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Quality bag that is perfect to maximize space while qualifying for carryon dimensions, 42 liters but only 19.5x14x9. I've been living out of this backpack for almost four years now. First one lasted almost three years, when strap broke they sent a replacement no questions asked. Can't recommend enough.
So Im looking really hard at the Porter 46L. How do you like it? I would also use my eBag packing cubes with it,
I have the original model of the Porter 46, so mine is a bit different than the model you're looking at (no laptop compartment, and a front compartment that can't be easily accessed when the compression straps are in use). What I like best about it is that it has a hip belt that the shoulder straps clip onto, so it doesn't put excessive weight on my shoulders (it puts the weight on my hips, where it belongs). It doesn't ride as nicely as a true hiking backpack, but I could walk for several miles wearing it if I had to. It has a nifty little top zippered pouch that's perfect for my 3-1-1 bag. And the thing is absolutely cavernous, but the semi-rigid sides together with the compression straps generally keep it from bulging too much (so it's hard to over-pack it and make it too large to fit in the sizer). It's also well-built; I've had to check it a couple of times, and it came through in fine shape. The only thing I don't like about it is that it is technically about two inches too long to meet the requirements for an international carryon (although I've never had a problem taking it on the plane).
If you don't mind using a backpack-style bag, it's a very solid choice.
I thought I was quite the soft-luggage geek, but I hadn't heard of these brands
(Peak Designs, Red Oxx, et al) before. They're the Land Rovers of luggage,
it seems... whereas I shop in the Subaru price class (Marmot, LL Bean, etc.)
We camped out in the bush, moved locations every day, and were strapping the luggage to the top of the safari truck daily (when we weren't smashing it into the small cargo hold of a bush plane).
Right but what is inherently harder on a bag with this where one must consider sturdier luggage to do it? Strapping luggage on top of a truck isn't in itself harder on a bag than handlers at the airport tossing them them around to put them on a plane at any airport, and smashing into cargo hold = smashing into the overhead bin of any passenger plane like millions of folks do every day.
Backpackers spend months with the routine of handing their backpacks up to the top of vans for the long bumpy/windy road to next destination, stacking them 5 atop in the cargo section of the boat, jamming them into any available spot on the train, etc.
For midweek business trips, I use a 22” TravelPro or a 20” TravelPro 2 wheel roll-aboard.
If I’m flying on a CRJ with limited overhead space or flying within Europe where carry-on bag dimensions are limited, I use soft luggage with backpack straps. Something I can jam into the tiny overhead of a CRJ.
If I’m checking luggage, I go large. I have a drop bottom wheeled duffel and a wheeled bag that looks like an XL roll-aboard. A friend of mine used to be a rep for High Sierra. He used to sell his samples for cheap money. My wheeled ski bag, boot bag, and big luggage came from him. I wore out the roll-aboard and switched to TravelPro.
The 4 wheel castor roll-aboards are handy in the airplane aisle but they hold less. I’m still bashing into seats towing mine through the plane.
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
41,936 posts, read 36,957,550 times
Reputation: 40635
Quote:
Originally Posted by NW4me
I thought I was quite the soft-luggage geek, but I hadn't heard of these brands
(Peak Designs, Red Oxx, et al) before. They're the Land Rovers of luggage,
it seems... whereas I shop in the Subaru price class (Marmot, LL Bean, etc.)
Peak Designs I know pretty well. It was started by a UW alumn living in SF, we played ball together out there in the late 2000s. It really was about camera gear; started with a quick release holster strap thing. He has done pretty well. Super happy for him.
For soft bags for my purposes, the North Face Base Camp bags are ace. They're heavy, but they are tough and really water tight which is perfect when I'm hauling azz around rainforest habitats... where I often get caught in deluges.
Location: Formerly NYC by week; ATL by weekend...now Rio bi annually and ATL bi annually
1,522 posts, read 2,244,038 times
Reputation: 1041
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aredhel
I have the original model of the Porter 46, so mine is a bit different than the model you're looking at (no laptop compartment, and a front compartment that can't be easily accessed when the compression straps are in use). What I like best about it is that it has a hip belt that the shoulder straps clip onto, so it doesn't put excessive weight on my shoulders (it puts the weight on my hips, where it belongs). It doesn't ride as nicely as a true hiking backpack, but I could walk for several miles wearing it if I had to. It has a nifty little top zippered pouch that's perfect for my 3-1-1 bag. And the thing is absolutely cavernous, but the semi-rigid sides together with the compression straps generally keep it from bulging too much (so it's hard to over-pack it and make it too large to fit in the sizer). It's also well-built; I've had to check it a couple of times, and it came through in fine shape. The only thing I don't like about it is that it is technically about two inches too long to meet the requirements for an international carryon (although I've never had a problem taking it on the plane).
If you don't mind using a backpack-style bag, it's a very solid choice.
Yes, I am a one bag guy. Currently using a 35-40L?? backpack purchased in 2002 that is still going strong and its a GAP bag believe it or not...lol. Also use a Cole Haan duffle in conjunction with it if its an extended trip. I have a roller for 2 week vacations or longer, but I like to be as mobile as possible. Your review has mirrored others I have seen online. The Porter 46 is tied for my first choice.
Location: Formerly NYC by week; ATL by weekend...now Rio bi annually and ATL bi annually
1,522 posts, read 2,244,038 times
Reputation: 1041
Quote:
Originally Posted by NW4me
I thought I was quite the soft-luggage geek, but I hadn't heard of these brands
(Peak Designs, Red Oxx, et al) before. They're the Land Rovers of luggage,
it seems... whereas I shop in the Subaru price class (Marmot, LL Bean, etc.)
LOL.....take a look at them further. Peak is a bit pricey, but the travel backpack in particular is a goos all around bag.
Your review has mirrored others I have seen online. The Porter 46 is tied for my first choice.
Is there a store local to you where you could examine a Porter 46 first-hand and perhaps even try it on? There's nothing like first-hand experience with an item to help you decide if it's right for you.
Right but what is inherently harder on a bag with this where one must consider sturdier luggage to do it? Strapping luggage on top of a truck isn't in itself harder on a bag than handlers at the airport tossing them them around to put them on a plane at any airport, and smashing into cargo hold = smashing into the overhead bin of any passenger plane like millions of folks do every day.
Backpackers spend months with the routine of handing their backpacks up to the top of vans for the long bumpy/windy road to next destination, stacking them 5 atop in the cargo section of the boat, jamming them into any available spot on the train, etc.
Rough treatment is rough treatment. The point I was making in my post is that, contrary to what you were implying about the lack of "roughing it" on a safari these days, is that my Red Oxx duffel was subjected to daily rough treatment for nearly a month, and came out of it in absolutely perfect condition. What distinguishes a first-class piece of luggage (or a hiking backpack, which is what most backpackers actually use) is how well it holds up to extended rough treatment. The Red Oxx bags (like a good hiking backpack) can hold up to decades of it (as the real road warriors over at FlyerTalk can attest). Most regular luggage cannot.
Edited to add: Also, backpackers, while they are certainly on the road a lot, are generally moving from one city to another city. Most cities sell luggage, so if their luggage fails, they can just buy a new piece. That's not so easy to do when you're out in the middle of the Kalahari. I chose the Red Oxx bag precisely because I knew the build quality meant that a catastrophic zipper failure or a huge rip in the fabric was extremely unlikely to happen, even if I overstuffed the bag.
My Rick Steves rolling carryon is the wussiest of the three bags I listed, and I'd never travel with it outside a typical city trip for exactly that reason. I can imagine the collapsible handle breaking on that bag, or one of the wheels falling off. No way would it stand up to truly hard use long-term.
Last edited by Aredhel; 05-24-2019 at 09:43 AM..
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this thread has been educational
