Posts Tagged Eagle Creek
Outdoor Retailer Show Takeaways
On the first weekend in August, the Salt Lake City convention center is over run with gear heads. The new stuff for spring of the following year (in this case, 2012) is on display. New shoes, clothes, tents, camping gear, paddle boards, luggage, backpacks, gadgets… it’s all out for preview. The big brands are there, folks like North Face and Columbia, and new little guys, too. If you can make your way out of the main pavilion, you’ll find scrappy new manufacturers trying to get their gear to market. It’s a crazy, fun, scene and the amount of gear on display is staggering, overwhelming to even a gear head like me. I did notice a few repeated themes and/or styles… here’s what stuck. A caveat: I’m a rookie to the OR Show, so what I observed may be old news to you.
Vintage styling on day packs. Kelty’s remake of a classic khaki pack with red metal zippers might have been the most popular discounted item at the show — lots of folks were carrying this thing around. Others bringing it back old school? North Face, Fjallraven, Kakadu (I liked their army surplus versions best), too many to remember. They’re cute, I liked them.
Color. Bergen of Norway had fleece in beautiful melon-y colors, that’s where I spotted it first. But oh, the mutli-sport shoes from Vasque, oh, I totally wanted a pair of those. And color isn’t just for socks anymore, though I did find myself pawing through the Darn Tough Vermont stripey samples thinking “I want that one and that one and that one…”It’s nice to see that we’re moving away from the military palette again. I like color, I like wearing it, and it’s fun to see. In Spring 2011, we’ll have color that isn’t just for kids.
Daypack/roller bag/backpack combinations. Down in the basement I’ve got an ancient duffel pack with a zip off day pack from REI. I saw several different versions of this re-imagined as a roller bag. I like the idea in theory, I can’t speak to the validity in practice, yet. Pack straps on a roller bag make sense to me, I’m not so keen on wearing a pack and if I can wheel it behind me, I’d prefer to do so. But sometimes, you’ve got to heft the thing and walk. The zip off day pack is another great idea in theory, but is the day pack the right one for you? I need it to hold my gadgets, so if the zip off day pack has a camera bucket and laptop sleeve, oh, that’s when I’m paying full attention. Eagle Creek has a new line of these and yes, they’re in nice colors. I’ll be interested to find out if they’re all that.
Gadgets: There were a few solar chargers — I spent some time checking out Goal Zero‘s line, but it remains to be seen if they can truly charge my phone in cloud flocked Seattle. I brought home a light, super bright clip on LED flashlight from Icon. There were lots of performance based watches with heart rate monitors for athletes, but I liked the less feature packed step counter watch with GPS from Timex. It amuses me to think of documenting just how far I walked at the Outdoor Retailer show; I can see the appeal of using this on a trip. I also saw several cool camping lanterns, though I liked Kelty‘s best. Wenger had some crazy functional jewelry – “Swiss army knife meets minimalism you can sneak past the TSA” style constructions. That was really interesting but doesn’t compensate for the fact that I have to check my bag to carry a classic multi-tool with knife on a plane.
Greenwashing everything. I lost count of the number of times I heard the term “post-consumer.” We’ll make new polar fleece out of your old polar fleece that was made from plastic water bottles. Our production chain is carbon neutral. We give a percentage of our profits to programs that get kids outside, protect wilderness, etc. etc. etc. I’m happy to see this, don’t get me wrong, but it requires genuine research to validate the veracity of these claims. Those cool camping lanterns I mention are still powered by standard batteries, after all.
The wrap. I’m still noodling on my weekend of gear spotting for items that were truly groundbreaking. I saw plenty of cute, clever, or remixed, but the only thing I recall that made me think “Wow, that’s new; does that REALLY work?” was the fly-less tent from North Face. All that aside, the show was full of travelers, people like you and me who love to be out in the world. It was fun to talk with people who lived in outdoor meccas like Aspen and Boulder, and to talk with New York PR reps who’d recently returned from Kenya or Costa Rica.
Watch for color, and a few new gadgets, vintage styling. If you’re looking to upgrade your kit, you’ll see some nice tweaks — better zippers and pulls, lighter materials — but I’m not convinced there’s a lot life-changing new stuff for spring.
Posted by Pam in General Gear on August 12th, 2011
A Year of Travel Gear
For the past year I’ve been living at 6,500 feet in central Mexico, in a historic colonial city that involves lots of climbing up hills, stairs, and cobblestone streets. In that time I’ve also traveled to a dozen other places in Mexico, and to Sedona, Salt Lake City, Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, and Peru. I’ve used and abused a lot of gear during that time, so here’s a look at what was really useful and what held up well.
I’ve been wearing travel pants at least half the time, whether I was traveling or not, because they’re lightweight and were easy to carry down in a suitcase. The Titanium Expedition ones from Colombia Sportswear I reviewed a while back held up well except around the back pocket, where the ironed-on pocket glue gave out after a while. The ExOfficio Altyn ones did better and if I hadn’t spilled chili-laced food on them now and then, they would still look practically new—even though I’ve had them since spring of 2009. Their FlexCord corduroy pants I wore all winter still do look new.
I’ve worn my North Face Gore-tex hooded coat through two rainy seasons now and it has never let me down. Through drizzles and downpours, it keeps me dry without making me bake inside.
I’ve plowed through a lot of shoes in the past year, some I’ve stuck with long after I was reviewing them, others I’ve loved less as time went on. The hiking shoes I like enough to take home with me are my Hi-tec Viper Trail Ultra ones. Besides those, the footwear that’s gotten the best workout is probably the pair of Keen Rockaway sandals I wore 9 months out of 12 and took on a few trips. They’re comfy, even after walking around all day, my feet stay cool, and they look good.
Every bag and piece of luggage I brought with me and used repeatedly has held up well and all of it’s going back with me, so no complaints there. High marks for Eagle Creek, Tom Bihn, Kelty, and Osprey. All the Sea to Summit accessories are still going strong too, like this little toiletry kit I take with me every time I’m going carry-on only.
Somebody stole my Victorinox Swiss Army knife out of a checked back somewhere in the Mexico City airport, but I can’t really complain since my mom got it for me before my first round-the-world journey in, oh, 1993? Not bad for something that retails for $22 at Backcountry.com.
There’s a rattan crushable hat from Tilley that I’ve worn all year in the high altitude Mexican sun, but the company ended up killing off the product before I even got to review it. It’s a testament to the quality of their goods though that this one has kept its shape that whole time and still looks great. It’s hard to go wrong with Tilley hats.
And of course no gear round-up would be complete without three items I take on almost every single trip: my SteriPen Opti water purifier, my Callpod Chargepod for keeping the gadgets going, and my Kangaroom pouch for keeping all those gadgets and cords in once place.
Got wanderlust? Check out our sister pub Perceptive Travel for the best travel stories from wandering book authors.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on July 13th, 2011
Most Popular Travel Gear Posts of 2010
Now that the dust has settled on the past year, what did you all like the most on this travel gear blog?
Here’s a look at the 10 most popular posts of the past year, in reverse order:
10) Eagle Creek HC2 Hovercraft Rolling Carry-on Suitcase
9) Teva Omnium Sandals for Men
8) The New Steripen Adventurer Opti Purifier
7) Bruton Restore Portable Solar Power Supply
6) The Pros and Cons of Packing Cubes
5) iPad a Must for Travelers? I’m Not Convinced
4) Stanley Ultra-bright LED Spotlight Gets a Thumbs Up From the Guys
3) One Serious Outdoor Watch: Casio Pathfinder PAW2000
2) Lucy Activewear: Stylish, Comfortable Travel Clothes
1) Best and Worst Travel Gear of 2009
So there you have it: you readers are adventurous, well-traveled, and downright…well…practical. Glad to hear it! Stick with us in 2011 and we’ll keep on bringing you first-person reviews of the best things to pack, all for active travelers who are not on a hedge fund manager’s budget.
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Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, Business Gear, General Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on January 10th, 2011
Eagle Creek ORV Trunk 22 Carry-on
Want a wheeled carry-on that you can pick up and carry like a duffel bag? Want a wheelie bag you can use and abuse without worrying that it’s going to fall apart after a few trips? This Eagle Creek ORV Trunk 22 bag fits the bill and will probably keep rocking your travels for many years to come.
This is basically an Eagle Creek Orv 22 duffel bag that’s been fitted with wheels. As I got off a turboprop plane in Costa Rica last week, I had the surreal experience of seeing the two side by side as another passenger grabbed her wheel-less one in the same color. It holds 43 liters (2,600 cubic liters) and adds a few pounds because of the frame, handle, and wheels. It comes in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces, which is a tad below most (but certainly not all) competitors in this size class.
This is a rugged, tough bag that feels like it will take a beating, however, and the company chose not to reduce weight at the expense of function or durability. You get quality wheels and a quality telescoping handle, plus carrying straps in three different places, which I really like.
It is designed to be used with Eagle Creek’s Pack-It packing cube system. As I’ve said before, I’ve got mixed feelings about packing cubes, but for the two-week trip to Costa Rica I’m just finishing up, I decided to go with their system and use packing cubes: one full Pack-it Cube for the main clothes, one for the socks and underwear, the included shoe pouch, and a toiletry kit. That’s how they’ve got it pictured in their accompanying guide, but with an additional Pack-It Folder for the shirts.
There’s even a little picture book enclosed in the packaging showing you how to use all these cube products to maximize your space. I still don’t think it helped me pack any more clothing than my regular roll-and-stuff system, but unpacking and finding what I wanted was much faster, which can be useful if you’re moving from hotel to hotel or are living out of one bag for an extended time.
As for features, the ES2 wheels performed admirably and I liked the ergonomic handle. Even when I piled a daypack on top with my laptop and camera, it all felt sturdy. This qualifies as a carry-on though, so I didn’t have to check a bag on my international flights. It also worked well for all the internal flights I took on Nature Air where the cheap tickets have a really low weight limit. Despite stuffing this full, I was easily able to carry it when I couldn’t use the wheels.
I like the built-in shoe pouch a lot. It holds two or three pairs of shoes easily and keeps them away from your clean clothes. There are two small pockets on the front, one being an exact fit for the compact Sea to Summit toiletry kit I take when I’m not checking a bag. The quality zippers aren’t grabby either: a problem I’ve run into a lot with cheaper bags.
As with all Eagle Creek products, they stand behind ORV Trunk carry-on bigtime. There’s a lifetime “no-matter-what” damage repair warranty if something goes wrong.
The ORV Trunk 22-inch Carry-on Bag comes in several color combinations and lists for $250 at EagleCreek.com. Check the sites below for sales and specials.
ORV Trunk 22 at eBags
Eagle Creek ORV Trunk 22 at Backcountry
Get it at RockCreek.com
See other carry on bag reviews
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Travel Light on December 15th, 2010
Don’t Call It a Fanny Pack: Eagle Creek Tailfeather
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who love fanny packs and those who don’t. I’m firmly in the latter category, but my mother is not, so I let her do the honors in trying out this Eagle Creek Tailfeather in the real world.
I do recall one instance where I wore something like this around, however. I spent a few days at Red Mountain Spa in Utah for a big 10th wedding anniversary vacation and they gave us a waist pack with two water bottle pouches. I used it on a few desert hikes there and one mountain bike ride. Hey, I didn’t know anyone there who was going to tell me I looked like a dork and it was just sitting around my room anyway…
I do understand the utility of this, hands free and nothing making your back sweat. And if I were the type who liked to have my belongings strapped around my waist on a regular basis, I can’t imagine a better one to strap on than this.
It’s got the two water bottle holsters, two separate zippered compartments, mesh facing the body, and a strong adjustable strap. Even a carrying loop on the top for when you take it off—or don’t want to wear it.
And it’s made by Eagle Creek, a company I’ve been trusting with my money and my belongings for close to two decades now. They make great, functional products that deliver and keep on delivering.
My sixties mom tester liked this larger version of the venerable fanny pack and plans to take it with her on future trips. She likes how it holds pretty much everything she needs for the day—money, camera, smokes (haven’t managed to get her to quit), credit cards, lip balm, and sunscreen. She’s the type that constantly leaves her keys or money in odd places and has trouble finding them, so this Tailfeather solves that problem when traveling. Everything in one place.
You’re either going to love this item or recoil at the very thought of it. If you’re the former, get it here:
Posted by Tim L. in Travel Light on November 11th, 2010
