The size of your carry on luggage is becoming more and more important as airlines continue to increase fees, as well as restrict what’s allowed when you board a flight. ProGo — no not an off-brand GoPro — is a backpack that wants to help you pack as much as you can into a size suitable for a carry-on.
ProGo has a sleek design and is made of a durable nylon tarp that makes it waterproof and should, as its Kickstarter page says, “last millions of miles.” The bag basically compartmentalizes all your items for easy access, while also allowing you to fit at least a week’s worth of clothes, according to the company’s Kickstarter page. It has an integrated removable shelf that you hang directly in your closet — whether at home or in a hotel, as well as a separate compartment to put a pair of shoes in (boots will probably not fit). If you’re not carrying that many clothes, you can also fit a laptop, tablet, and even camera gear in the bag.
Specifically for the camera, the ProGo has six-piece modular pads with Velcro, ensuring the safety of your gear. There’s also a “secret” pouch in the ProGo to store valuable items, like your passport or jewelry, that’s inaccessible to other people when the bag is on your back. Pretty handy.
But what makes it smart? It has a Bluetooth device tracker embedded that will allow you to track it in the unfortunate event that you lose your bag. Smart luggage with Bluetooth trackers aren’t new, but what really makes the bag unique is its ability to fit so much while still maintaining a carry-on form factor.
The Kickstarter still has 15 days to go, but the company has already succeeded in funding the product, and as of publication has made $57,829, well beyond its $26,161 goal. Due to the success of the Kickstarter campaign, the company has added a side handle, a tripod or umbrella holder strap, a chest strap, a flap to hide the straps, and a slit to provide access for a cable to an outlet to charge a device without having to take it out of the bag.
The ProGo will retail for $400, but the Kickstarter page has a variety of special prices on the bag, beginning at $223. It’s expected to ship in May of 2016.
