Best & Largest Carry-On Luggage

So I thought I'd collate my experience of shopping for the perfect luggage here on Eat Fly Love for others who are in need of the best carry-on. I'm going to cut right to the chase, and tell you what I ended up buying and why I bought this piece, because I really think it's the best thing out there.

#1 High Sierra A.T. GO 556

So this was the winner. A High Sierra ATGO 556 (be careful with the model numbers [Google:AT556] as they're are super important as H.S. makes tons of different bags.) My concerns was that it would fit in the over-head bin. (The FAA says 45 linear inches or 22x14x9) This measures exactly that, but somehow magically is much larger than all of its competitors. I wanted the ability to both throw it on my back, as a backpack (which it can) and use it as a traditional wheeled luggage. (It does that too.) Most every competitor did one thing but not the other. I'm going to be traveling by train and plane, all over Europe, and my previous experience suggested neither of these qualities was negotiable. I love this bag. It also works as a duffel bag, or traditional luggage, with tons of compartments, and compression straps. The downside was for me to get it at the bargain basement price of $78 (almost a third off retail) I had to capitulate to this overbearing blue color instead of the purple Burberry I wanted. Expect to pay between $120-$180, not on sale- but in my opinion it's worth every penny. 

I could easily fit two-three weeks worth of clothes in this bag if I didn't have so many shoes to take. If you have a travel companion, I could easily see two of these easily replacing your current luggage set as a carry-on only, over-head bin safe alternative which might avoid baggage fees for the entirety of your future travels. 

I do want to post some of the alternatives I considered, but ultimately decided against. 

#2 MEC 100 - It's a Canadian company, and the bag is just slightly over-sized for carry-on which would have been a problem for me. Personally I liked the more-backpacky look (and likely better quality) of the MEC, but the company recently redesigned the product removing the backpack capabilities of the luggage meaning it was only a roller. That's a no-go for me, as I will be traveling through London on foot.

Doppelduffel

#3 Doppelduffel  Adventure Bag ($239) - Despite being a fashion disaster, this military grade bag works as both a shoulder duffel bag, and guarantees against armageddon with its super tough zippers. It's masculine, and ugly and has no wheels. The only reason I even considered it was because it would have fit in an overhead bin and likely outlasted a nuclear war. It's likely luggage-porn for your your boyfriend who wants to embody Rambo.

#4 MEI Voyageur - Super light, and a hikers dream, but no wheels. If I wore a lot of Birkenstocks and was going to ride my bike across Europe, it might be a smart choice. Considering its benefits are light and small, it's probably better suited for long-term travel, rather than short romps to and from European countries.

#5 Red Oxx Air Boss - I actually like the Boss. I do. It's got color, the iron-clad zippers of the military bags, and its made of quality materials. Worse yet, I as a woman, wouldn't be embarrassed to carry it. The downside is the price at $225. It also lacks the functionality that I require which I've mentioned previously. It would make a great second-carry-on bag, which could possibly confuse flight attendants into believing it's just a really big laptop bag. (You're allowed a second carry-on such as a purse or laptop bag- this is pushing the limits though.)

#6 Thule - If you're going for that European look (which I am), and want to attempt to look less like an American, and more like a Swede, then Thule makes a fabulous carry-on. It's chic, it's cool, and yes it does do roller, and back pack. However at $289, if you can afford this luggage, you likely don't need to worry about any of that anyways. It also only is about as big as a single set of clothes.

Sherpani

#7 Sherpani - Women want more than just luggage, we want it to look good. The problem with all these carryons, including the one I bought, is they lack the fashion most of us would prefer. It's a balance between function and form. If you're willing to sacrifice the backpack straps,(oh say you have a cute Frenchman to carry your baggage,) and you can afford the premium prices ($249), then this is definitely your bag ladies. 

And that's it. I probably looked at a hundreds different pieces including luggage which doubled as a scooter, Live Luggage's motorized suit-cases, or Tumi's stupidly expensive Mission Impossible hard cases. I've seen luggage with polka-dots, money marks, and American flags, none of which are good for anyone arriving in Europe. In the end, if I wanted the largest carry-on, with the most versatility, I ended up back, every time, looking at the High Sierra A.T. GO series. 

As a note, you can buy checked versions of the ATGO series, up to some very large sizes. If fitting in an overhead bin isn't a concern, I'd still highly recommend their line. For me, it's now time to get packing, finish my visa, and head off to Brussels. If only the suit-case came filled with money, and a new size 2 body, then I would truly be ready for my study-abroad in Belgium.

Studying Abroad in Belgium.

Me, an exchange student? Who would have ever thought?

It's been an insane year, and I've been attending a local university pursuing my goals. One of those goals, my readers would be most likely familiar with, is my obsession to live abroad. It's about to come true too. Maybe not permanently, but I will be studying at Vesalius College this fall as a part of an exchange program with UNCG. The moment I arrived on campus in January, I began the long and tedious process of applying and later being accepted into the program. I've met a lot of people a long the way, inspiring people, who have given me the opportunity of a life-time: four months in Brussels, Belgium.

With a bit of writer's block lately, I really haven't been able to collate the process into a post for others. There's a lot going on, still, and I'm hoping within the next few month to be able to clarify my life in words very soon.

The process of studying abroad, started of course, last summer. I applied, got accepted and then got rejected on the scholarship. I drank, cried, got back up and tried again when I arrived at university. I got accepted again, and while I still don't know if I'll manage the scholarship I was denied for last time (Gilman), I'm prepared to make this happen through student loans if necessary. It's very expensive too. My tuition bill alone is near $7,000, and that doesn't include airfare, or expenses upon arrival. Needless to say, it takes a certain level of self-imposed blindness, crossed with near-hubris levels of conviction to proceed at this- but I don't have a choice. I don't. I might as well crawl up and die, if I don't do something amazing with my life- and right now, that road leads to Brussels.

When I first received an acceptance letter to VeCo (short for Vesalius), I actually called our International Center, because I was so sure I wasn't going, that I had to ask permission before I'd allow myself to get excited.  I wasn't sure if it was really-real. They always look at me a tad weird over there (at the IPC), as if, I, a mid-thirty-something woman, shouldn't get so-o excited over traditionally common things- but I've always been different. Slowly I think they've come to accept that.

Since I'm flying into Heathrow, then taking
the Eurostar across, I wanted something
flexible to travel with. This High Sierra ATGO
carry-on, is the largest carry-on you can take
on a plane, and should just barely fit my ten
pairs of shoes I plan on taking. That will
leave me with a lot of clothes shopping to
do on arrival I suspect.

My study abroad program is a part of the ISEP program. Specifically chosen because I wanted VeCo. (You can get an idea where I'm heading from this You Tube video.) I wanted to be at the center of change, and Brussels, by all indicators, is that place. There was an interview process, and 3-4 prep meetings, including an all day ISEP convention of cultural awareness that proved to be a fun first step towards going. Paperwork is overwhelming, and having a laser printer and a scanner is a must. Fees are around every corner. There's the application fee, the health-care fee, then the Schengen Visa fee, the passport photo fees, the notary fees. Probably near $1000 USD, just in the administration costs of applying to go. I'm grateful in that that my school has the Michael H. Weaver Foundation benefit of $700 that was gifted to me to go abroad. It's helped a lot, and I can't thank Mr. Weaver enough.

If you make it through the paperwork, and the visa process- which is a pain in the tuchus, then you're doing well. At this current moment I've yet to complete the visa process, which includes an eight week FBI background check, financial documents, a financial sponsor, and an application so complicated I'm questioning the quality of my education at this point- because I can't comprehend it. I've purchased one leg of my trip there with miles I've accrued from putting my tuition on a AAdvantage credit card. ($5 first class ticket) and I still have to find my return flight home before submitting the visa application- which must be turned in- in person, 600 miles away in Atlanta, GA (yet another cost).

Since Europe uses different frequencies, I picked up a
new LG GT540 off eBay for about $90, and loaded it
with the latest version of Android Gingerbread for moving
to Belgium. I ordered a Mobistar sim card from Ebay France,
and now I'm ready when I land.

I've started shopping for clothes. I purchased a brand new suitcase (High Sierra ATGO, which operates as a back pack, a carry-on, and a roller), a Belgium mobile phone and sim card, a Looxcie (to stay in contact with my family), and a couple pairs of new shoes (of course).

If everything goes as planned, I hope to have my visa soon, travel and lodging in transit cared for, and should only have to worry about some minor things before I go.

"Go", which sounds so finally. I still can't grasp the idea that I'll be living and studying in Brussels. Even better, I'm supposed to be living with a host-family. It's literally going to be like trading lives with someone for four months (duh Liv, that's why they call it "exchange"). I'm excited, a bit frightened, but I really can't wait. I realize it's going to be tough, and there is some sacrifice involved. There has to be- it wouldn't be such an amazing opportunity, if I wasn't forced into risk, into sacrifice. For me, I'll be leaving a family behind, a home, a bizarre country- to a world unfamiliar, a realm of possibilities not yet realized. While it might be scary for some, the cost of not seizing the opportunity to be something more, to me is a tragedy I refuse to partake in.