Millican Smith 18L vs. Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Millican Smith 18L
| Capacity | 18 L |
| Weight | 0.9 kg |
| Dimensions | 50×28×10 cm |
| Airline fit | 92% |
| Price | $130 |
Feature by feature
| Millican Smith 18L | Feature | Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| N | Compression | N |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 2 | Opening | 1 |
| side | Passport | side |
| N | Passthrough | N |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | hideable |
| removable | Hip Belt | removable |
| removable | Sternum Strap | removable |
| Inside | ||
| 15in | Laptop | N |
| 3 | Main Compartments | 5 |
| N | Organizer | N |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | N |
| N | Water Bottle Holder | N |
| Y | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| Weatherproof Bionic Canvas | 1050 denier ballistic nylon OR ultralight 400d Halcyon/420d nylon ripstop 200 denier Halcyon/nylon ripstop fabric lining |
Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L
| Capacity | 45 L |
| Weight | 1.4 kg |
| Dimensions | 56×36×23 cm |
| Airline fit | 45% |
| Price | $340 |
Key differences between the Millican Smith 18L and Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L
- Opening: Rolltop on the Millican Smith 18L; Clamshell on the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L.
- Backpack straps: Yes on the Millican Smith 18L; Hideable on the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L.
- Laptop sleeve: 15in on the Millican Smith 18L; No on the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L.
- Main compartments: 3 on the Millican Smith 18L; 5 on the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L.
Both have: passport pocket, hip belt, sternum strap, water resistant.
Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on
We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 85 accept both. 89 accept only the Millican Smith 18L, and 0 accept only the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L.
Only the Millican Smith 18L fits
Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Air Caraibes, Air China, Air France, Air India, Air Malta, Air Mauritius, Air Niugini, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, All Nipon Airways, ANA, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Austrian, Azerbaijan Airlines, Belavia, Blue Air, Boliviana de Aviacion, Brussels Airlines, Bulgaria Air, Caribbean Airlines, Cayman Airways, China Eastern, Croatia Air, Czech Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Eurowings, Fiji Airways, Flair Air, flybe, Gol Linhas Aereas, Great Lakes Airlines, Iberia, Icelandair, Indigo, InselAir, Interjet, Iran Air, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, Juneyao Airlines, Kenya Airways, KLM, LATAM , Liat Airlines, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Luxair, Mahan Air, Meridiana Fly, Mesa Airlines, Nordwind Airlines, Norwegian, Oman Air, Pakistan International, Peach, Porter Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Ryanair, S7, SAS Scandinavian, Scoot, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sky Airlines, Sun Express, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), Tiger Airways, TUI, Turkish Airlines, Ukraine International, VIM Airlines (Closed), Volotea, WestJet, Xiamen.
Millican Smith 18L vs. Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L: which should you pack?
The Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L carries 27L more than the Millican Smith 18L (18L vs. 45L), while the Millican Smith 18L is the lighter pack at 0.9kg (vs. 1.4kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Millican Smith 18L fits 92% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L; if you want to travel lighter, the Millican Smith 18L is the better call.