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.
Solar Sack™ Backpack Review
A lightweight backpack that can keep your gadgets charged while you hike, sit on the beach or by the pool!
Whenever we go on shore excursions, we always take a backpack. We carry bottled water, a camera, a cell phone, possibly a small tripod, snacks, etc. When we discovered Solar Sack™, a backpack that also has the ability to keep our phone and camera charged, we knew we had to give it a try.
We decided to test the Solar Sack during our 9-day Windstar Star Pride cruise in the Caribbean. I wore the Solar Sack on three different excursions, and used it one day when we were lounging around the pool. As a backpack, the Solar Sack is well designed with plenty of pockets to hold a variety of items. You can easily carry a cell phone, iPad mini (which is what we have), a camera, and still have room for plenty of other items. The shoulder straps have minimal padding, but provided enough comfort so as to alleviate any shoulder pain.
Shoulder straps provide comfort and utility
Each shoulder strap has a small fabric loop that can be used to attach a carabiner, the included compass, or as a pass-through for a charging USB cable. There is also a horizontal chest strap (not shown) that is useful if you are carrying a particularly heavy load. The chest strap connector even has a built in safety whistle. There are expandable water bottle pockets on each side of the Solar Sack which can each easily hold up to a 20oz Dasani water bottle. An optional hydration bladder is available should you require one.
The real magic behind the Solar Sack is the addition of a 10,000 mAh battery charger that can be used to keep your gadgets charged while you are on a hike or shore excursion. When fully charged, the battery pack has enough muscle to extend a cell phone's talk time by about 30 hours. The solar battery/charger is removable and about the size of a large cell phone, and a little heavier. The battery pack can be charged using a wall outlet or sunlight. Of course, the quickest way to fully charge the unit is from a wall outlet via a USB adapter. And, since the battery pack is removable, it can be used as a backup power source when you are not using the backpack.
Battery charger, dual-port cable and optional multi-function tool
There are two USB ports on the bottom of the battery charger allowing you to charge up to two devices simultaneously. The battery charger slips into a pocket on the top flap of the Solar Sack which has a clear plastic cover, allowing sunlight to reach the charging plate. A bright green light indicates that the battery pack is charging from the sunlight and a series of blue lights show the amount of charge remaining. The LEDs are bright enough to be seen even in the brightest sunlight.
Battery pack slips into a pocket on the top flap of the Solar Sack
The photo above shows the battery pack slipped into the pocket of the Solar Sack and the flap that folds over with Velcro to hold it in place. The production model will have a small slit in the flap for the cables to pass through to the main backpack compartment.
My LG Android phone charging from the battery pack
The Solar Sack comes with a USB charging cable with a clever two port design allowing the cable to charge an Apple iPhone/iPad (Lightning) or an Android phone/pad (Micro USB). I was able to use my mini-USB-to-USB cable to charge our Panasonic camera from the battery pack.
Review
I personally like the size of the Solar Sack. It is not too large so as to be cumbersome, but large enough to hold everything we would ever need on a shore excursion or short hike. We were even able to cram a pretty large beach towel into the main compartment. We tested the charging capability with a GoPro camera, a Panasonic pocket camera, an iPad mini and my LG Android phone. I even used a long USB cable to keep my GoPro charged while we were on a Segway tour. We did not test the hydration bladder or the Bluetooth speaker, both of which ship with the Loaded Bag option (see below). Perhaps we will give those a try on our next trip.
The Solar Sack is the perfect size
The water bottle pockets are a huge plus for us and the Solar Sack has more than enough pockets inside to hold various items. The construction of the backpack is good and the Rip Stop material looks pretty tough. My only complaint is the material that rests against my back can get pretty warm on a hot day causing perspiration. A micro-fiber, Cordura or other breathable material would be a better option here
The visible solar battery pack seemed to attract a lot of attention from other travelers. Several people stopped me to ask about the backpack and how the solar charger worked, a good indication that there is a market for the Solar Sack.
The Solar Sack is the perfect size for cruise enthusiasts on shore excursions. We carried it with us on a kayaking excursion in Grenada and the water-resistant material worked great on the beach. Of course, the Solar Sack is much more capable than our needs require, but it is nice to know that the charger is there to keep the phone or camera charged when we are away from an AC power source. For this reason alone, we will make the Solar Sack a regular part of our cruise packing list.
Solar Sack on the beach in Grenada
The Solar Sack is available in two configurations:
Basic bag: Backpack, solar powered battery bank, dual-headed charging/data cord and multi-function compass
Loaded bag: Backpack, solar powered battery bank and dual-headed charging/data cord, multi-function compass, hydration bladder, multi-function tool and Bluetooth speaker.
For pricing and additional information, visit their Facebook page or website www.TheSolarSack.com
Originally posted on: 12/6/2016