You 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. 😉
At the bottom of the front, there are two YKK zippers that open for access to half of the suitcase; this is really convenient if you have a sweater stashed there, or if you need to slip some souvenirs in at the airport. There’s a handle on the bottom of the front, in case you need a place to grab when hoisting the bag.
On the front, there’s a YKK zippered padded compartment that measures 10″ wide by 14″ tall. Theoretically, you could put a tablet or laptop in there for easy access, but if you tend to overstuff your suitcase (as I always seem to do), I don’t recommend it. That’s where I keep the yellow Tyvek shopping bag that I always bring along — just in case I pick up more souvenirs than will fit in my carry-on.
There’s a handle on the right side. Note that the skateboard wheels are removable, so if you ever need to, you can swap them out.
There’s another handle on the left side … are you noticing a theme? The bag has tons of handles! There’s a mesh pocket for your business card, or you can fill out the included white ID card that comes with the bag and put it into this pocket.
This is the top of the bag — and yes, there’s another handle.
There’s a super-convenient zippered pocket at the top that measures approximately 13.5″ wide, 7.5″ tall, and 5″ deep. When you put a carry-on into the overhead bin on an airplane, you should always put it in wheels first. With the pocket on this bag, placed where it is, you now have an easily accessible place to stow things that you’ll need on the flight like compression socks, your toothbrush, and other toiletries.
The back of the bag has a bright red aluminum double pole handle. Unlike other bags, the poles are on the outside of the bag with minimal intrusion into the bag’s interior; this makes a huge difference for packing capacity. You can use the bottom bar as a handle, and you can see here that the main bag handle is bike handlebar inspired — it is thick, round, and covered in a rubberized coating that is grippy and comfortable to pull.
This is the inside of the Copilot; it’s a clamshell design that is efficiently divided into two sections.
The left section is the side that has the half-indentions from the two poles connected to the handle. This compartment is the one I consider to be the main packing spot — not only because it is on the back of the back (for better weight distribution), but also because it’s the largest. It measures approximately 22″ long by 14.25″ wide by 4.5″ deep, and it is secured with a zippered mesh divider. With efficient packing, you should be able to get all of your clothing — enough for nine days or more — on this side. I’ll show you how I do it in just a moment.
The right side is also covered with a zippered mesh divider, but this divider has two zippered halves measuring approximately 12″ by 9″. This is where I keep things like my lint brush, hair brush, deodorant, drugs and Tylenol, a bar of soap, and other flat-ish loose items I want to secure. Depending upon your style of packing, it might also be where you keep underwear, hose, other undergarments, or a couple of folded t-shirts. The interior of the right side has the top compartment cutting into its space a bit, so it basically measures approximately 14.25″ wide by 16″ tall by 4″ deep, but you may get a bit more room depending upon how lightly you pack that top compartment. This is the side where I pack shoes, my hair straightener, a power converter strip, miscellaneous converters, toiletries, and other things I don’t want to put in my backpack or purse.
Bear in mind that this right section is the side that you can access from the front of the Copilot when the suitcase is closed. That access makes this compartment a great place to stow souvenirs and other things you might want to add along the way, or it can serve as a convenient place to keep items to which you might need quick access — like a jacket or sweater.
I travel a lot, and I’ve decided that the best way to pack is a method called bundling. By bundling, I can easily fit as many as six pairs of pants (including jeans), two dresses, a pants suit, nine shirts, a pair of pajamas, and more. In the middle of the bundle, I place my socks and underwear.
This video gives the basics for bundling. Because I am using a divided bag rather than a single cavity bag, I don’t put my shoes or anything else under the bundle; the left side of the bag is simply every single thing that I am bringing to wear on the trip, minus the heavier shoes, jeans, belt, shirt, scarf, and jacket that I wear to the airport. You always want to wear your heaviest shoes and your jacket to the airport if you can, as it makes packing your bag more efficient.
Here’s the left side of the Copilot, packed with enough clothing for nine (or more) days.
Ooops, I forgot my PJs; so now they’re in, the mesh divider is zippered, and I still had enough space to put a few more days worth of clothes. I resisted the urge.
Here’s the top compartment of the bag stuffed with all the items I might want once on the plane; the gray felt bag holds an eye mask, a pair of compression socks, and a pair of earplugs. I also keep drugs I might need in a hurry such as Benadryl and Zantac (the cocktail I have to immediately dose myself with if I accidentally eat peaches — ugh), a spare epi-pen (there’s always one in my backpack or purse, too), some Shout wipes, and a few scented towelettes.
This picture was taken at the second of three hotels stayed at on our trip. Yes, I travel with a scale in between the two halves as well as baby wipes (you never know when they might come in handy). You’ll notice that I raided the hotel room’s tea stash each night, and in the process, I acquired a nice selection of Hong Kong and Chinese teas. Yes, I’m that person. 😉
The telescoping double pole handle is comfortable to grip, and the full bag rolls very easily when pulled. Perhaps the only thing that I miss on the Copilot versus the slightly smaller Rimowa IATA I was using would be that I do wish the Copilot had four independent wheels so it could roll sideways down airplane aisles. Alas, four wheels would take up too much room from the interior of the bag (meaning a loss of packing space, as is the case on the Rimowa), so it is a tradeoff that I am willing to accept. So my strategy now is to roll the Copilot through the first class and business aisles (assuming they are wide enough), and then pick it up by one of its many handles to carry to my seat in economy.
The Timbuk2 Medium Copilot is a good-looking piece of luggage that is full of efficient surprises. Not only did it pass unscathed when checked for my Hong Kong to Dallas then San Angelo flights, it was a joy to use during a hard week of travel. If you’ve been looking for a carry-on suitcase that can keep you organized and efficient when on the road — whether for a weekend or a month — this is the bag you’ll want to consider.
The Timbuk2 Medium Copilot Luggage Roller retails for $225, and it is available directly from the manufacturer as well as from other retailers including Amazon [affiliate link].
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Striking bag design with bright red dual pole handle; Compartment on top of bag is extremely convenient when bag is in a plane’s overhead bin; Easy access to the right side of the bag from the front is convenient for stowing or retrieving things on the go; Padded front pocket can hold your tablet or laptop; Dual compartments on the inside separated by zippered mesh helps with efficient packing; Dual poles for handle take up very little room on the left side of the suitcase interior; Wheels do not take up room on the interior of the bag; The Copilot emerged unscathed after being checked on an international flight
What Needs Improvement: In a perfect world there would be four wheels on the bottom so that the bag could roll sideways down plane aisles, but adding them would cut into the available packing space — it’s not worth the tradeoff
UPDATE 11/05/17: This bag is still going strong, and it is the carry-on that I always travel with anymore. It has been checked countless times, and it still looks brand new — minus a couple of scuffs on the exposed red handlebars. It is, simply put, the best carry-on suitcase I’ve ever owned.