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This is a Guest Post from Aaron Stewart (bio below). He has a different approach than I do to trips. He loves upgrades and staying in five star hotels like the rest of us, but isn’t afraid to sit in the back of the bus. His trips are often shorter, and as he is not traveling for work, they require less gear than my own. I sent the GoBAG I reviewed here to him for his take and he LOVED it!
Here is his review:
I recently had the opportunity to try a premium luggage product that was designed with the traveler on-the-go in mind. I’ve been doing a lot of long haul quick trips so I was excited to see exactly how efficient this would make my trips. This bag has lots of handy features and accessories that make quick trips a breeze. The bag comes equipped with a waterproof vacuum seal-able compartment which allows for optimum storage capacity. The bag also features a Velcro lined interior and clear, Velcro backed liquids bag for convenience when passing through TSA or international security. You simply unzip the side of the bag with the liquids and display them for security. There are also really comfortable (and more importantly reliable) straps that can turn this carry-on into a backpack. The straps are adjustable and lightweight however, they can carry a lot of weight without any real issues.
Less is more
While this bag is small, it’s optimum storage capacity makes it an ideal addition to my baggage arsenal. It’s lightweight and offers a malleable shell made up of zipper support system that allows for stowage in less than optimum scenarios. The bag’s straps and handles are set up in a way that’s easy to disassemble and the straps are easily stowed in the front pocket or bag interior.
There are netted pockets on the interior of the bag for cord and plug storage. I really enjoyed this bag for it’s possibilities as a carry-on laundry basket (for lack of better word) for backpackers or those who do not want to deal with the dreaded baggage carousel cattle call. You can easily fit a laptop, your liquids, and an astounding 30 lbs (you could probably try for more but I feel that’s pushing the limits of zipper physics) of laundry into the incredibly simple vacuum-sealed baggage compartment. Rather than paying for a checked bag you can carry on a bag or nest a duffel bag inside to bring home all of the wonderful souvenirs you’ll inevitably pick up along the way.
Sometimes Less is still Less
If I have one critique of this product it would be in regards to interior pocket limitations. The bag itself is the leanest product I’ve used in a long time and cuts down on a ton of unnecessary weight that other bags inherently have due to their inefficient design. The bag’s handy liquids bag feature is great but, I would like to see a few more stow-able Velcro attachments as the entirety of the bag is lined in Velcro for 1 small liquids bag. I think if the product added 2 compartment bags that also contained the all necessary Velcro backing that I wouldn’t even need to contemplate bringing another bag on my trips. Without this feature, items that are too large for storage in the sleek but limited outside pocket (intended for small cords, passports and boarding documents), I feel uneasy about the other items that I would like to know are secured but may shift during my travel. So when I land somewhere and unzip my bag on the inside to grab my high definition camera I run the risk of it falling loosely to the ground.
I Can Solve This Problem
There’s always a workaround. By now, you may have realized that I love to find an alternative solution to my travel problems and think outside of the box to optimize my results. Whether it’s utilizing a hotel’s free shuttle policy to get to an Inn-N-Out burger on a very short LAX layover or a lesser known airport entrance that yields shorter lines and faster security options. I’m all about finding a way around traffic rather than preparing to wait in it. That being said there is a very reasonable workaround for this internal compartment stowage issue. If you were to purchase dob kits or other small soft bags you could simply attach Velcro to the bags to ensure you’d have all of the (secure) space needed to make your trip effortless. That being said I’m kind of surprised that with everything this bag offers this wasn’t even considered as an add on attachment. I would be happy to pay an additional rate for a package that included said bags but, again I’m being picky. I felt this bag was a good value at it’s price point of £179 (about $250) however, an option for the additional compartmentalized Velcro backed bags would make this a much easier decision for business travelers or really anyone who carries a lot of electronics when they travel.
Buy It Or Not?
Given this bag’s sleek no nonsense design and storage practicality I’m happy to include this bag on my future travels. I would recommend it to any traveler whose time and space (in terms of luggage that is) are valuable. While the bag could be enhanced by a few small DIY upgrades, overall it’ll be my bag of choice for so many of its other wonderful attributes.
-Aaron
Aaron Stewart is an experienced traveler who has visited 22 countries on four continents in just the last five years, all on a budget. Unlike other travel writers, most of this travel has been in the back of the bus – he’s not afraid of Ryan Air. Aaron enjoys first class and champagne just like the rest of us, but isn’t afraid to mingle in “common class”.
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