Customer Reviews

Eagle Creek Travel Gear Tarmac 22 Carry-On

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I travel by plane 1-2 times per week, and my new Eagle Creek Tarmac 22 has proven to be my favorite piece of luggage in just a few weeks. It's unique shape allows it to be placed wheels out in the overhead of a 737, which is a big deal if you travel a lot and understand how packed the overhead bins can get. My old bag, a carry-on Delsey, always had to be inserted sideways in the overhead compartment. If I wasn't in zone 1-3, it became difficult to find a place for my bag. Also, this bag is VERY light, amazingly so. I also like the long pull handle because I'm 6'1" and tend to kick short-handled bags with my heel when walking. That doesn't happen with this bag. The internal compartments make the bag look small when you first open it up, but you'll soon find out that this bag can hold a lot of clothing. There is a separate shoe compartment that allows you to zip in your shoes and keep them from touching your clothes, and that's a nice added touch. I'm sold on Eagle Çreek!

After my cheap "set" of luggage would no longer function despite duct tape, G-glue and bread ties, I decided to spend real money on luggage pieces. Because I travel for both work and pleasure via air and car, I needed something versatile. I am a heavy packer. I've never traveled with less than 2 prs of shoes. I generally need 3 outfits daily for work/casual/gym and would much rather have wardrobe choices depending on how I feel.

I spent hours researching online and at my local department stores. My 7 yr old and I spent nearly two hours, "driving", pushing handles, zipping and unzipping and lifting luggage at a local retailers. The Samsonite extended handles became misaligned after just a few minutes, many pieces were quite heavy, some tipped over while empty so I could only imagine what overstuffed bags would do, some had the wheels housed in plastic that once chipped would render them inoperable.

My online research led me to Eagle Creek brand. While the appearance was the initial ice-breaker, the reviews, weight, "pack it" system and guarantees sealed the deal. I purchased the 22" carry on with the intent that if that went well, I would continue to buy all of the pieces. I will be buying them all!

My first trip with the Tarmac 22" was a 2 day business trip. I packed two suits, jeans, 2 prs capri workout pants, 2 Tshirts, two casual tops, 2 business tops, undergarments including gym socks and jog bras, toiletries, 2 prs shoes, hair straightener and various other items in this carry on. No problem. It wheels effortlessly over elevator seams, carpet, brick roads and door thresholds. The weight is perfect. It never tipped once. I received compliments about the appearance. A bonus is that the organization and pockets made it quite easy to re-pack.

I've already ordered the small duffel and the 25" Tarmac. You won't be disappointed.

I travel ~400K over-the-ground miles per year (not recommended). For several years I've used TravelPro Platinum series and have been OK but not really happy with them. The are really heavy, have handle problems and wheel problems (see below). Note that these are problems of extremely heavy use and probably would not be encountered (excepting the weight) by someone traveling less than 50K miles/year or so. My current one failed after around one million miles, so hard to complain about that. Set out to buy a new TravelPro and discovered that they have badly cheapened-up the line with really bad ultra-frequent flyer commentary. Having seen some pilots and other daily travelers pulling Eagle Creek carry-ons, I did the research and found uniformly excellent feedback. So I ordered the Tarmac 22 and received it from an Amazon.com seller very quickly

I've now traveled around 30K miles (3 weeks for me) with it and am very satisfied. Packs well and holds more than one would think from its slim-looking profile. It holds slightly more than my TravelPro P4 without using either's expando feature. Amazingly light, probably 2 lb lighter than the TravelPro, but very well made with strong reinforcement where that's obviously needed. Solid handles and great wheels. Tarmac's wheels are very hard compared to TravelPro's and those of many other bags. This is great for the seriously heavy traveler because: 1) they roll more efficiently on all surfaces, 2) they don't get flat spots when a wheel jams from picking up debris. By the time my TravelPro was two months old, each wheel had several annoying flat spots, and when I retired it the wheel rubber (or whatever) had literally stripped off down to the plastic rims. Shouldn't have happened, and I doubt that the Tarmac will have this problem. Note that the hard wheels make more rolling noise on uneven, rough, ribbed surfaces, but who cares. Note also that the Tarmac 22 fits perfectly in "standard" overheads, but due to its shape must be inserted handle end first with the wheels outboard.

It really is true that this bag seems much smaller than other 22 in carry-ons but yet it fits even more. I love the shoe box, which fits both my shoes and a pair of flipflops (I'm size 11). Unlike other carry-ons, which are essentially a box with a lid, so that all your stuff fits on the "bottom" in the box part, the Tarmac lid hold a ton of stuff, sacrificing depth of the "bottom" part (if that makes sense). I actually like this and manage to fit more, but if you just want to stack all your clothes in a box rather than use compartments that they provide, you might want a different bag.

Other trims that you don't realize are there until you need them:
- The plastic "leg" that balances the bag on the wheel is shaped like a handle; when your bag is stubborn to get out of the overhead compartment, you'll appreciate that you're not holding up the plane.
- When the handle is fully extended, you can press the button and "throw" the entire handle back into the bag, without it getting caught on the intermediate half-length; very nice when you're trying to be quick at the security line.
- The top compartment on the inside of the bag--perfect placement for toiletries--is plastic-lined for any lotion explosions and the zippers go all the way around, so you can pull the overstuffed toiletry bag out of the luggage in the standing position.
- At first, I didn't understand why they made the top of the bag more narrow, unlike other carry-ons which are more rectangular and boxy; then I observed on a crowded plane that 22-in carryons from other brands have to go into the overhead sidways, while the Tarmac can always goes in head-first regardless
- Even when I overpack and am putting my knee on the bag to close the zippers, the zippers never skip a notch no matter how much I'm distorting the bag.
- The bag tilts slightly back in the standing position; this keeps it from tipping. My oversized laptop bag would tip my other carry-on forward, but not the Tarmac.

I lost the piggy-back hook, which allows me to clip another bag to the front of this bag. Called Eagle Creek and they sent me one within a week for free.

I'm hooked on Eagle Creek for life.

After a LOT of research, picked the Tarmac. No, it wasn't inexpensive, but rather than give in to temptation of the less costly rollers, I went with this one. I've never regretted it - it's held up very well. The Tarmac packs a lot in the compartments, and when it's on a hotel room stand the zipped upper side keeps things from falling out. I've done about 40 or so trips with it as a carry-on, and as everyone says, wheels out and it almost always fits. The various handles and grips are very helpful to grab when you're trying to get it into the overhead. I will say that the slightly rounded shape at the top of the bag sometimes forces me to do some squeezing to fit my shaving kit in there, but it usually works with some persuasion. When I slide my computer bag over the handles and pull it that way it feels heavy and unbalanced. Hanging the computer bag with the luggage strap from the top of the bag works much better, but takes longer to snap it on /off. After reading some of the other reviews, I need to weigh it - I sometimes feel it could/should be a little lighter. After some use, the only thing that's gone wrong on the Tarmac is the rubber grommet has torn around the handle's push button. All in all, well worth the cost - I'm impressed with Eagle Creek.

I travel weekly for business and have found the Tarmac 22 to be an excellent piece of luggage. I especially like the compartments that are available for shoes, shaving gear, etc. In terms of durability, I would say that it is the best luggage investment I've made in a long time. I intend to buy my wife one soon and will continue to stay with the Eagle Creek brand. It pays to do some research before buying!

I am a young female professional on a mission to pack efficiently. After having my own "Up in the Air" moment, when a male co-worker suggested I must to learn to pack for a two week business trip to China in a carry-on. Several failed iterations and lots of research & reading reviews on countless travel sites and blogs, I found the Tarmac 22. I was impressed with the brand-loyalty and overwhelming testimony of quality for the Eagle Creek products. Being an engineer, I "geeked out" over the Pack-It system and several product development & testing videos, including a video from Eagle Creek's Executive Vice President Ricky Schlesinger. If I was going to invest this much in a bag, I wanted to work hard as a professional bag and as a weekend adventurer. The Tarmac 22 did not disappoint - it has great styling and really sturdy, thoughtful construction. I ordered the Cayenne & Brown, which is much more attractive than the photos suggest. And although not a perfect match, the Cayenne coordinates well with the Morocco pattern available in the Pack-It System.

For my first test pack, I used the Pack-It System products - Folder 18, a 2-sided cube, a regular cube, tube cube, a 3+1+1 back and my own toiletry set. This is what I was able to pack, without expanding the bag (for another 1.5-2in of space), and without the bag looking overstuffed:

Main Compartment (pressing the built-in shoebox flat, which it does so perfectly):
* Pack-It Folder 18: 5 tailored long sleeve dress shirts, 2 pairs of lined slacks & a wool sweater dress
* Pack-it Tube Cube: 5 pairs athletic socks, 5 pairs of underwear, 2 silk scarves
* Fleece Athletic Jacket

Largest Zippered Section in Main Compartment:
* 2 Sided Pack-it Cube: 1 pair of denim jeans, 2 lightweight sweaters, 1 silk shirt
* 4 underwire bras

Smaller Zippered Section in Main Compartment:
* Toiletry kit, including a travel curling iron

Outside:
* 3+1+1 bag of my liquids
* Pack-It Cube: 2 pairs Yoga pants, 2 workout tops, 2 sports bras, sleep set

With the blazer and extra outerwear I generally wear onto the plane, I would have enough for +7 days of business, including two nice evening meals, plus casual clothes for a layover weekend. All in a carry-on!! Fully loaded, the bag is still well below the standard 40lb domestic limit, and the wheels roll effortlessly across carpet, tile, and concrete surfaces. Best of all, I unpacked even my dress shirts and slacks free of wrinkles.

My first trip through DFW Airport, I was asked to put my bag in the sizer at security check but passed. And it fit perfectly lengthwise in the overhead of an American Airlines S80 where space is generally at a premium these days (my trips on the Southwest 737 should be a breeze!) Most of my international travel is on American Airlines, but I am a little nervous about some of the international carriers, since this bag does push the limits as a "carry-on" for most airlines overseas. However, even if I am forced to check the bag, you can tell it can afford quite a bit of abuse.

The only design flaw I found is the shoebox is too small to accommodate most shoe styles. My size 9 Nike runners were way too big; I'll have to limit myself to a more streamline multipurpose Clark or Merrell for my workouts. I would think most men would have a difficult time using this for even their dress shoes. However, since it collapses easily, I don't see it getting in my way.

This is undoubtedly the "Subaru" of luggage - ready for rough terrain, fun, stylish and full of personality. I'd put it up against those "Mercedes" brands of luggage any day!

I've used this bag both as a carry-on and as checked luggage, and it's performed admirably in both regards. It's well constructed and well designed, with a good arrangement of sub-compartments, tie-downs and pockets. The handle telescopes to a good length for my height (>6'), plus I found that it holds well at half-height, allowing me to carry the bag down airplane aisles without bashing seated people in the arm.

Only minor quibble is that the tiedown web in the main compartment (two straps plus material) started to fray. But, to be honest, I haven't been gentle.

Eagle creek makes awesome luggage and packing gear. The Tarmac 22 is a prime example of a well thought out and functional carry on. I own several Eagle Creek suitcases and this carry on is my favorite and most used piece. It has served me well around the world many times and still looks new. It's so well built i cant imagine ever having to use the "No Matter what" unlimited warranty, but it's nice to know i could!

The bag opens like a book, which looks deceptively small when empty. However this thing can hold a ton of stuff when packed to the max and the zippers are rugged enough to support some serious over stuffing abuse. It's hard to explain in words whats so great about this bag, but once you start using it you'll understand. The straps, compartments, and zippered areas are perfect for stashing and organizing things when you're living from it. Pack it accessories of all kind work amazingly of course, especially solo duty during extended periods of travel.

The bag stands up very well and is difficult to tip over, even with another bag clipped to the front or stuck on the top. The wheels are constructed well, like the rest of the bag, and easy to maneuver around. I'm 6'4" and find the handle plenty long enough and sturdy.

It's not the cheapest carry on you can find, but it probably is the best single piece of luggage you could own. With the "no matter what" guarantee it will probably be the last carry on you buy and you'll enjoy using it for years.

This bag is incredibly light (compared with my Victorinox and Travelpro suitcases of the same size). I managed to pack for an 8 day trip to Brazil using this bag and it was just perfect. Highly recommend Eagle Creek luggage and will look to them for future bag purchases.