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If you think of yourself as a human pack mule when you travel, life just got a lot easier.
Just remember one word: “convertible.”
Today, convertible luggage is red-hot. It’s the ultimate get-up-and-go luggage for active
travelers. The pieces look like regular duffle bags or Pullman-style suitcases, but have
hidden, zip-out shoulder straps and waist belts that—presto-chango!—turn them
into de facto backpacks. Some add in-line skate wheels and telescoping, airline-style
handles for additional convenience. A convertible is ideal for stealth adventurers;
since it doesn’t look like a backpack until you convert it, you can use it on
business trips without being embarrassed. Another advantage: The zip-away straps
remain undamaged when the convertible is loaded into the cargo hold of a plane, train,
or automobile.
Three categories of these newfangled convertible suitcases, all with hideaway straps and
all made by active-travel specialists, have emerged. Here you’ll find recommendations
for full-blown expedition convertibles (Eagle Creek and Madden) with heavy-duty padded
straps and belts for multiday overnight backpacking adventures; lightweight urban travel
bags and day packs that are small enough to carry on a plane (Patagonia, Jansport); and
one semihard-case roll-away, with wheels and telescoping handles (Kiva).
Expedition convertibles
Urban travel bags
Semi-hard case roll-away
Expedition convertibles
Eagle Creek Cross Terrain
Costs: Regular $300; Large, $325
Holds: 5,300 and 6,250 cubic inches
How big: 17.5 x 26 x 7 and 17.5 x 29 x 9.5
Weighs: 9 lbs., 10 oz.; 10 lbs.
The inventor of the convertible concept (1995) and the market’s runaway leader,
Eagle Creek outdoes itself this time. This pair of Cross Terrain suitcases are not
only true backpacks, but are loaded with capacity and convenience, including wheels,
telescoping handles, hideaway shoulder straps and waist belts. Made of tough Cordura nylon
ripstop, the packs stand upright on their own, and feel as natural and balanced strapped
to your back as they do rolling on a city sidewalk.
Don’t want to lug the entire pack? Just remove the Marsupial day pack from a pouch on
the main pack. At 700 cubic inches, it’s large enough to hold a laptop computer and
has loads of internal pockets for smaller electronic items, notes, and toiletries. Like
the base pack, it has zippered hide-away shoulder straps. Other features include: a zippered
divider that separates the main cargo compartment; comfortable rubber top and side handles
for easy carrying; and a built-in water bottle holder on the right side. Note: Eagle
Creek’s Switchback line offers three smaller, less technical convertibles from $200 to
$255. They lack waist belts, and are not as ergonomic as the Cross Terrain models, but fine
for day hikes and general adventure travel.
Link: http://www.rei.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=3922371&prmenbr=8000
Madden Mountaineering Rover
Costs: $219
Holds: 3,500 cubic inches
How Big: 28 x 10.5 x 12
Weighs: 4 lbs., 2 oz.
The real deal. Designed for rugged travelers who don’t want to look like hard-core
backpackers until they hit the trail, this duffel converts to a full-bore,
expedition-worthy trail trekker in seconds. While many convertibles start with a bag and add
shoulder straps, this is a real suspension backpack that has added a zippered panel to
civilize its appearance. When the masquerade is over, you have a padded hip belt, contoured
shoulder straps, a thickly padded mesh back pad and enough internal and external compartments
to carry 40 pounds of gear on your back for a week.
Other features include: plenty of lash points for a sleeping bag and other
items—there’s even an ice axe loop. Note that although the Rover is technically
a couple of inches too long to be called a carry-on, it’ll squeeze into an overhead
luggage compartment on a plane with little problem.
To buy: Contact Madden at 303-442-5828.
Urban travel bags
Editor’s Pick
Patagonia MLC
Costs: $155
Holds: 2,464 cubic inches
How Big: 22 x 14 x 8"
Weighs: 2 lbs., 12 oz.
MLC stands for maximum legal carry-on, as it is sized to legally fit in an airplane’s
overhead cargo bay. The best, heaviest, and most expensive of the popular soft-case,
wheel-less carry-ons, the MLC is made of heavyweight 1050 denier nylon and 450 nylon
pack cloth. Nylon-taped seams and zippers with heavy-duty coils and wear-proof,
nickel-plated sliders eliminate wear potential. Importantly, it also has better backpack
features than similar convertibles, including wider, more contoured shoulder straps
and a webbed waistband that others lack; this distributes weight more evenly on shoulders
and hips. So although carry-ons of this type are designed for short-distance urban jaunts
rather than the rigorous trail trekking of a formal suspension backpack, the MLC is the
only one I could see carrying 20 pounds on an all-day wilderness hike without much problem.
Other features: “Human-curve” shoulder straps allow casual, one-shoulder carrying.
Link: http://www.patagonia.com/products/productline/productpage.ehtml?maincat=other&browsetype=producttype&browsecat=luggage&collection=theworks&itemid=48103
Jansport Traveler
Cost: $110
Holds: 2,632 cubic inches
How big: 14 x 21 x 9
Weighs: 3 lbs., 6 oz.
It may be a classic carry-on convertible that can handle a day on the trail, but the
Traveler doesn’t look it. Available in black or teak colors, it has a classy
briefcase/suitcase appearance and can be carried via a padded leather handle or
over-the-shoulder strap, as well as hidden, contoured backpack straps. It includes a
padded main compartment with three internal compression straps, three front accessory
pockets, and an ID tag. It has no waist belt, so it may not be comfortable for heavy
hiking loads.
Link: http://www.rei.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prmenbr=8000&prrfnbr=5002659
Semi-hard case rollaway
Kiva 6-in-1 Euro Travel Pack
Costs: $249
Holds: 3,952 cubic inches
How big: 13 x 19 x 16
Weighs: 7 lbs., 8 oz.
Not technically a convertible, but a good example of the versatility of today’s
new designs for active people, the Euro consists of two parts: a Pullman-style rolling
case with a telescoping handle, in-line skate wheels, and a zip-off day pack. The latter
is unique in its own right, expanding from a capacity of 988 to 2,470 cubic inches with
the release of a pull cord. It includes a pull-out external water bottle holder, a toiletry
kit, sleep sac (cotton sheeting for lining a sleeping bag), and a passport wallet.
To buy: Contact Kiva at 800-645-8818; http://www.kivadesigns.com
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