FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - has anyone tried the Eagle Creek garment sleeve?
Old Mar 9, 2009 | 8:54 pm
  #2  
tfar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Berlin and Buggenhagen, Germany
Posts: 3,509
I see you are taking great care of how your husband looks even when you are not around. Just don't wanna make him look too good...

Now I haven't tried the sleeve but I can give you some comments on construction anyway. If I compare this to the one included in the Travelpro Plat5 which one could surely order separately from Travelpro, I like the Travelpro better for a number of reasons.

1. It is a bit stiffer in construction with a rigid from around the edges of each panel. This means it won't bend and that's a good thing. When it's closed it is almost like a box.

2. The foam bars in the EC are integrated into the zipping panels (see pictures online). On the TP the foam bars can be positioned individually and they can also be adjusted allowing to fit bulkier suits or multiple suits better. NB: A little care should be taken with the velcro so it doesn't rub against the suit's cloth. I put a piece of tissue there.

3. The idea of having a proper hook for the garment bag seems good only at first. In reality it will be to cumbersome to deal with the zipping panels flapping over the suit and to extract the suits hanger from the rather small loops. This makes the proper hook superfluous. One will almost certainly take the suits out of the garment bag and put them in the closet without the bag because it is simply more practical. The suits will also hang looser which will allow them to hang out the wrinkles easier.

4. Said hook serves as a closure, too. Again, this is smart only at first sight. The hook is not adjustable and when the sleeve is really full there might be too much tension on the hook/closure to the point where the garment sleeve warps, which it shouldn't.

Therefore I would not go with the EC sleeve. If you need a sleeve contact TP and ask them to send you one for their Plat5 rollaboard. Say yours is damaged or you lost it and you'd like a new one.

When using the Plat5 sleeve and the technique that came from your thread I did get wrinkles but they did hang out within 24 hours even without using the shower. I should say that my suits are Super 120 or 130 wool, highly twisted, so that helps.

On my next trip I will use the compartment in my Plat5 where the sleeve usually goes but will not use the sleeve. I will then fold the suit with "your" technique and leave it in a dry cleaning sheath. Perhaps I'll add some silk paper but I'd really like to try it as pure and simple as possible.

Before I used sleeves I actually used a folding technique that was once explained in Men's Health as an English Butler School technique. It is a little bit more complicated than yours but has worked very well for me for years. I am currently evaluating which method I like better: the sleeve with your technique or the simple butler fold.

I wish I could attach pictures. I'd show you because in words I cannot explain it.

Till
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