Eagle Creek Explore Sling Pack

2025-06-07T20:00:00

I purchased this bag as a replacement to my tattered and aging travel and hiking companion: the venerable REI Ruckpack 28. Sadly, REI stopped this line up but the Eagle Creek Explorer is the perfect replacement and is better is almost every single way. I feel bad giving it a 4/5 because this bag is almost perfect and has incredible attention to detail. The 4/5 is because it is missing some desirable features and has nothing to do with the quality of the current product, which is excellent. Details I really appreciated: I really like the carabiner removable hip belt. I can't believe that other companies haven't thought of this! It is a genius idea. I always remove it at airports and other places where it might get snagged. The organization is excellent. I have a black bag. Eagle Creek intelligently made the interior gray. I cannot emphasize how important this design decision is! It is so much easier to find things inside the main volume when you have a light color contrasted with the contents. It makes me so happy. I purchased a Cotopaxi bag prior to this Eagle Creek but returned it simply because I couldn't get over the jet-black interior. It is a quality-of-life deal-breaker in my opinion to not have clear visibility into the main volume. The pockets are perfect mins the water bottle pocket. I love the side access front pocket. Everything makes sense on this bag. Like the REI Ruckpack, it has a side-access zipper which is supremely helpful when walking. I don't have to take the bag fully off to stow a jacket or retrieve something in the main volume. Also great for stowing things in an airport. This is perhaps the most underrated feature. The REI has a water bottle pocket on both sides which is nice. However, when you utilize both water bottle pockets on the REI, it obfuscates the side-access. This bag as a nifty grab handle which would be blocked by a second water bottle. While I would appreciate having an extra side pocket to store an umbrella or something else, I can understand why it is missing. The REI attempted to solve this problem with sinching water bottle pockets. I prefer these to the mesh one found on the Eagle Creek, though I always must fish the REI's top compression clip through the water bottle's lid loop lest the water bottle falls out. The Eagle Creek's is far more secure which almost makes up for it only having one in my opinion. My main criticisms are really contrasting it to features found in my REI bag. Feature request 1) I wish it came with a rain cover, though this isn't entirely necessary. I am re-using my REI Ruckpack's rain cover which works perfectly. REI also had the thoughtfulness to include a rain cover inside a dedicated rain cover pouch. While the outside is water resistant with the waxy finish, it isn't as waterproof as I'd like. I spent a lot of time hiking the USA's Pacific Northwest and traveled with it to the Philippines. The waxy' exterior is good for light rain but won't hold up to more substantial rain storms. Feature request 2) The sling bag has two bottom straps but the Backpack doesn't. The sling also doesn't include the four anchored straps, which are really useful and versatile. Still, it would be nice to have two straps on the bottom of the bag. It would be even nicer if they were easily removable like the hip belts with a carabiner. Even just including four lashing points or a daisy chain on the bottom would give even more versatility. The pack has more than amble lashing points across the front. These make up for not having the bottom straps, but it would still be nice. Feature request 3) Make the existing water bottle holder a little bigger. I am worried the water bottle holder will tear with time. I use a 32oz Owala bottle. I have an Osprey backpack that I use for work. The stretchy water bottle pockets tore after a couple years of use. I am worried these will have the same fate. I much prefer the water bottle pockets on the REI. They also don't intrude into the internal volume at all whereas this one intrudes a little bit into the main volume.

JP

Originally posted at

2025-05-01T20:00:00

The bag is great construction and versatile but I am stumped trying to find out why the cross body strap that connects into the should harness is way to small for me. I didnt realize, if true, it is only for a smaller frame person. If I am missing something it would great to hear.

RJM

Originally posted at

2025-04-08T20:00:00

Perfect size with lots of pockets

Susan B.

Originally posted at