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This article on Eagle Creek luggage, packing cubes, and accessories was updated in November of 2023.
If you ask me about my favorite travel gear brands, one of the top answers hasn’t changed since the last century. My relationship with Eagle Creek luggage and travel gear goes back almost as far as my relationship with my wife—who started as my girlfriend on a year-long journey circling the globe back in the early ’90s. I actually got invited to Eagle Creek’s 40th anniversary party in 2015 because they’ve been around since 1975.
I first discovered the brand through their accessories, using their various theft prevention items like a money holder that went under my pants and a cable lock that could secure our backpacks to a stationary item. They managed to foil any theft attempt except one night on an Indian train when some well-practiced robber managed to reach through a window, cut a zipper, and steal my camera while I snoozed less than two feet away. (Next trip to India I upgraded more often to air-con trains with sealed windows.)
All set for a 10-day trip in Portugal
On later trips I used one of their backpacks and when I traveled with a family of three on vacation, we used a whole bunch of their suitcases. Eventually I had to make use of their lifetime guarantee, after using one suitcase often for about a decade. See that shot to the right here? That’s me in Portugal using that suitcase. The rubber finally came off one wheel and I had to contact them about a repair. They sent me two replacement wheels (easily changed with an allen wrench) and I had a spare for when it happened to the other one years later.
This is the first one out of a dozen items though, which leads me to one of their main benefits: a “No Matter What” guarantee. Eagle Creek is so confident in their luggage that if your wheels fall off a few years from now, they’ll fix or replace the bag for you. The zippers, wheels, handles, and other parts are top-notch.
They’re not cagey about this guarantee either and they won’t give you the runaround if you need to return something. A couple of years after that first incident, I had to return a suitcase where a zipper failed and the fabric was splitting along one seam. They didn’t make that particular model anymore and I guess fixing it was going to be too difficult because they just sent me an entirely new rolling suitcase of the same size.
Sometimes you do get what you pay for. This is one of the few top-tier travel gear brands that has a lifetime warranty, up there with Osprey, Tilley Hats, and Briggs & Riley.
The Eagle Creek Gear Warrior
One suitcase I’ve traveled with a lot when I’m able to check a bag with no charges is the Eagle Creek Gear Warrior 26-inch suitcase one with two wheels, the one pictured at the top. They also make other sizes and there’s a 4-wheel version, but I find that I can move a lot faster through airports with two wheels rather than four and when you get into places that aren’t really meant for wheels, the ones like this that have the kind of wheels you see on in-line skates are far superior. These are the opposite of what you see on most four-wheel bags that are constantly breaking.
This Gear Warrior version holds 65 liters of clothing and toiletries and with compression straps on the inside, you can cram a whole lot into this bag. If you buy a bunch of Eagle Creek Pack-it packing cubes and folders you can fit in eight or ten of those, including their hanging toiletry kit that I love. This suitcase is categorized as a Wheeled Duffel and you can carry it like one when you hit an area that is not meant for a wheelie suitcase. It has handles all over it in fact, so you can grab it from almost any angle.
The coolest thing of all about this whole Gear Warrior line is that the fabric is made 100% from recycled plastic bottles. So not only is it tough, but you’re keeping some plastic out of landfills and our waterways.
There’s a single handle that pulls out, then in that same section there’s a strap system that will hold a jacket or other small bag. Or maybe your kid’s favorite stuffed animal. The quality zippers are lockable and have pull tabs too. Internal compression straps with fabric sections keep everything in place when the baggage guys are tossing everything around.
There are two sections apart from the main one: a webbed inside pocket on the flap part and then a separate compartment with another set of zippers where you can keep clothes or gear separated. There are several reflectivity parts to help you be seen at night if you’re wheeling your bag in the dark, plus the fabric is water-resistant. See a Gear Warrior video demo of it that I did at that link.
I’m a big fan of this brand, as you can tell by all the other bags of theirs I pull out in that video. I expect to be using this suitcase for a very long time. [Update – it’s now the end of 2023 and after about 30 trips, still going strong!]
The Gear Warrior Wheeled Duffle in the 26-inch, 65-liter size retails for $269. See more or the Eagle Creek site or check prices online at Moosejaw.
Eagle Creek Expanse Suitcase
Eagle Creek puts out a wide range of luggage, backpacks, and suitcases so if you’re willing to step up to something guaranteed for life instead of buying cheap luggage that needs replacing often, you’ve got plenty of choices. I often travel with a carry-on, but as I mentioned in this earlier post about the evolving fees related to a checked bag vs. a carry-on, it can often be cheaper to check a bag than bring one on. Airlines are adjusting their practices as they realize the incentives need to change if they want to take off anywhere nearly as quickly as Southwest does. Plus if you have the right airline credit card or some kind of elite status, you can often check a bag with no charge.
On my last trip from the USA to Mexico, my wife and I both brought back a lot of items from the USA and we both checked a bag that got stuffed with toiletries, new clothes, travel gear, and items we’d had stored at my mother-in-law’s house. This 30-inch Eagle Creek Expanse suitcase was great because it holds more than 100 liters. It has inline-skates type wheels and is lightweight though, so it’s easy to move through the airport with it. Check out my video rundown of that and their Weekender Set of packing cube items, including a toiletry kit I just used for a month straight on the road.
I talk a bit more in there about this company’s “No Matter What” guarantee that covers their luggage items for life. You know that they’re well-made and are going to last if they manufacturer stands behind them that strongly.
See prices on the Expanse 2-wheel 30-inch suitcase in that video, the Gear Warrior line mentioned earlier, packing cubes, and other items here:
Eagle Creek at Amazon
Eagle Creek Travel Accessories
Do you have something you pack on most trips that you’ve been using for 6, 7, 10 or more years? Many of the items I use from Eagle Creek fall into that category, including this daypack below. My new friend Irene and I both received these as a schwag item at an adventure travel conference back in 2012. We met up in Peru this week, where we’re both still using this daypack! They pack up into a little pouch and are very sturdy.
The latest version is a little fancier and doesn’t look like this, but the same principles apply: lightweight, easy to pack, and sturdy. Unlike this original model, the new one has a water bottle pouch. If you’re not seeing it (as sometimes happens when they’re in the midst of updating a model), then see some other options in my post about packable daypacks and backpacks with links to others.
For my entire travel life I’ve had an Eagle Creek hanging toiletry kit along on most trips, which comes in especially handy in small bathrooms without much counter space. I also have used various items meant to foil thieves and I’m especially fond of my hidden pocket wallet that stuffs inside my pants.
Eagle Creek has become especially famous for their extensive line of Pack-It cubes and pouches that help you stay organized when you’re on the move. I especially like the compression cubes that allow you to compress, say, your dirty laundry so it takes up less space when you’re traveling. It was also handy when I needed to pack some bulky items for a ski trip earlier this year. In the compression cube, they took up a lot less space.
See more about these products and more at EagleCreek.com. Look for sale prices and closeouts at REI and Amazon.
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