Entries from November 1, 2007 - December 1, 2007
(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.
Brad
Click on the photos to see a larger version. These illustrate Paul’s comments below:
Brad
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.”
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Leah McLaren of Canada’s Globe & Mail has some tips, er commandments, for the forlorn traveler - some serious, some comically anti-social. A couple of excerpts:
1) Wear a hoodie. Preferably a cashmere hoodie, but any old hoodie will do. The deeper the hood the better. Pull it up whenever you want to sleep or dissuade others from taking the free seat next to you. For best results, accessorize with a scowl.
2) Eschew all silly travel accessories and accoutrements. Beanbag neck pillows, travel blankets and book lights are all more trouble than they’re worth. Comfort is about avoiding hassle, not creating more of it, and that’s exactly what you’re doing while fiddling with your portable Obus Forme 10,000 metres above sea level. Leave such stuff at home, or, better yet, don’t buy it in the first place. The one exception to this is a sleep mask, but most decent airlines provide them anyway.
7) Do carry-on only wherever possible. Pack lightly and stuff everything into the smallest possible container. Hide overflow in a giant handbag and hold it over your shoulder and behind your back to avoid having your hand luggage go over the weight limit. Ignore people who give you dirty looks for filling up the overhead locker.
Comments Closed
Joe Brancatelli is a gem. His advice is always witty and wise. Joe on dressing for checkpoint success:
“I’ve found that the fastest way through security is to go plastic. I switched the brass buttons on my blue blazer for plastic ones. I bought a plastic Swatch watch specifically for road trips. I’ve even gotten rid of my belt. Needless to say, I wear only slip-on shoes, and I check my socks for holes before I leave home.
“I won’t argue that this all sounds a bit unstylish. If you want to don jewelry, sport your favorite chunky metal watch, and wear your lucky running shoes, and if you really need a belt, do what I do: Stow these possessions in your carry-on bag, then put them on once you clear security. And here’s an incredibly useful tip: Stash potentially problematic items in zip-top plastic bags. Before you reach the checkpoint, dump everything-keys, jewelry, pens, handheld computers, cell phones, loose change-into a bag and place it in an exterior pocket of your carry-on. When you escape the clutches of the T.S.A., fish out the zip-top bag and return everything to your person.” - washingtonpost.com
More tips from Joe on minimizing your sartorial load:
- Limit your color palette so your clothes match easily - maximizing their utility
- Accessorize - create the illusion of more outfits with different ties, scarves, etc.
- Buy clothing on the road
- Use hotel laundry services - “Lugging around dirty laundry is, needless to say, counterproductive.” (I might add that the non-business traveler can easily wash their own clothes in-room, provided you’ve chosen the right clothing)
The New York Times sees class war in the air and finds that it contributes to air rage:
“There is no question the cattle-class experience has contributed to the rise and intensity of air rage incidents all over the world,” said Andrew Robert Thomas, an assistant professor of business at the University of Akron, who has written books about air rage and maintains the Web site airrage.org.
“More people in a smaller space experiencing a naturally stressful environment will trigger different reactions in some folks, and a number will be violent,” he added. “With the cutbacks continuing and the number of air travelers projected to triple in the next 20 years, air rage will be a problem for the foreseeable future.”
Forlorn flyers will find more likeminded souls at these websites: flyertalk.com, airlinerage.com and flightsfromhell.com.
Let me say this about bundle wrapping: It works. It works very well. On my last trip I made a more serious effort than ever to exactly follow the instructions from the Red Oxx website (in the form of a diagram based on Doug Dyment’s method.) I was astounded at how well the bundle system prevented wrinkles in my cotton and cotton-blend clothing. Click on the bottom photo below for an image file which explains the system. Better yet, download the PDF from the Red Oxx site, print it, laminate it, and tuck it in your bag. You’ll be glad you did.
This method can be used in bags with or without hold-down straps and with or without packing cubes. The bundle helps keep everything together which decreases the need for hold-downs if the bag is snug and tightly packed . I believe I got better results in an undersized bag without hold-down straps than I ever did with the straps. Why does it work? Read Doug Dyment’s explanation here.
This site proves that not all carry-on travelers are slightly scruffy and perpetually ruffled, nor are they mostly men. Diva in a carry on is a feminine look at one-bag travel. There are lots of ads and links but if you scroll down far enough you’ll find plenty of tags for luggage and packing - and more than any man ever wants to know about cosmetics and pretty things. Carry on divas!
And the Divas have linked to OBOW so we display the pink badge of honor. I feel more sensitive already…
Memo to Santa: In case a French reindeer strike causes you to have fly commerical, here’s what you can and can’t carry on.Some samplings from tsa.gov (no kidding):
“Not sure about what you can and can’t bring through the checkpoint*? Here’s a list of liquid, aerosol and gel items that you should put in your checked bag, ship ahead, or leave at home:
- Gravy
- Salad dressing
- Oils & vinegars
- Cranberry sauce
- Salsa
- Sauces
- Creamy dips
- Wine, liquor & beer
- Other beverages
- Jams & Jellies
- Soups
- Cakes & Pies”
AND REMEMBER, NO WRAPPED GIFTS!!!!
Messy packers, you and the TSA have issues:
WASHINGTON — Airline passengers, who already are required at airport checkpoints to remove their shoes, take off their coats and carry only small bottles of liquids, now have a new task: Pack neatly.
In anticipation of the most popular holiday for travel in the USA, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today launches a campaign urging travelers to eliminate clutter in carry-on bags. Pack in layers. Keep items neat.
Messy travelers could spend more time in line if their carry-ons are cluttered because such bags are more likely to be pulled aside and searched by hand, TSA spokeswoman Ellen Howe says. - USA Today
From the TSA site:
—
Here’s how to SimpliFLY your overall security experience:
- Pack an organized carry-on bag using layers – a layer of clothes, then electronics, more clothes, and then other items like toiletries. This will help security officers see what’s in your bag.
- Have your boarding pass and ID ready for inspection when you get to the checkpoint.
- Remove your coat and shoes and place them in a bin.
- Place any oversized electronics (laptops, full-size video game consoles, DVD players and video cameras that use cassettes) in a separate bin. iPods and other smaller electronics can stay in your carry-on bag.
- Follow the 3-1-1 rule for liquids and put your one quart baggie separately in the bin.
- When in doubt, leave it out. If you’re not sure about whether you can bring an item through the checkpoint, put it in your checked bag or leave it at home. Click here to see the list of prohibited items.
—
I’m guessing packing cubes are OK, but probably the more translucent the better. Some of us will take a little umbrage at being told to “neaten up,” I’ll bet. Here are some TSA example photos (left good, right bad, if the shoe fits wear it!):
TSA administrator Kip Hawley and his agency have had a tough week. Statements like this one don’t help:
“There are thousands of ways to attack, but if you put all of the resources at the checkpoint to make that bullet proof, [terrorists will] say thank you very much and go someplace else to get in, so you have to secure the entire environment at a basic level and then upgrade in an unexpected, unpredictable way,” Hawley said. “If they say the checkpoint is all buttoned down, then the attack comes through the perimeter, the attack comes in front of the airport, there is a [shoulder-fired rocket] attack.” - Congressional Quarterly
He seems to be saying, “Don’t worry too much about our sloppy and inefficient checkpoint screening because something a lot worse could happen.” Wow. I do agree that the TSA is good at being “unpredicatable” and I’d love to be able to “say thank you very much and go someplace else” at most airports.
US Government Accountability Office investigators who conistently fooled the TSA are recommding more pat-downs and physical seraches of air traveleers:
WASHINGTON — Federal investigators testifying before Congress on Thursday said that more physical searches of passengers would be needed to reduce the chances that a terrorist can sneak a bomb onto an airplane. But air safety officials resisted the suggestion, saying American passengers dislike intrusive pat-downs.
The investigators smuggled the components of potentially devastating liquid bombs past checkpoints at 19 airports nationwide earlier this year, they testified. In the covert tests, they carried the elements of an improvised explosive device and a firebomb in carry-on luggage or on their bodies. - LA Times
Some in Congress are not pleased with the TSA’s performance:
“The problem is that the news is the same — it’s not getting better — and that’s unacceptable,” said Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), chairman of the Government Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which held the hearing.
Waxman called the TSA’s record on screening “embarrassing and dangerous” and warned (TSA head Kip) Hawley that the committee would ask the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, to conduct a similar test next year. He went on to chastise Hawley for seeming to “pooh-pooh” the results of the GAO investigations.
“You’re on notice,” Waxman said. “I want you to take this one seriously. I didn’t feel you took the first one seriously.” - Read the entire LA Times story here.
USA Today’s account of the hearing provides no comfort:
Hawley downplayed (the report) that showed investigators were able to smuggle liquid explosives and detonators past security. He said some bomb components investigators brought on airplanes this year are too weak to blow up a plane.
“Frankly, some of the stuff we saw here is not a concern. Some of it is a concern,” Hawley said after GAO officials played a videotape of the bomb parts they used in the probe being detonated in cars.
John Cooney, the GAO’s assistant director for forensic audits and special investigations, said the bomb parts “placed in an appropriate place on an aircraft could possibly do catastrophic damage.”
Lawmakers from both parties criticized the TSA and revealed that during another series of covert tests in 2006, GAO investigators slipped bomb parts past screeners in each of their 21 attempts.
“That’s an embarrassing and dangerous record,” said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which held Thursday’s hearing.
“This is unfortunately a record of failure,” said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla.
The maddening thing is that the TSA’s incompetence is going to lead to more hassle - pat-downs and who-knows-what-else. Wouldn’t it be better to start over and design an effective system of security screening rather than just add to the existing regimen - which is undoubtedly what they’ll do? I appreciate the diffuculty of the task and I’m glad we’ve had no more serious incidents, but government tends to perpetuate and add to its way of doing things rather than (pardon the pun) blowing them up and starting over.
It sounds like the UK will ease its one-bag/no personal item rule in early 2008, but there is some waffle room for the authorities and some bureaucratic hoops involved:
”From 7 January airports will be able to seek permission to let more than one item of hand luggage be taken on board flights by passengers.
Size restrictions on liquids and cabin luggage will remain and Ms Kelly said it was “not about relaxing” security.
In order to be able to relax the “one bag rule”, airports will have to apply to the Department for Transport and prove they have the necessary screening measures to handle extra cabin luggage.” - BBC
UK PM Gordon Brown has good news for the carry-on traveler:
Releasing a government report to the House of Commons, Mr. Brown also said British airports would begin relaxing their rules on hand luggage so that in some airports passengers would be able to take two carry-on bags beginning in 2008. Since a foiled plan to blow up trans-Atlantic planes in the summer of 2006, passengers at British airports have been restricted to one carry-on bag. - The New York Times
From Gadling.com’s excellent recurring feature - What’s in your pack? - this time with travel writer David Farley:
“I’d much rather hand-wash my clothes than lug around a big bag. It’s also nice to get off the plane and just go,without having to wait around for my bag, which is inevitably the last one that comes around on the carousel. Sometimes when I see the way people over-pack-lugging around bags that a pachyderm could fit into-I almost laugh out loud in shock. One time, while waiting in the check-in line, I noticed the couple next to me each had two massive bags and two large carry-ons. I jokingly suggested that they must be moving out of the country with so much baggage, but they said they were just going to London for four days. In a way, it’s emblematic of how inefficient and solipsistic we are as a society; we stuff our bags with so many just-in-case items, forgetting that the outside world also uses shampoo, tampons, and soap, and that there are shops in the outside world that sell those things just in case you need them. In fact, being forced to go into a shop to buy something you need (but didn’t bring), may in some way heighten your travel experience. We like to wax on about how travel changes us, it opens our minds and expands our world view. But I’m not so sure this is always true.
Sometimes maximum legal carry-on size is more than you need, and if you go ultra-light it’s almost always more than you need. Tom Bihn is preparing a new smaller carry-on entry in response to customer requests and his own travel experience: the Western Flyer, a trim, versatile, innovative bag that can ride on the shoulder or function as a sling bag - sort of like a one-strap back pack:
“The Western Flyer is a small carry-on bag similar to the Aeronaut in function. It’s volume is about 25 liters or a little more than half the Aeronaut’s volume. Rather than convert to a backpack as the Aeronaut does, it has a sling-bag strap, like the Buzz. This strap is designed to be worn cross-body on the right shoulder; it zips away when not in use. A Poron padded handle and two heavy metal “D” rings (for an optional shoulder strap) allow you to carry it the conventional ways too. The Western Flyer has three exterior pockets (two zip closed) and two equal-sized main compartments (like the Brain Bag). The front compartment can be further divided in two with a zip-out divider, creating two compartments well sized for shoes. The back compartment has webbing loops so you can use annex clips to secure a Brain Cell (horizontal or vertical; we’ll let you know soon which sizes fit, not all for sure). Matching packing cubes will follow shortly. The Western Flyer is made of 1050 ballistic nylon in crimson, steel or black; lined with Dyneema/nylon ripstop. Ships late December or early January, we hope! [Available for pre-order before then]” — posted by Tom Bihn in the Forums
I have a prototype of this bag in my possession but have not had time to evaluate it fully. My first impression is that it’s a tremendous design and I can imagine about twenty ways people (not just travelers) will use it. My wife has already taken it on an overnight trip and she really liked the zipper divider mentioned above. I couldn’t envision its usefulness, but for her it was perfect for dividing her hair stuff and cosmetics. This bag is a chameleon and I’m guessing Tom will enjoy hearing about all the ways people will use it. I can see it as a primary one-bag solution for the really light traveler, a carryon for people who check bags, an overnighter for practically anyone, and - properly equipped - as an everyday laptop/briefcase thought that’s not its intended function. The Tom Bihn blog has a few pictures. I won’t photograph my prototype since I don’t think it is fully representative of the final design.
(Photo) from Tom Bihn blog)
Tom Bihn has announced an upgrade to his highly-regarded Brain Cell laptop case/sleeve: an extra layer.
—
“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TOM BIHN Brain Cell Laptop Case Adds Memory Foam
SEATTLE, WA — November 7th, 2007
The TOM BIHN Brain Cell laptop case has gained a reputation for offering
the best protection one can get for their laptop short of using a heavy
metal briefcase. The Brain Cell cradles laptops in 8mm thick soft foam
padding, suspends them in a 4mm hard corrugated plastic insert that
protects from the front, back, and bottom, and protects them at the
sides with dense cross-linked closed-cell polyethylene foam.
And now that protection is even better. All Brain Cells now have an new
fifth layer of protection: 12mm thick premium memory foam, manufactured
to our specifications in the U.S.A. The layer of memory foam is fixed to
the corrugated plastic floor of the Brain Cell, separating the bottom of
the foam sling from the corrugated plastic shell. The memory foam acts
as an extra layer of cushion as well as an effective shock absorber.”
—
The nifty Brain Cells clip in to many Tom Bihn bags and lots of travelers use the Brain Cell to tuck a laptop into an unpadded bag or carry-on luggage. The come highly recommended from a variety of users.
