I admit it: I’m tough on luggage.
I’ve trailed suitcases across bumpy cobbled streets, down muddy rainforest trails, up sand dunes and along frozen tundra. I’ve watched my luggage be tossed atop third world buses, piled into donkey carts and jungle canoes.
So, after my Eagle Creek carry on rattled around in a safari trailer for a few weeks and loosened some screws and years of dust and dirt eventually clogged the telescoping handle, guess what happened when I returned it?
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Magicians pull rabbits from a hat to impress. Savvy travelers pull out Eagle Creek’s packable daypack.
At least I feel like a magician each time I arrive at a destination and take out this lightweight pack that transforms from a compact pocket-pouch into a full-size daypack. No matter where I’m going, this handy extra is in my luggage.
Favorite feature: Perfect for sightseeing or day hikes, it takes up little room in my luggage. Better yet, it weighs only 6.5 ounces and is made from a durable, water-resistant ripstop nylon fabric that stretches easily and resists puncturing.
Not-so-favorite feature:
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
It’s not often I mistake a suitcase for shoes. But at only 4-pounds, 7-ounces the über-light Ozone 22-inch rollaboard had me fooled.
At a glance, the delivery box waiting for me on the front porch looked to be about the right size for the new Osprey Packs carry-on I’d ordered. But I picked up the box and quickly changed my mind: guessing instead that it contained the new pair of hiking boots I was also expecting. Wrong.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
With the right gear, leading an active, mobile lifestyle is more than possible - it’s fun.
As a freelance writer/photographer specializing in travel, every trip is a blend of work and play. So, when an assignment took me to South West England for a walking tour, I needed more than a backpack. I wanted a multipurpose bag that could double as a carryon laptop and camera bag en route to England, and lightweight trail pack once I’d landed.
Enter the Osprey Momentum 26. Originally designed with the bicycle commuter in mind, it also offers a savvy alternative for active adventure travel. Specifically it is:
Waterproof. This was England afterall and in a sudden downpour I needed to know that my camera equipment would be protected. On the trail, the neon yellow built-in raincover performed beautifully, keeping contents dry while assuring I was highly visible in even the most inclement weather.
TSA-sized. For air travel, I wanted a pack that fit easily into the overhead compartment and had ample space for travel necessities, laptop computer, and camera equipment. Once there, it needed to transition easily to the needs of the walk’s daily activities. The momentum’s dedicated laptop sleeve, padded top and side travel handles, stowable harness and hipbelt, and top-load access made it a perfect choice.
Quality designed. I see no reason to compromise quality or comfort for travel convenience.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Remember the Russian nesting dolls, where a set of dolls of decreasing sizes were placed one inside the other? These days, thanks to rising airline baggage fees, the nesting doll model forms the essence of my packing strategy:
In the pocket of my travel vest, I carry reusable shopping bags.
In my camera backpack, is a laptop sleeve.
In my carryon, travels an Eddie Bauer small duffel.
Lightweight and durable, I find the multi-purpose duffle to be the perfect stowaway.
Favorite feature: The water-repellent duffel stuff sack works great as an extra interior section for wet towels or dirty hiking shoes.
Not-so-favorite feature: I’m stumped. Short of solar powered iPod ports, Eddie Bauer seems to have thought of everything from the perfectly positioned grab-and-go side handles, to the side pocket deep enough for gym shoes, and interior mesh top, great for see-thru access to toiletries.
Bottom line: Whether I’m returning home with a few too many souvenirs, hitting the gym, or needing to slim-down my carryon weight for small plane island hopping, the small duffel saves the day.
Available at www.EddieBauer.com as well as the Travel Essentials section of the Travel Store at EllenBarone.com powered by Amazon. Suggested retail price: $49.50
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Paying an airline extra to transport your luggage is hard enough to swallow, but paying them to lose it is the ultimate insult. So more of us are bypassing the baggage carousel altogether.
Throw in $8 blanket fees, $45 carry-on charges, and $25+ for checked luggage, and there’s no question that less is more.
But packing light hasn’t always been my forte. Until recently I was a one checked bag, one carry-on and one personal item, kind of girl.
Enter Eagle Creek’s Tarmac 22, the perfect carry-on solution for travelers, like me, who are looking to lighten their load.
The ease and efficiency of this bag has made me a true carry-on only convert.
Favorite feature: The built-in shoe, toiletries, and dirty laundry compartments help to keep things organized. Gone is the chaos that repeated packing and unpacking once resulted in.
Not-so-favorite feature: I wish the exterior front pockets were deep enough to accommodate a laptop. I’d also like to see the addition of an exterior back pocket big enough for a paperback or travel document holder.
Bottom line: The Eagle Creek Tarmac 22 is my bag of choice for carry-on only air travel.
Available at www.EagleCreek.com as well as the Adventure Traveler section of the Travel Store at EllenBarone.com powered by Amazon. Suggested retail price: $285.00
FYI - See also Eagle Creek’s Hovercraft Upright 22”, currently my husband Hank’s bag of choice. Product comparison below:
The Eagle Creek Hovercraft Upright 22 is available at EagleCreek.com and The Travel Store at EllenBarone.com powered by Amazon. Suggested retail price: $250.00.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".