CABIN ZERO

“It all started in India, way back in 1993. The world was in recession and decent jobs were hard to come by. So, passport in hand, traveller's cheques signed and a giant bag on my back, off I went. The trip was life-changing, but the bag sucked (to put it bluntly).

It took three trips to India to finally crack the bag-gate. Fed up of lugging giant, impractical bags around the world, I downsized to hand luggage - and never looked back. Travelling light was truly liberating. Plus, saving all that time at check-in meant extra time for a pre-flight beer!

It was one of the bleakest moments in travelling history: the day the airlines set carry-on baggage restrictions. Paying to check in a bag? Faffing around with rulers and tape measures, comparing different airlines’ hand luggage rules? No, thank you.

The need for a practical, reliable cabin bag was greater than ever.

My dream was simple - or so I thought. A lightweight backpack with zippers that is actually locked, durable enough for the rigours of travelling and small enough to keep by my side.

But after scouring the shops in the UK and Asia, I quickly realised that an adventure-proof, cabin-sized backpack just didn’t exist.

So I decided to make one myself.“