Listen to this articleYou already know about Timbuk2 because of their excellent bags, many of which we’ve reviewed or mentioned here, but did you know that they also make rolling luggage? On my trip to the IFA Global Press Conference, I knew I’d need to live out of one carry-on bag for one week. Was the Timbuk2 Medium Copilot up to the task?
Knowing that I was visiting Hong Kong, a country known for its humidity, as well as Shenzhen, China, I figured I’d need to bring at least two extra outfits; that meant I needed to bring enough clothing, shoes, undergarments, makeup, hair products, travel converters, and other miscellaneous crap to get through nine days. The goal was to bring everything that I might need in one carry-on and a backpack so that I (hopefully) wouldn’t have to buy anything other than souvenirs once I’d arrived.
There are three Copilot sizes available, the small and medium are carry-on compatible, and the large needs to be checked. I prefer to never check luggage on my way to a destination, but I don’t mind checking bags on the return trip; that means my bag needs to be light enough for me to hoist it fully loaded into an airplane’s overhead bin, yet tough enough to be bounced on by gorillas when it’s been checked and is out of my sight.
The Medium Copilot measures approximately 22″ tall by 14″ wide by 9.5″ deep, and it weighs 6.6 pounds. This size is approved for carry-on on all domestic flights (except for regional flights — you’ll have to gate check) and most international flights. I selected the carbon/fire coated ripstop medium Copilot in hopes that the material would be able to handle anything thrown at it; I also liked the color combination. 😉
