Customer Reviews

Eagle Creek Travel Gear Guide Pro Bag

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

On a 10-day trip to China I took this bag (as a purse) and a rolling carry-on only; everything had to fit in these two bags. At first I was uncertain about it -- not very purse-like -- but it proved itself beyond expectation. Plenty of slots and zippered spaces made it easy to define a place for everything and in less than a day I was comfortable with it. Spaces for camera, phone, pen, pencil, nailfile, wallet, notebook, book, meds, receipts, and more made everything very accessible. The important stuff was safely zippered in. I could open the section containing my wallet without worrying about everything else being visible or falling out. I used the roomy (not flat) zippered side pocket for toilet paper (a necessity in China). The adjustable strap was easy to wear over my body but the little handle on top allowed for easy pickup and carrying without using the strap. Even fully loaded with all my stuff, it was very lightweight. I am very pleased with this purchase.

I bought the Eagle Creek Guide Pro for one specific reason - Apple's iPad. The Apple iPad fits perfectly in the large pocket with no wasted room to spare. The iPad with the Apple Case on it will also just fit but more tightly. There are pockets to also carry my iPhone, AC charger and connector cord, iPad Camera Connection Kit, stylus and small point and shoot digital camera in an organized manner. To this apprehensive non-metrosexual man, the over the shoulder black bag looks manly enough to be taken for a technical bag and not a purse.

I love the Eagle Creek Guide Pro! It's exactly what I had been wanting. (I'd tried two other bags prior to getting this one and they weren't quite right for various reasons.) I got it as a Christmas gift this last year and have been using it almost every day since then.

I needed a bag that could comfortably accommodate my Kindle in its cover and also have room for the other items I carry with me whenever I leave my house like wallet, cell phone, pen, lip balm and such. But I wanted a bag that wasn't so big or heavy that I felt like I was heading off on vacation every time I left the house. The Guide Pro has ended up suiting my needs perfectly.

The bag has a "flat" design, in that there aren't bulky exterior pockets and everything is zippered instead of using flaps. This makes it excellent for comfortable, casual carry, especially if you're dealing with public transportation.

There are two flat zippered exterior pockets, one on each side. There is a small, zippered pouch attached to one side. Presumably for a cell phone, but it's pretty narrow. (I keep my lip balm in there for easy access.) There is one main compartment that is plenty roomy for my Kindle with enough room to also hold a small notebook. When I want to I can squeeze my camera in there too. Without the Kindle it would be plenty roomy for a camera, small paperback book, and water bottle or other similar combinations.

The organizer compartment has two pen holders, two flat pockets (one with net that is zippered), and two small pockets with velcro flaps that can hold things like cell phones, music players, reading glasses, etc. There's also a detachable key ring.

The Guide Pro is very neatly designed with its thin profile. But because of that it's not the kind of bag that you can decide to cram in a whole bunch of extra stuff like one previous bag I owned. With that in mind I'd recommend it more for every day use or as a purse replacement for travel. If you want more of a day bag for vacationing in which you want to lug around quite a few extras I think you'd be happier with something either a bit roomier or with a different design that includes larger exterior pockets.

Advantages:

* Long strap so even a large person can use it for cross shoulder carry, but can be shortened for a smaller person.

* Organizer section is well-designed without being overly complicated.

* Handle on top perfect for when you just need to grab and carry it a short distance and don't want to mess with wearing it.

* Slim design means it doesn't snag on things and it doesn't feel too bulky even for casual, every day use.

Disadvantages:

* Not much give/extra room if you want to try and really cram it with extra items for extended day trips or traveling.

(I have the black version and it's fairly sleek looking.)

This bag is very well made, but it is not flexible enough to accommodate different contents for different kinds of days and or trips. The compartments just don't have enough "give" to let me stuff it if necessary.

This is an excellent bag for travel and everyday use. The design is very well thought out that creates more storage space then it looks. If you're looking for a daypack for your computer, etc,, this is not for you. Get the Eagle Creek Travel Gear Hitch Daypack instead. I also own it and it's excellent for the same reasons: Durable, very well design and excellent craftsmanship.

I bought an Eagle Creek bag that is VERY similar to this one about 3 years ago that I LOVE and can't find anywhere (of course) I would do anything to find that exact bag...This one is about 2 inches taller and looks HUGE! I haven't used it yet for that reason. I just feel like it looks TOO big. I decided to keep using my old Eagle Creek bag until it literally falls apart...also my old bag has a cushioned shoulder strap and this one doesn't, which I think it should considering the amount of stuff you can store in these bags! I didn't return this bag and now I wish I would have...considering I never did end up using it.