(52
Reviews)
First Impressions
By
Brix
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Nomadic
February 28, 2010
Much heavier than i thought it would be, and after seeing other bags torn on latches and other hardware, it was a pleasant note. I have used it once so far, and have not figured how i will configure my gear in it, The Bag is part of a three bag system that will be used every day, i live on the road all year. My luggage is my home. I plan on taking it to India, and found it will handily carry my 17 inch snake boots in it without distortion. My computer fits in the top compartment, with accessories, and for dashing through airports the back straps are fine. THANK YOU for not putting sternum straps or a waist strap on it. If I want those I can buy some after market ones and modify it myself. It shows you really have thought about what is necessary and what is not. Someone mentioned a key strap would be nice, I just took the dog tag that came with the bag and threaded it through the zipper pull on the little inner pouch.
favorite bag
By
Rick Sheets
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February 17, 2010
Sorry for delaying my review, I've been traveling with my new favorite bag.
I love the ruggedness of my Sky Train. It takes what I give it and asks for more. I feel, however, there are two areas that could use some improvement.
First, the compression straps are generous in length but seem too far apart. When I use bundle-packing, the bundle isn't long enough to be secured by both straps. I have to compromise and place the bundle in the middle, leaving space at the top and bottom of the bag. Perhaps three
evenly-space straps would provide more flexibility. Maybe changing the buckle design to allow for crossing of the straps if needed. I can avoid the issue with Packing Folders, which fit quite snugly between the straps, but I like options.
Inclusion of backpack straps is the main reason I chose the Sky Train over the Air Boss. Whether hoofing from Concourse A to Terminal Z or
hiking 12 blocks to the train station, they are a God-send. Unlike others, I find neither the strap size nor lack of sternum strap a hindrance. But when the bag is fully packed, deploying and stowing the straps can be frustrating. I think a three-side zippered flap, like the main compartments, would allow for easier and quicker conversions. The straps would pull through reinforced slots above the zipper.
Thank you for enduring my mad alchemy. Keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Rick Sheets
Perfect one-bag solution
By
Dan
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Medford, MA
February 11, 2010
This bag met all my criteria -- slightly smaller than the max carryon size for overseas airlines, durable, not black, and wheel-less -- and delivered in spades. I got the khaki color, which seems to hide any dirt; it's somewhat darker than the photo. The "bundle" packing strategy works great here, too.
sky train-almost perfect
By
mitch wolf
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san diego, ca
January 30, 2010
Let me state that I truly despise having to check luggage. That being said, I believe you are doing yourselves a great disservice by promoting the Sky Train as a "geared to women" alternative to the Air Boss. I have traveled extensively and was in the market for a "carry-on" bag (w/backpack straps!) for an upcoming trip to SE Asia/Indonesia. I purchased your product, took a quick trip to the Caribbean, and found it to be more than adequate and a truly ideal way to pack comfortably and avoid having to check any luggage (my #1 goal.) I put a smaller nylon backpack inside for day trips to some other islands and left the "Sky Train" back in my room. Perfect. My only suggestions would be the incorporation of a chest strap (sliding, like on Patagonia's MLC) which does an amazing job of distributing the stress of the pack weight. Putting a key clip inside the bag so at the outset of your trip you can secure your keys with confidence. And most importantly, to me anyway, add a couple low profile loops to permit strapping something additional to the top of the bag while in 'backpack mode' (ie: a tent, a bag with wet clothes etc.) Otherwise, I am truly pleased with my purchase and would not hesitate to recommend your products to all. Thanks so much. Stay well and travel.
The Best Travel Bag!
By
Bob Landis
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Roswell, GA
January 7, 2010
I purchased an Air Boss almost 4 years ago to replace a Swiss Army roll aboard bag that was stolen from a rental car. I read the review on onebag.com and it made total sense to me. Many of my business colleagues are still wedded to their roll aboards and their extra weight and they question why I chose this type of bag for business travel because it is so atypical of road warriors. This bag has traveled more than 350,000 air miles since I bought it and it has far exceeded my expectations. There is no problem fitting in almost any overhead luggage compartment.
This year, as my Christmas present to myself, I went for the Sky Train which I have been eyeing for some time. I like the idea of a back pack style suit case that has been designed to meet my needs. What I needed was a bag that was portable and perfect for overnight or two day trips. I feel totally free when using this bag because both your arms are free to drink coffee or read the newspaper and it has even improved my posture because most roll aboard bags are awkward to pull and strain your back. I have given up carrying a computer bag in addition to my luggage and simply consolidated in just this bag. The quality is top shelf and worth every penny. I travel every week and Red Oxx is my total travel solution. I am a repeat customer and look forward to an opportunity to visit the retail store in Montana. You simply cannot find a bag of this quality and of such user friendly design in any store. It truly has been a one bag solution for me.
I still have my Air Boss for longer trips and after 4 years it is still in great condition despite heavy use. That is a testament to the quality materials that were used for its construction.
These products are awesome and should be seriously considered if you want the best! It is not surprising at all that the reviews on this site are all rave reviews for this product.
Very pleased
By
Sean Graham
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Watertown, MA
December 31, 2009
I have to admit I was rather nervous spending so much money on a bag I had never even seen, but my fears were completely unfounded. Having used the Sky Train for our epic holiday travels, it really ended up being a perfect bag for me.
The main compartment with compression straps was big enough for 5 days worth of t-shirts, underwear, and socks as well as a pair of slacks and pajama pants. And even with all of that, the secondary compartment was still plenty big enough for my 15" MacBook Pro and a textbook. I truly understand how traveling with one bag is not only possible, but pleasant.
Navigating train platforms and airports was a breeze with the shoulder straps. I have always had a bag with wheels, so this was another point of concern for me, but I don't miss the wheels at all.
Superior in all aspects
By
Robyn Johnson
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Qld, Australia
December 27, 2009
After travelling for 6 weeks to UK, Czech Republic, a 2 week transatlantic cruise and finally 9 days in New York the sky train along with the air boss and the gator met all our expectations after reading previous customer reviews prior to purchasing. In particular the gator was used as my sole handbag - a godsend in UK + New York as I was easlily able to carry 2 fold up umbrellas, scarves, gloves, ear muffs as well as camera and wallet etc. The space available in both the sky train and the air boss seems limitless. I was always able to pack that extra piece of clothing or any item. My congratulations and thanks go to the team at Red Oxx for the quality of your products and the service provided througout the ordering and delivery. A very satisfied and gratelful customer - Robyn Johnson.
SkyTrain - Good Alternative to a STD Rollaboard
By
Dave
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Arlington VA
December 17, 2009
I used the SkyTrain / Gator for a 6-day trip to Europe last month. Both worked, well, and the Safari olive/khaki color combo is great, if not a bit distracting...(some travelers complimenting me on the 2 bags figured I was in the Army while in reality I'm a Navy officer).
Anyway, RedOxx products are a nice complement to, but don't necessarily replace my Tumi gear. The SkyTrain/Gator combo is perfect for traveling if going light, w/o a laptop but with other connectivity like a Ipaq and a mobile phone.
The SkyTrain has considerably more capacity than a Tumi 22" rollaboard suiter. And since you start with an empty bag that's about 5# lighter, a shoulder-strap or backpack carry is a big deal.
The SkyTrain, used alone would be fine for a short trip, by air or otherwise. It can be "overpacked" and still work pretty well if you are using something like the EC cubes. An overpacked SkyTrain will still fit easily in any a/c overhead. It will go under a seat if not overpacked.
Here's what my SkyTrain held: Trifold toilet kit/running shoes/EC cube with shorts and 1 ea. UnderArmour SS and LS tees, swim goggles & heart monitor/ EC cube with 2 prs extra socks and underwear/ 2 v-neck merino sweaters/2 ls buttondown cotton shirts, a pair of khakis/2 ls cotton tees/a pair of 5.11 tac shorts/ball cap/pair of jeans/gore tex windbreaker/a catch-all EC cube with vitamins, 6 Clif Bars, a small microfiber towel, a bar of soap/ another small EC cube with gloves, watch cap and sunglasses/a ls wool Pendleton Board Shirt. My 1q liquid/gel bag easily slipped into the top section of the main section, so when it was standing upright at security, all I had to do was unzip and stuff the 1q into the TSA/EU tray with my shoes and jacket and I was good to go. Two more comments (1) It may be better to use an AirBoss if you may be overpacking. The lateral strapping that leads to the grips may help to compress the bag. The SkyTrain will bulge out a bit more when carrying it with either grip. Not a big deal unless you are standby on an overbooked leg and an aggressive flight attendant is convinced it won't go under your seat. (2) A SkyTrain or a backpack bag isn't really a "requirement" in Europe vis-a-vis a wheeled bag. Every trip I've had on DB and ICE trains for the last 10 years, it was the LOCALS who had the huge rollaboard bags. The SkyTrain fits in the DB overheads, but there is always room for big bags on the floor behind main seats. That said, my SkyTrain made the city hiking around in Munich, Heidelburg, and Frankfurt a lot easier since I didn't have to be concerned with curbs. And in Frankfurt it was a lot easier to hop on the trams (streetcars) with a SkyTrain than a rollaboard.
Dual life - dual bags?
By
Jeff
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Albuquerque, NM
December 10, 2009
The Sky Trains are great in most respects. (We bought 2 for my wife and me for a recent trip to Guatemala.) We learned of you on OneBag.com and your bags are in fact of superior construction and design. They served the purpose well of a one-bag carry-on and I'll definitely use it in the future. The Sky Train is advertised as a "ladys bag" but I'm a pretty fit guy and just didn't like lugging a bag on my shoulder. I used the backpack straps a lot. A hardside roller bag is still handy in my opinion unless one is truly going to a very rustic setting. The international concourse and customs in Guat City got mighty long. I do a lot of business traveling in the states and didn't find baggage toting that different in Guatemala. On the other hand, when my bag ended up in a real rustic situation (bed of truck in a rainstorm) my contents were soaked. Bottom line: the Sky Train would fill a niche for some travel for me but I can't see using it exclusively.
SkyTrain review
By
Gabriele
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SF East Bay
December 6, 2009
I found out about this company through OneBag.com and bought 2 SkyTrains, because we wanted to avoid checking baggage.
We first used our bags for a one-week trip to New York. Initially, we were surprised to actually be able to fit a week's worth of clothing, plus an extra pair of shoes, in this bag. There was actually room to spare! We were even able to fit in a few souvenirs (mugs, T-Shirts) without a problem. And it still could have been stuffed a bit more!
We are very pleased with these bags. Not only do they save you time when flying, but the quality is superb, and I love the flexibility of carrying it either vertically, horizontally, or - most importantly! - as a backpack! It makes getting around so much easier! It's a great product!