Quick Take: GoLite TraveLite Convertible Carry-on

The Highs: Recycled materials; good looks; lightweight; 3 carry options

The Lows: Zipper rain flaps are a bit fussy; no compression straps in main compartment

The Verdict: A capable bag and a reasonable value; OPEC is still the price/value champ, however

GoLite’s entry into the lightweight convertible carry-on niche is the TraveLite, a bag that offers Patagonia good looks without the Paty sticker shock.   The similarity doesn’t end there:  the ripstop material used appears very similar to that used on some Patagonia bags, the polymer shoulder strap hardware is identical to that on the MLC,  the zippers are the same, and the off-center briefcase handle is eerily similar to that on the MLC.  It’s entirely possible this bag isn’t made in the same factory as are some of the Paty products, but if that turned out to be the case, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Where’s it fit in the market?  Think of it as a more attractive, more expensive alternative to the Outdoor Products Essential Carry-on.  But first, let’s take a look at its specs and key features…

Specifications & Features

A quick photo tour…

The TraveLite is made of the same type of ripstop used on the firm’s backpacks and adventure gear; its satin finish is attractive in person:

As is the norm with this type of bag, padded backpack straps deploy from a zippered pocket.  The straps are ergonomically shaped and are quite comfortable, and the padding in the rear panel is ~¼” thick, adding to your comfort when the bag is used in this mode.  The top attachment points are toward the center of the bag and as a result, the lack of a sternum strap didn’t seem to be a problem.  The D rings to which the straps attach can be stored in small pockets when not in use:

The bag sports two main compartments, both of which feature a zippered cover (solid panel on the LH compartment, mesh panel on the RH compartment).  Each of these compartments measures ~21″ x 13″ x 2½“; as is obvious from this shot, the zipper fully covers all 3 sides, enabling the bag to fold flat for easy packing:

The LH compartment panel unzipped; note that there are no tie down or compression straps in either of these compartments.  Bundle packing or the use of packing cubes might prevent items from sliding around or otherwise migrating:

There are three other pockets for storing smaller items or segregating shoes from your clothing.  You can see two of them below; the zipper for the 3rd such compartment is on the top front of the bag.  In the photo below, you can see the zipper pull for that compartment in the very upper RH corner of the image.  Although these pockets technically have a depth of just one inch, this is a soft sided bag and you can cram quite a bit into them as a result:

The only compartment without a rain flap (to ease access) faces your body (hence the “body-side” description above), and is great for boarding passes or your 3-1-1 liquids bag.

A few close-up details…

There’s a padded briefcase handle on top of the bag; it’s comfortable, but is offset, causing the bag to tilt at a peculiar angle when it’s used to carry a loaded bag.  Although the handle is well padded and comfortable, it doesn’t come close to matching the molded rubber handle used on the OPEC:

The (included) shoulder strap pad (below) is well padded and I found it comfortable in use, although it of course lacks the grippiness of higher end straps like the Claw and Absolute.  A plus?  Nifty GoLite logo is emblazoned on its top.

A close-up of the D ring and snap hook for the shoulder straps; this hardware is identical to that used on the current generation MLC:

A grab handle is located on one end, handy for retrieving the bag from overheads:

YKK zippers are used throughout; zipper pulls are quite similar to those used on many Patagonia bags.  Rain flaps provide protection from “zipper seepage,” should you get caught in a shower; they occasionally make operating the zippers a bit difficult, but are worth the minor hassle:

In any event, the material itself is water resistant; below, a close-up of water beading on its surface:

Wrapping up

I’ve mentioned the OPEC a couple of times in this post, and it might be useful to view these two bags side by side:

These bags are remarkably similar in terms of configuration and capacity.  The OPEC is a bit wider than the TraveLite, and its claimed capacity is appx. 2800 cubic inches; the TraveLite, ~2200 cu in.  Both have two main compartments, one with a mesh panel.  The OPEC has tie down straps in its main compartment, TraveLite, none.  The TraveLite’s shoulder strap is nicer and more comfortable; the OPEC’s briefcase handle, made of molded rubber, is as comfortable as your favorite pair of shoes:  it’s a gem.  Both bags have rain flaps on all main zippers.  Finally, let’s be frank:   the OPEC suffers mightily in a side by side visual comparison such as this:  it looks positively drab in contrast to the TraveLite.

As with many things in life however, there’s a catch.  The GoLite TraveLite sells for ~$125; the OPEC, $33.

Which makes sense for you depends upon your priorities and the degree to which you value appearance and brand.   The OPEC is the undisputed king of ‘bang for the buck’ when it comes to lightweight convertible carry-ons:  you simply will not find a greater value on the market today.   You could buy 3 OPEC’s and a bunch of packing cubes for the price of one TraveLite.

If you care about brand imagery and appearance, the TraveLite might be more to your liking.  It’s a handsome, capable bag, and its price is without a doubt partly the result of GoLite’s commitment to using 100% recycled material, a laudable approach and philosophy.

You can see the TraveLite at the GoLite site:  GoLite TraveLite Convertible Carry-on

The Fine Print:  I have no connection to GoLite; thanks to Michael W. & Watsana for loaning me their TraveLite

A couple of weeks ago I spent a few hours at DEN, and in a moment of weakness, ended up paying $7.99 for a T-Mobile daily hotspot fee.  Aaarrgghhh!  Yes, I carry a BlackBerry and it’s great for quickly checking emails, but it’s awfully limited when it comes to truly working on, and exploring, the internet.  I had tried to figure out a way to tether the BlackBerry to my laptop, but it wasn’t possible as we were transitioning to a new provider & new phones.

With my new BlackBerry Tour and a simple program from Verizon, I’m now able to surf the net on my laptop or netbook  virtually anywhere, nationwide.  Here’s what the setup looks like – a USB cable connects my Tour to a netbook, and Verizon’s VZAccess Manager makes the connection in a few seconds.  The BlackBerry serves as a modem; launch your browser of choice on your netbook or laptop, and you can surf the net:

If you travel with a BlackBerry or other smartphone and a laptop or netbook, you could very well have the tools necessary to do this; check with your provider.  Note that extra fees will likely apply; with Verizon, you pay a $15 per month fee (click on this link for details).

If you travel frequently, this is a great way to have access wherever you are – in a car (while someone else drives!), at the hotel, or at the beach.  Another scenario:  you don’t have high speed web access at your home, but wish to utilize the web occasionally.  Utilize your 3G BlackBerry for access; it’ll only cost you $15/month (up to 5GB of data usage per mo).  Here are few details from Verizon:

Perhaps there are other scenarios.  I prefer to travel without extra hardware like a PC card, so this is perfect for me.  The cable is the only extra I need to carry with me, and it weighs 1.2 oz or 34 grams.

Some of you might react by saying “Boingo is only $9.95 per month;” that’s true, but you have to be at a hotspot for Boingo to work.  The beauty part here is that it will work anywhere your cell provider has coverage.

What I don’t know yet is whether this setup would allow access in Europe, but it appears that it will.

Here’s a reasonably comprehensive post on this topic at the BlackBerry Forum:  How to use BlackBerry as Modem for Laptop

How about you?  Are you utilizing your BlackBerry or other smartphone as a modem?

The Fine Print:  I have no connection to any of the companies mentioned in this post.

I thought I’d post this here and on the Forum as this offer at sellout.woot.com will last only as long as supplies hold out…

Note that this is a refurb; click on the image to see all the details.  I have no connection to Woot or Acer.

Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts

A brief recap: I see a deal on TravelZoo a few months ago for a 6N trip to Sorrento, Italy that my wife and I can do for ~$2700.  My immediate reaction:  I can do better.  In fact, in turns out that I can do much better:  the cost of our alternative trip is now up to ~$4000.

But this is an apples and oranges comparison:

Travel Zoo:

• Coach from O’Hare to Naples + return
• 6 nights in a modest “3 star” hotel a kilometer or so from downtown Sorrento (middling reviews on TripAdvisor)

Our trip:

• Business/Club,  O’Hare to Rome; return Business/Club Naples to O’Hare
• 4 nights in Rome, 4 star hotel ~10 minute walk from the Coliseum
• 4 nights in Sorrento, at a boutique hotel (rave reviews on TripAdvisor) in the heart of Sorrento
• 1 night at a 4 star hotel, prime location, Naples
• Open jaw:  no need to travel all the way back to Rome for our return

Two Business Class tickets on British Airways, even during their current sale, same travel dates, would cost $7,298, so we’re not doing all that badly.

A word or two of explanation:  this is a trip to celebrate a milestone anniversary, and our first trip to Italy.  Somewhere along the way, I mentally made the shift from economizing to the max to making sure we had nice accommodations that we’d both enjoy, and decided to go Business Class for the long transatlantic flights.   What can I say?

The BA tickets ended up costing ~$1340.  For Premier Economy, our net cost would have been $600.  Here’s how:   we accumulated 215K miles on our BA cards.  Were we to have traveled Premier Economy, we would have only had to pay the fuel surcharge, which was $296 per ticket.  To travel Business Class, we needed 240K miles – so I purchased 25K miles for ~$737.  $600 + $737 = ~$1340

I originally intended to use Hilton Honors miles for the hotel in Sorrento.  The Hilton property, however, is located several miles from town and requires 40,000 points per night.  Too many points, lukewarm reviews on TripAdvisor, and too far from town.

…and so it goes.  In the final analysis, I think we’ve ended up with a terrific itinerary, and I have no qualms at all about any of the hotels.  We’re thrilled, and can’t wait.

One final comparison to the original TravelZoo deal:  if we’d instead opted for Premier Economy on BA and spent 6 nights in Sorrento at our choice of hotel, our cost for the two of us would have been ~$1500.   It pays to leverage airline miles credit card offers!

During the course of planning the trip I’ve heavily relied upon several tools:

• TripAdvisor:  terrific for actual user reviews of hotels – it’s been indispensable
• VirtualTourist:  tons of reviews on hotels, restaurants, traveler warnings/scams, attractions, and much more
• Rick Steves Italy 2010 Guidebook:  packed with info about the cities we’ll visit, plus a very helpful introduction to Italy.  I’ll probably use a razor knife to cut out the pages I’m interested so I can bring them along on the trip; heresy, I know, but I don’t feel like lugging the entire thing along
• iPod Touch apps:
  • Italian 24/7 Tutor – several versions including free – learn key words, by category
  • Talking Italian Phrasebook – $0.99 – handy for learning key phrases, organized by category
• SlowTravelItaly.com:  some useful information; digging required

What tools do you find most useful when planning trips?  Do you have any you’d recommend?  If yes, please comment.

Although Lee Valley Tools has traditionally focused on the needs of woodworkers and gardeners, their line has expanded over the years to include a number of neat products appealing to a much broader audience.  These are perfect little gifts for coworkers, close friends, and of course, yourself.

The following descriptions are from the Lee Valley site; click on any of the images to see the item there:

Mini Containers

These waterproof, hard-anodized aluminum containers can be used to hold emergency pills, identity information, matches, or whatever you wish.

Machined from solid aluminum, they are 1/2″ in diameter by 1-1/2″ long and have a nylon lanyard for looping through buttonholes or around belts and backpack straps for security.

$1.95 each; Qty 5 or greater:  $1.55 each

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Pen & Pencil Holders

Although these coil-spring holders with rare earth magnet bases are wonderful fridge magnets for holding a pen or pencil plus a grocery list, they are equally useful in the shop for similar purposes, and to hold small LED flashlights, Sharpies, screwdrivers, chuck keys, etc.

Sold in sets of three in a tin that is perfect for small-item storage since it’s a snap-lid style – press the center to open, press the edge to close.

Pkg of 3:  $8.95

Book Darts

These paper-thin, 1″ long bronze markers slide onto the page and securely stay in place.

They are perfect for use as non-slipping bookmarks that can even be positioned to point to a specific line. Unobtrusive and indefinitely reusable, they eliminate the need for bent corners, paper clips, underlining, highlighting, sticky papers, etc.

A good-quality item that is ideal for anyone doing research, they are popular with students, lawyers, executives, research assistants, voracious readers, etc. Tin of 50 markers.

Made in USA.

Pkg of 50:  $8.95

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Pocket Screwdrivers

This innocent-looking 1″ dia. flat steel bagel is really a very versatile pocket screwdriver. What makes it so effective is the range of edge thickness (from 0.030″ to 0.090″) created by a ramp formed on one side.

It replaces dimes, quarters and table knives, all of which have width and strength limitations. We sell them by the dozen because they make excellent gifts, particularly to those whom you want to discourage from using cutlery for household repairs.

These screwdrivers should be in every kitchen knife drawer and pocket. Made in the USA. Guaranteed to be the only screwdriver in the shop that will snugly fit the cap iron screw on a plane.

Pkg of 12:  $9.50

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Notebook LED Light

Anyone who has used a notebook computer in dim lighting will appreciate this compact light. Designed to clip over the leading edge of a notebook screen (up to 5/8″ thick), it has a swivel head for best positioning. The five LEDs produce a soft, diffused light to illuminate the entire keyboard.

Power is supplied by the USB port on the notebook, and the USB cord is retractable for organized, compact storage. This is a great gift for the student, traveller, or night owl.

$9.50

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Magnet Compass

This tiny (1/4″ long) barrel-shaped rare-earth magnet is a near-indestructible compass.
Set on its side on a smooth flat surface (or on a leaf in water), it will quickly swivel to a N-S orientation, indicated by a red dot on the north end. It comes in a screw-top, waterproof aluminum cylinder with an integral loop that makes it easy to attach to a belt, button hole, strap, etc.

An ideal gift for hikers, kayakers, or anyone who wanders the woods.

$4.95

The Fine Print:  I have no connection whatsoever with Lee Valley

$9.50(SO

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Take a few moments to enter the AA 25th Anniversary Sweepstakes; several great trips are available as prizes:

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The Fine Print:  I have no connection to American Airlines or any of the properties mentioned here.