Eagle Creek Systems Go Duffel Pack Review

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Eagle Creek Systems Go Duffel Pack

Are you a creature of habit? When you’re packing for a trip, do you make a checklist and put the same items in the same places in your luggage? For some of us, this is an effective strategy for keeping organized and at the same time not losing something valuable on an extended trip, whether its domestic or international. The new Eagle Creek Systems Go duffel pack with Pack-It Specter cubes appears like a control-freak’s deepest desire, and over a two week trip to Central America it proved its value in multiple ways.

Eagle Creek Systems Go Duffel Pack

I generally pack light for surf trips, but this last vacation to Costa Rica was a surf/yoga/photography trip, demanding three times the gear I typically carry. I also pack efficiently, but in a vague, instinctive manner. When the Eagle Creek Systems Go duffel pack showed up at my door, I almost felt stupid; put together with the Pack-It Specter cubes it was immediately obvious that I’d be forced to organize my clothes and gear in an intelligent manner.

The pack itself is a stealthy design. The jet black (it comes in an attractive Red Clay, also), sturdy, nylon build is free of too many extraneous features, making it simple to use, easy to pack, and painless to carry. I’ve owned several psuedo-duffel backpacks in my lifetime, but none were as comfortable as the Eagle Creek Systems Go duffel pack. Its suspension frame is designed with fully padded shoulder straps, top cinches, a padded and fully adjustable torso and hip system, and tightens easily for a snug, comfortable fit. The back and lumbar padding is very comfortable and moisture-wicking. This last part is a feature that doesn’t often get checked for credibility in the mountains, but in the tropics its essential. The padding is reinforced and set back from the ventilating mesh resulting in a constant airflow, thus, it works!

Eagle Creek Systems Go Duffel Pack

One of my favorite features could be easily missed, but is a novelty in the backpack world: a huge top opening makes it so simple to dump things in/out of the Eagle Creek Systems Go duffel pack. It’s like having permission to be haphazard without causing any damage! In fact, as a rule, the entire pack lends itself to easy to use, obvious features, and fits it’s own definition as a duffle pack to the “T.”

The Pack-It Specter cubes deserve their own review, but they integrate so perfectly with the pack that they fit here. They come in a fluorescent green reminiscent of an alien egg (as well as other colors), measuring 14X10X3″, and a six-pack manages to fill the pack perfectly. I even felt an inclination to fold my t-shirts, shorts and whatever else to nestle them snugly into the cubes. Finally, on the way home from the tropics, I didn’t have to search for a place to hide my wet surf trunks and dirty t-shirts; the water and stain-resistant cubes are obviously suited to that job. Add the laptop sleeve that is placed strategically between the lumbar pad and my packed clothing, and I felt no paranoia about my Macbook’s safety.

Eagle Creek Systems Go Duffel Pack

Maybe the most telling feedback regarding the Eagle Creek Systems Go Duffel pack was my wife’s comment that every time she put something in or pulled something out of the pack, she would remark how cool it seemed. Spending the better part of my life eschewing all things “not cool,” this was pretty convincing. All told, I’m looking forward to using this unique design again, and again.

The Eagle Creek Systems Go duffel pack comes in Red Clay or Black, and you can choose from a 35L or 60L volume. MSRP ranges from $140-$160! For more info on these and other Eagle Creek products, visit www.eaglecreek.com.