Evaluating Maxpedition's Fliegerduffel for Use on a Techie's Trip

The second in Maxpedition's line of duffel bags (the first was the Doppelduffel), the Fliegerduffel is a heavy duty duffel/backpack designed specifically to fit in standard airplane overhead bins, and to conform to FAA standards for allowable carry-ons.

While I'm going to focus this article on a specific "techie" use I wanted to test the Fliegerduffel with, I'll say up front that it really is a great general-use heavy-duty duffel bag that, even when stuffed full, maintains a profile that would certainly fit overhead bins in any airplane larger than a small regional commuter plane.  My wife recently spent several days in the hospital and the Fliegerduffel was great for bringing her stuff into and out of the hospital (especially since her room was some hike from the visitor parking).  Okay, I'll admit by the time she left it took two trips with the Fliegerduffel--one for clothes and toiletries and one for all the books she brought!

When I first learned about the Fliegerduffel I noticed it looked to have some padding inside, and I began to wonder how it would do to solve a problem I have when I travel for work.  I sometimes go on long-ish trips for work (2-3 weeks), and if I want to do anything other than work e-mail or Powerpoint, I have to bring two laptops--a work one (that I can't install anything on) and my personal laptop, a 17" desktop replacement type.  I have a rolling computer bag/backpack that can fit both laptops, accessories, and some other documents and books, but there isn't any room for any clothes, and the pack is so think it is very hard to get it to fit into an overhead bin.  Even though the Fliegerduffel isn't designed specifically for carrying laptops, I wondered if that padding plus the extra space would let me replace my laptop pack while adding enough clothing/toiletries to last me a day or two if my checked luggage is delayed (which has happened--it's a bummer to show up to a work site in shorts and a t-shirt).

Let's first look at the outside of the duffel.  Here's a shot of the Fliegerduffel (standing on end) as compared to a Maxpedition Aggressor Attache (which at home is what my personal laptop was carreid around in):

Each end of the Fliegerduffel has a "grab handle":

This is useful for pulling the bag out from an overhead bin or a airport shuttle luggage rack, but they are also sturdy enough use to hold the bag:

There is also a full-sized padded carry handle on the top of the bag:

For short carries, as long as you've packed the inside decently, this handle is a comfortable and well-balanced carry option:

The shots above shw the removeable (and "repositionable" for left or right side carry) shoulder strap, but here are a couple of shots showing it in use:

and

(Note: In these shots I'm about six feet tall, 240 pounds, and I've got a longish torso.)

You can see MOLLE/PALS webbing all over the bag. I didn't try attaching any of my pouches to this webbing, and if you're carrying the duffel on an airplane I can't really see putting anything other than very low-profile add-ons if you want to still put the duffel in an overhead bin.  The exception might be if you had an easily removeable pouch, perhaps attached by something like Maxpedition's Tear-Away Modular Panel.  Something like that might be ideal--you could have your "under the seat" pouch for electronics/books/munchies, but wouldn't have to carry a second bag.

The shoulder strap is functional, and for lighter loads (either not fully loaded, or bulk-but-light items), it's probably okay for use, but for long treks through busy airports the backpack straps are the way to go:

and

and

As I mentioned above, I've got a long torso, so the padded portion of the straps ends at about my armpits, and the unpadded webbing strap can bite some, especially when there's a full load.  The sternum strap helps things a lot, though:

The straps can be detached at the bottom of the bag:

and they can be stored away in the long pocket on the "bottom" or "back" of the bag:

The straps were a bit awkward for me to get into the pocket and have lie nicely flat, but they do go in.  You'll notice the bottom of the bag doesn't have any rubberized anti-abrasion/waterproofing material, and this is likely to keep it from getting too hot/clammy when carried as a backpack.  You've probably also noticed the grommet hole in the "bottom" of this pocket; this is because the pocket is also desinged to hold a hydration reservoir, complete with a loop at the "top" of the pocket to hook it to:

Note that there's no specific drinking tube pass-through port, but it's not really needed as you have to keep this comparment open when the straps are deployed, and because there's not enough space for a hydration bladder when the straps are packed away.  There's also the issue of not being able to bring liquids into a plane's security area, so unless you have access to water inside security it won't be of much use (and, when in "duffle" position insid ethe bin, you probably don't want to have the water reservoir on the bottom anyway.

The top of the duffel has a generously sized slip pocket perfect for travel documents and even maybe a paperback:

Each side of the duffel also has a low-profile long external pocket:

Inside each of these pocekts are two smaller mesh organization pockets.  Again, this isn't a bad place for travel documents or other small items you want to access when you're actually traveling.

Should the need arrise, you can put a small lock on the zipper pulls to the main comparment:

Not much use if you have to check the bag, but handy to prevent "shifty fingers" when you're sitting in the airport, or for even discouraging rummaging when in your hotel room.

Here's the inside of the main compartment of the Fliegerduffel when it's fully loaded with my test load:

At both ends of the "lid" you can see two mesh pockets, useful for either toiletries, socks/underwear, or, of course, computer accessories!

For this test I didn't have my work computer available, so I substituted my older 17" personal laptop in addition to my current 17" laptop (the newer one is in a second laptop case to add some padding between it and the other computer).

Because you've got to remove things like laptops when you go through security screening, it's probably easiest, accesibility-wise, if you put them at the top of the load, but that causes a serious issue which I'll discuss later.

Under the computers and documents I put some changes of clothing:

Under these I put my folding laptop "tray" I use to keep the computer cool and my legs from getting burned:

This shot also gives you an idea of the space available inside the bag, and you can see one of the internal compression straps peeking out--useful for compressing your load and keeping it from shifting in the bag.  Here are the contents of the bag all laid out next to it:

So, how successful was this experiment as a way of replacing my rolling backpack option? In terms of the amount of stuff I could pack in while still being able to fit in an overhead bin, I'd call it very successful--much better than my rolling computer case.  I think in most cases the backback carry is a more agile option than the rolling case I have (have you ever tried to rush through a long airport concourse with those little close-set wheels?  Yes?  Then you understand).  My problem, though, is that in making the computers easy to access in security, they will be furthest away from your back when you carry the bag in backpack mode.  With my two machiens, this made for a pretty unbalanced load--I kept feeling like I wanted to tip over backwards--because my center of gravity was so far off.  I could've put them in the bottom of the bag, but that owuld be inconvenient (at least0 in a busy security check point (not so bad to pull them out, but awkward to fit them back in quickly, especially if the bag is full).  If you're using the shoulder strap carry option the placement of the laptops on the top isn't such an issue, but personally I'd find that option painful with this load for anything other than short carries. 

So, in the current incarnation and with my current load I don't know if the Fliegerduffel would meet my very specific "techie travel" need, but it's really unfair to ding it at all for that because it's clearnly not designed with that in mind.  Indeed, the fact that it can be considered at all is a testament to the flexability of the design (thank you, internal padding!).  As "just a duffel" it clearly leaves anything like a gym duffel or even a standard canvas duffel in the dust, and it's better than any of my other "luggage" duffels by a long shot.  Some may not like the "military" look of the webbing straps, but one's thing for sure--you won't confuse your bag for anyone else's!

Update #1, 10-11-2009:  As per these new FTC rules, the bags shown/discussed in this article came from the following:

• Maxpedition Fliegerduffel:  Sample provided by the manufacturer
• Maxpedition Aggressor:  Sample provided by the manufacturer