I’ve been on a quest for the perfect luggage for years. I’ve tried bag after bag. There’s always something right and something wrong with each option. Perfection isn’t yet something I’ve found.

I’m on the road for the summer. Two weeks in Seattle. Two weeks in Portland, Oregon. Then a week in New York followed by two weeks in Maine, with a brief stop back in Raleigh in the middle.

The trip involves eight planes, a train, four boats, lots of buses, and a fleet of rental cars. My luggage will take a beating.

I travel with a carry-on suitcase and a computer bag. My bags are what I selected after trying out lots of different options. What works for me won’t necessarily work for you.

I’ll share what I’m using so you can add them to your list of options. Unfortunately, you’ll have to figure out what’s right for you by trial and error.

My preference is to avoid checking my bag. I use a carry-on. I’m not willing to wait on my luggage or risk it getting lost. It’s just not worth it to me to wait in order to have a few extra items. You may feel differently.

My Carry-On of Choice

My carry-on is the Tom Bihn Aeronaut. It’s hard to get right now, as we’re in peak travel season.

The Aeronaut doesn’t have wheels. You’ve got to carry it with the shoulder strap or wear it like a backpack. It’s incredibly well made.

I like the Aeronaut because it lets me carry lots of stuff. The bags with wheels obviously use some of the space to accommodate the wheels and handle. That space is available in a bag like the Aeronaut, which conforms to the maximum size permitted on the American carriers.

The other thing I really like about the Aeronaut is that, because it doesn’t have wheels, it can be squeezed in between other bags pretty easily. When the gate agents announce that the overhead space is full and that carry-ons must be checked, they usually let me squeeze the Aeronaut in anyway.

The downside of the Aeronaut is that it doesn’t have wheels. If I arrive at Midway in Chicago, catch the train into the city, and then have to walk three blocks carrying the bag on my back, I sometimes miss the wheels. That’s especially true if it’s hot.

My Favorite Laptop Bag

My computer rides in a bag of its own. I like the BlueLounge Laptop Tote. It’s simple bag that holds a 13″ laptop and a few other things as well. I have an umbrella, water bottle, power adapters, etc. loaded up, and it slides right under the seat in front of me. I use the bag as my briefcase even when I’m not on a plane, train, or boat.

The Laptop Tote is made from recycled materials, and it’s incredibly rugged. I’ve been carrying one around for a couple of years without issue, and I’m rough on it. It gets tossed around constantly. It endures.

These are my bags of the moment. Will I move on to something else eventually? Probably, but this combination is working really well right now. I have no reservations about recommending the Tom Bihn and the BlueLounge bags. They are a great combination.