eBags Mother Lode
 

Does anybody have any experience with the eBags brand Mother Lode series? I'm looking specifically at the 25" duffel (I think they call it the Junior) in both the old eTech and the new TLS series. Seems like a good sweet spot for price and quality.

I noticed that while the new TLS version is more expensive it offers more volume at less weight, but the % reviews on it seem somewhat lower as well.

Any thoughts or opinions appreciated.

I entertained the idea of purchasing some, as well, based on the fact a friend has them and LOVES them. She swears by that line. The only reason why I didn't get them is they were just a bit heavier than I wanted to go. If you opt for a closeout color you can get a pretty smokin' deal, too.

I just ordered and received the TLS 25-inch, haven't traveled with it yet. I have to say the build quality on the case is excellent. I've viewed the video about this bag on the ebags site several times - also excellent and shows the features of the bag in good detail. I agree with you that this bag is great bang for the buck. I bought it right before Christmas when it was 20% off with free shipping.

Just this past week a number of new reviews about the Mother Lode TLS Junior have been posted on the ebags site. Sort the reviews by date to get the most recent ones.

I'll be taking a one-week car trip with this bag on Jan 9th, so I won't have more comments about it until then. I also ordered the TLS Weekender Convertible, which was out of stock but is now enroute and due to be delivered to me on Jan 4th. I'm tired of schlepping my bag through airports using a shoulder strap, so the backpack option on the Convertible looks good. I think the combination of the Weekender plus the TLS Junior will work really well for the type of travel I do.

There was another thread about these bags a couple of weeks ago, do a search on TLS Weekender to check for other comments.

I have the Motherlode etech 25". It's an excellent bag for that size range. It holds way more than my old Kirkland 26" roller. It weighs about 9 lbs. I bought it in a combo deal with a backpack for about $135. I can't think of any other comparable bag in the $125 price range, I am sure people here can suggest some though.

The etech, from what I can tell, has most of the usability of the TLS but is significantly cheaper. I haven't been able to justify the added expense of the TLS line except in the case of the weekender, where it is only about $30 difference.

An added advantage is that despite the thousands of reviews for the motherlode series on ebags, I have yet to see one on the same carousel as mine when I travel.

Upcoming review
 

I'll be reviewing the TLS Mini in the next week or so... looks great on paper (and in their video). I'm not a wheelie kinda guy, so this should be interesting.

Hacks, any impressions of the TLS Mini?

He has a (postive) review posted here. I used the older version of the bag for three years and I loved it. Only problem for me taking the laptop etc. to meetings and/or repacking it and the associated "stuff" when I needed a smaller bag. Still a great bag, through.

@ WanderingDaruma I also have the big (25"?) version of the bag which we use for family vacations. It's a great bag, can take a load of gear for skiing or the beach. Only need to take care not to overload it for the bag weight limit! If I were packing for myself for a ski-trip, I could easily fit my boots in the base, with some other gear and still have plenty of room for the rest of my stuff. Only thing broken in three years is a zipper pull tag. When I came back from the US with the bags, the smaller mother load fitted in the base and the rest of my gear in the top section!

One tip for all - a baggage thief attached my small bag through the small top pocket which was not locked, as it was empty, when I checked it in. Unzipping this, they cut through the inner lining to gain access to the main bag. I didn't notice until I got back from the airport as there was no visible damage. Luckily, there was nothing in the top except smelly clothes, so nothing damaged, apart from my washbag, which had a knife cut where they went through from the other side.

I bought one after using the mini for several months.

Used it on a short haul 4 day vacation with the family and must say I really like it. It was the only bag the 4 of us checked.

Both the mini and the junior roll so quietly you almost forget they are there!

I was seriously interested in the Mini, but at 21", it's just too small. My current bag is a discontinued TravelPro 22.5" duffel with a drop-bottom that I can easily pack with 5-6 days of clothes with room to spare and still carry-on. If the Mini was at least 22", I'd snap one up to replace the TravelPro with its tearing handle.

Stephen, do you want something with wheels or is a shoulder bag alright, too? If so, you should look at the Andiamo thread here. Check out what has been written about the VD-25 duffel bag. It is 25x12x12. I know that's bigger than MLC but the thing really looks smaller than it is and passes through as carry-on. It also has a smaller footprint in the bin than a standard size carry-on. It packs a ton and a half.

http://www.altmanluggage.com/andiamo_vd25.php

It might be getting hard to find because FT has already raided Luggage and Leather, Luggageguru and Uwantsavings. :D UWS had it for $70 or so which was an incredible deal.

Check it out. It is amazing how space efficient it is. Another super space efficient bag is the TX2 I reviewed in my shoot-out but that one is REALLY hard to find now and the VD-25 still is bigger anyway.

Hope you don't mind the unsolicited advice but I really appreciate your contributions to the Safety forum and saw an opportunity to return the favor. :)

Till

Wow, this looks like perfect bag, except I need something with wheels :( Darn, so close.

Darn it. Well, you could combine it with a Samsonite Micromover cart. The cart will fit in the bag when not in use or could be just strapped on top of it. Would still be a very lightweight affair.

Good wheeled duffels are not easy to find but if you look at Eagle Creek you might like the ORV series.

Till

High Sierra has similar 2 compartment wheeled duffles that also includes a backpack strap option.

We have all three sizes of the eBags Mother Lode duffles, plus 2 of the 25" that we use for all our extended trips. Haven't used a regular suitcase in years since these do the job perfectly.

They are durable, almost indestructable, hold far more than you can imagine, and easy to pack. We've packed them for ski trips, cruises, camping, you name it.

I let the little 21" sit around thinking it really wouldn't hold that much and then took it as a checkable on a medium length trip for all our "extras" that wouldn't fit into our two rollerboards. I was amazed what I could get into it! It's now turned into our favorite "little" checkable. Our daughter likes it as a carryon.

I highly recommend these. eBags now has a newer design and I'm debating getting one of my family members one, but still like the older design the best.

Anyone tried the newer design?

I have the 21" and the 25" as well. The 21" does fit in overhead bins quite well and in instances where the bag may stick out a little, turning around to wheels out will solve the problem. The bag has a curved top that conforms to bins very well and the bottom has a handle that allows one to grab and go quickly with wheels out. A well thought out bag.