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.
FlexSafe™ Portable Travel Safe
A compact, secure way to protect your valuables while at the beach or pool.
We have all done it: walked off and left our cell phone, wallet, keys or other valuables sitting on or under our lounge chair at a hotel or cruise ship pool, or at the beach. We try to hide our valuables under a towel or even in a cooler, but how secure is that? Not! On a recent cruise assignment, we tested the FlexSafe from Aqua Vault. This portable, nylon reinforced "safe" is a simple way to protect your valuables.
As you can see in the photos above, the FlexSafe can be secured to any portion of a lounge chair (or any object). The three-digit security code tumbler-style lock on the front prevents a would-be thief from grabbing the bag and walking off with it. Here, we have secured it to one of the lower tubes of a lounge chair in order to keep the contents in the shade.
The FlexSafe material is very tough and it would be nearly impossible to cut it with a knife, so it is slash resistant. I suppose a committed thief could just take the entire lounger while you are in the pool or ocean, but it might look strange to see someone walking down the beach with a pool lounger under his arm. The idea is to get the thief to move on to an easier target, and in that regard, the FlexSafe is a good solution.
The FlexSafe we tested is large enough to hold a cell phone, some keys, and cash, but that's about it. We could not quite cram our iPad mini into it. However, a FlexSafe Plus is a larger model that will hold more. If you just want a place to secure your keys, some cash and your cell phone, the smaller FlexSafe should suffice. There are also expandable mesh pockets on the side.
The FlexSafe is easy to pack, too. It can actually be rolled up and stuffed into one corner of your suitcase, making it a great travel companion. At $59.95, the FlexSafe is a good investment for anyone who spends time at the pool, or at the beach. Of course, the company is quick to point out many other uses for the FlexSafe other than just beach/pool use. You could loop it around the frame of your bicycle, or a hospital bed.
We also had an opportunity to test the AquaVault Waterproof Phone Case which is designed to protect your smart phone from water damage. The clear plastic case allows you to shoot video or take photos underwater. Enough air gets trapped in an internal bladder to allow the case and phone to float. We tested this with our Samsung Galaxy S6 and found the protective case to be somewhat difficult to use. It was hard to get the phone into the case, and even more difficult to get it out. The "ziplok" style closure never felt like it was securely sealed, which did not instill confidence and made me hesitate to put my phone under water. Perhaps it would have worked better with a smaller phone?
AquaVault Waterproof Phone Case
While we were not that impressed with the waterproof phone case (at least not with our Samsung), we were very impressed with the FlexSafe. We can highly recommend the FlexSafe for cruise enthusiasts looking for an affordable way to secure their valuables when soaking up the sun at the cruise ship pool, or at the beach.
For more information, go to: theaquavault.com