Do you travel a LOT?

 

I fly every week for work and frequently have weekends away that require hand luggage, either on plane or train. For a three or four day period you really don’t need to check your luggage. I have the packing down, with a capsule wardrobe, necessary liquids under 100 ml in a 1 litre clear closed bag and all the gadgets.

What else is needed?

Well a bag that fits hand luggage size on most, if not all, airlines!! Also read on for a discount code!

Enter Cabin Zero*

 

A bag that fits Ryanair’s hand luggage criteria came in very useful for my recent trip to Sweden. I managed to fit my bright red Classic 44L Cabin Zero sideways in the overhead locker, between 2 other customer’s rolling luggage. This was a bag with a laptop, camera, all the cables, shoes, clothes for 2 days (including jacket in case of bad weather) and all my toiletries and makeup. Who needs rolling luggage anymore?!

So what’s good about it?

9 things that I love about my Cabin Zero Classic 44L bag:

1 – It’s lightweight

So light that you don’t need to worry about the bag starting off heavy, unlike some of the bags I’ve taken for work travel. This makes it easier to stick in the overhead bins on the aeroplane. Also by being unstructured you can easily squash it to fit the space available on a bus, train or plane.

2 – It’s hard wearing & waterproof

I’ve been using the bag on an almost daily basis since April with no sign of any issues. It’s gotten a bit grubby, but nothing that a wipe down won’t cure! All zips, straps etc are still working great. Did I also mention that the zips are lockable… handy stuff if you need to leave it anywhere unattended (e.g. luggage rooms) and also covered. This means that if you get caught in a shower none of your things inside will get wet, thanks to the hardwearing polyester.

3 – It fits all the airlines I’ve been on

That’s Ryanair, British Airways, Air New Zealand and easyJet. Cabin Zero bags are hand luggage / carry-on friendly for all major airlines.

Check out the dimension guide here: Cabin Zero airline carry-on sizes.

Why yes I always match my luggage to the aircraft logo seriously though I’m never going to loose this colourful bag in an airport! . I use my @cabinzero every week travelling for work – how do you use yours . #sponsored #cabinzero #mycabinzero #worktrip #LONDUS #dusseldorf_de #dusseldorfairport #worktravel #handluggage #carryon #cabinsized

A post shared by Katie Hughes (@whatskatiedoing) on Jul 26, 2017 at 12:27am PDT

4 – You can fit a lot in!

As mentioned already I can fit in:

• Four days of clothes;
• a pair (or two!) of shoes,;
• gym kit;
• gadgets (iPad, camera, laptop, all the related cables and connectors);
• wash kit;
• makeup;
• sundry snacks;
• water bottle;
• umbrella;
• work papers;
• and other random stuff (e.g. mini gin bottles) and still have room for a jacket…

5 – The shoulder straps and handles are robust and comfortable (padded)

 

6 – There is a dedicated section for packing your laptop and zip pockets

Yes there is a special section inside that fits a laptop/large notepads etc. As it is situated against your back it takes advantage of the back padding to provide that extra level of security for your laptop too. (Although I don’t recommend dropping it unless you have it filled with clothes all around!)

7 –  It opens like a suitcase (rather than a top loading rucksack)

I’m a total convert to the suitcase opening style for all my backpacks – including those I trek with. It makes it so much easier to find things when you can open it all the way up and there is no need to stuff items in. To make it super organised I totally recommend using packing cubes too – you can just see my white one, stuffed full of rolled up clothes, in the picture below.

8 – A luggage tracking tag is included on all Cabin Zero products

This is really nifty! It means that even if the worst happens and someone steals your Cabin Zero, you can track it…. cunning…

Powered by Okoban, it’s super easy to register your bag on their website and then you have peace of mind if the worst happens.

9 – They come in a fabulous range of colours

Check out the website for the full range available. I loved my distinctive Mysore Red bag with the contrasting black detailing. This is a colour that you will never lose sight of at the airport or at a station!

And the “bad”?

Only one comment in this section! As someone who has a fairly sedentary lifestyle (aka I sit down all day for work) and has suffered numerous back and shoulder issues (I hesitate to say injuries), I could really do with a waist strap! This is the only thing that I think is needed.

When the 44L backpack is fully loaded it gets heavy (especially when filled with books, computing gear or gin!) A waist strap would take some of the pressure off the shoulders and back for sure.

I would also recommend getting a packing cube (or several), so that your clothes a) can be rolled to fit more in! and b) won’t explode out when you need to remove your liquids and electronics for the security check at the airport. (I live in fear that my dirty underwear will be on show for all to see).

How do I get one?!

Well head on over to the Cabin Zero website and check them out. When you have decided which style and size you want: Classic 44L (what I have), 36L, 28L, Vintage or Military 44L or Urban 42L; you can then see what colour best works with your look.

There are also limited edition versions available – get your hands on them quick!

For a limited period you can get a 10% discount by using the code CZWHATSKATIEDOING at checkout!

(valid from 31 July 2017 for one month)

 

 

*Cabin Zero sponsored this post by providing me the Classic 44l bag for free to test for this review… and it’s that good that I’m keeping it!!

(all opinions are of course my own!)