Eagle Creek Travel Gear makes a seductive promise: using their products, you can pack faster and arrive looking better.
With all the travel we do, you’d think I would be a packing pro. I’ve tried almost every method out there: bundling, rolling, wrapping. And while I can get a *lot* of clothes in one suitcase, the end result always disappoints me, because no matter how careful I am, my clothes come out creased and wrinkled when I reach my destination. (And for someone who just doesn’t iron, that’s a problem.)
A Wrinkle-Free Proposition
And then, the other day, while at The Container Store, a helpful associate demonstrated Eagle Creek’s Travel Gear for us. In seconds, with the help of a thin, slick plastic board, she folded a series of dress shirts and three pairs of slacks. After folding each piece, she slid it off the folding board and onto a growing stack atop a flat, rectangular panel of tough synthetic fabric. When the stack was done, she folded up the four corners of the fabric case and fastened them in place with Velcro, creating a tight, compact bundle.
Frankly? The process looked so easy, I suspected a trick. I’ve bought many gadgets designed to “Make! Life! Easier!” in the past, only to have them break down or under-deliver once in use. I imagined myself wrestling with the Travel Gear folding board — wrapping shirts around it, the shirts slipping off it, the sleeves twisting awkwardly. I pictured myself arriving, opening the suitcases, opening the bundle, and finding deep, permanent wrinkles pressed into every single item. In my mind’s eye, strangers on the street laughed and pointed at my double creases and seamed fabrics. Humiliation!
Still, the idea of packing in seconds and arriving without wrinkles appealed to me … so I decided to try the system out for myself.
Mark’s First Trip to Eagle Creek
I bought the Eagle Creek 18-inch Pack-It Folder, along with two of the company’s clever quarter-size packing cubes. Last Thursday, I selected two pairs of jeans, three polo shirts, three t-shirts, and a thin jacket. I got out my Pack-It Folder and took a deep breath.
And I had a perfectly packed bundle in less than five minute.
Listen: packing this way really did feel like some kind of magic trick. It was almost too fast, too efficient. One minute, I had a pile of clothes. The next minute, I had a neat, tight little bundle, a bit like a briefcase. It fit right into my suitcase like a custom accessory.
Socks and my trusty Under Armour briefs (Best! Underwear! Ever!) fit snugly into one of my packing cubes. A pair of shoes fit perfectly into the other. In the suitcase, every thing was perfectly arranged and organized — like a little bento box of couture.
The Proof is in the Unpacking!
The real test, though, came in Seattle, when I opened my suitcase, opened the bundle, and discovered to my delight that my shirts, jeans, and coat were in pristine condition: no wrinkles at all. They were still so neatly folded, in fact, I didn’t bother hanging anything. Instead, I just transferred the folded items to a drawer.
Instead of unpacking socks and shorts, I just popped the packing cube into another drawer. Once my shoes were put away, I was completely unpacked … again, in less than five minutes!
Like me, Clyde had been suspicious of the product’s claims. But even he seemed impressed by how quickly I packed and unpacked my suitcase … and by how nice my clothes looked upon arrival. Are there Eagle Creek packing products in his future? Why, yes, of course!
What to Buy
Pack-It Folders come in several sizes. I like my 18-inch folder, but for longer trips, the 20-inch folder (which can hold 12-15 items) might be nice.
If you travel at all, this purchase is a no-brainer, since very few travel products offer this much magic for this little cash. After using a Travel Folder, I can’t imagine traveling without one.
Start with a folder and two cubes. You should get yours now, from Amazon.com, where you can pick them up for the very same prices the Container Store charges … or less!
I once owned an Eagle Creek product… a very loved shoulder bag with a distinctive shape and size. I used it as a school bag in college. One day I came home from work/class feeling really sick and went to bed. I woke a few days later and realized that while I had been passed out, someone had broken into my car and stolen my bag. It had all my notes from the whole semester, several of my textbooks, my scientific calculator, my first digital camera, and a PDA… shouldn’t have left all that crap in the car, but I was quite out of it and didn’t realize what I was doing. Also, this happened right before finals week, so I had no notes from that semester…
I’ll do a bit of digging to see if can find that bag… I might even want it again!
What a great response — thanks. Your enthusiasm for that old bag has me curious, now, about other Eagle Creek products. If they’re all as good as your bag and my packing solution … well, I oughta be giving them more of my paycheck, I think.
M.