Everyone who travels for a living takes their luggage quite seriously. For photographers like myself, it is even more vital to have quality luggage that will give me the peace of mind that I need when I am packing not only clothing but photography accessories as well. I think I found the perfect bag for my needs in the Eagle Creek Take 2 ORV Trunk 30 and here is why:
I had some very good luggage that just didn’t suit my needs anymore. The size was wrong, the packing options were limited, the shape didn’t suit my purposes. It was time to look at my options. Upon the recommendation of a colleague, I checked out the Eagle Creek website and was immediately impressed with what I saw. It’s easy to make things look good in photographs — I should know — but that does not necessarily mean that what you see is what you get in terms of quality. I’m happy to say that in this case I got everything that I expected and then some.
I contacted Eagle Creek to see if they would give me one of their Take 2 ORV Trunk 30 gear bags to test and I think I picked the perfect model for my needs. The Take 2 ORV Trunk 30 is a very versatile bag with two main compartments. On top you have a gear bag and underneath that bag attached to the handle and rollers you will find a second compartment that is perfect for storing more fragile or sensitive items since the upper bag will act as a buffer.
As you can see in the photo the top bag converts into a backpack which can be extremely handy when you want to transport only part of what you bring with you on a trip. Once you re-attach the top bag with the zipper you can secure it by fastening the compression straps and tightening them to make the bag as compact and tight as possible. This allows my more delicate or fragile items to be better protected within the lower bag.
Each bag can be used separately without the other one. The bottom acts as sleek, slim suitcase all on its own, with an extremely firm handle, and robust wheels. Inside the 48L bottom bag there are several small side pockets as well as a very large top pocket that covers the whole flap. There is also a cargo net that keeps things nicely in place. The top and side handles are extremely robust and comfortable making it easy to lift when not using the rollers and telescoping handle. Another nice feature is the luggage tag compartment that allows you to put a business card or business card sized personal information card in an extremely secure place. All luggage should have this feature since luggage tags can easily be torn off or fall off..
The top duffel/backpack bag is one large 60 L compartment. The top handles affix together with cushioned Velcro to making it a breeze to carry effortlessly. The backpack straps are also well padded and fit out of sight in their own zippered compartment. You can also add flat items in this compartment and keep them separate from the rest of your gear. Even the zipper loops are the best I have ever seen and they make opening up the bag a extremely easy even when wearing bulky gloves in cold weather.
The materials used in this bag have stood up amazingly well. In the 6 months that I have the Take 2 ORV Trunk 30 I have traveled to New York, Seattle, Boston, Washington DC, Minneapolis, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, all over Jordan, England, and Florida. There are no tears, rips, broken seams, and the handle, skid plates, corner guards, and wheels are in excellent condition. I recently just gave away several other pieces of luggage since I know I’ll be sticking with this one from now on.
The one thing I would like to see is more vibrant colours in the materials. I’m a big fan of being able to spot my luggage at a distance and would have all yellow or orange bags if it were possible. Being able to see my bags clearly on the luggage carousel is a nice thing and if someone grabs my bag and tries to leave with it, it would be a giant plus to be able to spot that instantly. Try to do that with a black or red bag, everyone and their brother has black or red bags these days. I want my luggage to be utilitarian more than fashionable but this bag does look really sleek as well. Looks are not that important to me but hey, I’ll take it as a bonus any day.
Zipped together or as two separate bags the Take 2 ORV Trunk 30 is a very versatile piece of luggage. But that’s not the end of it.
Eagle Creek also makes some very handy accessories that make packing so much easier. Look for my review on their Pack-It™ System soon.
Just finish reading your review about Eagle Creek luggage and I was wondering how could I can I get eagle creek to send me some luggage to try out before I buy it.Las vegas trip coming this month and I really need some good luggage .
Thank you review.