Eagle Creek Gear Hauler Carry-On Bag

As of Q2 2015, this is the current carry-on size for most airlines. You can get slightly more space in this bag than a roller bag as there are no wheels, stand nor internal handle compartments.

The material seems pretty rugged and the bathtub bottom makes me feel comfortable putting it down in whatever.

I was unsure of the "front" backpack straps, but this just means added security against thieves. Like some backpacking bags, there are load straps for a better fit. The lack of a hip belt hasn't bothered me w/ a full bag for short walks or waiting forever in the TSA line.

I had gotten a cheap Digi-Hauler on SAC, but I didn't like the location of the laptop pocket or it's flimsy-ness. It also lacks the pen/gear organization pockets of many backpacks. Getting these in the Gear Hauler is definitely a perk. I was able to fit a 16" laptop into the slot. Although the rest of the compartment is a convenient place to put the TSA 3-1-1 liquids bag, do I really want to put it near my laptop?

For some future changes, I wished that:
* there were some internal sleeves along the sides
* an inner lid zip pocket found on the Digi-Hauler
* "zip away backpacking straps" is a misnomer. It's more like "zip to hide".
* hiding the backpack straps adds some bulk to the lid. couldn't they be fully removable? Does this count as padding for the laptop?
* packing cube info graphic is generic and doesn't account for the shoe compartment.
* the digiHauler has a zipped side pocket for a water bottle or not. would adding this in have compromised the bathtub?