Frequent travelers know that carrying the right bag with them can play a crucial role in their travel experience. If you take a piece of luggage that is too small, you might end up being a bit cramped for space. On the other hand, if your bag is too big, it might be overly bulky and require you to check it at the airport, incurring extra airline fees in the process. Wouldn’t it be nice if you had one bag that could alter its size to meet your specific needs at any given time? That is the premise behind The Adjustable Bag, a duffel that has the ability to expand and contract as needed.
Recently launched on Kickstarter, The Adjustable Bag — or TAB for short — touts itself as “the world’s most versatile bag,” and with good reason. The duffel features the ability to expand from 31 liters of capacity to 46.5 liters or even as much as 62 liters at its largest size. This, when combined with its built-in shoulder straps and removable sling, allows the bag to be configured in 12 styles, each designed with a specific need in mind. And when not in use, the duffel — which weighs 1.1 pounds — packs down to a small size.
How does it work? It’s quite simple, really. The TAB has an integrated cinch system located at either end of the bag that compresses it down to its smallest size when both cables are pulled tight. Need to expand the duffel from small to medium size? Simply pull the release cord on one end, allowing it to uncompress, creating more room on the interior of the bag. Want more carrying capacity? Release the other cinch cord to allow the bag to grow to its full size, increasing the amount you can carry in a matter of seconds.
The cinch system allows the TAB to serve as a gym bag while commuting around town, but easily expands to a weekender pack when more capacity is needed. At its largest size, it is a duffel big enough to support much longer trips as well, making this three bags in one. And since it is built from durable, water-resistant, ripstop nylon materials, it should be tough enough to take with you pretty much anywhere.
The designers of the TAB set crowdfunding goal of $30,000 to get the bag into production. It has easily exceeded that number already, with more than three weeks to go in the Kickstarter campaign. That means TAB should begin shipping in June, when it will carry a $139 price tag. Early bird supports of the project can reserve one now for $99.
