Backpacks and Carry-Ons

[elaie elaie]

I'm wanting to bring my ventilated backpack with me as a carry on, and it's a few centimeters over most carriers carry on limits in 2 dimensions (a large stratos 34). I've looked at other ventilated back packs, and even the small deuter futura 28 is over sized in the length dimension. I'm fairly certain it will be allowed, but I'm wondering if anyone has gotten trouble for using their slightly over size/borderline backpacks as carry-ons on flights? I'm a 6'1" guy, so i do need the longer backpacks unfortunately.

[Jeffs Eleven]

I flew last week and was amazed at how big some of the carry ons were FWIW. I bet a few centimeters over would in unnoticed. nobody even checked ours. airline was continental

[EndoftheTrail]

While each airline can have its own size and weight restrictions for carry on's — by far the most common size limit for the world's jet liners is "45 linear inches". What you do is add up the length, width and height of your backpack or luggage in inches — and if the sum of all three is 45" or less — then you're OK.

Example – your backpack dimensions are 22" x 14" x 9". The sume is 45". Passed. When in doubt, just call your airline.

[Jeffs Eleven]

Add to B2W:

My previous post said the carry ons were huge. Continental has the 45 linear inch mandate. I didn't go measure them, but there were folks that had bags that had to be over that. From what I saw you can get away with bigger stuff. One dude had some High Sierra pack that was, in my estimation, 4000+ cubes. Bigger than what was allowed.

But, I guess to be safe, stick with the rules.

I'm just sayin' nobody was checking.

[. .]

I have also noticed a rather lax attitude towards this with most airlines, including overseas. I have had no problem with either an Osprey Exos 58, nor an Atmos 65 – My two most recent carry-ons. If I got a comment about it being too big, I simply showed them that it was highly compressible and would have no problem fitting in an overhead or (in most cases) even under the seat in front of me.

In Europe and Turkey, some of the airlines strictly enforced their weight limits however, including those for carry-ons.

…but this presents a fun math problem to practice:

Given that 45" is the strict limit of Length(L) x Width(W) x Height(H), what dimensions (L x W x H) would the most voluminous possible pack be that would meet the airlines standard? (must include proofs, of course;)

[Robert Blean]

Given that 45" is the strict limit of Length(L) x Width(W) x Height(H), what dimensions (L x W x H) would the most voluminous possible pack be that would meet the airlines standard?

A cube — 15" on a side. The problem is that some airlines have those little-used bins to hold a max-sized bag, and the cube would not fit in one if they should ask you to show them you could.

— MV

[elaie elaie]

Thats good to know. I really like the stratos and wouldn't like to give it up for something more carry on compact. It's like 46.5" by that calculation. Weight wont be an issue although :)

[Rog Tallbloke]

Beware if you come to europe and use Ryanair, the cheapest carrier. You get to the boarding gate and they check your carry-on in a metal frame. Then they sting you for 35 euros if it doesn't fit in. Their T&C states 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, which is pretty near the 45" rule.

Not a problem for Kath and I on our way to Spain last month. She had a golite ion and I had a GG prototype of murmer dimensions. You may get away with slightly over height, but not width or depth.

[Donna C]

I flew to Spain 2 years ago and just had my Gregory G pack, no problem as a carry on in both a little puddle jumper commuter plane and also the large jumbo.

[EndoftheTrail]

46.5" won't be a problem — just don't pack it so full that it bulges out all around.

[Manfred von Richthofen]

Ryanair actually isn't the "cheapest" carrier, and I've flown them several times with my Deuter Futura 40. They never checked my bag once, or even did a double take. I think your situation was more the airport attendant than Ryanair, could've happened on any airlines.

I went to REI some years back with a ruler and knowledge–at the time–of the max dimensions for most carriers and came away with my Deuter. I've flown all over Europe for a semester on all sorts of carriers and all over the US to and from college on literally dozens of flights. If I remember correctly Europe has even smaller allowed carry-on dimensions.

There were only two flights that my backpack didn't fit on, and those were in the U.S.. Most small commuters the deuter nicely squeezes into. Once the check-in person suggested I might want to gate check my bag, but I assured them it'd fit, and it did. I don't recall the aircraft that it didn't fit in, but it was a odd because every other small aircraft–even prop driven commuters–it fit in.

It also fits in those boxes to check your dimensions. I've never gotten yelled at or been given a double take.

So if you want the largest possible bag that's safe for carry-on, I'd suggest my deuter. It really is the perfect size.

I have seen people carry on larger backpacks than mine, if you really need something bigger you probably could get away with it, just perhaps a smaller percentage of the time and perhaps not "legally."

P.S. Where are you getting that the Deuter 28 is oversize? I checked my Deuter 40 and it's perfect dimension-wise. Granted, that was 3 or 4 years ago, so I'd have to look again to be really sure, but I strongly doubt the 28 is oversize.

[elaie elaie]

The official deuter 28 dimensions are:
21 x 13 x 9 inches

Air china's max dimentions are:
55cm (21”long) x 40cm (15”wide) x 20cm (7”high)

So it goes over in one dimension, and is border line on the height. The futura 40 i'm guessing is larger.

[Steven Adeff]

It will obviously vary by airline and probably even the specific flight, but I've been able to take my framed pack as carry on for pretty much every flight I've taken it with me. One stewardess told me they generally prefer to let people stow the framed packs in the overhead than take it below because they don't want to deal with any damage that may occur and that she's taken rolling luggage down to get put under the plane to make room for framed packs in the past.

[Konrad .]

Most airlines allow you take on a carryon and a personal item (laptop bag. backpack etc). They usually only pay attention to the carry on, and dont' even measure the backpack. I've taken my futura 28 on planes with no problems. I have to voice it again, because thats how much i hated it…but man i hated that pack.

[EndoftheTrail]

Curious, Konrad — why do you hate the Futura 28? Was that your day pack or your main pack in your travels?

[Konrad .]

Hey Ben, i used the pack for over a year as a travel pack/schoolbag/ day hike pack. It was never my main travel pack though…i usually use a 60 liter pack for extended international travel.

In the OP's other thread about ventilated packs, i had written

"The deuter futura 28 was hands down the worse pack I've ever worn. It came only in one size, and that size was more geared towards someone wiith a shorter torso. The hip belt "wings" were useless and annoying. Hipbelt transferred zero weight. The trampoline was wayyy too pronounced, so that it cut into the main package area. Very gimmicky packs, that tried to shove big pack features (think sleeping bag compartment) into a small daypack. I would run and never look back if I saw this pack again. Gotta give them street cred, though, b/c i think they came up with the trampoline vented backpack concept. But still, worse pack ever"

Just to further elaborate, it was overly heavy, and always off balance. You could never set the pack down, without it falling over. The trampoline was so pronounced that it would shift all the packweight away from you, and as a result, you'd feel more weight on your shoulders. That, with the lack of a hipbelt, made the pack unbearable even with 15lbs. The torso size felt like it was meant for someone with a 14inch torso

[EndoftheTrail]

Konrad:

It's one reason why I've avoided 'trampoline' design all this time. I tried one on once and it was immediately uncomfortable (could be just the particular pack). But I also dislike the "concave" shape of the interior. Makes it awkward to pack.

[Konrad .]

yeah, there def are some winners out there though. A couple years ago I had a gregory z22, and I loved it, other than its small capacity. Trampoline wasn't overly pronounced, but more importantly it had a substantive hipbelt/load lifters that actually transferred weight. I could carry 25lbs in it in comfort. I ultimately got rid of it because I never had a situation where I would have 25lbs of gear in a daypack…unless i got back into the business of robbing banks and stashing gold bullion :)

Gregory is redesigning their trampoline packs this year. They are getting rid of the trampoline/mesh, and instead are making their pack frames have natural curvatures that provide a very minimum amount of space between the pack and the body. Should still provide for air circulation, without the problem of cutting into the pack's main capacity.

*sorry for derailing this topic!

[Manfred von Richthofen]

The thing about looking at dimensions online is they aren't the minimum dimensions. That is, I actually had to go in the store with a tape measure–e.g. the Futura 40 can but filled such that it does not fill up above the aluminum stays and still–I believe–be within most airlines' height spec. I won't be around my pack for over a week but I could measure it for you when I get back. Basically when I measured I THINK I found that a filled but not stuffed Futura 40 with nothing filled above the height of the stays was within spec, but I don't remember for sure and I'd have to double check. Regardless, it was pretty close.

Bottom line: go to the store with a tape measure.

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