Business Travel Bags

For business travel in urban locations, the best solution is a bag specifically designed for optimal packing. Ideally, this includes three main (full-length and full-width) compartments, with the zippers on at least two of them designed to completely free up three sides of the bag (permitting them to be opened flat for packing, and also allowing access to the bag when it is sandwiched in a luggage rack or aircraft overhead bin); the compartments should have internal tie-down straps, so their contents can be prevented from shifting (and thus wrinkling). The bag should be constructed of quality components, including strong fittings to accommodate a shoulder strap.

Recommended Business Bag

Almost from the inception of this Web site in 1996, I have bemoaned the lack of truly exceptional business-style carry-on bags. I myself used the excellent Boyt model LG336 ("3-Zip Air-Bus Carry-On"), but neither it nor any suitable replacement was available for many years (since the bankruptcy of the original Boyt company). In 2004, however, a Montana-based maker of rugged "adventure" luggage responded to my frustration, asking if I would like to help them design the "ultimate carry-on bag" for business travellers. I happily agreed, and you can view their resulting product at right: the Red Oxx "Air Boss" (in one of its dozen colours, including basic business black). It measures 21 × 13 × 8", weighs 3 pounds (1.36kg) and features (in addition to the three main compartments, all with wrap-around zippers) two outside zippered pockets (one full length, and a narrow one for passport, ticket envelopes, chequebook, and the like), an outside sleeve pocket, and tie-downs in two of the main sections (they're omitted from the centre section to facilitate sliding laptops and such in and out of a heavily packed bag). Construction is 1000-weight urethane-coated Cordura nylon fabric, with #10 YKK chain zippers throughout, mil-spec handle snaps, and bomb-proof D-rings for the shoulder strap (included is the exemplary "Claw" strap and a heavy-duty luggage tag). All seams are double-stitched and bound with #92 bonded SolarMax nylon thread. The discreet use of inter-compartment closed-cell foam padding gives the bag some structure for packing purposes, without compromising the flexibility necessary to get the bag into tight overhead compartments. And it lists for $225, only $15 more than the Boyt bag of a decade earlier (over which it is significantly improved).

Air Boss users should know that it was designed to be carried with the passport and open sleeve pockets nearer the body. The (main) compartment on this side should also be the primary storage space for clothing, allowing it not only to protect items in the centre of the bag, but also cushion the bag's contact with your hip.

I hasten to add that my involvement with the creation of the above bag was a labour of love, not commerce. Other than getting an Air Boss of my own out of the collaboration, I received no compensation for my design contributions, and I obtain no monetary benefit from the sale of the bags. I recommend this bag because it is the closest approximation (that I'm aware of) to my ideal business bag, and for no other reason.

Some of the very best products are simply not available at your local shopping mall. This is often because they are made by companies that eschew large distribution networks and sales intermediaries (and their associated markups) in favour of higher quality manufacturing (and better warranties). Fortunately, the Internet has made the worldwide availability of such items much easier. So, where possible, I provide contact information for many of the products & manufacturers mentioned on this site; you'll find this information on the Suppliers page.

Business travellers who are willing to sacrifice some interior space for improved carrying capability might also consider dual-purpose travel bags. And a daypack can be a useful adjunct to a travel arsenal, particularly when one is forced to check a bag.

For most business travellers, a single shoulder strap is the most common carrying method. Unless your shoulders are horizontal, well padded, and non-slip, consider buying a better strap than that supplied with the bag. If it doesn't cling tenaciously to your shoulder, you will constantly be raising that shoulder and tugging on the strap as you move about, both of which will prove quite uncomfortable over even a brief period of time. Here are some particularly good solutions:

My personal favourite is an outstanding high-tech design from Montana's Quake Industries: a rugged, supple (to -40º) shoulder strap with a molded-in, non-slip, U.V. stabilized (no fading or cracking), polymer-rubber-based pad that also provides about an inch of built-in, shock-absorbing stretch. This provides what is easily the best "grip" of any strap I've ever tested. It's adjustable in length from 19" (48cm) to 58" (147cm). Tom Bihn calls this strap the "TerraGrip"; equipped with plastic/metal snap-hooks, it weighs 4.8 oz. (136g) and sells for $20. Red Oxx also sells it (as "The Claw") for the same price, but replaces the factory-supplied snap-hooks with rugged metal ones, unfortunately also increasing the weight to 9 oz. (250g).

• Tom Bihn also sells the "Absolute Shoulder Strap" ($30 with metal clips), adjustable in length from 20" (51cm) to 52" (132cm). Its combination of soft, durable neoprene pad with comfortable stretch backing provide increased shock-absorbing action, thus making it slightly more comfortable with heavier loads, but it's not as slip-proof (which I find to be more important) as the TerraGrip/Claw.
• If you have a bag strap that can't be replaced for some reason (perhaps it's permanently affixed, or has an unusual attachment method), it may be possible to augment it with one of those dense rubber wedge-shaped shoulder pads used by U.S. Post Office letter carriers: Domke makes them in a style that allows easy attachment to a standard carrying strap; they list for $14.95, but can be found for significantly less.

Passing the strap over your head, to rest on the shoulder further from the bag, is easier on your back (I know, it looks a bit dorky, so you probably won't do it, but it is the better choice).

Finally, if you're ever required to submit your bag for weighing, remember to remove the shoulder strap before doing so; it may keep you from exceeding some weight limit.

Luggage Carts

A better choice for most travellers, in my view, is the lightweight, well designed, Travelite luggage cart (shown at right). Made of aluminum and plastic, and riding on 3-inch rubber-tired wheels, it will hold up to 80 pounds (36kg) of load, yet weighs only 2.5 pounds (1.1kg), and collapses down to a tidy 16.5 × 10.75 × 3.25" (41.9 × 27.3 × 8.3cm) package. The Travelite isn't going to outlast a Concorde II by any stretch of the imagination, but if you should use it to the point where it wears out, its much more modest cost means that you won't mind replacing it with a new one.

Don't waste money on the cheap carts typically sold in airport shops; most are designed with their manufacturers' interests in mind, not yours, and they rarely work very well, or last very long.

Be aware that airlines will typically not let you store a cart in the overhead bins; it must be placed under the seat in front of you. And when possible, of course, leave it at home.

Dealing with Laptops

Where does the laptop go? Much business travel involves the transportation of a laptop computer. I generally carry one, though not in a separate "laptop bag". Some airlines will let you bring one of these aboard in addition to your "official" carry-on, but I prefer to avoid the second bag when possible, and in my experience, it's almost always possible (assuming that one has the freedom to choose a reasonably slim, lightweight laptop — or netbook — and doesn't get carried away with accessories). I carry mine in the padded center section of my Air Boss (or Tri-Zip) bag; to stave off damage from below, I pack something appropriate on the unpadded bottom of such bags (I originally employed the ever-functional sarong, but now use a folded LapStrap, shown and described below). The design of these bags is such that the laptop is easily extracted from the side, for X-ray inspection at airport security checkpoints.

Eliminating the separate laptop bag offers the additional benefit of making it less obvious that you're carrying an expensive theft-worthy device. It also makes the laptop somewhat more difficult for thieves to grab-and-run. Still, keep an eye on it when going through the security checkpoint, a common laptop theft location (don't let the laptop go on ahead of you through the X-ray machine; hold on to it until your own passage through the metal detector is clear).

And yes, there's still plenty of room in the bag for the other items on my list.

When travelling on smaller regional airlines, you may be required to "gate check" your bag; if so, removing the laptop to prevent damage is generally a wise idea. In this and other situations, it's useful to have a way of carrying the laptop without tying up your hands. Hence the LapStrap, a simple, adjustable-length loop of nylon webbing with a long neoprene-padded section (one of those "Why didn't I think of that?" ideas). Simply close most standard laptops on the unpadded part of the loop, and you have a handy shoulder strap. As a bonus, folding the strap in half gives you a nicely padded strip that packs neatly in the bottom of the centre section of a tri-compartment bag, giving excellent protection to your computer's lower edge.

Alternatively, or if you crave further protection, you can place the laptop in a protective sleeve (these are widely available in a variety of sizes). If it's a simple sleeve, with no metal or other "suspicious" components adjacent to the laptop, you may be able to leave it in place when transiting airport security (though nothing is guaranteed when it comes to the demands of security personnel). Of course you'll still need to extract the computer from the bag. If the sleeve has attachment rings, you can connect it to your regular shoulder strap when needing a hands-free carry.