Entries from February 1, 2008 - March 1, 2008
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Are you really a light traveler, or - should I ask - are you a really light traveler? Tell us how light you can go for a trip of four nights or more. I’ll go first: just over 10 pounds (including day bag/personal item) for five nights, trans-Atlantic to Europe. And this summer I did sub 15 pounds for 11 days in England and Scotland - including day bag/personal item. I don’t know if I’ll ever beat Tim Ferriss’s 10-pound kit which includes a computer. I’ve resolved not to buy another laptop until I can afford a featherweight (three pounds our less).Not all light travelers are cheapskates, but anyone who would consider washing underwear in a hotel sink is suspect in all categories. Mea (ahem) culpa. Here’s a pence-pinching Brit’s recipe (many have to do with food) for stretching pound notes and dollar bills on the road - found in the Times of London. A few of my favorites:
Actually, in most of the places I stay there’s no shame in carrying in food. For the UK I can suggest a cheap lunch which is available in most areas: the delightful Cornish pasty. At t£1.50 - £3 each they make a tremendous lunch. Pub lunches can be a great value too. The Ploughman’s lunch is filling and wholesome - had one of those at the historic Eagle & Child in Oxford.
In west London the lovely Churchill Arms pub is not to be missed. It contains a fantastic Thai restaraunt with a variety of £6 curry plates - a bargain for London. It has an amazing collection of chamber pots hanging from the rafters, and the exterior of this corner building is usually covered with hanging flower baskets.
I just picked up a six-pack of premium 100% cotton undershirts for everyday wear and was struck by how heavy they were. The six of them weighted two pounds. No wonder I carry only two or three poly/nylon quick-dry undershirts when I travel. Two pounds would amount to about one-fifth of my normal load for a trip of up to 10 days. Two synthetic shirts (which can be laundered in the sink every night or so) weigh eight ounces or less. It’s not just pants and shirts - which you can often wear two or more times without washing - that weigh a suitcase down. Carrying a daily change of cotton underclothing may make you fill good all under but may be hard on your back or shoulder. Think synthetic. But be choosy: the worst of the poly/nylon undies can be brutally uncomfortable. The good ones are a delight.For those of us with short memories the NYT travel blog has produced a user’s manual for the modern airline seat. An excerpt:
Ahead of you is the marsupial-like SEAT BACK POUCH. In it you will find a magazine featuring ads for foreign language software favored by farm boys hoping to impress hot Italian models; an emergency evacuation card depicting families who seem disturbingly calm for people about to abandon a sinking airliner for a shark-filled ocean; stray bits of Life Saver foil; and a boarding pass stub from someone named Richard from Ohio.
Also, you will find the SKYMALL CATALOG, from which you may order a product called “Poop Freeze,” described as a spray refrigerant that “chills animal waste to -62°F, creating an outer ‘crust’ that enables you to quickly place in a bag and dispose.” Feel free to spend the remainder of the flight trying to process this information.
The Cloudbook - another two-pound notebook - is here. The options for light travelers who want to stay connected - and still keep the luggage under 20 pounds - are increasing.
From Laptop magazine:
OBOW reader Eric has reviewed the tiny (8.9 x 6.5 x 1.4”), two-pound Eee PC computer - a real traveler’s temptation for only $400:
I purchased an Eee PC a few weeks ago when my Dell 15” laptop died. I didn’t expect it to be much more than an internet device. Boy, was I wrong. It’s quite a full-featured laptop, capable of surfing the internet, working on documents and spreadsheets, playing music, looking at photos, and watching movies. There are plenty of reviews of the Eee posted online, so I won’t include too many details about the hardware or software. This review is more about using the device for travel.
It’s so small it will fit into the end pocket of my Tom Bihn Aeronaut. The charger is also small, about the same size as most cell phone chargers, and has a 10-foot cord! The laptop, charger, a wireless mouse, and a usb cable for my phone all fit into the end pocket with plenty of room to spare. This is only one benefit of the small, light form factor. While the keyboard is pretty cramped, the small size makes working in an airline seat much more comfortable (especially when the guy in front of you leans back).
Battery life is about 3.5 hours. Could definitely be better, but Asus now offers replacement batteries so I could pick up a second one if needed.
There are a few caveats. It runs Linux, so there is a learning curve if you want to do anything other than work with the applications provided out of the box. Movies have to be formatted for a smaller screen (I use tools to format for an iPod, then load them onto the Eee.) It doesn’t have an optical drive, but one could be connected by USB if you were so inclined. There is no hard disk, only a 4GB SSD (solid state drive). The operating system takes up about 2.5GB, but there is an SD slot, so I’ve got an SD card plugged in which acts as a second hard disk. I keep movies, music, and documents on the SD card.
The Eee has 802.11b/g built in, and I’ve only had a few problems connecting. Most of the time it connects without a hitch. It does not have Bluetooth. I’ve been able to use a USB cable and my phone as a modem, so I can connect to the internet anywhere I have cell phone service. Nice!
Ed.: Here’s Laptop magazine’s take on the Eee. OBOW welcomes reader reviews and comments on luggage, clothing, and travel technology. Use the E-MAIL OBOW link on the right sidebar for submissions. Thanks Eric, and happy traveling!
A London Times travel writer learns packing tricks from a persnickety, dapper professional concierge in this online video and story. An excerpt from Times travel writer Ginny McGrath:
For someone who considers themselves a master in the art of travelling light, I was surprised to learn some canny new tricks from Fraser: a belt wrapped around the inside of a suitcase instead of being rolled into a coil will protect the clothes inside and save the belt from creasing.
Likewise, a folded shirt can be rolled at the bottom, where it is tucked into trousers and wrinkles aren’t seen, but should be folded on top to avoid creasing. The other tip I’ll take home is to leave shoes and other bulky items at the bottom of the case at the wheel-end. Fraser explained that this stops these items sliding down and crushing clothes when you tip a wheelie bag upright.
For the greatest possible contrast with this proper English gent, check out light travel, Tim Ferris style. This post has a video as well. The difference is like, well, Brideshead Revisited vs. Monty Python….
According to USA Today United Airlines is now charging $25 for a second checked bag. The article offers this suggestion for skirting the fee:
Unfortunately, “packing more carry-on luggage” means more people bringing more overweight, oversized carryons which - if you’re lucky - won’t fall out of the overhead compartment and kill you.
Back in January I took a quick museum-hopping trip to London and good old Tom Bihn was right there with me. At least it felt that way. We took three TB bags: the Aeronaut, new Western Flyer, and a Large Cafe Bag (borrowed from my son) for everyday use. It was my wife’s first one-bag experience. Usually we’re leading student trips and they all check bags, so she saw no point in going carryon-only. But a rare trip when she’s travelling only with me meant she could give one-bag a try. She’s sold. Skipping baggage claim and jumping straight onto a train from Heathrow was a delight. Crowded lifts, stairs, and escalators are much less hassle without a 30-pound rolling bag in tow. Ditto for wet streets and uneven sidewalks. Watching others struggle with their own personal baggage train on the Underground was further confirmation. Carrying everything on our backs or shoulders (at about 15 pounds per person thanks to her heavy textbooks) meant we could shop hotels. I wouldn’t recommend it in peak season, but we were able to get a much better rate by walking up to half-empty hotels than by reserving online. And the less you’re carrying - meaning you can turn and walk down the street - the easier it is to get a good rate.TOM BIHN WESTERN FLYER: Review summary – Unique, less-than-maximum-size two-compartment carry-on bag with built-in sling strap. Handmade in the USA. System design approach: packing cubes available, may be fitted with the highly-regarded Tom Bihn Brain Cell computer sleeve/bag. Versatile, may double as briefcase or everyday bag. High points: Perfect size for the ultra-light traveler or for anyone as an overnighter, adaptable to a variety of needs, low profile/high utility. Reserved good looks.
RATING: 4.5 stars, a One Bag, One World top pick.
I’m convinced that iconoclastic bag man Tom Bihn does things differently just because he can. And different is good in this case. The Western Flyer rises from the pack of bulging, cookie-cutter, maximum-legal-size carryons and heavy, over-padded, too-many-pockets laptop bags — and just sails away. Its compact profile means you can slice through the thickest crowds and navigate the narrowest aisles, then slot your bag in the slightest places. This is light travel.
Getting acquainted
The Western Flyer is really different so it needs a full introduction. The basic shape is that of a traditional rectangular suitcase, divided into two equally-sized zippered interior compartments. At 18” x 12” x 7” it is well below the maximum carryon size of any airline I know of (Even the tiny Embraer 145 regional jet’s overhead compartments swallow the Western Flyer, and it may fit under some airline seats). The TB website lists the weight at 2.53 pounds but my luggage scale read barely over two pounds – very light indeed.
Each interior compartment is about 3.5” deep zips around three sides. Though of the same depth, the interior compartments differ significantly. Here’s how: The rear compartment has buckles (on the center wall) that will attach many of Tom Bihn’s Brain Cell armored-yet-compact computer sleeves. And they’re not just sleeves; they may be carried by a shoulder strap as stand-alone cases, adding utility for the traveler. Using an unpadded bag like the Flyer with a well-padded, removable sleeve like the Brain Cell makes for a flexible, multi-purpose solution. (We tested the Brain Cell for the 15.4” MacBook Pro), The rear compartment has semi-rigid foam padding on the outside wall. This adds structure and cushions the back when the bag is carried sling style (more on that below). The opposite compartment has a lightweight zippered nylon panel that turns it into two compartments. You can’t open the compartment like a book with the nylon panel zipped but it does give you two nice vertical sections which you can use for a pair of shoes (but maybe not bulky hiking boots), hair care stuff or toiletries, or bulky clothing items like a sweater or raincoat. The only minor hitch I experienced with the Flyer involved this panel. I hurriedly tried to zip it and boogered it up - finally freed it. This is probably normal for lightweight zippers; they just take a little more care.
The bag holds its shape and stands up nicely. This was especially convenient in our tiny London hotel room. With the long top side unzipped I could work out of the bag (which was standing against a wall) without lying if flat on the bed and opening it up. This may sound insignificant, but if you’ve ever stayed in one of those micro rooms you’ll understand.
The bag’s three front exterior pockets seem to have been specially designed to meet the challenges of the 21st century airport experience. The open pocket with the scalloped opening is ideal for tucking boarding passes or guidebooks into. It has no closure so you must be careful of what you put in it if you are carrying the bag on your back or in crowds. The other two pockets are zippered. The smaller one is ideal for a phone, wallet, car keys, or small electronics that you want to keep handy. The larger pocket is perfect for a one-quart 3-1-1 liquid carry-on baggy. These pockets aren’t deep – so they can get tight – but that very tightness helps prevent bulging.
How does it pack?
The Flyer is incredibly versatile and I can imagine lots of uses for it, but let’s examine how it packs when used primarily as a suitcase. The two main compartments lack hold-down straps, but this is not as big a deal in a small case which will typically be tightly packed. Tom Bihn has introduced three zippered packing cubes just for the Flyer. There’s a full-size cube made of 200 denier nylon ripstop fabric and mesh which will fill an entire interior compartment, and two half-size cubes – one of fabric/mesh and one all-fabric. The half cubes are useful for holding shoes or extra clothing when the front compartment is divided by the zippered panel. I’ve found bundle packing techniques work about equally well at reducing wrinkles whether you use a bag with hold-downs or cubes. The Flyer is just large enough to use a slightly modified version of the best bundle packing method. If you wear XL-sized clothing the Flyer may not be large enough for bundle packing but for most of us some careful folding will result in reasonably presentable duds.
Carrying on regardless
There are three ways to carry the Western Flyer. There’s the old-school top handle which is nicely padded and easy on the hand. There are D-rings for attaching a shoulder strap. And I wouldn’t dream of purchasing a Flyer without the Tom Bihn Absolute Strap which is – hands down – the most comfortable shoulder strap available. The third way is the sling strap which folds and stows in a zippered compartment in the rear of the bag. The sling strap is an example of Tom Bihn’s non-traditional approach. Why the sling and why not backpack straps? Well, the sling is quick to attach and looks may have a slightly less scruffy, slightly more sophisticated look than a traditional backpack. The sling has another benefit: You can quickly pull the case around to the front of your body and access the front pockets – a nice benefit. Getting a traditional backpack off your shoulders can be a cumbersome operation. Also, the sling (which must go over the right shoulder) keeps your other shoulder available for a purse, briefcase, or computer bag. I’ve found that using a shoulder strap on top of a backpack strap is a pain. The sling solves this problem.
Is the sling strap comfortable? It depends on how heavily you’ve packed the bag. Under 15 pounds isn’t bad; over 15 pounds gets a little uncomfortable. The sling material is padded but still can cut into your collar bone or shoulder. Varying the length of the strap from time to time helps. It would be nice - but probably not cost-effective – to make the sling strap from the same stretchy material as the Absolute Strap.
NOTE - Something I didn’t originally notice is that, while the sling is meant to go over the right shoulder, it also works passably well as a shoulder strap on the left shoulder. This may help shift the burden if carrying a heavily-loaded bag. Just remember the sling isn’t tacky like the Absolute Strap, so it’s more likely to slip off when used on the left shoulder. In sling mode it can’t slip off - provided you stay upright!
I prefer the shoulder strap to the sling, but the sling is great for airplane boarding since it narrows your profile and makes that long shuffle back to economy easier. Again, I wouldn’t purchase it without the shoulder strap. Most travelers will use both methods – shoulder and sling – at one time or another. The sling strap folds and tucks neatly away in its own zipped pocket and the buckle on the bottom of the case disappears into a hidden fold. Another nifty point is an elastic pocket on the sling for a cell phone – nice touch.
Stealthy and speedy
The sling strap is part of what makes the Flyer so agile. The slim profile is another. To be honest, most soft-sided bags will bulge about two to three inches in width when fully packed. Since the Flyer starts at seven inches it bulges to more than nine. Maximum-size carryons often bulge to 11 or 12 inches. The bag’s 18” x 12” x 7” dimensions mean that, whether you carry on the hip or the back, the Flyer doesn’t add significantly to your width. This means less bumping and quicker transit. In London, the Flyer was a perfect for crowded Underground trains and escalators.
The slender Flyer looks more like a briefcase than a lumpy pack or suitcase. This means that if you arrive in a city before hotel check-in time and have a few hours to kill you can take your luggage with you for sightseeing or shopping without looking like a pack mule or a lost tourist.
Multi-tasking
How many uses might the Western Flyer have? That’s hard to say. It can be a primary one-bag solution for the ultra-light traveler, an overnighter for anyone, a highly-protective laptop bag with the addition of a Brain Cell, or a jump bag to keep packed with essentials for spur-of-the-moment, unexpected trips. Technicians might find it to be a good catch-all bag for tools, parts, and cables. Beauty queens might fill it with their coiffure kit. And some folks might make it an everyday briefcase or book bag.
The Flyer will hold enough clothes for a long trip for those who launder as they go. I found the Flyer to be fully adequate for a four-night trip to London in the dead of winter – which required bulkier clothing than I’d normally carry. The bottom line is this: If you often have much room to spare in your maximum-sized carryon the Flyer will probably work for you. Even if you often fill up a max-size bag, switching to a smaller bag may be just the thing you need to make you carry less. And you’re unlikely to regret carrying less.
I’ve resolved not to travel regularly with a laptop until I can get one in the three-pound range. Mating a slender Vaio or wispy MacBook Air with the Flyer would be an incredible combo that would allow you to travel with a computer and several days worth of clothing at under 15 pounds in one bag. That’s an enticing idea.
Bihn-built
Tom Bihn’s handmade bags are neatly finished and don’t look overbuilt even though they are. Heavy, hidden, well-turned seams are the norm. The look is modern without being flashy, cool without being trendy or cheap. The USA-made 1050 ballistic nylon has a nice stiffness which helps the bag hold its shape, and it has high abrasion resistance. The zippers are a gasketed waterproof-type. While not as silky smooth as regular heavy-duty zippers they make the bag virtually rainproof. What would you expect from a bag that hails from Seattle? And an excellent warranty means the bag might last as long as you will.
Size: WF vs. Aeronaut Dollars and sense
The Western Flyer is available direct from the Tom Bihn factory store for $150. The $25 Absolute Strap is a must, and I guarantee you’ll use it on another bag when you’re not using the Flyer – it’s that good. A packing cube or two at about $15 each is also a good idea, so the total cost of a well-equipped Western Flyer is about $200. This isn’t cheap, but it may be a good investment for the serious traveler. It’s hard to put a price on the time and aggravation a well-chosen bag may save.
Did I mention?
- The WF is available in only three colors: crimson, steel (gray), and black.
- The zip-divided compartment is excellent for shoes (might not be adequate for a large pair of hiking boots though).
- With a Brain cell in the rear compartment, about half of that section’s capacity is lost.
However, there’s still plenty of room for computer stuff or printed material. You can also stow some flat stuff in the rear pocket that stows the sling strap.
- The front zippered pockets have o-rings for attaching TB’s key snaps and small pouches.
- The ends of the case sport low-profile padded handles that make it easy to retrieve the case from luggage compartments.
