Customer Reviews

Rick Steves Convertible Carry On

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We own last year's version of this bag, made by the same manufacturer for Rick as this new one. If the new and improved version is "the same but better", then you can not go wrong by getting this bag. The bag was so good that we bought a second one. Lived out of them for 2-1/2 weeks in Europe last summer. We also bought a set each of the Rick Steves' packing cubes, which exactly fit inside the convertible carry-on bag. Lots of compartments, thoughtfully placed, and some bonus internal cinch-sacks and a "secret" document pouch that clips into the bottom of the bag. More pluses are stow-away backpack and waist straps, side cinch straps, and it is expandable via a wrap-around zipper. The material is strong enough for its use and you will simply not believe how much can be packed into this bag. If you are familiar with Rick's travel philosophy (travel light and carry-on) this is the perfect bag. You will not find a bag with as many thoughtful details as this bag for twice the price - I know because I looked at most of them prior to deciding on Rick's bag. For more on Rick's travel philosophy and travel suggestions get his book Europe Through the Back Door. Invaluable.

I just took this on a week-long trip to Chicago and I couldn't have been more pleased with this bag.

I was able to fit into it 6 days worth of clothes:
- A daily fresh set (plus spare): undershirt, socks, underwear
- 2 sets of Under Armour cold-weather tops and bottoms
- 2 pairs of jeans
- slacks
- 3 dress shirts
- 2 light sweaters
- hat
- gloves
- scarf
- flip flops
- toiletries
and STILL have a lot of room to spare without expanding it. (Heh, all the winter gear and it turned out to be quite mild, getting into the upper 50s and 60s most days)

Getting it all in:
I would highly recommend the packing cubes for use with this bag (more on that in its own review). I was able to fit almost all of my clothes into them. They can then be stacked (situated as a backpack, the two smaller ones in front of the larger one) into the bottom of the main compartment, leaving the top for other items.

There are 3 outer compartments. I didn't use the large outer compartment. However, the small upper compartment is perfect for your quart-sized ziplok bag of liquids that you'll have to take out to get through security and the lower medium compartment is good for items like ties, scarves, luggage strap, etc.

There's also a large inside pocket and the usual internal suitcase straps to keep your clothes in place. And then you have external straps to compress the bag even more. I tried these out before we left and they all seem durable, but ultimately didn't need to use them for the trip.

The internal detachable security pouch is good for emergency cash/cards/IDs if you'll be carrying it around to several destinations. It's also compatible with several other Rick Steves bags.

The included mesh bags were handy for organizing a mix of laundry for the trip home.

Fitting them on the plane:
We took Boeing 717s and 727s to and from and had no problems getting them into the overhead bins. If you have a spacious flight, you can easily get the bag in sideways. One of our flights was incredibly crammed, but we were still able to fit them into the overheads by sliding them in backwards (with the bottom of the bag towards the aisle, allowing the top of the bag to fit the curvature of the plane. There might be issues on smaller planes (no model numbers come to mind). Commuter jets with a 1-2 seat configuration might not allow bags this size. At the very least, you should be able to gate-check it and hopefully your airline won't charge you for it :/

Some potential cons:
- I think this bag is ideal for most urban travel but it might have some setbacks. If you plan to do extensive walking with a bag this size, it can definitely weight you down. A rolling bag might be more suitable if you think it might be a problem.
- I read the description of this bag on the Rick Steves site [not linked because the descriptions are on their online store] and it shows the shoulder strap as an optional accessory. The bags we ordered came with it, so I don't know if we happened to get an older set or what. I will say, although it's quite comfortable to carry as a backpack, I don't see it practical carrying with a shoulder strap. This means that if you have a second bag, it should be something other than a backpack.
- This bag is more than likely larger than any other backpack you have ever used. Be careful when you have this thing on your back. You can knock people or objects over when turning around.

I've got 2 other reviews to go along with this--the Rick Steves Travel Gear Packing Cube Set and the Rick Steves Veloce Travel Pack.

This carry on is the best pack I have every used. Very well designed. I can fit everything I need for two weeks at a time and I do not find it difficult to carry using it as a back pack. I have also used for short trips and the interior straps work brilliantly at keep everything in place! Take a chance on it. I think you will be as pleased as I am.

I thought I was buying the best there was. Boy was I disappointed. You can do much better for the money. The first bag they sent me was missing zipper pulls. That should have tipped me off. After light use, its now missing 3 more zipper pulls. They are just a lousy design, almost made to fail. If they'd spent more time evaluating the zipper pulls than worrying about which ones they could buy with RS stamped on them they'd probably have a more satisfied customer. There is better luggage on the market for less money and far more reliable. This was their "new and improved" bag. I read that to mean they found a cheaper Chinese supplier and this is what they came up with. And he's a travel expert? He should try using his own products before he endorses them. If he's an "expert" I doubt he'd buy them either.

I was looking for a replacement for my old Patagonia MLC. The zippers are not quite as substantial (Zipper teeth are about 1/2 the size on this bag. Not sure if the current MLC zippers are as big) and the shoulder straps have less padding. The handles have a lot of padding and are nice to hold. There is mesh on the side that contacts your back - comfortable and less sweaty.

The lower front pocket holds my 12" Power Book in a sleeve with a slight bit of room left. Other than the upper pocket, there are two more full-length pockets behind that. One opens at the top and one at the side. Carrying the bag vertically, things tend to slide toward the bottom and can be hard to access since the pockets overlap each other. The internal (main compartment) and external compression straps help to keep things in place.

I've recently become obsessed with using these sorts of convertible suitcases for carry-on air travel or even car or train travel. They are much easier to get around with than a roller especially if you're walking around a lot on streets. This is a very good bag for the value -- lightweight but well made, and not overly complicated in its design. Expandability is also a plus. I have to say though that I also bought an ebags convertible weekender bag, which is similar kind of bag at about the same price, and I think it's a better bag overall -- thicker, more rugged nylon, and better organizing pockets particularly on the front of the bag. The overall capacity is about the same. If I had to recommend just one of these bags it would be the ebag (which you may have to order directly from the ebag website).

I actually saw, and was impressed by this at a bookstore, but shopped it through Amazon and got a great deal. I received it in record time, and thought that Amazon pricing was by far the best.
It's a great pack. I like the many carrying options - two handles, top and side, and can be used as a backpack or shoulder bag, too. The expandability part is great, and it's more spacious than I thought, also.
I always go carry on, and this bag works out great. I totally recommend it.

I actually purchased a LL BEAN Rucksack and waited for it to arrive before I even opened the package for this. The ruck sack was too small. I am traveling with a 2 year old to Hawaii and will need to carry her things as well as mine. When I opened the Rick STeves I was immediately impressed. I thought it was going to be big and bulky...NOT! THe pockets on the outside are soooooooooooooo deep and roomy and the inside is great, OMG!! It will accomodate everything I need and then some, there are so many pockets. It fits comfortably on my back and the waist belt really secures it comfortably. I will have no problem finding things and manuevering around the airport with a toddler and her stroller.
THis bag is awesome. It came with 2 small white mesh bags and 3 of Rick STeves' cubes...I am very impressed with this product. THe merlot is also a very pretty color.

Rick Steves Convertible Carryon Bag is the best bag I've found. Steves knows how to design bags for people who travel for a living. Given the current reality of the airline industry, people will want to learn how to travel light. This bag is the one to use. Rick Steves has refined this bag over the years and has thought of everything. I highly recommend this bag.

To smooth our recent trip to Japan, I bought two of the R. Steves convertible carry-ons. The object? Travel all over Japan for two weeks with one bag each.

What made these bags great was the convertible backpack straps. It made carrying the fully-laden bags up and down the endless steps of the many train stations a breeze.

Inside, they have plenty of room. Two weeks of clothing and supplies fit with room to spare. Not having to wait at baggage carousels in the airports made traveling a breeze.

I didn't use the waist strap, nor did my boyfriend, though it would have helped distribute the weight better. The strap hit me around my lower rib cage, rather than at the hips (I'm 5'7", or about 170cm and weigh about 140 lbs., or about 63kg) and was uncomfortable. I don't know if that was because of my gender/body type--the waist strap might work better for a man. My boyfriend never used the strap either. I think it was sheer bravado.

The long, over-the-shoulder strap came in handy when transporting the bags through the airport and onto the plane. All of the pockets kept passports, reading material, and other odds and ends easily accessible.

Being soft-sided, both bags fit into a larger-size locker at train stations. This made sightseeing easier when we had the urge to hop off the train and look at stuff.

Overall, this is a useful traveling bag for a really reasonable price. I am looking forward to years of using this product.