Level 8 Voyageur Luggage Set
The search for the perfect set of luggage seems to be never ending. Over the past 20 years of travel, we have gone through no less than a dozen different carry-on and checke luggage products.
When it comes to checked luggage, we have had hard-sided luggage and soft duffel bags. We have had luggage with wheels and some without. We definitely prefer those with wheels.
Our most recent checked bags are wheeled soft duffels that came from COSTCO. They have performed well, but are beginning to show some wear and tear.
Finding the perfect carry-on bag is no less challenging. Rickee and I agree that a carry-on must have four wheels that easily swivel and fit "wheels first" into the most common aircraft overhead bins.
We recently became aware of Level 8 luggage from YouTube and reached out to them to see if they would like for us to review their products during a cruise with Swan Hellenic.
The first to arrive was the Voyageur 2-piece luggage set which included a 26" checked bag and a matching 20" carry-on. Some may find the yellow-and-black color scheme to be a bit garish, but we like luggage that we can easily spot in a sea of black bags on an airport carousel.
28" Voyageur Check-In
The Voyageur Check-In is available in three sizes: 26", 28" and 30". We opted for the 28" and it looks quite substantial compared to our current duffel checked bags. The 28" actually measures 27.3"H x 16.6"W x 13.3"D, weighs 11.8 Ibs and has a claimed capacity of 93 liters.
The Check-In is shaped more like a trunk than a traditional piece of luggage. The shell is a German-made Makrolon® polycarbonate construction, which Level 8 claims to be light and durable. Ours came in yellow and black making it hard to miss.
The base of the Check-In is 8" deep while the lid (the yellow part) is 5.5" deep.
The zipper has Level 8 branded pulls which appear sturdy. The zipper is not waterproof, so care should be taken not to leave the luggage in the rain. The zipper is the most likely point of failure on any piece of zippered luggage, and only time will tell if the Level 8 zippers will hold up to the rigors of abusive baggage handlers. The zipper does glide easily and the pulls can be secured into a TSA lock mechanism on the side of the bag.
The four casters each swivel 360 degrees to turn this into a spinner bag. Each caster has two wheels and each wheel has a rubber tread. The bag glides easily on hard or carpeted surfaces.
The aluminum telescopic handle has three detents and is one of the distinguishing features of the Voyageur line up. Unlike on the more traditional spinners, the handle spans the entire with of the bag, making it quite sturdy and stable while placing the support rails inside the bag at the very edges.
This design places the support rails on the interior of the base at the far edges of the bag rather than in the center of the base. This design makes it easier to pack the base without the need to work around the handle support structure inside the base of the bag.
Opening the shell of the Voyageur Check-In may lead to some confusion as the interior designs are not consistent from bag to bag. For some reason, the Voyageur luggage interior comes in two different layouts. On the Check-In sent to us, the black base is covered with a zippered mesh fabric, underneath which are compression straps. On the lid (the yellow piece), is another zippered panel with two zippered pockets. One pocket is a breathable mesh and the other a vinyl “moisture proof” design. The interior configuration of the other version is just the opposite with the two zippered pockets being placed on the black base side.
Renting Camera Gear vs. Buying for Travel Photography
Why invest in expensive gear that you may only need for a few days? Renting may be the way to go!
We used Aperturent.com last year during a three-week media assignment in Europe. At that time, I was considering the purchase of a new wide-angle lens for my Canon EOS 70D DSLR camera. A friend I was having coffee with one day said, "Why don't you just rent a lens for the trip?" Hmmm, I had never even considered doing that. I did some research on Google and found Aperturent.com. (See our 2017 update below.)
After perusing their website, I found that Aperturent.com had the exact wide-angle lens I was considering. The cost to rent the lens (Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM) for three weeks was about $100, a third of what it would have cost to buy the lens new. And, a bonus for me, Aperturent has a location here in Dallas! I placed my order online and scheduled a local pickup. However, Aperturent.com will ship to anywhere in the USA via FedEx. If you live in Dallas or Atlanta, you can pick up and return your gear locally thereby avoiding shipping charges.
The day before we were scheduled to depart the USA, I stopped by Aperturent.com's Dallas office and picked up the lens. It was packaged in a very strong plastic case with dense foam padding. The case was the perfect size for packing in my carry-on luggage. Both lens caps (rear and front) were also included in the rental. An inspection of the lens revealed a very clean, like-new lens. I could not have been more pleased.
Strong plastic case for carrying the lens
After arriving in Europe, I unpacked the lens and installed it on my camera. The lens performed flawlessly for the entire three-week rental. I am convinced that renting camera gear is definitely a good choice, especially for travel photographers.
Second Experience in 2017
Fast forward to 2017 and we are faced with yet another three-week media assignment in Europe. However, now we have a new Panasonic LUMIX G85 micro four thirds camera. We sold the Canon and purchased the Panasonic because it was a smaller, lighter format. And, since we did not have a big investment in Canon glass, thanks to having rented lenses from Aperturent.com, it was easy to sell the camera on eBay and move to the new format. This is another advantage of renting lenses. However, a new camera means a completely different lens mount. Fortunately, Aperturent.com came through again.
After perusing their website, I found that they offer a nice selection of micro four-thirds lenses to fit the Panasonic. Lenses for micro four thirds cameras are quite expensive, so renting makes even more sense. I chose two lenses: a 42.5mm f/1.2 (85mm equivalent) for shooting low light production shows on the cruises, and a 15mm f/1.7 primarily for shooting closeups of food.
One again, I was able to pick up both lenses locally at Aperturent.com's Dallas location. The cost to rent both lenses for 21 days, with insurance, was $322. Not bad considering that the 42.5mm lens sells for $1,195 and the 15mm sells for $550. Both lenses performed flawlessly and were in like-new condition when I received them.
The moral to this story is that, after renting both lenses, I know for sure I do not need to purchase the 42.5mm. It just does not serve my needs and it is a little too bulky. So, by renting the lens, I was spared a $1,200 purchase mistake. The 15mm lens, on the other hand, is one that I would consider adding to my permanent collection.
Once again, Aperturent.com saved me money and proved to be a valuable and reliable service.
Advantages of renting vs. buying
Try before you buy - Renting gear is a good way to have an extended trial period of a product before you spend the money to buy it.
Save money - Renting is much cheaper than buying. Even for a three-week rental, which is extreme, renting is cost-effective.
One-time use - In the case of lenses, you can spend tens of thousands of dollars on lenses that you may only need once, or once per year. It just does not make sense to own such a lens when you can rent one. For example, an African safari would be perfect for a 400mm telephoto lens, but why spend $5,000 to buy one for 10 days when you can rent one?
What if you change gear? - Here is a huge advantage to renting lenses: what if you decide to change from an APS-C or micro-four thirds format to a full-frame format in the future? Any lenses you purchase will be worthless! You will have to buy all new lenses formatted for full-frame use.
And There's More
Aperturent.com rents a wide variety of camera gear including cameras, lighting, tripods, video gear, etc. The next time you are thinking about buying any camera gear for travel photography, check with Aperturent.com first!
For more information, check their website at Aperturent.com.