I was travelling through Milan airport recently as part of my last foreign travel assignment, and was held up in the queue for boarding the aircraft, due to several passengers having been challenged by the ground crew over the size of their hand luggage. The result was that a couple of irate travellers were not able to place their baggage into the metal bin, despite a deal of pushing, and the bags were duly despatched to the aircraft’s hold.
If you have ever found yourself in this predicament, or indeed are looking around for a suitable carry-on bag, and one which suits the majority of the strict rules as laid down by airlines these days, then it is worth checking out the upgraded Roller Kitmonster 35 Generation 2 from Snugpak. With dimensions of 48cm x 23cm x 31cm and a generous capacity of 35 litres, it is both lightweight and extremely durable, thanks to the tarpaulin fabric outer shell. It has clearly been tested for rugged outdoors use, and features a grab handle and an upgraded push button, height-adjustable, aluminium telescopic handle and wheel system, so you can easily wheel it through the check-in hordes and out the other end with ease.
With a maximum load capacity of 22kg, inside are two different wet and dry compartments, with a separation zip running the length of the bottom, a handy pocket to each side, and a large zipped mesh compartment in the lid. There are also external zipped compartments on either side of the bag for easy access to accessories. It is worth noting that although the outer fabric will be fine in heavy downpours, make sure you do not drop the bag in the water if you are crossing a stream with it, because the zips are not waterproof and the seams are not tape sealed. All in all, an excellent all-purpose holdall, and one which I, for sure, will get plenty of use from. £84.95, www.snugpak.com
