We recently booked a trip on a discount airline to go and visit family in Montreal. After checking their site, we noticed that their carry-on allowance was for bags that are only 20x13x16! We also saw that they were very strict about this and would charge large fees to check the bags if over-sized.
We had already downsized our 24” bags to 22” ones, and now we’re coming to realize that even these won’t fit on some of the discount carriers. I’m starting to think the airlines have something going with the luggage companies!
Anyway, this got us thinking about another upcoming trip to South Africa that we are planning and on which we’re going to need soft bags that can go on small bush planes for short internal flights. This is another story to come! Looking around we stumbled upon a soft knapsack that looks like it will be perfect for us.
It’s the Hynes Eagle 44L Carry-on Backpack with a size of 20.1 x 13.8 x 9.8 inches (and weighs: 2.9 pounds when empty). The slightly larger dimensions will compress down and it will easily fit into the discount airline’s testing frame. The bag is perfect for the overhead bin and if not too full it can even fit under the seat.
Backpack Features
No wheels
First off, once you decide you are ready to give up the wheels, you can save a lot of room and weight. For sure, rolling a bag is easier but ultimately if you can also carry it as a backpack or with a handle for the short trip through the airport you gain a lot of space. This was a compromise we were ready to make.
Hidden straps
Typically I’m not a fan of the backpacks that have the huge straps protruding and getting stuck everywhere! What we loved about this bag was that it had a great spot to hide these straps inside a pocket and it would look just like a bag.
Water-resistant
A plus for us was the water-resistant material, unlike a hard shell bag, a canvas soft bag could become a huge problem if it gets soaked in the rain. This bag is made of a parachute-like material that looks like it would bead water nicely and dry fast like a raincoat. There are also some spray-on materials you can use to help repel water.
Rugged material
The bag looks to be well made! Everything is double or triple stitched using a good nylon thread. The zippers and accessories are good quality and I think it will hold up well, even for frequent travelers like us!
Ample storage
We can fit two nice packing cubes in the top, and easily two more at the bottom along with a pair of shoes. I managed to pack two pairs of pants, one pair of shorts, two T-shirts, one sweater, a dress, a shawl, a bathing suit, a pair of sandals, a raincoat, a hat, my undergarments and my toiletry pouch all in the main compartment! I even had lots of room left. To see how roomy the knapsack was, I added another packing cube filled with stuff I wouldn’t need to bring (lets call it shopping and souvenirs!) and even with all that I had room for more!
Opens like a luggage and has a cover to protect contents
Great outside pocket organizer
I was able to organize all my travel documents phone, tablet and chargers, book, notepad and pens in the upper outside pocket. Even my travel purse fit nicely into the lower outside pocket. This bag may even replace both our carry-on and personal item!
Water bottle holder
A side pocket is convenient for our double lined water bottles! These have quickly become essential items for us to bring along on every trip and we just love these 12 oz double lined bottles that keep our water cold for 24 hours. Perfect for car trips, hikes, or just about anywhere you’ll be out doing some sightseeing.
Compression zipper
The bag has a capacity of 44 liters but compresses to 38 liters after zipping up the compression zipper. This changes the thickness of the bag from 9.8 to 7.9 inches, small enough for those discount airlines!
Tightening straps
Another great feature are the clip straps that tighten up and compress the bag when full after you’ve closed it up. This is also great to keep things in place, and not have them jumping around in the bag or shifting to the bottom when the bag is only partially full.
A multitude of handles
A side and top handle along with the backpack style straps makes it easy to carry the bag and to pull it out of an overhead bin or out from under the seat.
Even a strap to attach to a luggage
While too narrow to fit on our large check-in bag handle, this strap fits over our normal roller-board nicely and could be handy.
The bag came in multiple colors, and we found it on Amazon for $80. We are not affiliated with this bag in anyway and have not received any compensation for writing up the bag. We only got it, liked it, and wanted to tell you about it. In fact, we liked it so much that my husband ordered the same one shortly after mine!
We’re going to take these along on our whale-watching trip to Tadoussac coming up and we’ll tell you more about how they hold up.
Please note that we are not paid for this write-up, we simply want to share our findings in the fast-moving field of travel tech and travel gear.
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2 replies on “Reviewing our New Carry-On Knapsack (Compressible Backpack)”
Great review Nathalie on the backpack. I’m going to get one. I’m traveling on the pacific coast today Oceanside calif. Much needed rest time. Love you both Amy o brown
Thanks Amy! That sounds like a nice trip, enjoy! Love, Nathalie