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Carry On Luggage
What is the best type of carry-on luggage to bring? Knapsack? Zippered purse?
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What is the best type of carry-on luggage to bring? Knapsack? Zippered purse?
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We always use backpacks, never do wheeled on carry on. Especially on the migration tour on the small planes, there is little room for anything bigger.
Just returned from Tauck Great Migration tour that included walking with gorillas. Unbelievable!! This was the trip of a lifetime. You will love it, but be prepared for lots of dust and extremely bumpy roads. We use a light weight backpack from Eddie Bauer that folds into itself but has ample capacity. We use it as a carry-on for air travel and then to carry our stuff on the Safari vans when we go out for game drives.
I have a question about the backpack as well. I'm on the Kenya and Tanzania classic safari- so different trip but I'm assuming the same restrictions. I was planning on traveling on the airplane from LAX with the Asenlin 40L Travel Backpack as my carryon. Below is a summary of how they differ. On the safari trips I will use a very small nylon daypack.
My question is : on the flights can I bring the Tauck provided duffle bag and hold my Asenlin bag on my lap? It won't be very full.
🎒 Eddie Bauer Stowaway Packable 20L
Open Dimensions: Approximately 18 inches tall × 10 inches wide × 9 inches deep
Packed (Stowed) Size: Folds into its own pocket — around 8.5 × 7 × 1.5 inches
Capacity: 20 liters
Weight: About 0.7 pounds (just under 6 ounces)
Structure: Lightweight, unstructured, meant for light loads and day use
Use Case: Great as a compact hiking daypack or packable extra bag
🎒 Asenlin 40L Travel Backpack
Dimensions: Around 18.5 inches tall × 12.5 inches wide × 9–9.5 inches deep
Packed Size: Not compressible — maintains its full shape
Capacity: 40 liters
Weight: Approximately 2.7 pounds
Structure: More rigid, padded straps, laptop sleeve, and clamshell-style opening
Use Case: Ideal for weekend trips or as a carry-on bag with room for clothes, electronics, and gear
📏 Side-by-Side Comparison
Feature Eddie Bauer 20L Asenlin 40L
Open Dimensions 18″ × 10″ × 9″ 18.5″ × 12.5″ × 9–9.5″
Compressed Size 8.5″ × 7″ × 1.5″ Not packable
Capacity 20 liters 40 liters
Weight ~0.7 lb ~2.7 lb
Structure Minimal Structured, padded
Laptop Compartment Light sleeve Dedicated compartment
Best For Day hikes, overflow travel bag Short trips, air travel, work gear
🧭 Summary
Eddie Bauer 20L is featherlight, folds into itself, and is perfect for short excursions or as a backup daypack you can toss in your suitcase.
Asenlin 40L is a fully structured travel backpack that works as a carry-on for flights or a short-trip all-in-one bag. It doesn’t compress but gives you much more space and support.
Thank you!
If you are not going to use a backpack like that again, don’t waste your money, you can buy a cheap school backpack from somewhere like Costco very very cheaply. It’s a great risk of year to buy one now! My husband has used the same one all over the world including numerous Safaris. I use the equivalent Vera Bradley brand, I got it at one of their outlets, It’s easy to recognize…actually I have more than one 😜
I already own the Asenlin. I'm wondering if it is too big. I can pack it into my main luggage if it is.
I know that 40L sounds big to me. My backpacks are 30L and I’m 5’2”. Backpacks do get very heavy. My nylon backpacks are by Sportsac - light as air with zipper compartments and a water bottle holder.
Well, it sounds like your 40L will work as a carry-on to stow in the overhead. Does your tour include short flights so that you will be sent a Tauck duffle? If so, keep in mind that the duffle we received is packed in a bag that doubles as a simple back pack. You can use that for the daily safari rides. Also, be aware that the weather was remarkably cool this month while we were in Kenya and Tanzania. Be sure to pack enough warm clothing so that you can dress in layers. Day time highs were in the low 70's, and it was as cool as around 50 degrees some mornings. Our tour director had warned us in advance to bring enough warm clothes, thankfully.