July 5, 2007 Long before he jumped into the travel bag business, Jim Markel packed parachutes during his four-year tour as a Marine. Rigging ‘chutes wasn’t going to be a career, but it had a powerful impact on his mind.
“The rigger’s motto,” he said, “is ‘I will be sure — always.’ It’s a matter of life and death.
— a revealing look at the genesis of the Red Oxx luggage company, its product line, and its founder Jim Markel
June 29, 2007 “Rolling briefcases are one of those contradictory things,” said a Tumi spokeswoman who didn’t want her name attached to the words she said next. “They are hideous,” she said, adding, “our customers tell us they can’t live without them.” - The New York Times
What a terrific story on rolling briefcases - and by extension, suitcases. This is a must read. Another quote:
“The rolling briefcase,” Mr. Lopata continued, “is a symptom of a much bigger problem. Ever notice that the most efficient people are the ones with the least amount of stuff?
Yes! And, this is very interesting:
The American Medical Association warns that carrying more than 10 percent of your body weight can lead to injury, and the overnight appearance of low back pain led me to weigh my own workbag a few summers ago (back then, it was a satchel slung over one shoulder). It was about 25 pounds.
That’s why you should travel (and pack) very light. I weigh 160 lbs. and 16 pounds is the upper limit of comfort for my shoulder. Maybe there’s something to the 10-percent rule. Could be an excuse to gain some weight though…
Read the entire story here.
June 20, 2007 
There are three great American companies who still make quality bags one at a time. Red Oxx, Tom Bihn, and Tough Traveler are about as different as can be, but for around $200 each of them will sell you a quality hand-made carry-on bag with a real lifetime warranty. And chances are, you could call any of them and have the owner on the phone in a couple of minutes. I’ve reviewed the Red Oxx Air Boss and hope to review Tom Bihn’s Aeronaut and Tough Traveler’s TriZip or BiZip soon. No one design will suit every user, but I’m confident that one of these companies has the bag for you - if you’re serious about light travel.
About the Aeronaut: Some reviews from The Gadgeteer, Imago Metrics, and khemani.com
Doug Dyment of onebag.com loves the Tough Traveler (and suggested improvements which were implemented) and helped design the Air Boss!
A note: All of these bags are at or near maximum legal carryon dimensions (45” combined). This size may actually prove too big for you if you’re an ultra-light traveler. There is a dearth of slightly undersized carryons.
June 14, 2007 
RED OXX AIR BOSS: Review summary – Simple, adaptable shoulder bag for agile travel. Handmade in the USA, military spec materials & construction. High points: Looks great, three-compartment design, excellent strap, lifetime warranty, made in the USA.
RATING: 5 stars, a One Bag, One World top pick.
Ten days and several thousand miles have convinced me that the Red Oxx Air Boss lives up to its hype as one of the most functional and well-made carryon bags available. The Air Boss is probably not for everyone since it has no wheels. Then again, it was not designed for everyone, but for the serious one-bag leisure or business traveler who needs a highly functional shoulder bag which adapts to a variety of travel needs.
No wheels, no backpack straps
There are two ways to carry the Air Boss: with your hand or with your shoulder. This is actually the key to its mobility. A shoulder bag is much better for uneven terrain (like cobblestones, gravel parking lots, or dirt paths), and is preferable for stairs, escalators, or subway platforms. Darting through the airport throngs is also a breeze with nothing “in tow”. No wheels also means less weight and more interior room. Convertible bags with backpack straps (Red Oxx is developing one of these - stay tuned) are popular, but a backpack-style bag is a little out of place with my sportcoat, and I find a good shoulder strap to be at least as comfortable as one (or two) backpack straps. And Red Oxx has one of the finest shoulder straps I’ve tried. It’s called “The Claw” for good reason: it will not slip from your shoulder. As an old news photographer I know that a strap that is too wide or too cushy will not stay on the shoulder. A good strap like “The Claw” strikes a balance between “bite” and comfort, and above all, it stays put. The heavy chromed metal strap hardware is overbuilt like the rest of the bag. I’m pretty sure “The Claw” could double as towing strap for an automobile!
Versatile & simple
The Air Boss’s three-compartment design sets it apart from most carryons. The two outer compartments are 2.5 inches wide and the center compartment is 4 inches wide. Zippers for each compartment wrap around three sides of the bag, allowing any of the compartments to be opened fully when the bag is lying flat. This makes it easy to carefully place folded clothes in the compartments without stuffing - which means fewer wrinkles. The two outer compartments have two hold-down straps each. The outer compartments are where most of your clothing would go. I like to put normal clothing on one side and coats, outerwear, or sweaters on the other, so that some days I only have to open one side. With a one-compartment design you basically have to do a complete unpack and repack every day. Not so with the well-designed Air Boss.
The center compartment has no hold-downs. Both walls of the center compartment have light closed-cell foam padding which also serves to stiffen the bag slightly so that it holds its shape when it’s not full. This center compartment is ideal for hair dryers, thick books, larger electronics, shoes, shaving or cosmetic bag, or a laptop computer. Since only the walls are padded and bottom of the bag is not, it’s probably best to put a laptop in a sleeve or slim-line computer case. I used the center compartment for my unpadded briefcase which I use as a day bag while traveling (see photo). The ability to stow a laptop, briefcase, or daypack in this center compartment means the Air Boss is perfect for travel through the United Kingdom where new security regulations allow only one carryon and everything must fit in that one bag.
Most of my suggestions for improvements to the Air Boss involve the inner compartments. Padding the bottom of the center compartment would make it better for carrying a laptop. The hold-downs in the outer compartments are adequate, but having three instead of two would make them work even better. The center compartment might also benefit from hold-down straps on one wall for securing clothing, large printed material, or a laptop.
One of my favorite things about the Boss (which I’ll discuss below) is its simplicity, but I believe I’d prefer that at least one of the outer compartments have a zippered mesh pocket for storing dirty or damp clothes.
Less is more
I have a convertible carryon bag that has so many zippers and pockets that I can never find anything. This is not a problem with the simple Air Boss design. It has the three main compartments mentioned above plus a snapped outer pocket and a narrow vertical zippered pocket (perfect for boarding passes) on one side and a full-width exterior zippered pocket on the other. That’s it: no confusion; no gimmicks. The snapped pocket is ideal for stowing your belt and TSA liquid baggie until you clear security, and of course it’s ideal for newspapers, magazines, or a full-size atlas. The zippered pockets are for stowing things that need to be more secure
Zippers, seams, fabric & monkey fists
Speaking of zippers, Red Oxx uses the best money can buy: YKK #10’s which are reliable and silky smooth. Cheap zippers always fail, sooner or later. These are not cheap zippers. I’m no sewing expert, but even I can tell that this bag is very well put together. The Red Oxx guys got their start as military parachute riggers, and the craftsmanship and attention to detail is obvious in their work. The bag fabric is 1000 weight urethane-coated, Dupont-certified Cordura nylon — the highest grade. Snaps and metal hardware are stainless steel. And I have to mention a small but not insignificant detail – the “monkey’s fist” knots. These are hand-tied in nylon cord to serve as unique, functional zipper pulls, and besides that, they’re just plain cool.
Good genes
The Air Boss is the result of collaboration and consultation with onebag.com travel/packing guru Doug Dyment. His insight paired with the Montana-based Red Oxx company’s manufacturing skill and commitment to quality makes this bag unique. Learn more about Red Oxx here. The company website also has a packing diagram (developed by Dyment) just for this bag. This bundle packing plan works. I can attest that my clothing had fewer wrinkles when properly packed in the Air Boss than I’ve gotten with other bags and methods.
Capacious
The Air Boss is slightly under maximum carryon dimensions at 21”x 13”x 9” but it’s hard to imagine a carryon with more capacity. The fact that the Air Boss has no wheels, pull handles, rigid internal frame, or lots of silly compartments means you can stuff a lot in the Air Boss. I use an ultra-light packing list. My load was only about 12-15 pounds worth which means the bag was not nearly full, and, in fact, the Air Boss is a little too large for me. The good news is that it’s perfect for most people who are going to pack twice as many clothes as I do plus a pair of shoes and hair dryer. I’m guessing most travelers will probably pack their Air Boss to 18-25 pounds. Many international carriers now limit carryons to 22 pounds. The Air Boss would be ideal for those trying to stay in that weight range. I’m quite sure though that it’s built well-enough to handle any load you can stuff in it. The soft-side design also means that the Air Boss should fit almost any aircraft overhead luggage compartment. It even fits the tiny Embraer 145 regional jet’s overhead compartments which cause most carryons to be gate-checked and thrown into the baggage hold. In larger jets the Air Boss will fit in the overhead compartments either way – parallel or perpendicular to the aircraft aisle. The Air Boss weighs under four pounds with strap. Some carryon bags weigh 12 pounds or more empty - almost as much as my Air Boss weighed fully packed.
Looks & style
The Air Boss comes in 12 color combinations. The colors are strong and deep – distinctive without being overly bright (except for the yellow which is pretty bright). This is a nice-looking bag which works for corporate or casual types.
Who it’s for
If you can’t carry a bag far and require wheels the Air Boss is not for you. If you’re looking for a bag that will handle almost any travel situation and terrain with aplomb, check out the Air Boss. For reasons stated above it is ideal for the present security situation that carryon travelers face. And its lifetime warranty means it should serve you for years to come - through whatever the future holds for savvy travelers.
Cost
At $225 its price is in line with other top-of-the line shoulder bags and is well below that of many wheeled carryons. It is available direct from redoxx.com
Suggested improvements
Aside from minor changes to the interior compartments which are mentioned above, I believe compression straps to cinch up the bag when it is under-packed would be helpful. These would make the bag more useful to me since I’m not likely to ever fill the Air Boss up. All soft-sided bags are liable to some bulging when over-packed and compression straps would help minimize this too.
PHOTOS - from top - Revolving door in Glasgow hotel doesn’t slow down the Air Boss, Ran into this happy Air Boss user as soon as I stepped off the 777 at Heathrow, “The Claw” shoulder strap, Beautiful detailing and “monkey’s fist” pulls, High-visibility red interior, Snapped pocket is great for TSA liquid baggie, Center compartment swallows my briefcase - beating the UK “no personal item rule”
June 7, 2007 
“Sometimes I see a reflection of myself in a shop window — with my carry-on pack on my back — and wonder if I’m too old to be so footloose and fancy-free. No! Packing light keeps me young when I’m on the road. Less is more. Like a good fisherman who feels the fish better without a lot of flashers and weights, when I travel light I have nothing but pure 100% Europe on my line.” — travel guru Rick Steves
Also - big news from Rick Steves: he’s updated the Convertible Carry-on ($99) and re-introduced an earlier, simpler version - the Back Door Bag - which looks like a real bargain at $79. The Back Door Bag sort of started the whole one bag craze years ago.
May 28, 2007 
Here’s a pretty objective look at a couple of Patagonia products (including the Maximum Legal Carryon) — from the Patagonia corporate blog - maybe not totally objective, but seemingly very honest and thorough. It’s worth checking out if you’re shopping for carryons. I handled an MLC recently and was not blown away with the materials or construction, but it is a Patagonia product with a good warranty and reputation behind it. I’m also intrigued with their One Bag which is an undersized two-compartment carryon/laptop bag. My current packing list means I can’t quite fill up a near-maximum size carryon - even when I tuck my briefcase inside it.May 17, 2007 We’ve added a new link: www.travelgearreview.com. Adam has a nice-looking site with insightful reviews. His emphasis leans slightly more towards backpacking, but there’s a lot of overlap between backpacking and light travel gear. In fact, many of the light traveler’s tricks come from packers. He’s even managed to snare one of the most elusive beasts in the luggage world: the MEI Voyageur convertible carry-on backpack and can tell you how to get one. This pack’s most notable features seem to be rugged construction and very comfortable straps. I don’t care for the one-compartment design, but if you’re going to carry a pack comfort is all-important. I believe Doug Dyment is also a fan of this pack.
May 14, 2007 
For international flying there’s a magic number: 22. Pounds that is; or 10 if you count in kilograms. That’s the most common carryon weight limit for international carriers. Some, like the smaller (mostly British) airlines have even lower limits, but 22 is the mark to shoot for. To be on the safe side make sure that your “personal item” is included in this weight and that it fits inside the larger carryon, since some countries - most notably the UK - allow no additional personal item unless it will fit in one larger bag. The dimensional limits have not changed: 45” combined still works almost everywhere, some allow a bag up to about 50”.
If you’re committed never to check a bag it’s never been tougher. But, given the mounds of checked luggage (and 1000’s of pieces lost every day) the rewards of going one-bag/carry-on have never been greater.
This link has information on international luggage limits for various airines. It’s not 100 percent accurate (it assumes you usually are allowed the extra personal item, which is no longer always the case). Always check the website of your airline. Some carriers allow fudging, but the safest bet is to assume they will follow their own rules when it favors them.
May 14, 2007 
I inspected an Eagle Creek ES Tarmac 20” roller over the weekend, and it is an impressive bag. It’s lightweight (7.5 lb), has nice hold-downs for folded clothes, and has well-thought out compartments. The molded grip on the bottom of the case really makes it easy to hoist. With 43” combined dimensions it fits comfortably as a carryon by nearly any standard. I’m not a roller, but I can recommend this bag to anyone who is. At $225 with a lifetime warranty, it’s a good value for the frequent traveler.April 18, 2007 Carry-on weight limits for major US airlines usually top out at 40 pounds or more, but my definition of light travel does not include a bag that weighs as much as an elementary school student. Because you can carry on 40 pounds doesn’t mean you should. Lifting 40 pounds over your head (or dropping it on your fellow passenger’s head) is no fun. The light traveler should shoot for a packed carryon that slips under the more restrictive weight limits of smaller airlines and international carriers - around 22 pounds. Under 20 pounds will get you comfortably on to almost any plane, and your back, neck, and shoulders will thank you. Get it to 11 pounds (5kg) or under and you’ve passed from lightness to sublimity. And there will be hardly an airline on the planet that will turn your carryon away.
April 17, 2007 Here’s an overview of international baggage rules for international air travel from the worldly perspective of the International Herald Tribune’s Roger Collis. Judging from trends described in this story, traveling light is becoming more of a necessity than an option.
April 13, 2007 This story from the Seattle Times is several months old, but is certainly still relevant:
“Reports of lost, damaged, delayed and pilfered checked luggage filed with the Department of Transportation have been rising as the TSA has been screening more intensively and more people have been leaving their bags unlocked.
The actual number of incidents are few — 5.86 per 1,000 passengers — reported to the government by 20 airlines for the first six months of this year, but this was a 37 percent increase from the same time period in 2003.
With both TSA and the airlines handling baggage, resolving who is responsible for theft or damage can turn into a huge hassle. The headaches will likely increase if more people start checking bags”.
Luggage, Travel News & Regulations | Email Article | Share Article | Print Article | Permalink April 10, 2007 Gee, a guy that runs a luggage delivery company wants to see luggage banned from international flights. I’m glad he has our best interests at heart. Wow, thanks Mr. Altomare! You can view his speech from week’s U.S. Chamber of Commerce “Aviation 2007: Ready for Takeoff” summit in New York.
“The Coalition for Luggage Security, with Universal Express, Inc. announced today that making air travel safer demands a new system to eliminate luggage from domestic air travel by requiring travelers to voluntarily ship their suitcases prior to the departure date.” - from BusinessWire.com
Here’s an ad placed by this bogus group in Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper which targets members of Congress and their staffs. Looks like one-baggers need a lobbyist of their own. Unfortunately luggage companies like Samsonite and Tumi support this group. Watch for more on this subject.
April 9, 2007 Veteran flight attendant and columnist James Wysong implies that the new liiquid restrictions for carryons is shoving more luggage to cargo bins - leaving more room in the overhead bins. That’s good news for onebaggers. A quote:
“Have you noticed anything different about air travel recently? I mean, besides the hassle of checking your bags and waiting for them at the other end? Something inside the airplane? Why, yes: It’s the sudden availability of space in the overhead compartments — even on full flights. It sure saves a lot of aggravation in my job. I think the last time flight attendants got a break like this was when smoking was banned on the airplane.”
Is this typical?
April 9, 2007 
MSNBC travel writer Harriet Baskas tackles the carry-on controversy.
Photo by kagey_b on Flickr.
April 9, 2007 Beginning June 20, 2007 budget carrier Spirit Airlines will charge for every piece of checked luggage and they only gurantee that they'll have room to carry one checked bag per customer:
"Spirit Airlines can only guarantee the transportation of one (1) item as checked luggage per fare paying customer. Additional bags can be purchased on a first-served basis; but Spirit cannot guarantee that there will be space for extra bags, and will not be held responsible for any additional items brought to the airport by the customer. Please note that space is extremely limited on certain flights. Please see Excess Baggage for more information."
Thankfully, they're sticking to standard carryon policies: one bag of 45" or less combined dimensions (40 lb. limit) plus standard personal item.
April 9, 2007 British Airways may present the one-bag traveler’s stiffest challenge. Flyers departing from the UK or transferring through the UK are limited to one carryon with NO personal item - at least in coach class. The rules are a little unclear. BA did drop its infamous 6kg/13 lb. limit for carryons in 2006, but the BA site does show 6 and 7kg limits for some of its franchise airlines. And I’ve seen some info that implies the one-bag rule is only for coach and some that suggests it is for all passengers. The one-bag restriction does not apply (for the moment) to US-originating flights; you still get one carryon plus the personal item. Still this rule may hit you if you fly to the UK on a US airline, spend some time thare, then fly on BA to a non-US destination. Beware and check with BA first.
Woe to the onebagger if BA’s rules represent a worldwide trend. Loss of the personal item would put extra stress on the one bag packer.
April 8, 2007 This article gives more good reasons not to check any bags and calls attention to the problem of different limits and standards for checked baggage across the airline world.
April 8, 2007 ...that is the question: Do you lug your luggage --with your hand, shoulder, or back-- or roll it? The benefits of wheeled luggage are obvious. For those with physical limitations or for those whose travels involve lots of flat, smooth surfaces, wheels are appropriate. The demerits of wheeled luggage are less obvious but are very real. Airplane aisles, stairs, cobblestones, curbs, escalators, and fellow travelers' toes are all unfriendly to wheels. And, there's nothing like losing control of a wheeled case on a ramp. They tend to flop and twist and can wrench a wrist. Wheels are also prone to break or jam; ditto the telescoping handles. And finally, the mechanisms themselves add weight and bulk to carry-on luggage. Weight and bulk are the traveler's enemy. Most wheeled bags are semi-rigid as well. This can present a problem when the overhead compartment or taxi trunk is almost full. Forsaking wheels may be the right move for the onebagger. There is one caveat though: Make sure the shoulder strap or backpack strap system your bag uses is a good one. Otherwise you may rue the decision to travel sans wheels.
April 6, 2007 Editor’s note: a full review of the Air Boss is now posted here)
The Red Oxx Air Boss is worthy of any light traveler’s consideration. It is close to maximum legal carryon size, yet weighs well under four pounds. It has NO WHEELS - which is a good thing; wheels would double the weight and eat interior capacity. And, it was developed in consultaion with Doug Dyment - the one-bag expert. At $225 this bag costs a lot less than many high-end carryons, and it will probably last several times longer than those $100 bags, which means it may be the best carryon value on the planet. Red Oxx products are made in the USA and carry lifetime warranties.
By the way, the Air Boss has its own packing diagram (also by Dyment) which can applied to most any carryon.
Read a review comparing the Air Boss to the Rick Steves bag. Here’s another blogger’s review of the Boss.
OBOW will be doing a carryon top ten soon - nominate your favorites.
Click on photo for more info >>>
Editor’s note: a full review of the Air Boss is now posted here)
