5 days 5 bags – day 4: ZUCA Business Backpack

by Scott Carmichael on

Welcome to day 4 of our “5 days 5 bags” luggage lineup. Today’s spotlight is going to shine on the ZÜCA business backpack.

Last week I introduced you to what I described as “the best damn bag I have ever seen“. The ZÜCA Pro rolling case really did impress me that much. Of course, the ZÜCA Pro is designed as a bag for your clothes and other travel items – not as a rolling case for your laptop.

So, when I came across the official ZÜCA business backpack, I just had to take it for a spin, and see how well it goes with an already brilliant piece of luggage.

The ZÜCA business backpack does not require a ZÜCA Pro, but it is designed as an additional accessory for the rolling case. That said – I think anyone in the market for a business backpack could really benefit from it.

The ZÜCA business backpack has internal storage space for a laptop, 2 separate file/document pouches and a whole host of internal and external storage pockets. On the side of the bag is a large “office organization pocket” with space for everything you could ever need to take your office on the road.

The bottom of the bag is made of a rugged plastic, and no matter how full you stuff the bag, it is designed to stand upright in any situation. On the back of the backpack are or course the 2 padded backpack straps, as well as 2 adjustable straps for attaching the backpack to the ZÜCA Pro.

Once clipped onto the ZÜCA Pro, the bag hangs on very well, and doesn’t slide around like I’ve often seen with other bags designed to attach to the handle of a rolling case. Some of the other features of the bag include a cellphone pocket on one of the straps, and an opening in one of the side pockets to route your headphones to an iPod or other media player.

The ZÜCA business backpack costs just $95, making the entire combination of a ZÜCA Pro with backpack just $380 – under half of what I’ve previously spent on a premium luggage combination.

Of course, there is one thing not incorporated in the ZÜCA business backpack – the laptop portion is not “TSA friendly”, which means you will still have to remove your laptop at the airport checkpoint.

Other than that, I’m very impressed – it isn’t easy to take something as boring as a business oriented backpack, and turn it into a well designed bag. The ZÜCA backpack has pockets everywhere you’d expect them, something I noticed on their rolling bag as well.

Dimensions (W*H*D): 17*13*7.5
Weight: 3lb
Colors available: Black
Warranty: 1 year from date of purchase
Price: $95.00
Product page: ZÜCA

5 days 5 bags – day 3: ARC’TERYX Blade 30

by Scott Carmichael on

Welcome to day 3 of our “5 days 5 bags” luggage lineup. The Arc’teryx Blade 30 (cool name!) is a travel backpack designed as part overnight bag/part laptop bag.

The Blade 30 features 2 main compartments – one portion is designed for your clothes and other items, and has an integrated fold-out suiter, the other has a laptop sling designed for most 15″ machines.

On the front of the bag are 2 expandable pockets, one for small items like your mobile phone and MP3 player, and another for slightly larger items like a water bottle or toiletries.

The bag has an integrated hard plastic shell in the back, and molded foam padding to reduce the load when you carry your stuff around.

The inside of the main portion with the folding clothes bag, perfect for keeping pants and shirts from getting (too) wrinkled.

On the back of the bag is a hidden pocket, which is perfect for tickets and other valuables. On the top of the bag is an oversized carrying strap, which you’ll also find on the side.

This side handle is very well designed, as it is built around a hard plastic frame, which means you can carry it using the handle, without the bag sagging.

I really like the concept of a rugged and well designed bag suitable for a day trip. I packed the bag with the kind of stuff I’d normally drag along on an overnight trip, and even when I placed a 15″ laptop in its side loading compartment, everything fit very nicely. The thick padded straps and molded foam back plate made it quite comfortable to carry.

I was especially impressed by the hard plastic protection inside the back of the bag, which helps add a little extra protection when you store a laptop inside it. My only (very minor) complaint with the Blade 30 is the color of the inside portion – I’m convinced that bright green is a color just asking to get grimy after a couple of trips.

Dimensions (W*H*D): 14*21*4
Weight: 3.51lb
Colors available: Black, raisin
Warranty: Lifetime
Price: $199.95
Product page: Arc’teryx

5 days 5 bags – day 1: Timbuk2 Patrol ballistic fabric

by Scott Carmichael on

For the next 5 days, I’ll be reviewing one piece of luggage a day. Today’s bag is the Timbuk2 Patrol ballistic fabric.

The Patrol is a nifty multifunctional bag which can be converted from a regular bag to a backpack in about 20 seconds. The bag features 2 main compartments – one for your clothes and other items, and one internal padded compartment for your laptop. The design is quite brilliant as the laptop portion “hangs” in the main compartment, which means it can be protected not only by its own padding, but also by whatever clothes you pack in the bag.

On the outside of the bag are 4 compression straps, which make it ideal for “overstuffing”, a packing method that has often saved me.

The Timbuk2 Patrol has pockets everywhere – 2 storage pouches on the outside, 2 waterproof zones on the
inside, a separate folding pouch in the main compartment and a very well hidden compartment on the back.

The shoulder straps can be unclipped, and packed in a pocket in the back portion, keeping them out of the way. This also makes it easier if you need to check the bag (ugh) or when you want to carry it using the top or side handles.

The back of the bag has thick foam pads to keep you comfortable. Each foam pad also has air circulation channels.

All in all a real travelers best friend – all the components feel sturdy, zippers are the highly rated YKK brand and the ballistic fabric feels like it could stop a bullet.

The price is a little steep, but very much in line with other premium luggage products. The version I tested here is the “brown/flame” version, which stands out a little, but it really does make for a cool looking color combination.

Dimensions (W*H*D): 14.5*19*8
Weight: 4.1lb
Colors available: Black, dark brown/flame, spinach/army
Warranty: Lifetime, no hassle
Price: $225
Product page: Timbuk2.com

Life Nomadic: Traveling without Planning

by Tynan on

Ahh, and we’re back. After a semi-hiatus of a few months, Todd and I are back to the full nomad lifestyle. I say semi-hiatus because within those four months we both spent a good amount of our time traveling around the US, Mexico, and Canada. And even when I was in Austin, where my family and most friends are, I lived in a 21′ RV on the side of the road.

Once a nomad, always a nomad?

Our trip this year is going to be very different from last year, but our first stop is the same as last year’s first stop: Panama.

I’m not sure why exactly we chose Panama last year, but this year we chose it because we’d fallen in love with the country. The people are universally friendly and warm, as is the weather, the food is dirt cheap and amazing, and there’s no shortage of adventure to be found.

Not to mention that Todd and I are both nearing fluency in Spanish and Panamanian Spanish is actually known for being very clear.

One hallmark of our trips is that we usually don’t plan much. We often go to a city with no place to stay and no plans, assuming we’ll figure it out once we get there. That’s probably where our mantra, “everything always works out” comes in.
When our flight landed in Panama, it was two in the morning. We have a few friends in Panama from last year, but imposing on them to sleep on their couches at 3am seemed a bit cruel. Getting a hotel was an option, too, but it doesn’t make much sense to pay for a hotel you’re going to be in for just eight hours, even at Panama’s bargain rates.

And so we chose the third, less obvious option. In our backpacks we cram in luxury-lite cots, giving us the ability to sleep in perfect comfort just about anywhere.

(side note: if you have the foresight, check www.sleepinginairports.net before deciding to sleep in an airport. They have a good database, though most of the complaints people register are negated with a luxury-lite.)

We headed upstairs to the waiting lounge, where a dozen or so fellow travelers were awkwardly sleeping on the hard tile floor or slumped over in chairs. I hate to admit it, but I felt pretty smug knowing we were about to rest in perfect comfort in an otherwise inhospitable environment.

And we did. A security guard gently woke us up at 7am, we packed up our cots, and headed in to one of our favorite cities in the world with no plans or accommodations to speak of.

Budget Travel: Three steps to a cheaper car rental

by Grant Martin on

Three main components go into any vacation package: Hotel, Airplane and Vehicle bookings. Once you can get around and have a place to sleep, activities and food can just fall into place as the days roll in.

Here at Gadling we’re covering all of the niches of vacation bookings in our Budget series. Earlier in the week was plane tickets. Later, will be hotel bookings. Today’s focus? Getting a good deal on your car rental.

It’s not as difficult as you think. The same booking engines (Kayak, Expedia etc.) used to find your bargain basement airplane tickets can be used to find cars as well. But with car rentals, the strategy is a bit different. Most of the time, airfare prices that are quoted from a search engine are fares that you’re stuck with until the bitter end. With car rentals, that’s the point from which you start.

From that marker, you optimize you booking in three ways:

  1. Join the club
  2. Get a coupon
  3. Be Flexible!

We’ll start with Joining the Club.
Like most hotel, airline and credit card brands, car rental companies will do anything they can to hook you into their product. By making you believe that you’re loved, you’re more likely to stick around, identify with them and feel better about yourself. Happiness is money.

National‘s Emerald program, for example, means absolutely nothing. Anyone off the street can join, get the card and walk to the Emerald Aisle when booking, it just takes time to follow the right links, sign up for service and fill in the forms.

Being a member, however, affords discounts. Coupon codes for Emerald members float around the internet freely, and by being in the “club” you’re entitled to these rates.

The same applies for basic membership in many other rental agencies — sign up for basic service and you’ll immediately see the benefit. Furthermore, you get the added bonus of getting through the line at the counter faster (or often bypassing it) and earning points, so it’s a win-win situation.

Get a Coupon

The internet is RIFE with coupon codes for car rentals. If you want a good place to start, check the repository at flyertalk.com, where coupons should be filed under each specific agency.

As a word of waning, remember that different policies and insurance coverage come with each contract code or coupon. You might get a great deal by renting under the Missouri Alligator Hunters contract ID, for example, but after you get into that fender bender, you also might find out that all insurance is waived. Just make sure you read the fine print and know what you’re getting yourself into.

That said, many a coupon code that we have found online have resulted in huge (40-50% discounts) over the rack search engine rate. Never, ever book without a coupon.

Be Flexible

Being flexible in pickup time, location and vehicle has its benefits, but some days, your favorite car company just doesn’t offer the best price on your itinerary. It’s difficult breaking free from your preferred carrier when you’ve worked so hard to earn that “granite status” that gets you the free windshield wash fluid, but you have to remember: most car rental agencies are charging you way too much to begin with. If they can’t offer a competitive rate, you can’t let their perks sway you. Join the competitor’s rewards program, do the research and book the cheapest fare. Hey, you might like the vehicle that you get to drive.

**

The nice thing about vehicle rentals is that getting a good deal is less time dependent than in working with airplane tickets. There is almost a higher supply than demand for cars, so usually a near term rental isn’t much more expensive than a reservation that you make three months out. Airplane seats, conversely, often sell out.

So take your time. Book your airplane tickets first, hotel second and spend a while shopping around for car rentals. Get the perfect convergence of membership rewards and coupon codes lined up, and you just might drive away with a bargain.