November 30, 2007 MEI Executive Overnighter - Reader Review
(Thanks to OBOW reader Paul for this review of a bag we haven’t yet seen: the MEI Executive Overnighter - photos below)
MEI Executive Overnighter - First impressions
Summary:
Well-designed 3- zip carry-on, similar to the Tough Traveller Tri Zip. Comfortable, well thought out shoulder straps. Hold-downs in main compartment. Outside snug straps to lessen bulge. High quality materials, handmade in the USA. Excellent packability.
Suggested improvements (note: I can personally live without these, but the Red Oxx Air Boss has addressed these items correctly and they would really work wonderfully with this product):
- make the front ‘outer’ pocket fully unzip (similar to the rear )
- The photos on the MEI website show the side handle(s) as two webbing loops, sewn down the side of the bag, meeting and joined by a leather ‘snap’ wrap (a la the Air Boss). However, the version as supplied shows a arrangement identical to the Voyageur, a molded plastic and web handle that is (heavily) sewed to the side of the bag (on top of one end of the outer snug straps). I don’t believe this is a bad design - I’m not seen any complaints in my research - but the other design would seem to bear the packed load better. I would perhaps suggest returning to that design. Time will tell if this is an issue or not.
- Add a discreet handle on either (or both) end(s) of the bag, to facilitate extracting from an overhead storage bin.
Like many readers of OBOW, I am a frequent carry-on business traveler in search of a well-made bag that will carry all of my business kit. My requirements were narrowed down to a carry-on sized, 3 compartment bag, that not only can be carried by a handle or shoulder strap, but has backpack straps, which I use frequently and is a prime requirement of mine, both for business and leisure travel. For biz travel, my Victorinox 2-zip carry on worked adequately, except that I could not include my laptop inside the bag - so I carried a separate laptop bag, which is what I wanted to eliminate.
In short, I researched and reviewed the alternatives as much as I could, and dropped them one by one. The current king, the Red Oxx Air Boss, would have been perfect, save that it did not have the backpack straps (I also eliminated the new Sky Train, both because it’s a 2 compartment zip - like the Victorinox - and I was not pleased with the non-ergo backpack strap design). I next considered the Tough Traveller Tri Zip, but after the excellent review on OBOW, reading Maharashii’s forum on his carry on search, and reviewing the basic backpack strap design, I eliminated it. I also eliminated the Easy Going Carryon, due to lack of backpack straps.
What I settled on is the MEI Executive Overnighter. This seemed to fit my requirements, (although the MEI website is somewhat limited on details, and shows only 2 photos) so based on reviews of the MEI Voyageur I decided to purchase.
Dimensions (approximate per my measurements):
Length 19.5 “
Width 11”
Height 14”
Rear Compartment 6”
Mid Compartment 3.25”
Front Compartment 1.75”
First impressions are very favorable. The bag is very nicely constructed, in 1000 D Cordura with a lighter internal material in black. (A note here about MEI customer service: Ahmed, the owner was excellent, calling me on a number of occasions to keep me abreast of the status, and on one occasion to tell me that the fabric in the khaki color I ordered was actually delivered to him in ‘taupe’ - a sort of medium brown / bronze - and he offered me the choice of this or another color. I elected to go with the taupe, and am very pleased with the appearance. It’s distinctive enough to be very recognizable at a glance but still understated, the way I prefer. I can say that I am very pleased with their service.)
The rear compartment is 6” deep and is the primary place where clothes go. In a ‘test pack’ I conducted, based on my usual 10-14 day complement of ‘business casual’ attire, it swallowed everything with room to spare. Also, there are 2 compression straps that snug everything tight against the inner wall (which is reinforced with a layer of foam). I use both packing cubes and Eagle Creek folding squares, which I definitely recommend.
The mid compartment is 3.25” wide and is perfect for carrying my Dell laptop, in it’s Tom Bihn Brain Cube (another excellent product….) with plenty of room for PC accessories packed in a Eagle Creek ‘half cube’, along with my gym shoes in a shoe bag. (A hint for TSA inspections: I was ‘inspected’ twice on previous trips until I figured out that the blocky Dell power supply was the object of the TSA search. Now, I not only put the laptop in the inspection bin but also the half cube with the power supply. Bingo, no more rifling through my bag.)
The front compartment is 1.75” in width, and I put one of my 2 folding squares there (with room left over for thin/small odds and ends) which adds a bit of protection for my laptop (as if it needs more than the Brain Cell). However, I could easily place this in the back and save this room for my book, magazine / newspaper, etc. that I generally carry for amusement. In addition, there are some smaller zip-pockets inside this compartment that can hold some smaller odds and ends.
On that score, there also is a fill length zip lengthwise across the front, that creates another space perfect for the aforementioned magazines, airline tickets etc. This pocket sits to the outside when the bag is carried via the shoulder strap.
As to the backpack straps, they are a duplicate of those on the Voyageur, with a nice sternum strap. The only difference is the waistband is a pair of webbing straps, with a large plastic clip to connect them together, different from the Voyageur design of 2 padded ‘wings’ either side of the waist. Not as comfortable, but saves a lot of space that I personally like. The straps are easily the most comfortable of the designs I have experience with, although slightly thicker than most.
The bag came with a nicely designed shoulder strap, with a thick pad and length adjustment from both ends of the strap. I currently have a strap with a gel-based pad that I prefer, but the included one is better than most I’ve seen provided as standard.
The bag comes standard with a MEI-made suiter accessory, but Ahmed indicated that he currently did not have any of them in stock and will send this accessory to me as soon as they become available, so I cannot currently comment on that function. However, the bad requires no modifications to use it and no extra charge.
All in all, I feel that this bag is a high quality, practical alternative in this market, given the limited amount of available products in the 3-zip category. For me, this bag is better overall than the Tri Zip, although the Air Boss has some features (not to mention it’s truly bulletproof construction, which really seems to be in a class above) that would adapt to this bag beautifully.
Frank@OBOW
Click on the photos to see a larger version. These illustrate Paul’s comments below:
Frank@OBOW
Here are pictures of the updated EO from Skip:
“Here are some new shots of the MEI Executive Overnighter I got. I tried to get shots of the changes…showing that all 3 compartments open out flat, the new second pocket on the outside, the new handles on the end (cool pattern on the fabric), the “key clip”, etc.”
Reader Comments (223)
I would really appreciate it.
I am trying to get a better idea of what the bag actually looks like when it actually got stuff in it. Looking at pics of the bag empty doesn't really help.
I would really appreciate it.
http://ragb.ag/post/1092088727/ragbag-bags
MEI indicated in the email to me that the pics found in the above link are "the most recent pictures of E/O."
http://ragb.ag/post/1092088727/ragbag-bags
MEI indicated in the email to me that the pics found in the above link are "the most recent pictures of E/O."
Reader/user reviews of the MEI EO also often suggest/imply that the MEI EO is of SIMILAR build quality as that of the Red Oxx AB, but is it.....What I want to know is, does the MEI EO also get a 10/10 for its build/construction/materials quality, i.e., is the MEI EO also "bomb/bullet proof" ??
(note that I am not refering to the various features of the bags or how the bag looks etc.....I am only refering to wether the MEI EO is also "bomb/bullet proof" when compared the RedOxx AB)
Reader/user reviews of the MEI EO also often suggest/imply that the MEI EO is of SIMILAR build quality as that of the Red Oxx AB, but is it.....What I want to know is, does the MEI EO also get a 10/10 for its build/construction/materials quality, i.e., is the MEI EO also "bomb/bullet proof" ??
(note that I am not refering to the various features of the bags or how the bag looks etc.....I am only refering to wether the MEI EO is also "bomb/bullet proof" when compared the RedOxx AB)
I got an incomplete answer from someone at the company: "We have sold the Voyager and Executive Overnighter to few tall customers in the past, however we do suggest checking some travel blogs to see if someone out there can give you a candid feedback on either bag."
Does anyone have experience with either bag that would suggest they'd work for me?
(I am currently considering a MEI EO and would want to know what modifications I should consider requesting)
http://travelogue.updownway.com/2011/06/07/one-bag-travel/
Since the posting, by the way, my wife bought a burgundy Voyageur. We head off in 3 weeks.
mei-legacy@netscape.com
I will see if they write back.
My preference is to have an EO made to about 20x14x10 if they will do this. I have read here that they might customize like this. However, the already weak website seems to be down. Not sure if the company is in business.
Will post followup if I hear back from them.
Any new information?
I had this bag made three years ago and then my travel needs changed. I used this for about 4 months before it was relegated to sitting in a closet. It is in fantastic condition per the pictures.
The MEI Executive Overnighter, or EO, is a bag that is similar to the Red Oxx Air Boss as a triple compartment bag and functions better as a backpack. It is also similar to the Tom Bihn Tri-Star except that is larger and far more comfortable as a backpack.
There were three customizations I had made to the standard Executive Overnighter:
- Added a very padded hip belt similar to the belt from MEI Voyageur and add zippered pockets on each of the sides of the hip pads (see pictures).
- Made the bag exactly to 22x14x9, as the standard bag is 21x14x9. Even through the stated specs were 22x14x9, this was not the case.
- Added an insert of the closed cell foam within each of internal walls instead of the just the one between the two larger compartments.
The internal and external compression straps assist in keep the bag small (flatter) when not in full use. The full foam in the internal dividers give structure without adding weight or being inflexible. It fits an believable amount of "stuff" for travel gear, electronics and clothes. When it's loaded out, the padded hip belt disperses the load onto your hips for comfort over long periods of time.
See here for pictures:
https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/for/6308743022.html
Note that many of the pictures were taken outside in full sun to show the condition of the bag. The black Cordura may look slightly off color in some pictures due to the direct sunlight.
They used ripstop, removed the hip strap and replaced plastic handles with nylon webbing. Probably removing 1lb from the bag. I have used with Optech shoulder strap and with built in backpack straps. Both are good, just a matter of preference. I like the 3 main compartments as they are convenient for packing cubes. It is also convenient for short or long trips by cinching down the straps. But, I could go for a more user friendly solution for the compression strap
Before going this route, I looked at RedOxx Airboss (overbuilt) and Bihn TriStar (uncertain lead time when I bought). Both look like good bags, but happy with my purchase.
Overall a very good bag and very nice people to work with.