HornsKeith

So my old Eagle Creek Tarmac ES 20 has served me well on mostly international travel for over a decade. But lately, one of the wheel bearings is shot, the handle is pretty sticky getting it in and out, and it’s just getting a bit tired. Because it’s done so well, it seemed to me the Eagle Creek Tarmac International Carry-On was the natural choice. It’s slightly longer at 21.5” but still legal for AF/KLM/Lufthansa, and I figured the extra space might come in handy. So imagine my surprise when it arrives and, compared to my old ES20, it’s tiny!





It appears to be almost a full two inches less deep, regardless of what the spec sheet says. Yes, the new one has an expansion zipper, but the material holding together when expanded is thin and has a seam in the middle. It doesn’t look like it would make it through 6 months of being gate checked- never mind a decade. And even then, it still looked smaller.

So off I go to the Wayback machine for the original ES 20 specs, and sure enough it’s bigger than the new one- even when the new one is expanded (though just slightly). For reference, the new International is 2015 cu in unexpanded, 2195 cu in expanded.






So now I'm also certain I'm going to send it back. I wasn't banking on having less space with a bag that's also 1.5" longer. The depth was never a problem unless I overstuffed it and tried to cram it into the overhead of a CRJ7/9.

Here's my question, then- what should I get instead? I'd like to stay in the $200-$300 range, so that rules out Tumi/B&R/et al, and many of those aren't in the same size range as what I had. Thoughts or suggestions?

Part of why I liked the 20" bag was because I knew it would be legal basically everywhere...

Thanks
Keith

HornsKeith

While I'm going with my rant...

• The old ES20 had compression straps for the whole bag. They helped compress the load and, to me, offered some peace of mind if a zipper failed because the bag would still be held closed
• I kind of liked the water bottle pocket to sometimes take weight off my backpack
• I appreciated that the old bag opened in the middle, clamshell style. I could open it up at the hotel and work out of both sides. All the new stuff just opens on one side, and I'm not sure why

Keith

kaymoz

I am shopping for a carry-on bag myself, and want it to work no matter which bargain airline we end up on in Europe, so that means keeping it to the 20 cm/7.8 inch depth. But have been wondering now much that water bottle pocket is worth!

kenlor

Eagle Creek has a lifetime warranty on their bags, so you might want to consider getting it repaired if you haven't looked into it already. It may take a few weeks, but it is certainly worth it.

I too love the clamshell style, so when my 11 year old bag recently developed a wonky wheel, I had it repaired and I am now happy as a, well, clam!

HornsKeith

I'm definitely planning to look into that next. For a bag that I know is basically legal everywhere (I don't fly Ryanair), it really does a lot of what I want...

Keith

HornsKeith

Went through the eBags return process for the Tarmac International over the weekend and mailed out the bag yesterday. Pretty painless through eBags and essentially only a $5 charge for the return.

I also emailed Eagle Creek about the disappointing size of the bag and linked to this thread. In response, I got... radio silence. Nothing. Another notch in the negative column for Eagle Creek I guess.

Because I have a trip coming up, I had to figure out a stopgap bag to try while I think more about the best long term option, which might include mailing the Tarmac ES20 back for repair. I decided on a Kirkland Signature spinner even though it's a bit larger than I'd like for international travel. But at $99, it wasn't a major investment either. Size comparison between the three:




I'll get to find out how Air France views the bag size as well, at least for one trip. If the upcoming strikes don't cause their own problems....

Keith

wendyg

If you're going to be in London any time soon, if you bring the bag there's a great repair place opposite South Kensington tube station.

wg

QT31415

I LOVE my Eagle Creek Tarmac, it's also over 10 years old like yours. It has been around the world many many times and though i've gotten other bags I've always gone back to this one when it really matters. I've sent it in to Eagle Creek down in San Diego three times for repairs, twice for the zipper (damaged both times when checked on international flights) and once for the wheels. The last time I sent it in they offered me a 50% discount on a new bag, but I went and looked at them at REI and all my favorite components were gone. Repair yours, you'll not regret it.

HornsKeith

I did, and it was even surprisingly painless. The hardest part was scrounging around for a box that was about the right size.

I shipped it for repair to the New York location (The Fixery in Inwood, NY). After dropping it off on a Monday morning, it was back on my doorstep just over 1.5 weeks later. Much faster than the estimated times on the Eagle Creek page. It now has two new wheels, and the telescoping handle is smooth again. I'm quite pleased with how simple the repair process was, and it's good to have the bag back again.




Also, the Kirkland bag above worked fine on my one Air France flight and I was pleased with it during my time in and around France.

Keith

QT31415

Tip: You don't need a box to return it. UPS will put a label on the handle and send it "as is" - it can't be any worse for the bag than going from JNB to LAX! Eagle Creek sends it back nicely tuned within a sturdy box. Win-win!