Customer Reviews

eBags Mother Lode eTech Mini 21" Wheeled Duffel (Red)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I travel a lot, and 1-2 week multi-city international trips are always the hardest to pack for, since you might be covering a lot of different climates, need to keep the weight down, need a bag that can be unpacked/repacked every couple of nights, and probably want a bag that can be carried on or checked, depending on circumstances.

For twenty years, I used the original TravelPro Rollaboard 21" carry-on. It was very durable and simple -- basically a rugged 21" box with wheels. The TravelPro finally lost a wheel in Frankfurt late last year, so I went looking for a new bag. After a lot of research and comparisons, I decided to get two bags and put them through their paces. I bought the Rick Steves 21" wheeled carry-on (which was the closest thing I could find today to my old TravelPro) and the eBags eTech Mini 21". Having used them both, I have to say I've become a huge fan of the eBags Mini. I wasn't sure I'd like the "compartmentalized" approach to luggage, but it's been great.

Here's what I like about the Mini 21":

- The bag's compartments are very well thought out, and make it super easy to pack for a long trip. I use the bottom half of the bag as the main clothing area. It has an adjustable divider, and each half of the bottom is well sized for folded clothes. A set of four eBags medium-sized packing cubes perfectly fill the bottom half of the bag and make it very easy to pack/repack as you move from city to city. The top half can be used almost like a duffel bag area. I fill it with two Rick Steves small packing cubes, which fit perfectly. There's also a separate zippered area that's the perfect size for a shaving kit or a bunch of snacks for really long flights. The multi-compartment design of this bag is its biggest selling feature from my point of view.

- It feels very rugged. The material is heavy weight, the zippers feel sturdy, and the wheels are roller-blade wheels (much more durable than cheaper cylinder-style wheels). It rolls very nicely through long international terminals.

- The empty bag is light for a wheeled bag of this size and durability, saving pounds. It's not feather weight -- just light for a rugged, wheeled bag.

- Having handles on both the top and bottom of the bag is convenient when lifting the bag into awkward places (like an overhead bin on the aircraft).

Having said that, the bag's not perfect. Here's what I wish they'd improve:

- As another reviewer noted, the handle is very long. At first, I couldn't figure this out -- it seemed like the bag had been designed for and tested only by 6'6" folks. I'm not that tall, and the handle (in locked position) seemed excessively long. My opinion on this issue changed recently, however, when I bought a separate strap that allows me to hang my briefcase on the bag. With the briefcase attached, the bag balances perfectly over the wheels and is almost effortless to move. Maybe they knew what they were doing after all.

- The bag does not come with a strap to attach a second bag like a briefcase. It should be included and built into the bag. Add-on handles are not as convenient and they're expensive when bought separately. Also, because of the duffel-style design of the top half of the bag, a hanging briefcase won't lie perfectly flat when hanging and tends to slip to one side or the other if you don't get it centered. For me, this has proved to be a minor annoyance -- one of the things I miss relative to my old Rollaboard.

- The duffel-style handles on "top" of the bag aren't really that useful. The bag is clumsy to handle that way. It would be better to have a handle on the side of the bag for when you don't want to wheel it.

- Inside the bag, the channels for the handle and wheels take up more space than seems necessary.

This has become my new favorite bag for long international trips. The quality is good (rugged ... rolls smoothly), but the real selling point is the compartmentalized design, which I've found to be very convenient for long trips. If you get this bag, I'd highly recommend picking up at least one set of packing cubes (the eBags medium size fit nicely) and a strap for hanging a second bag (personally, I like the Brookstone strap).

P.S. I bought this bag directly from eBags, but bought the packing cubes through Amazon. Depending on promotions, it seems like it's sometimes cheaper to buy directly from eBags.com, and sometimes it's cheaper to buy through Amazon. Doing a comparison might save you a few bucks.

I did a good amount of research and ended up with this item. Also bought the roller duffle buy haven't used it yet. I like the sturdy construction and the extra lack of things that hang off of it (such as straps). Seems that it is made sturdily and it rolls easily. It doesn't fit under the seats like my old roller but with the variety of handles, it is easy for a short person to fit it overhead. Would recommend it to friends and family.

After years of traveling with almost enough luggage to fulfill a 19th century European Grand Tour, my wife and I decided that, for a three-week trip to Alaska, we would, finally, travel as lightly as possible. We didn't know if we could do it or not but as a prelude, we purchased two Mother Lode eTech Mini 21" Wheeled Duffels from E-Bags, and determined to take nothing with us that would not fit in them. Much to our surprise, we had a wonderful time and, without question, one of the main reasons was our new luggage.

What superb craftsmanship E-Bags has brought to their luggage! The inside space is unusually large; the several inter-changeable compartments cleverly constructed; the zippers well-made. We were simply amazed at how much we were able to pack in such small bags. The quality of material used and the workmanship that went turning it into each bag also was impressive. The bags fit easily in all airline overhead storage bins but, even when fully packed, are light enough to lift anywhere. And clearly the wheels are perhaps the best and most maneuverable that we have even seen. From now on, our luggage of choice no matter where we go will be our new E-Bags. All the rest of our not inconsiderable supply of suitcases are going out with the next trash pickup.

I travel a lot, I have looked for a bag that I can pack a lot into and still carry-on... This is it... I was amazed at the amount of stuff you can put in this bag and without the normal push and stuff to get it closed. I have traveled over 50,000 miles with this bag no rips no tears... tough reliable bag. Anyone who travels regulary and wants a great carry-on should get one of these. I would recommend this to anyone.

I was using one of these bags for my work trips because we had it as our office recruiting bag. I never would have thought to purchase one until I kept purchasing the cute luggage that wasn't practical for fitting on airplanes (I don't check luggage).
This suitcase is perfect for long trips (7 days to China and Egypt all fit in this bag, with shoes and everything else). Although it doesn't expand, there are plenty of pockets and compartments for everything of every size. This is now my main travel bag. The other reason I purchased it was we had one in the office for over 5 years and it is still holding up. A few scratches from check-ins, but overall everything is still in good condition.

Wanted to come back after a year of ownership and let you know how this bag has held up. I travel 90-100% for work so this sees use every Monday and Thursday. The wheels, shell, lining and zippers are incredibly tough. Most travel this is a carry on, and fits in every overhead bin except on regional jets. The handle extends a few inches further than any other bag I have seen, and really makes it easier for taller people to pull. You can put almost 2 weeks of clothes in this if you really pack well. The 3rd week of December 2011 the button that operates the handle finally broke. One side of the plastic snapped and I had to use a key to depress the broke side in order to collapse or extend the handle. After taking the handle off, the best solution was to snap off the stop pin on the broken side in order to continue use. I am planning on purchasing another one of these as I have really gotten my money's worth out of this bag.

The duffle has accomodated more than the amount of clothing that i needed (7 days worth), very sturdy, great design and very well thought out pocketin, ect). Im very pleased with my purchase.

The eBags Mother Lode eTech Mini 21" Wheeled Duffel bag is THE BEST!!! Extremely versatile with multiple configurations all built into the same bag. Light!!! Smooth quiet rolling. I love this bag. Order through Amazon was timely and easy. See at [...]

We purchased two of these for a summer trip to China. They were impressively roomy--we even used the internal space under the zipper of the main compartment to stash a few small things. What I didn't like was the collapsible handle--it really only locked in the fully extended position when pulling the bag. It seemed like something that would have been pretty easy to have designed slightly differently, so that it could lock in place when only half extended (for shorter users). Also, when it's pretty full, the front carry strap becomes very tight and is difficult to use--another quirk that could have been designed just a bit better. Despite these and a couple of other small issues (did I say that 360º wheels would have been nice?!?), the bag was sturdy and functional, held up well through multiple airports fully intact, and allowed us to carry a lot.

Product is well made. I like the pockets on the outside to hold items like small camera and dvd player. It fits well into the overhead bins on airplanes. I like the way you can configuire it for carrying different items. I would recommend this product to a friend. I would rate it 4 stars.
DWG Michigan