History
MEI travel packs--the first travel packs in the world--combined the best of both worlds. Like suitcases, they were roomy (enabling you to fold your clothes) and allowed an entire side to be opened at once, so that you didn't have to dig down through all your stuff to get at something at the bottom. Unlike suitcases, however, they could be carried on your back for long distances, especially with the careful attention paid to comfort built into each pack. And, like conventional backpacks, each MEI travel pack was built for rugged use and featured a number of features cherished by backpackers, such as compression-strap loops for sleeping bags and heavy-duty zippers. Unlike regular backpacks, however, MEI packs used an internal-frame construction with few or no external straps, and the waist belt and shoulder harnesses could be zipped away, making the packs easy to store away on buses and planes.