Hartmann Travel Duffel, Basalt Black, One Size

This was the perfect size for a 17 day trip from USA to Italy as my carry-on, in addition to a smaller personal item (medium size backpack). Fully packed it was at the weight limit of 8kg, not that they checked, and it fit in the rack gauge checker thingy in the airports. It stands up on its own even when empty, though it is soft sided, making it easy to pack. There are long pockets, two inside, and one outside, which hold papers, maps, or perhaps small articles of clothing. When the bag is packed, the pockets are not easy to access. The ouside pockets on the ends are short and held small notepads, pens, sunglasses, passport. The straps are sturdy and comfortable. I used the shoulder strap extensively, both cross-body and single shoulder, and always with a backpack already positioned on my back. I packed using ziplock compression bags like an office file (vertically). That worked well, along with one large packing cube which matched the dimensions of the duffel. I still had room for pair of shoes, a travel pillow, a soft brimmed hat, and a windbreaker. There is enough structure to this duffel that it doesn't bulge too much so you can tell if it is getting overstuffed. The zippers all work fine and seem sturdy. The outside pockets are a little difficult to access once the bag is full. All in all, I really like this bag as a carry-on, which maximized the space and minimized the weight without the lost space and extra weight of a wheeled carry on. I did put a piece of foam core posterboard in the bottom to add stiffness and help retain solid structure, as the bottom is a bit soft for my preference. It also helped the bottom feet (pictured) stay planar to the floor without any sagging. The pictures try to show all tge features I couldn't see online in manufacturer's or seller's ads.

Very nice product. A bit bigger than I wanted but very nice.

Nice bag.

Spacious for a duffle and features make it easy to pack.

This bag is perfect for a long weekend or to add to another bag when traveling for longer periods of time and of course you have the Hartman quality behind it. I know I will have this bag for many years!!!