One Great Carry On Bag

How do I love the Red Oxx Gator bag? Let me count the ways.

I've been walking about Australia for a few weeks, and the right carry-on has been, as always, critical. This is one big country, and on any given day, I may be making my way by train, plane, bus or car. In any transportation scene, a shoulder bag separate from my backpack is key for holding tickets, guidebook, and flashpacker gear like laptop, phone and international adaptor plug. The Red Oxx Gator is just about it.

Something about that Red Oxx tractor tire-like shoulder strap just does it for lugging luggage through train stations and hopping on and off buses in a hurry, and it works as a front seat companion in the car (though rooting through it on the road is something I'm avoiding, as I'm driving in Australia at enough peril to myself and other motorists as it is).

Tractor tire aside, the Gator's tough all over -- this bag is what happpens when an ex-paratrooper moves to Montana and starts designing travel bags (true stuff); the Billings-based company makes a fairly full line of right living, hard traveling bags to get you where you want to go without breaking the bank or collarbone. Check it out: Red Oxx advises that you write this bag into your will, because it will outlast you.

• Read the Red Oxx Gator bag review
• What's a flashpacker?
• Driving in Australia

Related: Backpackers, Bucks and Techno Travel | Practical Travel Gear | Airport Security Rules | How to Avoid Lost Luggage

Photo - Kathleen Crislip 2006