![]() But the Tortuga appears to shrug it all off with ease. Personally, it still makes me nervous to see the Tortuga traveling on the luggage belt toward mysterious machines and conveyors beneath the airport-all of which, in my imagination, are waiting to tear the hip belt from the bag or slice open the sailcloth exterior. But after years of testing, traveling with, and occasionally checking our bag, we haven’t had an issue. Some people, especially those who are hard on their gear, may consider not being able to remove or stow the Tortuga’s straps (as they can with our other picks, like the Cotopaxi) a disqualifying factor. Across moderate distances, these straps do help with the bag’s overall weight. This design (with its included load-adjuster straps at the top, to prevent the bag’s weight from sagging toward your lumbar region) is the best of those we’ve tested at distributing the weight of an otherwise fairly heavy bag. Both sizes of the Outbreaker are adjustable for torso length, which means you can manipulate the location of the shoulder straps (video) to fit a wider variety of body sizes. The more-diminutive version is a decent choice for weekend travel or for minimalist travelers-but for this size, we prefer the space-saving profile of the Allpa. The Outbreaker is available as a 45-liter bag (the max space for a carry-on bag), which we tested, along with the 35-liter version, which is compliant with some intra-European flights. And that’s despite the bag’s hefty (just over 5 pounds) weight when empty-it’s roughly 2 pounds more than most of our other picks, except the Peak Design Travel Backpack. Just as important, thanks to the adjustable torso length, shoulder straps, and waist-belt system (borrowed from hiking backpacks), the Outbreaker is the most adjustable bag we’ve tested three years in a row. That’s why we have picks that are great for people traveling for work, others designed to be carried over long distances, and budget options for travelers who want to give the one-bag strategy a try. However, finding the right bag is a personal choice, and no single bag will appeal to everyone. This is not a style of packing that’s for everyone, but once some people try it, they’re forever hooked. Though these backpacks are great as companion bags for any trip, they’re designed to ultimately replace all of your other luggage and become your exclusive bag as you travel. Both bags are exemplary carry-on travel backpacks that are designed for comfort, durability, and organization. In the end, we chose two as our top picks: the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L (for most trips) and the larger Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L. We spent six months testing 22 bags and flying across the country with all of our picks. Gear in the rolling bag: Drysuit (plus underwear) or wetsuit, Sartek cave lighthead & battery canister, fins, 2 masks, Rockboots, 2 Scout lights, 2 foot square chunk of eggcrate foam to protect light & canister, 2 beach towels, hooded wetsuit vest, 2 sets of wings, 1 BP & harness, batteries, mesh duffle bag, dry box, neoprene bootie inserts for the Rockboots, and a few other odds and ends.Some internal pockets are useful, but major organizing is better managed on your own with packing cubes. The rolling adventure duffle holds all my gear and the next size small shoulder duffle holds all my clothes, etc with room to spare.Īnd for those of you wanting to know just how much gear fits. I do think my $49 & $99 was well spent over 6 years ago. I am now the proud owner of TWO BRAND SPANKING NEW BAGS at no additional cost to me other than what I paid for them in 1998!! No questions asked, I just received the new bags via FEDEX. ![]() I sent both bags back to LLBean about 2 weeks ago with a request to assess repair costs and advise. On my last trip to Akumal, the baggage gorillas snapped the plastic runners off the bottom of the bag AND put holes in the top of my matching one size smaller LLBean Adventure duffle for clothes (This happened once before.they put a 3-corner tear in the cordura, LLBean repaired at no charge) Okay.I've used this bag several times since.British Columbia, Akumal x 3, & Cayman Brac to name a few. They put my initials on the bag and sent it to me with their blessing. The pressed board in the bottom was splintered and actually broken in half! I sent the duffle back to LLBean and they replaced it with a new flexible, yet firm plastic bottom in the color of solid black (my choice, they called me, didn't make orange anymore). The airport luggage gorillas broke the bag in half on my return flight. Orange & Black so I can find it quickly in baggage claim. I purchased the LLBean Rolling Adventure Duffle (size XL) back in 1998 before I went to Costa Rica. Yes, this is blatant product endorsement.BUT, from a very happy satified customer!
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