The Gadget: The STM Rogue Roller Travel Bag, with space for a 17-inch notebook and wheels.The Price: $179.95
The Verdict: This is a solid travel bag that is perfect for one or two nights away. I travelled with it both to Hong Kong for the recent HP conference, and to the Hunter Valley, and it not only carried everything I needed, but wheeled along nicely the entire time.
There are heaps of pockets on this thing – from the 17-inch laptop compartment in the main section to the stationary pocket at the front. You shouldn’t have any dramas fitting all your gadgets in with your clothes here. Even chargers were able to be squeezed in with a minimum of fuss.
On my Hong Kong trip, the Rogue Roller managed to get me on board with everything I needed as carry-on luggage (although only barely on the way home). The wheels are resilient, covering asphalt, pebbles, paved footpaths and the streets of Hong Kong without any visible signs of wear and tear. The same goes for the case itself.
There were only two issues I had with the Rogue Roller from STM: Firstly, the bar for the handle so you can roll along rather than carrying the bag creates a ridge in the middle of the main section of the bag, which makes packing shoes slightly awkward. Secondly, only the main compartment has lockable zips – the other compartments have two zips you can lock together, although that doesn’t really help you secure your contents.
If you’re after a solid performing overnight bag with wheels that’s got plenty of space and is designed to last, this is a great choice. For 180 bucks it might seem a bit steep, but after flying through customs because all you have is carry on luggage, you’ll be cheering your selection.