Will there ever be a rolling bag?

[Hollie]

I have fibromyalgia, and will never be able to carry a large bag on my back or over the shoulder when I travel. I have ordered a Synapse (yay!), and my guess is that it will be the largest backpack I'm ever comfortable carrying for any length of time.

I would love an Aeronaut, and I could load one up and pick it up to carry a few feet, but walking with it longer than a few minutes would cause me great pain. Traipsing through an airport with one would be impossible without great pain and fatigue that would last well over a day (fibro is great fun, lemme tell ya, but it certainly isn't the worst thing to have).

Will Tom Bihn ever make a carry-on bag that has wheels, for those of us who can't hoist heavy loads long distance?


Anyone else struggle with this? Have you ever bought one of those portable wheeled travel racks to use with a non-wheeled bag? Does that work?

[ncb4]

Hollie, I'm sorry to hear that you have to deal with fibromyalgia; I have friends who also struggle with it, so I know it's a challenge.

I don't have an answer for your question, though based on what I've read in the forums the past few years, I doubt that TB will ever make a rolling bag. But Tom is always surprising us with unexpected designs, so maybe I should never say never. And he did have shoulder surgery himself a year or two ago, if I recall correctly, so I imagine he has a personal understanding of the issues involved.

I have both a Synapse and an Aeronaut, and unfortunately I've recently learned that I have spinal arthritis, stenosis, a vanished lumbar disk, and possibly a stress fracture of a vertebra. {This is why you should never go to the doctor: ignorance is bliss!} The Aeronaut with Absolute Strap is the most comfortable bag I've ever carried, even with my back issues. It's almost magical how it makes the weight of the bag seem lighter. However, ingenious as he is, Tom has yet to find a way around the laws of physics, so gravity does still apply. ;-)

I've begun looking for one of those portable folding travel carts as well, so I could wheel the Aeronaut around if I needed to, then fold the rack up and pack it inside to carry the bag on board the plane. So I'm seconding Hollie's request—does anyone have any recommendation for folding travel carts? Is there one that really works, yet is still small enough to pack inside the Aeronaut?

[TavaPeak]

On a FlyerTalk forum, I read about someone who uses a Tristar with a very small wheelie. "thegasguru" uses a Bag Bungee to attach the Tristar to a rolling cabin bag. I thought this made a lot of sense for those of us who can't carry on our backs or shoulders. Seems like a solution that works even for commuter jets. I have my eye on a small purple wheelie that would let me take my steel/UV Tristar anywhere.

Best Duffel / Travel Bag for a CRJ 200 - Page 2 - FlyerTalk Forums (See message #10 and following)

[moriond]

I've begun looking for one of those portable folding travel carts as well, so I could wheel the Aeronaut around if I needed to, then fold the rack up and pack it inside to carry the bag on board the plane. So I'm seconding Hollie's request—does anyone have any recommendation for folding travel carts? Is there one that really works, yet is still small enough to pack inside the Aeronaut?

@ncb4, @Hollie
You might take a look at links and descriptions in two older threads:

• http://forums.tombihn.com/thoughts-t...lling-bag.html
• http://forums.tombihn.com/travel-tip...you-carry.html

[Hollie]

Thanks everyone! You know after I posted my question I got to searching around for a luggage cart, and found so many great threads on other travel forums where people talked about the advantages of these, which have already been mentioned here:

- If they break, you can get another one without replacing your whole bag.
- The cart/bag combo frequently weighs less than the bag with internal wheels.
- You always have more room to pack, with the cart/bag combo than with a bag w/ internal wheels.
- The cart/bag combo is much easier to adjust to when going over tough terrain (allows you to more easily carry the bag yourself for short periods, which I could definitely do if necessary).


I'm completely convinced. I withdraw my first question! My next planned flight is in April of 2013, so my Christmas wish this year will be an Aeronaut, and then I'll just keep an eye on cart reviews and buy one when I get my bag. An Aeronaut, my LCB, and my Synapse will be all the traveling gear I believe I will ever need.

Oh, and ncb4: I LOVE my Absolute strap on my LCB, so I will definitely get one of those, thanks for reminding me! You know the reason I have a Synapse on order is because I really struggle with shoulder bags. The one-sided weight is difficult for my fatigued frame to handle, and I tire easily, whereas backpack-oriented bags work much better for my body. However, a few days ago I dug out my LCB with the Absolute strap. I hadn't used it in many months (can't remember why, I was a fool), and I've been using that the last few days while waiting for my Synapse, and WOW, the Absolute strap is making this bag much, much easier on my body than any other shoulder bag I've ever tried (and believe me, I've tried dozens). Why did I have this thing in the closet? It's out now! And I am not putting it back.

I would end this comment on the glory of the Absolute strap by saying that maybe I should cancel my Synapse order since perhaps I don't need a Synapse now, but we all know that would be total foolishness. I need a Synapse.

[pocketsize]

Onebag.com recommends three.

It's about halfway down the page. The Travelite luggage cart seems to be the cheapest and most effective for most people's needs.

[jmachats]

@ncb4, so sorry to hear about your health issues. yes, ignorance is bliss but now at least you can do something about; knowledge is power!

I hope though your new indigo co-pilot is lightning your load!

[ncb4]

Hey there, jmachats! It's good to hear from the original owner of my much beloved Indigo Co-Pilot. And yes, it is still lightening my load.

[Shiva]

I have also asked the Luggage cart question before. I don't think many of the luggage carts function as advertised it seems. The Travelite seems the best bet, but I don't know if anyone on this forum has used it and what their thoughts might be. i would trust someone here!

[TavaPeak]

Bumping this thread. Hollie - I wondered how your trip went. Did you use the cart? Did it work well with the Aeronaut?

[Hollie]

Bumping this thread. Hollie - I wondered how your trip went. Did you use the cart? Did it work well with the Aeronaut?

I never got one, actually! I didn't get one for Christmas last year, and I haven't bought one this year. I have a really nice Eddie Bauer rolled luggage bag that it working very well, and I don't want to buy something new until this one shows signs of imminent failure, and so far it's going strong. But when it dies, I'll buy an Aeronaut and use it with the cart, and post a review!

[Hollie]

Bumping this thread. Hollie - I wondered how your trip went. Did you use the cart? Did it work well with the Aeronaut?

I never got one, actually! I didn't get one for Christmas last year, and I haven't bought one this year. I have a really nice Eddie Bauer rolled luggage bag that it working very well, and I don't want to buy something new until this one shows signs of imminent failure, and so far it's going strong. But when it dies, I'll buy an Aeronaut and use it with the cart, and post a review!

[TavaPeak]

Thanks, Hollie. It's great to go wheel-less, but some folks (like me) can't always do that.