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Carry on luggage is the primary bag you bring onboard a plane and store in the overhead bin. Carry on luggage may also be called cabin luggage or hand luggage, especially in Europe. Most people carry a suitcase, backpack, or duffel bag as their carry on.
Checked luggage sets are not made for travelers on an adventure.
First, airlines charge you $60 to check your luggage roundtrip.
Then, you have to wait for the plane to unload and deliver your luggage to baggage claim.
Finally, you may be one of the unlucky travelers whose bag is lost or delayed.
With Tortuga carry on luggage, once you land and deplane you are ready to head out on your adventure.
With our comfortable travel backpacks, you can easily go up staircases, navigate rough streets, or jump onto a bus without any issue.
Carry on bags fly free
Land and immediately start your adventure
Efficient and easy to carry
If your journey takes you to the cobblestone streets of Paris, up a flight of stairs to your Airbnb, or up and over curbs, a spinner wheel suitcase will not fare well. Especially once the wheels break.
You don’t have to worry about any of those situations when you have a carry on backpack. Without spinner wheels, you have the freedom to easily travel anywhere with all of your stuff.
Spinner wheels and telescoping handles don’t just limit your freedom of movement. They take up to 20% of your weight allowance.
That means you can’t pack as much or bring home any souvenirs.
You'll be carrying your bag, so it must be comfortable. Hiking packs set the standard for comfort because they're meant to carry tens of pounds for an entire day of hiking. Compared to that, carrying your bag through the airport and around town should be easy.
To be as comfortable as a hiking bag, Tortuga travel bags have upgrades like padded shoulder straps, a sternum strap to help balance weight, and a weight-bearing hip belt that fits most men and women.
Bad weather is a part of travel, as much as we all want to avoid it. A water-resistant bag keeps your gear and electronics safe from irreparable damage. Tortuga's bags are made with water-resistant fabrics and zippers to protect your stuff.
Most thieves aren’t professionals. They’re opportunists.
Tortuga makes its carry on bags with anti-theft features such as lockable zippers that work with TSA-approved locks.
You won’t stand out as a tourist with our discreet styling and colors to keep you blending in.
Your laptop and tablet are essential parts of traveling for business or commuting for work. You don't want to risk your expensive technical gear before an important presentation or your 18-hour flight home because of the wrong laptop bag.
At Tortuga, we have designed padded, fleece-lined divider sleeves for your laptop and tablet so your electronics make it home safely from your business trips.
The wrong luggage can ruin your trip. Traveling with spinner wheel suitcases and hiking backpacks proved that to us.
That is why our backpacks are made by travelers for travelers. All of our backpacks are:
Carry on sized
Comfortable to wear
Built to last
We cannot stand two things at Tortuga: shipping fees and poorly made products.
At Tortuga, we ship our bags to you for free and stand behind our products 100%.
We guarantee against defects in materials and craftsmanship for as long as you own your bag. If your gear fails due to a defect, we will repair it, replace it, or refund your money (at our discretion), depending on product availability.
Read the full details of our Worldwide Warranty.
Do you hate it when you click to buy something and then they add on all these extra costs and fees?
Us too! That’s why Tortuga offers free shipping on orders over $49.
Check out our full shipping details here.
You don’t want to get stuck with the wrong luggage on the other side of the world.
Our goal at Tortuga is to make travel easy and fun. That includes making sure that you have the right bag before you leave for your trip.
With the Home Try-On Program, you can try out a Tortuga backpack at home, risk-free to see if it’s right for you. If it’s not for you, no problem. Send it back to us within 30 days. We’ll pay for the return shipping and refund your purchase.
What size is carry on luggage?
Carry on luggage sizes and weights differ by airline, fare type, and region.
The most common size for carry on luggage in the United States is 22 x 14 x 9″ or 45 linear inches (length + width + height). The 22″ height limit includes the wheels and handles for suitcases.
How big can carry on luggage be?
In the United States, carry on sizes range from 21 x 13.5 x 8 in and 11 lb up to 24 x 18 x 11 in and 51 lb.
Worldwide carry on sizes range from 53 x 35 x 20 cm and 5 kg up to 61 x 46 x 28 cm and 23 kg. The most common size is 55 x 40 x 23 cm and 7 kg.
Check your exact airline carry on luggage requirements here.
What are TSA’s carry on rules?
The TSA does not set carry on rules, the airlines do.
The TSA does have rules around the amount of liquid you can have in your carry on.
The TSA has a 3-1-1 Liquids Rule that says your carry on liquids must be in 3.4 ounce (100 ml) bottles (or smaller) inside of a clear, quart-sized bag.
You can see a big list of what you can and cannot bring on a plane here.
Each airline has slightly different rules, but all of them forbid certain items.
A few examples of forbidden items are explosives and blades of any kind such as knives, scissors, and nail files.
Here are the most common items questioned if they can be brought on a plane
The main drawbacks of a carry on spinner suitcase are the wheels because they can break and are heavy. Suitcases also have to be carried up stairs and over curbs.
The four wheels and telescoping handle use up to 20% of the total allowed weight of your carry on.
What are the cons of a hard side carry on luggage?
One drawback of hard side carry on luggage is that you can't overstuff it. If you try to put too much in the suitcase, it won’t close properly.
Another downside is that hard side suitcases don't have any outside pockets, which can be useful for storing items like your boarding pass, passport, or money that you need to get quickly.
What are the cons of expandable carry on luggage?
The con of expandable carry on luggage is if there's a problem with the zippers or expansion mechanism, it can be difficult to fix.
Another potential downside is that when the bag is expanded, it can become too heavy or too big to carry on.
Hardshell vs softside carry on luggage?
Softside luggage typically offers more packing space, while hardshell luggage is known for being more durable and therefore better suited for traveling to rugged destinations.
Since we are talking about carry on bags that will be in your possession inside the plane and not being thrown around by bag handlers, softside backpacks are your best choice.
Can I fit everything I need for a trip in my carry on?
Tortuga backpacks come with pockets to keep toiletries, chargers, computers, and laundry bags comfortably in their own place.
