Traveling Around Europe with the Revolution Rolling Pack
This spring I had the chance to put the Revolution Rolling Pack to use on a two and half week trip to Europe, where I visited the UK, Germany and Poland. I used a variety of transportation including: taxis, buses, subways, trains and airplanes to get where I needed to go. I would highly recommend the Revolution Rolling Pack overall based on my experience on this trip for its modular ability, which allowed me to be flexible in my traveling.
Most “non-extreme” budget airlines allow you to take a personal item and a carry-on on transatlantic flights. The way I packed for this trip, my Revolution Rolling Pack was too big when it was all put together to qualify as one carry-on item for a flight, but due to its modular ability it can be taken apart into one, two or three bags. I transformed the Revolution Rolling Pack into the Revolution Expandable Spinner (the middle rolling suitcase) and the Revolution Double Pack (front and back parts used to create the backpack). I used the Revolution Expandable Spinner as my carry-on and the Revolution Double Pack as my “personal item”. I had no problem with the gate-agent bringing either of these parts of the Revolution Rolling Pack on board the airplane. By the time I boarded, (I’m not in the first few boarding groups!) most of the overhead bins were full. I did find a space in what I will call a “half-size” overhead compartment. Since the Revolution Expandable Spinner can be stored on its side it was able to fit in this small overhead bin, next to a larger hard-shell suitcase. I was able to store the Revolution Double Pack under the seat in front of me, as the flight was totally full and no extra space was available in the overhead bins. No forced last minute gate checking! Yay!
When I arrived at Heathrow airport early the next morning I was able to roll off the plane with my Revolution Expandable Spinner and the Revolution Double Pack on my back, use the e-gates for UK immigration and arrive at the Heathrow Express station in about 20 minutes. I would have never been able to do that if I had checked a bag.
On board most of the trains in Europe that I traveled on, I was able to put both the Revolution Double Pack and the Expandable Spinner up on the shelves above the seats. Both bags are small enough that they fit and usually didn’t need to be placed on the designated luggage rack. This allowed me to keep a watchful eye on them! The situation was the same when I had to take a replacement bus in Oxfordshire due to track maintenance. I could fit my Revolution Expandable Spinner on the small shelf above the seats, allowing me to avoid having to put my luggage in the area underneath the bus.
In addition to being great for storage options on the train, the Revolution Rolling Pack was also useful in other ways. On the ICE (InterCityExpress) train (the really fast one in Germany), I was able to add some legroom to my seat by attaching the Messenger Tote Pack to the tray table in front of me. This created a work station for my ipad, plus having electrical sockets on the wall or below my seat allowed me to get work done with Deutsche Bahn’s wifi while sitting for multiple hours. I was also able to fit the Revolution Expandable Spinner underneath the seat in front of me on a train in Poland, when there was no space available left on the shelf above the seats. Both of these options can work on an airplane as well.
For daytrips and exploring different cities such as Birmingham (Great Britain), Hannover (Germany), Warsaw or Torun (Poland) I mainly used the Revolution Expandable Daypack, which expands exactly like its name, which was great for stuffing a coat inside or for souvenirs I bought for family members back home. Also, when expanding the Revolution Expandable Daypack, two side holder pockets are revealed, which I frequently used to carry an umbrella on one side and drink on the other. The water resistant fabric surely held up during my travels, through lite drizzle during the day or even torrential downpours, of which I experienced a few! Plus I used the computer and or tablet sleeve inside the Expandable Daypack to carry a guide book or my personal notebook. The top front pocket was perfect for holding a pen and notepad in case I needed to write something down, plus my powerbank and cable to charge my phone.
On a side note, I highly recommend purchasing an e-sim for your phone so you can use inexpensive data abroad. It made my trip so much more helpful, allowing me to check times that museums open, purchase public transit tickets, make restaurant reservations, convert prices, access directions using Google maps and much more.
In the bottom front pocket I was able to store my camera and camera cleaning equipment to take photos of my trip. All of the zippered pockets can be locked, so I didn’t worry about someone trying to pickpocket me.
Even when I flew European budget airlines I was able to take both parts of the Revolution Rolling Pack onboard (as carry-ons) if I purchased a second bag. I would put the backpack under the seat in front of me and the Expandable Spinner in the overhead compartment. I never had a gate agent, baggage handler or anyone else from the airline bat an eyelid over me bringing my Revolution Rolling Pack onboard (as separate pieces). Overall, I would recommend the Revolution Rolling Pack to anyone wanting to travel more flexibly and lightly. It worked well for me in Europe and probably would work well for most people too!