UKH

Can anyone recommend a good rucksack that meets the Easyjet underseat criteria (45 x 36 x 20cm) that will serve as a good day sack when I get to where I'm going. 

https://www.outside.co.uk/blue-ice-octopus-40l-turkish-blue.html
 

A fraction bigger but probably ok if not filled to the brim.

Er... Maybe I'm just stating the obvious... But surely any rucsac that can pack down to that maximum size would do the trick?

Just fill it enough to stay within the volume required, then once at your destination, stuff it to its gills?

That said, I did read here of a new bag from Petzl designed for plane travel - maybe that's what you're looking for?

Yeah.  Keep it squishy.  The test is can you squeeze it into their box at the boarding gate.  Take your spare jumper and coat out before you go through the boarding gate check.  Its this point where you get asked.  Pop them back in as you wait to climb the steps.

I've got a bit of a reputation (at least in my family) for rowing with airline staff about this... IMHO if it fits under the seat its fair game. 

My advice is take a "sportingly packed" bag - i use my Blue Ice Warthog 30 - that in extremis you could take a couple of jackets out and just wear them to get through check in/boarding, then stash them back in the bag.

Also, i tend to keep it on my back at all times going through check-in/boarding and they are less likely to challenge you. I've only been actually challenged once in quite a number of flights and then i fought my corner and they just let me go on my way

Osprey Transporter Zip Top is what i use, can get decent amount of kit in it.

But in my experience as long as you don't have a 50L pack towering over you and stuffed to the max on your back nobody will blink an eye at it.

In my experience nobody will blink an eye at anything you bring as a carry on, regardless of a) which size you booked or b) whether it's in the limits. Ideally spend 10 mins walking up and down the aisle complaining there is no space for it while delaying the plane for maximum effect. 

To the OP: if it's the baggage included in the ticket, so long as it fits under a plane seat it's fine. I have a soft 25L generic Lowe Alpine sack that works a treat, even with 3-4 days (warm weather) clothes, a mirrorless camera, and a laptop. 

Never actually down easyJet, but...

My experience is that large bags get weighed, small ones don't. So one bag at maximum size limit packed full of light stuff, second much smaller bag with everything heavy.

Do yourself a favour and make the bag less full by wearing jumpers/coats and stuffing your pockets with "stuff" at checkpoints. 

Also don't forget to keep it on your back and spin round multiple times as you walk down the aisle, clobbering people in the face with it as you go.

easyJet doesn't have a hand luggage weight limit, just size.

I take an ancient Karrimor Hot Ice 30l. I cinch it down as much as possible so it's within the dimensions, and wear as much clothing as possible until after check-in.  I've never had any problems, never had it weighed either.  Although they say it should fit under the seat I usually manage to get it in an overhead locker.  I think any small-ish rucksack with compression straps can probably be made to work.  

The problem with buying luggage specifically for air travel is that all airlines have slightly different rules.

Yes they do, its 15kg

https://www.easyjet.com/en/help/baggage/cabin-bag-and-hold-luggage

For what it's worth I think those dimensions equate to about 30 litres.

I've seen quite a few people over the years forced to have the rucksack moved to the hold. That's not a great outcome if you have a rucksack you know fits in advance.

Easyjet have tightened up, particularly on the small hand baggage that has to go under the seat.  The main thing to watch is any stave or plastic sheet in the back that is more than the permitted size.  Go shopping with a tape measure....

Any frameless pack with a good (!) compression system. You're welcome.

Thanks.  That's a recent change.

For "Boarding" i meant going through the gate, once you've passed that obstacle nobody cares!

I just love people on UKC making wild assumptions about peoples character....

I've used my deuter guide 35+ on a number of occasions and never been questioned. The key as with all the other posts is to make it possible to compress to the required size if they were to ask. 

Another one who uses either a Blue Ice Dragonfly 25l or Warthog 28l with no issues. 
You could also just stand behind someone who has clearly not read the rules and you will breeze past whilst they get the rubber truncheon treatment from the bag police. 

Witnessed this tightening up first hand the other night boarding a EasyJet flight at Gatwick. First time since before Covid I’ve seen them checking everyone’s bag who didn’t have a speedy boarding or had chosen a seat as a extra.
Not sure if this was a blip or the norm going forward but certainly a wake up call. Luckily my bag fitted after removing a book & my jacket.

Check out Cabin Max. They offer a range of rectangular rucksacks to optimally fit the EasyJet, Ryanair, etc, underseat size restrictions.  
 

I own the EasyJet one, purchased from Amazon. It’s fully featured, in terms of pockets/zips, but be aware they’re designed to optimally fit the dimensions (and thus max out the luggage you can take), not designed for comfort, hence the EasyJet bag feels a little odd to carry, as it doesn’t extend the length of my back, yet is quite wide and unusually deep. It’s fine for carrying to the airport and onwards to a hotel, but you sure wouldn’t want to take it trekking! 
 

https://cabinmax.com

The DMM short haul is pretty good, and sized to fit, although it is more of a sport climbing bag (clamshell opening) than a typical day sack. I've managed to fit everything for a week's holiday in one.

https://dmmwales.com/climbing-products/bags-chalk/short-haul

I've taken my DMM flight (55cm x 36cm x 33cm) on the last 5 sport climbing trips on various airlines inc easyjet and got away with it each time, but am aware they could pull me up on it. Basically I figure Im gonna get shafted at some but its cheaper to wing it rather than pay for the baggage allowance each trip.

That said my legs are about 10cm long so if you're some sort of long legged lank-past-every-hard-move type, you may just want to take a small bag to give yourself extra leg space. 

walking poles? when i flew ej my small sack went in the hold 4 free- what's changed?

Yeah last year I got asked at the gate to fit my 30L in that metal thing - it didn't initially so I started unpacking it and putting stuff in my pockets - until it did (with some force) - so got through without paying extra.

No poles. With Easyjet you get a free underseat bag, and have to pay to put a slightly larger bag in the overhead locker, and slightly more  again for a hold bag up to 23kg..
So me and my partner are paying for one hold bag, and are maximising the 2 free underseat bags.

32.4 litres

What Tall Steve said.

I've taken a large sized Patagonia Ascensionist 30L on several flights without ever having to pay extra or check it in. If I've got bulky clothing, I wear it until I'm on the plane.  

As walts4 mentioned in the thread above, this is also the first trip I've been on since the allowance changed in 2021 where I've seen it actively enforced by EasyJet on our flight to Alicante last week.  

My partner and I managed to swerve a charge each by unpacking and starting to put stuff on (helmet included!) before squeezing into the box at the gate. At £40 a pop, £80 of charges would have been a crap start to the trip. The guy was walking up and down the queue with a payment machine and must have took a few hundred quid in minutes.

So definitely worth checking your suitcase size, keeping your carry on so you're able to squeeze it down or look at one of the specific items listed. There's also the option to pay for the 'Standard Plus' when booking your flights which gives you a large carry on for £16 return (IIRC) if you don't want to fork out for a brand new rucksack.

Currently using a Montane Azote which is great for day hikes in reasonable weather. If its not over stuffed it's fine under seat. 

In the past I've taken Pod 30L alpine pack which will also fit under as long as its not too ffull. 

As I'm sure you know, it's very rare you can't find a gap in an overhead locker, but I guess you're concerned about getting through the gate. 

As you say, fine for carry on baggage (we've used them for a few years) but they're cheap materials and not particularly comfortable. I wouldn't want to put more than a few clothes and a couple of books in one, and certainly not climbing gear.

If I’ve also got a bag in the hold I take the back support poles out of my macpac and put them in the hold bag. There are two that slide out of the frame. The macpac then squashes down nicely to fit under the seat. 

I did exactly that, Decathlon with a tape measure, for an Easyjet flight in a couple of weeks time, got a 20L sack 45cm tall.

Then realised that my flight back is not Easyjet but Vuelair, which has a 40cm limit! So it will just have to be packed lighter and scrunched down a bit for the way home.

Haven't flown for ... gosh ... 5 years. Not been abroad since pre-covid.