Eagle Creek Tarmac 22 Carry-On Luggage - 2850 cu in

So, this bag was a little bit bigger than I expected, and I was worried that on the smaller planes, they wouldn't let me carry it on. On the bigger ones, it is totally fine (measurement-wise). But then I realized that the person checking me in probably isn't paying too much attention to the size of my carry on, and worse case scenario, I have to gate check it. Anyways, I took it on my most recent trip, and it worked like a champ. It kept things organized while I was away, and it felt sturdy, and fit in all overhead spaces (even the ones on the smaller planes). Plus, I LOVE the no hassle guarantee they have...even for airline damage.

I had high expectations for this bag but was very disappointed as I found it to be too deep to meet airline carry-on restrictions. I was forced to return it.

Let me first say that I hve yet to field test this piece of luggage. I will do so on a trip to the Ukraine/Poland next month. However, I do 4-6 international trips a year and nearly the same domestically, so I have a sense about what might and might not work with travel gear. Since I virtually never check a bag unless forced to by an air carrier, I have high expectations of my bags and was very interested in the Eagle Creek Tarma 22 when I read about it and it's predecessors. I bit the bullet and paid the price---in part because I just happened to catch it on sale on the site ($199.00). The bag was delivered as ordered right on time. I transferred all of my standard items for any given trip into the new bag and I know that I will have notably more room for my clothing than my previous bag--which I also liked a lot until this new acquisition. It is amazingly light (8 lbs.), exceptionally well designed and made, has a sleek and stable profile, it is designed to conform to an overhead bin ( a bit curved/pointed on the top versus retangular all around), it has a nice long/strong extension handle and integrated fabric handles, enough pockets to make organizational sense but without excessive/unecessary zippers and compartments, the oversized zipper pulls actually do make a significant difference in the ease-of-opening factor, and an amazing warranty that I hope never need to use. I'll try to remember to give you a follow-up report after my next trip. But, based upon what I know thus far, it is a sweet bag.