There are few things more marvelous than the ingenuity of man when faced with an intractable dilemma. Take flying for instance. The growth of budget airlines is awesome, however the restrictions on baggage is not. Who can get by with just 10 kg carry on? It’s barely enough for a pack of sandwiches and a grapefruit. Well, panic not, dear traveler, because help is at hand.

The Jaktogo is a bag which converts to a jacket, and which can carry 10kg and more in its 16 cavernous pockets. It’s been designed specifically to beat the 10kg baggage weight restrictions on airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet, and it certainly seems to work. The video below shows frustrated airport staff having to allow the jacket through security once the bag converts to a coat. Interesting.

The Jaktogo is not the only contender in the massive carry on product arena. There’s also a mega-jacket called the Rufus Roo, which has 6 large pockets capable of holding everything from a laptop to your week’s beach wear and more.

Our only comment about these products is surely they’re living on borrowed time? Once every passenger ends up carrying an extra 10 kg, surely the hammer will come down on the whole thing? Well, for the time being at least, the airlines seem to be taking a watch and see attitude. Steve McNamara of Ryanair sums it up.

“We have no problem with it…it is somewhat embarrassing…only if 189 people on a flight wear it will it become an issue…”

So for now it looks as though we the sheeple can not only enjoy being treated like coach class cattle at airports, but now turn ourselves into pack-horses as well. Oh yes, the joys of flying indeed.

The Jaktogo products are available in a range of materials and styles (poncho, coat, dress and denim, leather and nylon) at prices starting at €79.95. The Rufus Roo jackets come in various shades of nylon starting at £29.95. As one wit put it, at those prices, you only have to save on one excess baggage fee at check-in and the jacket’s paid for itself.