To roll or fold in packing cubes is down to personal preference. I normally pack trousers and shirts in layers, but roll tops. Rolling has the advantage of  being able to immediately spot the item you need. Also, for small items like leads and medication, I use zippered sandwich bags. Again easy to spot what you need. For toiletries I have started using draw string bags in different colours rather than a rigid one for touring.  One for bodyproducts, one for hair products and a third for sun lotions and mossie spray. The drawstrings make it easy to hang the up the bags when bathroom space is limited.

I like the idea of drawstring bags, I usually pack everything except sun cream into one toiletry bag and although it has worked perfectly for me in the past I'm not sure it will work so well as far as space goes if I start using my packing cubes, drawstring bags would probably fit better into any nooks and crannies there might be.  I will have to experiment with rolling and folding into packing cubes before hand to see how things go.

Avocet

I will be interested to know how you get on with Eastpac. I have never been lucky as far as luggage is concerned. No matter what I buy, it always gets 'trashed' during the first use. I thought Tripp was a good make, but even that suitcase did not escape the brutality of luggage handling. I was thinking of a hard case as the next purchase, but am not sure.

Regards

Jaya

Hello Janec

I was interested to read your recommendation of Eastpak to Jaya, I have recently been looking at these myself.

Not wanting a hard case or four wheel spinner I was shown the Eastpak Tranverz by a Sales Assistant. I wasn't 100% sure thats what I wanted and thought I would read the reviews before I made a decision, most are good, the poor reviews saying they fall over when you stand them on their own. On checking I have since discovered they were a Which? best buy in 2017.  I have looked at these 2 or 3 times now and the more I see them the more I like them.  I opened one up to see if it would take packing cubes (not sure if it was the medium or large size) and it looked as if it could but haven't done any measurements yet to be sure, either way it looks like an Eastpak will be my next purchase, hopefully it will last the rigours of baggage handling better than some of my previous suitcases.  

Avocet

Hi Avocet,

I have 4 Eastpak cases - 2 medium, 2 large. I started buying them after seeing a JY TM with one. They do indeed take packing cubes, which again I have used for many years. The only downside of them is that they do occasionally fall over! I'd recommend probably getting a different colour than blue, as I, by mistake, picked somebody else's case off the belt at the airport, and complained furiously that someone had broken into my case as there was no lock attached. Luckily I realised before I actually opened it, and quickly put it back on the belt!

Cheers,

Hils

See my response to your previous post (I know they sometimes get missed when answering this way!).  I highly recommend Eastpak and would now never buy another make of case for the main luggage item (I have Tripp for my carry on).  Eastpak are also pretty lightweight despite the sturdy nature if their wheels and carrying handle.  Only negative for me is, because of the shape when they are open, they do not fit on conventional luggage racks, however as travelling single there is usually a spare bed, or spare side of the bed, to put it on!

Another plus is when halfway through the trip you close off one half of the suitcase and don't have need to open it again.

The case has been to the Arctic, Borneo, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, South Africa, Namibia and many other places, and as I bought it off the outlet site, it is a hideous red tartan that no one else obviously bought so I can spot it a mile off!!!

Jane

Hi Jaya

See my response to your previous post (I know they sometimes get missed when answering this way!).  I highly recommend Eastpak and would now never buy another make of case for the main luggage item (I have Tripp for my carry on).  Eastpak are also pretty lightweight despite the sturdy nature if their wheels and carrying handle.  Only negative for me is, because of the shape when they are open, they do not fit on conventional luggage racks, however as travelling single there is usually a spare bed, or spare side of the bed, to put it on!

Another plus is when halfway through the trip you close off one half of the suitcase and don't have need to open it again.

The case has been to the Arctic, Borneo, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, South Africa, Namibia and many other places, and as I bought it off the outlet site, it is a hideous red tartan that no one else obviously bought so I can spot it a mile off!!!

Jane

Hi Jane,

Us Scots actually like "hideous red tartan"!! I certainly don't put my Eastpak cases on a bed as I know where it has been, and wouldn't like to have to sleep in that bed! I put mine on the floor!

Cheers,

Hils

Jaya

Many thanks for your tips, good to know I will be able to use my new packing cubes.  Re carousel incident, I can just picture the scene, so easily done, its always a scrum with everyone  so eager to spot their case the second they start to come through, and so many look the same. I usually use luggage straps or tie a brightly coloured ribbon on the handle to help me spot mine.

The Eastpaks  I've looked at have a built in TSA combination lock, I don't know if this is something new as one of the Cons in last years Which? report ( and there were only two) said they didn't have a lock but did have tags to take a padlock, don't know if a built in lock is a good thing or not as I've always used a padlock.

So, off I will go with my new packing cubes and case with a feeling of trepidation, no doubt, as to how it will work out for me. Will I get on with my new found items? only time will tell.

Avocet

Hi Avocet

I will be interested to know how you get on with Eastpac.  I have never been lucky as far as luggage is concerned.  No matter what I buy, it always gets 'trashed' during the first use.  I thought Tripp was a good make, but even that suitcase did not escape the brutality of luggage handling.  I was thinking of a hard case as the next purchase, but am not sure.

Regards

Jaya

Hi Jaya

Yes I will certainly let you know how I get on, think it will get a good test run so hopefully it will come through with a good report.

Regards

Avocet

Hi Avocet

I will be interested to know how you get on with Eastpac.  I have never been lucky as far as luggage is concerned.  No matter what I buy, it always gets 'trashed' during the first use.  I thought Tripp was a good make, but even that suitcase did not escape the brutality of luggage handling.  I was thinking of a hard case as the next purchase, but am not sure.

Regards

Jaya

Hi Jaya

Yes I will certainly let you know how I get on, think it will get a good test run so hopefully it will come through with a good report.

Regards

Avocet

Hi Jaya

I don't know if you have purchased a new suitcase yet but I can now give my verdict of my Eastpac.

I think it is fair to say that this has probably got to be the best case I have ever bought over the years, it really went through the mill of the rough and tumble of baggage handling almost unscathed.  Apart from being a bit grubby, on examination, the only damage I can see is a small split in the material in one corner which can easily be repaired to prevent it going any further.

I bought the medium size which was just adequate for my needs as, apart from anything else, it made me cut

back on how much I put in it, and to be honest I managed quite nicely with what I took as I washed a few things out as I went along.  I would maybe have liked it to be slightly bigger so I could have off loaded some of my hand luggage coming back.  I shall be watching the sales to buy the large size now as they have compression straps to bring them down in size, I think it will be nice to have the choice of having a bit more room if I want. I personally feel that for me it was money well spent.  Hope you have success with whatever you decide to buy.

Happy holidays

Avocet

Regards

Jaya