With its water- and abrasion-resistant TPU-coated 1200-denier ballistic exterior and don't-mess-with-me build, Gregory's Alpaca 22 travel bag
is made to withstand the rigors of air, road, and mule travel. Welcome
new Trek Tech reviewer Will Hinkson as he tries to beat the Alpaca into
submission.
Gregory Alpaca 22 Travel Bag, $350, gregorypacks.com.
The Good: Bomb-proof; I couldn't put a scratch on the thing.
The Bad: Super-size wheels make it (barely) too big for a plane's overhead compartment.
The Ugly: The look on the stewardess's face after it broke said compartment.
I didn't waste any time: testing started with me packing my clothes in the 53-liter bag then making my way up on the roof and promptly throwing it off my one story house. The bag passed the tremendously fun drop test without a scratch.
Test number two was a two-month trip out to Texas involving four separate flights. Everything started good: the Alpaca's beefy, over sized wheels on the bag rolled through the airports with ease, and the wide aluminum handle is one of the best designs I have seen on a travel bag. The bag-width handle let me roll it to the side instead of right behind me, keeping bag-induced flat tires to a minimum.
I was on the way to giving it a five star rating until I tried putting it in my plane's overhead bin. After about a minute of ramming the bag (with the passengers waiting to board the plane glaring at me), I finally managed to rage the bag into the overhead bin.
De-boarding turned out to be an even bigger ordeal. Those wheels that I liked so much turned into a couple of grappling hooks in the overhead compartment. I tried every angle to pull my bag out, without any luck. Finally my flight attendant sternly told me I need to figure something out.
I put every ounce of my 200lb former marine frame to work and wrenched the bag out free, breaking the metal hinge on the overhead bin in the process. Instead of getting a smile and a “thank you” on my way out, she somberly said "Just go."
That said, the Alpaca 22 is tough enough to handle all kinds of abuse, and its wide handle makes weaving through an airport a breeze. It's one of the best travel bags I’ve ever seen.
Just don't put it in the overhead bin.
