subject: How To Choosing A Bag [print this page] To begin, recognize that getting a better bag won't make you a "one bag" traveller: there's little that the bag can do to reduce the amount of stuff you bring with you. Once you have acquired more efficient travel skills, though (and abandoned the notion that you need to pull a small trailer behind you), you will find that an optimally-designed bag can make a huge difference in your travel comfort and convenience.
The most important aspects to consider are:
1. quality??because even non-checked luggage takes a beating, and because quality should always be an important consideration
2. transportability??because you will carry your luggage more than the carriers will (and yes, whatever your actual plans, you will carry it)
3. airline carry-on limits??because most people who learn to travel light find that everything they need to pack will fit easily into one carry-on-sized bag (which is fortunate, as in the real world there are two kinds of luggage: carry-on and lost)
In addition to these basic concerns, there are several criteria pertaining to the design of the bag itself, including:
* overall shape & balance
* quantity, volume, shape, & arrangement of compartments
* accessibility of those compartments in different stowage situations
* type & configuration of zippers
* availability of internal tie-down & external compression straps
