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.
Eagle Creek® Pack-It Spectre Travel Organizers
These lightweight organizers make packing for your next cruise easy.
We have been using Eagle Creek original Pack-It™ products for years and have always found them to be quite useful. When we discovered that they had released the new Spectre™ line of Pack-It products, we were very anxious to give them a try.
As you can see from the photo above, the Pack-It is a complete packing system with a wide variety of sizes, shapes (and even colors) to solve a number of packing problems. The first thing we noticed about the new Spectre line of Pack-It products was how light they are. Eagle Creek uses a parachute nylon material which is extremely thin and lightweight, but tough and durable. Weight is paramount when packing, especially when traveling on airlines with strict weight limits.
Spectre products come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes
The garment folder is one of our favorite Pack-It products. I can fit one large and one medium Garment Folder into my large duffle bag. A medium-size garment folder can easily fit into a roll-aboard piece of luggage. Slacks can be folded in half to fit into the garment folder and a handy plastic guide (included) helps you with folding shirts and blouses. I can easily fit two pair of dress slacks and six shirts into a single large garment folder. The garment folder seals with Velcro and is adjustable so that it can hold more, or less, depending on your needs.
Large garment folder packed with two pair of slacks and six shirts
The compression cubes were perfect for packing underwear and socks. The unique zipper wraps around the cube so that it compresses the contents, saving even more space in your luggage.
The Wristlet Set contains two smaller pieces, one of which is the perfect size for holding a standard can of sunscreen!
These bags also have a plastic liner, making them leak/moisture-resistant. These are great for packing liquids and small cosmetic items.
Plastic liner in Wristlet Set
The cube-shaped pieces are great for stuffing just about any sort of item into each one. With everything packed into uniform folders and bags, it is very easy to arrange the Pack-It items in your suitcase.
Pack-It Spectre items fit nicely into any suitcase
Another advantage of the Pack-It system comes into play when you arrive at your destination. You can simply remove the Pack-It containers and throw them into a dresser drawer or on a shelf at your hotel or cruise ship. This is what I do with the Pack-It Cube that I use for socks and underwear. I carry an empty Pack-It cube to hold dirty items for the trip home.
There are dozens of different shapes and sizes of Pack-It Specter products, and Eagle Creek has just introduced a line of Pack-It Spectre Tech products to complement the ones we tested. Perhaps we will have an opportunity to test some of those in the near future! Click for details.
The Spectre Starter Set contains a medium garment folder, a cube and a half-cube for $58.95. It is a great way to try out the Pack-It system for yourself, but beware, you will soon be ordering more once you become accustomed to the convenience of the Pack-It way of packing.
Starter Set
As I said at the beginning of this review, we have been using the Eagle Creek Pack-It system for years. The Spectre line is even better than the original. Each piece is lighter, tougher and more flexible than other Pack-It systems. We will never travel without them!
For more information, click here