Patagonia MLC

"Slightly smaller than I had anticipated. More suitable for 2 days rather than 3-5 days as advertised. Extremely well built and durable."

"I really hope the airlines never change the MLC or "maximum legal carry-on" sizing, because this is my go-to bag for every plane trip. You have one main compartment that can be easily divided into two sides- dirty and clean clothes- by using the mesh divider.



The outside pockets are well thought out, with a handy small zippered pocket for your tickets, boarding pass, and passport. There's another slightly larger pocket for other paperwork or perhaps a book. Then there is another pocket with a few dividers that is ideal for your bag of toiletries and any other small nicknacks you need while traveling.



Overall I rank this as one of the best travel bags on the market. Patagonia has done a great job with it, and you also get a few fun colors to choose from.



I took this for a long weekend in San Francisco last year and ended up overloading it because I bought some things while I was there. It was getting very heavy, so I tried the backpack straps for the first time and now I'm a believer! You just unzip a back panel, take the two backpack straps and clip them on the outside of the bag, then stow the shoulder strap in that zippered pocket. The bag turns horizontally so you're now wearing it as a backpack. Brilliant."

"I have been traveling for work this past year (2-3 trips a month), but I only had a large rolling type bag that I had to check-in for each flight. Ive been searching for a good business travel bag that I could carry-on. However, I wasnt certain if I wanted a rolling type carry-on bag or if I wanted the over-the-shoulder kind. Well, after being stuck at an airport for 4-hours because they lost my bag, I finally decided to buy something else. Also, I had a business trip coming up and I would be traveling to Baltimore, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and New York in a short 5-day period. And since I would be walking A LOT and taking mostly trains and subways, touting around a traditional rolling luggage didnt seem so appealing. Well, since I am use to shopping at REI and this site, Ive become very a custom to buying equipment with the option of returning it if you didnt like how it performed. I was really happy to find the Patagonia MLC Carry-on Bag (2150 cu) at this site. This bag was actually highly recommended by another site, which is a good website if you are trying to reduce your travel load and they have a lot of great packing tips. However, now that they are selling their own bags (the quality doesnt look so great) they no longer have a list of recommended bags from other manufacturers. Ive been very pleased with the Patagonia MLC Carry-on Bag (2150 cu). It is a great size, works flawlessly, and packs down small and light. I am also very happy with the bags quality and construction. It converts into a backpack very easily, which I use often, and there are lots of pockets for travel documents and things. However, you will have to pack a little less with this bag; but, it will hold a 1-pair of shoes (not 2) with all of your other clothes and it is not ideal for winter trip to the East Coast since there is no space for large sweaters and jackets. However, this bag works great for the other 3-seasons, especially for shorter trips on the West Coast. I also use it for leisure travel as well. Great bag!!"

"My MLC from 2003 was destroyed by an airline in August. That bag had been around the world, from a 6 week bare bones tour of SE Asia to business trips in 5 star hotels. It was the perfect size to carry suits or vacation gear. It looked great in black so you could check into your hotel with the back pack straps zipped into their compartment. I just bought and immediately returned the Spring 2008 model which is an abomination. It is now a sad looking backpack, just 30 liters split between a dinky main compartment and a side compartment. The handle is placed to one side so you can't easily carry it. Redesigned? You bet, it's now neither functional nor attractive. Congratulations Patagonia, you created the Edsel of carry on bags."

"What a perfect bag! I'd been looking for this bag for some time -- combines the convenience and feel of a quality outdoor type pack to the practicality of a suitcase. This bag is the right size, just wide enough to fit two stacks of folded shirts, or one stack of folded shirts and then a pair of hiking boots. I've not flown with it yet, but I can't wait to bypass the luggage check. This will easily fit a week's worth of stuff, but still small enough to toss over a shoulder. And no dorky wheels. After showing others over the holidays, I think I've sold two more for MooseJaw. Really, this bag does fill a niche. Nice work, Patagonia, and good product selection, MooseJaw. PS Get this bag, not the smaller one, if you're looking for a piece of actual luggage."

"I have the original MLC Bag -- it was the perfect travel bag. Well balanced for carrying rather than use as a backpack, and lots of room.



Unfortunately, Patagonia redesigned the MLC bag in a way that makes it awkward to carry and difficult to pack properly. At best, the MLC is now a dysfunctional backpack rather than a perfect lightweight suitcase that was easy to carry and pack.



I had recommended the bag to a friend based on my experience with the original MLC -- and my friend was extremely unhappy with the experience, especially with the cheapened handle that is on one side of the bag rather than centered, making the bag impossible to carry easily when fully packed.



I would NOT recommend this bag for any use, unless it reverts to its original design."

"Great travel bag when you want to breeze through airports on short business trips. With the cleverly hidden '007' back-pack straps and some imagination, it almost feel like you're hiking into some twisted urban wilderness. Well handled and pocketed. It will easily get you through 3-4 days, that is if you are not too much of a shoe horse. The only down side for me here was the shoulder strap...perhaps I have grotesque features, but it didn't seem to conform well to my shoulder."

"This bag will hold a LOT more than it looks like. For business travelers, you will be happy to know that a suit, folded in half will fit comfortably inside. Unlike previous Patagonia models, this bag comes with a big compression pouch instead of just 2 compression straps, making it gentler on your clothes and easier to fit tons inside. The bag can easily hold suits and casual wear for 3 days, shoes, a 3 binder, laptop, and a beauty parlor."

"I fly a lot and am constantly dumb-founded at the amount of STUFF people carry with them on trips. Why?!? Leave your wheeled chest at home and streamline your packing using a simple carry-on. Travel will be easier and you will be happier because of it. Anyway, off my soapbox...The MLC is my favorite. Carries nicely and has well designed organization features. Perfect for weekend trips or any Jet-Set type adventure."

"The MLC before the 2004 redesign was the best travel bag ever. You could go hiking with it or hide the straps in the zippered compartment and check into a five star hotel for a business trip. USAir trashed my old one and I just got the new one. I saw immediately that the size has been diminished as well as the quality. The leather handle is gone replaced by a cheap strap. The interrior compartments won't fit my clothes as before. It is now neither functional nor good looking. Yuck, what a disappointment, this is a return for sure."