Gear Review: Patagonia MLC Bag

Traveling for work but want to squeeze pleasure into your schedule, too? The MLC (Maximum Legal Carry-On) is the key to packing everything you need (and skipping extra-fee and baggage-claim hassles). The 45-liter packspace opens like a book for full access. Pack shoes and clothes for town and trail in two zippered sections, slip your laptop into the padded sleeve, and keep tickets and keys in an external pocket.

Tote like a briefcase or deploy straps for a backpack carry during airport sprints or for short dayhikes. Durability? “The recycled poly will outlive your passport,” says one tester who used it for a hike on Mt. Humphreys after a Phoenix conference. $159; 45 liters; 2 lbs. 14 oz.; patagonia.com