Left to right: the Red Oxx Air Boss, Safari-Beanos PR5, and Safari-Beanos PR4. (Click for close-up)
Key Stats:
Air Boss
- 21″L x 8″W x 13″H
- Capacity: 2,184 cubic inches
- 3.9 lbs
- 3 compartments, zippers on all 3 sides so bag lies flat for packing
- Practical Hacks review: Bulletproof “one bag” workhorse
Safari-Beanos PR5
- 24″L x 10″W x 10″H
- Capacity: 2,400 cubic inches
- 3.4 lbs
- Duffel style; 6 additional smaller pockets, one of which can serve as a pass-thru panel for use with a wheelie
Safari-Beanos PR4
- 19″L x 9″W x 9″H
- Capacity: 1,539 cubic inches
- 3.35 lbs.
- Same configuration as PR5
- Practical Hacks review: Bag Lust
My goal is to take the PR4 on our 10 day trip to Italy later this year. I’ve done some trial packing and think it’s possible, even with a netbook and a pair of racing flats in the bag. As we get closer, I’ll undoubtedly post about packing lists and approaches.
Wait! So you want to go on a ten day trip to Italy with your wife (means can’t completely slouch :) ) taking a 36 linear inch bag? And you want to pack a netbook with PSU and an extra pair of shoes in there? Will this be your absolute only bag? Nothing packed in the wife’s 30″ monster? :D No cheating? No, buy it there?
Now that is one hard challenge if that’s what you want to do. 36 l.i. is the size of a normal briefcase for those who don’t have spatial linear inch representation built in.
Till
[Reply]
Kevin Reply:
January 27th, 2010 at 6:41 AM
Yes. I have no doubt it can be done.
To do so requires compromises – the other pair of shoes, for instance, and the need to ship back anything I buy there. Too, I never bring sink stoppers and clotheslines and stuff like that, and not knowing exactly what I’ll find in the hotels we’ll stay at, I worry that I might actually need them.
But I’ve no doubt it can be done, particularly if I wear the right sports jacket and slacks while en route.
At worst, I end up with the PR5 and not the 4… we’ll see. I trial packed the PR4 and had a little room left over. The bag did weigh 18 lbs., however.
As we get closer, I’ll update my plans, and will likely do a “what’s in the bag?” post.
[Reply]
Till Reply:
January 27th, 2010 at 7:45 AM
Awesome. I am looking forward to seeing your packing list and especially to read your debriefing afterwards. By the way, I think your itinerary sounds really good. That will be one sweet trip.
[Reply]
Mike Reply:
January 27th, 2010 at 5:21 PM
I don’t bring a sink stopper or clothesline either. I usually put a plastic bag in the sink, like you get anytime you buy anything, and wash my clothes in that. Usually with a little ingenuity you can find places to hang the clothes: the backs of chairs, on open cabinet or bathroom doors, or in the worst case, flat on the bed.
[Reply]
Kevin Reply:
January 27th, 2010 at 7:59 PM
Mike,
Thanks for the reminder – the plastic bag idea is a great one – and you’re right: you can usually improvise something for drying clothing.
Lots of European airlines have an eight inch max for the smallest dimension of your carry-on so even the PR4 is too fat to meet this requirement.
You also have to watch out for the low weight limits – many airlines have limits as low as 7kg (15.4 lbs).
[Reply]
I’ve been doing 2-week business trips to Europe lately, carrying only a bag very similar to the PR4 plus a small laptop case.
This has worked out fine for business: I bring about 4 no-iron shirts, two pair pants, and one pair shoes in addition to whatever I wear on the plane.
As Ian mentioned in a comment, there’s some risk of weight issues…I usually fly Lufthansa and my bag is right at the carry-on weight limit. I also recently had to take a London-Munich flight on EasyJet, and they required that the bag be checked-in…and nailed me with baggage fees.
Though above works fine for business, it would be a stretch to make this approach work for a vacation trip to Europe. Key issue is my DSLR camera, which needs to be in separate bag (i.e., that I can also carry while on the ground.) If you’re only carrying a small point & shoot, then you could probably make it work with just one carry-on bag.
[Reply]