Posts Tagged packing aids
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
Weigh to Go: Balanzza MINI Digital Luggage Scale
With airlines charging hefty fees for overweight bags, it pays to know how much your luggage weighs before heading to the airport.
The new Balanzza MINI Digital Luggage Scale is an easy way to avoid overweight charges. And it’s small, light and portable for easy traveling.
The scale is simple to operate. Turn it on, choose whether you’d like to see the weight in pounds of kilograms and loop the scale strap around a strap or handle on the luggage. Then pick up the bag and see the weight.
The scale seems accurate. On a test suitcase, it was within half a pound of a digital bathroom scale I had been using to weigh my bags. But weighing myself on the bathroom scale, it was about 20 pounsd off—so I’d trust the Balanzza scale as being more accurate. I only wish the bathroom scale was correct, though—it would be the easiest 20 pounds I ever lost.
Of course, carrying a bathroom scale on the road isn’t what I’d call practical. So the Balanzza wins hands-down there. It weighs less than a third of a pound and will weigh bags up to 100 pounds.
Other veteran travelers consider a portable scale as an essential travel item. Freelance writer and traveler Beth Blair lists a slightly different Balanzza model as one of the five things she always packs.
The price of the Balanzza MINI Digital Luggage Scale is a reasonable $24.95, which would make it a nice gift for any traveler on your list. It’s available at the company’s online store and will also be available in select Bed Bath and Beyond stores and other specialty stores across the U.S. Follow the link at the bottom to buy it online right now.
So if you don’t want to become “that guy” who has to dig through luggage at the airline ticket counter, trying to find something to remove to avoid overweight charges, know what your bags weigh beforehand and plan accordingly. The Balanzza MINI Digital Luggage Scale will help and can easily pay for itself.
Balanzza Mini Luggage Scale at Magellan’s.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on November 1st, 2010
5 Things I Always Pack – Beth Blair
Freelance writer and blogger Beth Blair once worked as a flight attendant and she sometimes flies with kids, so she has learned plenty of lessons about luggage, packing, and useful travel gear. For today’s guest post, here are five things she always packs.
1. Flashlight
This tradition started back when I worked as a flight attendant and was required to carry a flashlight while on duty. Since then, my flashlight has come in handy many times including fixing a flat tire on a rental car, the night a hotel’s power went out for several hours during a severe lightening storm, and several times on airplanes when the reading light was burned out. I’ve been carrying Modus 1 by ICON (pictured below).
2. Luggage scale
I never paid much attention to the weight of my luggage since I try and carry-on as frequently as I can. However, when packing for a two-week cruise I realized how easy it could be to go over my airline’s max luggage weight, especially on the return trip home when the suitcases would be bursting with souvenirs. I use the Balanzza Digital Luggage Scale which fits nicely in my suitcase’s outer pocket.
3. Travel Carbon Monoxide Alarm
This is my newest travel gadget and I am thrilled to be packing it, just in case. Carbon monoxide poisoning is extremely dangerous because it is colorless, odorless and tasteless. I’m even more passionate about this item since someone I know via Twitter recently encountered a carbon monoxide scare while on vacation in a cabin, the gas fireplace wasn’t venting. Fortunately the CO alarm went off and alerted the guests to the problem. I have a First Alert Travel Carbon Monoxide Alarm.
4. Lollipops
There is nothing more painful than plugged ears while flying, especially for children who don’t know how to pop their ears. Usually medication won’t kick-in quickly enough and that’s where the suckers come in handy. Right before descent I hand my kids a lollipop and let them suck away. I’ve even shared them with adults in pain and they’ve worked. I pack classic Tootsie Pops, they last longer than other versions.
5. Business cards
I’ve found that carrying a stack of cards imprinted with pertinent information is time saving and convenient whether I’m traveling for business or pleasure. They especially come in handy when a baggage agent needs to log your information after the airline loses your luggage.
Beth Blair is a former flight attendant turned travel writer specializing in family travel and safety. She writes for Aviation Security International magazine and is co-founder of The Vacation Gals. Learn more about her on her personal site BethBlair.com.
See other guest posts in this series: 5 Things I Always Pack
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on October 14th, 2010
5 Things I Always Pack – Sheila Scarborough
Sheila is a three-time expat, wishes her passport had a LOT more stamps and travels light on planes and heavy in her car. She generally refuses to check luggage because she knows how to pack a carry-on, but on family travel road trips the minivan is stuffed (sometimes even with a fold-up futon for her son in case of “We only have King beds” hotel check-in moments. He kicks all doggone night, you know.)
1. Tapestry bags for jewelry
I picked up two Gobelins Art tapestry bags in Belgium because, hey, that plus lace and chocolate is what you buy in Belgium! One is small and zippered and takes a few necklaces, pins and spare watches (a Timex and Swatch that look fancier than they are) and the other is actually a snap-closure coin purse that I use for earrings. It keeps those small, frisky gold studs from wandering off and having parties with the missing socks from my dryer.
2. Folding umbrella
There’s no worse time for needing a decent umbrella than when you’re traveling and it starts pouring down rain. Mine is from the gift shop of Chicago’s Art Institute, and has one of my favorite paintings screened onto it – Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks.
3. Extra quart-sized Ziplock bag
Sigh. Liquids restrictions when flying are such a pain, and I don’t even use much makeup or girly potions. My bag has the logo for a long-time travel agent in Marble Falls, Texas: Susie’s Travel Time. It reminds me of simpler days, when I didn’t feel that I was at war with the airlines.
4. Japanese cotton handkerchief
Now, I’m a Kleenex kinda gal when it comes to nose-blowing, but every woman in Japan (and most men) carry a cotton handkerchief folded up in their purse or pocket, so I got into this habit when I lived there. I use mine for hand-wiping after the bathroom, because those blowing hand dryers suck….well, you know what I mean. Anyway, the handkerchiefs are sold in every color and design imaginable; my two favorites are a red one with a daruma doll pattern and a blue one with one of Hokusai’s famous woodblock prints of Mt. Fuji – the Great Wave off Kanagawa.
5. A boarding pass stub and a wristband
These are personal mementos that live in my toiletries bag. One is a boarding pass for a long-ago flight to Tokyo, for my last temporary duty stint while I was in the Navy. It’s to remind me how lucky I am to travel. The other is a wristband from swimming with dolphins at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on Hawaii’s Big Island; I was also lucky to do that, but the experience also made me uncomfortable, so I keep the band to remind me that travel makes me think. As it should.
Sheila is a writer and speaker specializing in travel (as one of the Perceptive Travel blog co-authors and for BootsnAll,) the tourism industry and social media on her Sheila’s Guide blog and NHRA drag racing when she can get to the track. She’s the co-founder of Tourism Currents; online training in social media for tourism professionals.
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Travel Light on October 7th, 2010
Traveling Light Small Toiletry Kit from Sea to Summit
I’ve traveled with a lot of different toiletry kits over the years and I’m a big fan of the ones with multiple compartments and the ability to hang from a hook or towel rack. If you’re in cheap hotels, counter space tends to be at a premium—or non-existent. This compact Sea to Summit small toiletry kit is great for times when you only need a few items and packing space is limited.
I’ve now used this toiletries kits on two trips of less than two weeks and for that period of time it’s been fine. It has three mesh flap compartments that are about the width of a good toothbrush. Then at the bottom there are two compartments separated by a flap that can fit bigger items like deodorant and shaving cream. After about a dozen items it starts to get kind of tight, so this is not the right kit for a round-the-world journey (or a woman who uses lots of creams and make-up), but for a short jaunt it’s enough for the basics.
This Sea to Summit version is the lightest kit I’ve ever tried though, so if you’re trying to pack light it would be hard to do better. It’s a mere 2.8 ounces (80 grams), so it’s barely more than a few Ziploc bags. Plus you get a hook to hang it with, well-placed snaps, YKK zippers, and super-strong, water-resistant Cordura fabric on the outside. It comes in three different colors.
If there’s one drawback, it’s the price. At a list of $35, this kit is significantly higher than the price of others holding twice as much. Even from the same company, the one with twice the capacity but only 1.2 ounces more weight is only $5 more in price. When you ball this thing up into your fist, it seems like a lot of money for not much fabric. If you’re packing for a trip where every ounce counts, however, you’d be hard-pressed to find a lighter and more durable place to put your cosmetics.
Sea to Summit is an Australian company, so if you’re searching for this online, put an extra “L” into “traveling.” Or follow these links:
Get the Sea to Summit Travelling Light Hanging Toiletry Bags at RockCreek.com.
Sea To Summit small Toiletry Bag at Backcountry.com
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Travel Light on July 28th, 2010
