T i f f a n y H s u

My Brother's Family And My Campmor Bag

At the end of last month my brother and his family left for 5 months in Germany.  The day before I helped watch my two nieces as my brother and sister-in-law frantically packed up their apartment and bags.  After returning from Target my brother showed me the backpack he just bought for use as a carry on and for weekend trips around Germany and Europe, but the second I saw it I immediately offered away my Campmor Essential Carry-On and eBags Packing Cubes.  He wasn't quite sure how to use them, but I convinced him to returned his bag and I showed him how to utilize the packing cubes to organize the books, toys, and food he planned to take into the airplane cabin.  Using the packing cubes I fit in everything he had originally stuffed into the bag and let him know it could fit even more.  The rest of my nieces' snacks went into the Campmor bag along with both my brother's and my sister-in-law's laptops.  In the end the bag was packed heavier than I would ever pack and I was impressed, I thought for sure the addition of two laptops would cause something to rip, but they made it to Germany without issue.

At the airport my brother was told his carry on was much too heavy, but instead of charging him for the over weight carry on ( and for the two extra over weight checked bags), it was simple to just pull out the largest packing cube filled with my nieces' books and carry it separately, but the second they were finished checking in, I showed him how quick and simple it was to just repack the bag with the large packing cube back in its place.  I've definitely had TSA go through my bags in the past and without packing cubes things always end up such a mess, but this last episode further convinced me that I can never pack without packing cubes again.  Now when I see bags without packing cubes I marvel at how odd it looks to see clothes naked in luggage.

Timbuk2 Wingman

Aeronaut by Tom Binh

With my trusty Campmor bag and packing cubes gifted to my brother, I started the immediate search for a replacement.  I had been eyeing the Timbuk2 Wingman, but a friend of mine bought it for our trip to Greece and Turkey and I remember it didn't hold as much as my Campmor and looked bigger as well.  Timbuk2 skimped on the backpack straps for this one and it surprised me that my $30 Campmor was more comfortable with better padded straps.  With that said, the Timbuk2 is a beautiful bag, aesthetically similar to the much lusted after Tom Binh Aeronaut.  In the end the added weight (3 lbs 3 oz Wingman vs 1 lb 12 oz Campmor) and loss of packing volume (2,441 cu. in. Wingman vs 2,821 cu. in.) made me decide against the Wingman.

To be honest I love the Campmor Essential Carry-On.  I bought it to try out one bag travel and figured I would upgrade once I needed a new bag, but I'm leaning towards just getting another Campmor.  I only wish the zippers were stronger quality and that the bag included external compression straps, the zippers have been surprisingly sturdy and the lack of compression straps have only been a minor inconvenience.  The lack of external compression straps is really felt when the bag isn't packed full, which causes the bag to sag.

The only time I wished I had a hip belt was after adding 7 lbs of baklava and other gifts to my 17 lb pack when heading home from Istanbul, but since I usually buy gifts at the end of my trips or at the airport, my pack is usually around 17 lbs, with a goal to get even lighter, which takes away the need of a hip belt.

Even fully packed I've been able to fit the Campmor under the airplane seat without problems. This includes the smaller regional jets used for island hopping in Greece.  For shorter flights I even preferred to store the Campmor bag under the seat in front of me so I can use it as a foot rest.

With that said, I found a great deal on eBags eTech 2.0 Weekender Convertible Junior.  I was able to get it for $31.98, only a couple of dollars more than the Campmor.  I've heard rave reviews about the quality of eBags bags, so maybe this is the upgrade I was hoping for. The Campmor bag measures 21 in x 13 in x 9 in, which is 2 inches wider than the limit for airlines like Ryanair, but when under packed it fits perfectly in the sizers at the airport. eBags Weekender Junior comes in at a smaller size with 19 in x 13.75 in x 9 in, has a capacity of 2727 cu. in., and weighs 2 lbs 11 oz.  The extra weight seems like it would be worth it for the stronger material, better padded backpack straps, external compression straps, and I hope that since capacity is only slightly less than the Campmor it means that I can fit in the extra gifts I pick up while traveling.

The Opposite Of Light Packing, Five Checked Bags, Double Stroller, Car Seat, Two Carry Ons

I was tempted to buy the bag in a plum color, but then I remembered this time last year I was traveling alone and taking local buses in India while thinking about how glad I was my black bag didn't attract attention.  Being the only foreigner on the bus attracted enough attention in itself. Plus, at least for the Campmor Essential Carry-On, the black color is visually deceptive.  In the picture of my brother and sister-in-law above you can see the Campmor bag in the middle of the picture, just under the blue Dakine backpack used as their other carry on.  The Dakine backpack probably has the capacity of 2,000 cu. in., smaller than the Campmor, but the Campmor doesn't look much bigger.  This works for avoiding having the Campmor checked at the gate for flights and I've been able to keep the Campmor bag with me on bus rides while backpacking packs have been forced to be stored in the undercarriage.  The more I write about the Campmor Essential Carry-On, the more I wonder if I'll end up returning the eBags bag and just buy another Campmor, but I'll reserve further judgement after I receive it this week and test it out.

Ecosusi Packing Cubes

As for packing cubes, I was surprised to see the price has increased quite a bit since I bought my old ones.  I did end up getting two of the value sets for $31 each, one for my other brother and one for the hubby, but I also just bought two 3 bags sets from a brand called Ecosusi.  They look very similar to the eBags brand, but for half the price.  I'll test them out and determine if it's worth sticking with eBags or if I've found a more affordable replacement.  I also checked out the packing cubes at Ikea today, for those on a budget it's a great option, but I didn't like their lack of a handle so passed on getting them.