Briggs & Riley expandable Wide-Body Carry-On Luggage

    Here's a true story. It begins as I try to squeeze my 22" carry on luggage into an airplane's teeny-weeny overhead compartment. Anxiety-ridden, perspiration-beaded, I hoist my bag and muscle it - Success!  Close the door ... close the door.... &*#%... close the door. "I'm sorry," the flight attendant leans over, "The door must close; your bag will have to be checked."  Aaaargh!

    Here's a happy ending. After reading many blogs and after frequent luggage searches, I have found 4 luggage manufacturers who have caught on and caught up. Kudos to Hartmann, Tumi, Eagle Creek and Briggs & Riley for being ahead of the curve with their new wide-body, carry-on upright luggage. Briggs and Riley has a "Simple as That" lifetime warranty which fixes damaged luggage, regardless of how it got damaged. Eagle Creek and Victorinox have similar warrantees).

    O.K., so I travel a lot and don't have piles of money. But experience has made me willing to spend a little more to get luggage that fits both domestic and international air travel carry on requirements and lasts a lifetime.  I'm impressed with the Briggs & Riley 20" carry-on Expandable Wide-body Upright. It measures 20" x 16" x 8" - two inches shorter than the typical 22" carry on but is 1-2 inches wider. Briggs & Riley has more packing capacity than a standard 21" or 22" wheeled carry-on. Really! Better yet. This  rolling carry on has an expansion feature which offers a 24% increase in capacity. Briggs and Riley's telescoping handle is on the outside of the bag leaving even more interior packing space, and the rolling carry-on luggage includes a built-in tri-fold garment sleeve. I like garment sleeves; they help prevent longer or more wrinkle-vulnerable clothes from creasing, and I just take remove them if I don't need them.

    Let's face it. Air travel is an exercise in suppressed anxiety. Whether it's the quart-sized, clear, zip-lock bag squeeze; the public "items in bins" strip-show; the straddle, body-wand search; or the frantic moving-belt and bin retrieval, - squish feet into shoes, belts in loopholes, sweaters, jackets, handbags, wallets, watches, keys, bags, scanned infants and pace-makers (just kidding), computers, cell phones, ...go, go, go.

    If I was looking for this, I would have signed up as a paratrooper.

    Hallelujah for redemption!  - the "fits in the overhead" Briggs & Riley 20" Carry-On Expandable Wide-Body Upright.


 

Eagle Creek Travel Gear

    The adventure travel specialists, Eagle Creek Luggage employs 30 years of designing experience to provide its owners outstanding quality, practical, clever design features and lightweight, sturdy materials. Eagle Creek travel gear is uniquely styled to accommodate savvy travelers looking for versatility and travel ease. Outfit your travel needs with lightweight carry-ons, wheeled luggage, duffels & gear bags, adventure travel packs, companion and daypacks, business cases & backpacks all designed to simplify your life by fitting any circumstance, providing every convenience, and organizing gear efficiently. The Deviate collection merges rugged features with function, lightweight, and simple, clean lines. Bi-Tech, Helix Oxford, Neous check and Cordura fabrics intersect with a book-opening style on wheeled luggage. Deviate luggage offers multiple carry handles, removable day packs and larger lumbar packs providing multiple travel options for both urban sightseeing and adventure trekking. The luggage industry's icon for world travel gear, Exploration luggage is our pick for outdoor-inspired, lightweight, and functionally designed travel gear. The Switchback includes a detachable day-pack – so practical; while the ORV Trunk line features duffel-style trunks in sizes ranging from a 22" carry-on and Take 2 ORV Trunk to the ORV Super Trunk at 36". Another rolling luggage style, Tarmac, combines a more traditional façade with unique, super-strong, iconic exterior fabric and efficient, thoughtfully integrated interiors. The Back Office and Converta brief are business cases / school backpacks designed with features enhancing convenience, sturdiness and style. Duffels from the Exploration line, including the Double Down, ES cargo duffel, and ORV gear are durable, offering benefits like drop-down compartments, padded gear dividers, exterior compression straps, storm flap protection and numerous pockets. The Round About Wheeled Tote and Tarmac Flight Bag provide extra carry on convenience. If you are shopping for lightweight, sensible and functional luggage, the Centerline Collection, including the Hovercraft, Load Warrior and Flight and Sport companion and Wheeled Under Seat Tote will meet your needs. Features like protective kick plate and wheel housing protects the bag from urban obstacles, while soft, easy grab top and side handles, and a reflective center strip for dusk or nighttime visibility make your adventure a pleasure. Like all Eagle Creek rolling luggage, an ergonomic, telescoping handle makes transport smooth and comfortable. We suggest the Load Warrior if you looking for more space without extra weight. The Load Warrior is one of the lightest duffels on the market and that, combined with features like a laundry chute pocket accessible from the outside, book style opening and oversized off-road wheels make this warrior "victorious" in the realm of luggage.