I’ve long been a backpack-or-bust traveler. For all my previous trips abroad, from IcelandtoMongolia to New Zealand, I never considered anything other than my trusty backpack. So when one of our editors asked me to test a rolling suitcase earlier this year, I was skeptical I could be won over. But the surprised me: the wheels are a marvel and make navigating streets and airports easy, and the compact size means you’ll never struggle to fit it in an overhead bin. The best selling point, though, is how roomy this suitcase is for its small size—like Mary Poppins’s bag, itseems bottomless. For my next flight to Scotland, my backpack will be staying home.
—Abbey Gingras, associate audience editor
Tortuga Outbreaker ($299)
I’ve been using the unisex for a little over a year now, and I can’t recommend it enough. I’ve lugged it on every trip that hasrequired flying, including a 20-hour slog to Indonesia, a series of connecting flights to Norway (with lots of running through the airports), and on domestic business trips everywhere from Californiato New Orleans. On all those excursions, I only took the Outbreaker and a personal itemand felt like I was able to bring everything I neededwhile still having space for souvenirs and snacks on the way home. As an organization nerd, the smart system—with a spacious main compartment, mini zippered pockets for items like socks and toiletries, and a laptop sleeve—is right up my alley, and I never leave behind that fit snugly inside. My one big disclaimer is that I wouldn’t recommend the pack for a trip that’ll require you to carry it for prolonged periods of time, like backpacking around Europe, as the straps tend to dig into yourshoulders after a couple hours.
—Jenny Earnest, audience development director
Patagonia Black Hole Duffel ($97)
I’ve tried every kind of fancy adventure carry-on bag you can imagine—backpacks that open like duffels, duffels with backpack suspension systems, bags with laptop sleeves and shoe compartments. But almost every time I test one, I wind up dumping everything out at the eleventh hour and repacking in my 55-liter ,because it seems to swallow more gear more efficiently than anything else. Most likelythis is because it’s so simple: just a large rectangle that you can stuff to your heart’s content, with durable yet pliable walls that are somehow always capable of stretching just a little more. But I like to chalk it up to magic.
—Ariella Gintzler, associate gear editor
Helly Hansen Duffel Bag 2 and Bric’s Bellagio Spinner Trunk ($110 and $595)
For yearsI’ve gotten away with using my as a personal item and my as my carry-on. Despite holding up to 50 liters, the cylindrical shape of the duffel bag somehow makes it seem much smaller on my back than it actually is—it justsqueezesinto the overhead bin—so check-in and gate agents have yet to stop me. The Bric’s is super sturdy and packs down well,which makes it perfect for heavyormore fragile items. On a recent trip to Seville, Spain, for a three-day-longwedding, followed by a few days in Tangier, Morocco, I managed to fitfour sets of clothes, two wedding outfits, two pairs of shoes, a winter coat, two blankets from Fondouk Chejra (Tangier’s central weaver’s market), and a decorative pot that was gifted by the very sweet owner of Le Saveur de Poisson (arguably the best fish lunch in Tangier)in bothand spent zeroon baggage fees.
—Erin Riley, senior travel editor
Osprey Fairview Wheeled Travel Pack Carry-On 36L ($240)
I spent over three years living out of a 65-liter backpacking packwhiletraveling abroad. Its durability made me a loyal Osprey fan, but I found myself frustrated with its one-dimensionality. Whiletraversing dirt roads in Borneo, I was thankful for its cushy straps and hipbelt, but whilesearching the streets of Auckland, New Zealand,for a hostel, I wished it had wheels, and whilegetting on a plane, I longed for a built-in personal item so I wouldn’t have to carry my small backpack in front. Luckily, Osprey now makes a bag that checks all those boxes: the , which morphs into the perfect carry-on for any situation. It has rugged wheels that made it a breeze to roll (even over Sicily’s cobblestone streets), a daypack that attaches to the back or front and can be removed as a personal item, and comfy straps and a hipbelt that make it easy to carry over long distances. Nowinstead of having multiple bags for different uses, the Fairview is all I need.
—Kaelyn Lynch, assistant travel editor