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Hummingbird Carry-on Zip and Travel Pak
Hummingbird is a Cascade Designs brand, along with familiar names like MSR, SealLine, Platypus, Thermarest and a couple more. The Hummingbird Carry-on ZipTM and Travel PakTM are two items we’ll take a look at today. If you are keen to see some of the other reviews we’ve done on Cascade Design brands, take a spin around the site. For starters, look at our impressions of the Platypus Gravityworks Filter, the MSR Carbon Reflex 3 or Elixir 3 tents. And, for something a little closer to Hummingbird products, and our topic for the day, sneak a peek at our review of the SealLine Widemouth Duffel. You get the idea: we’ve reviewed many Cascade Design’s products and we are big fans.
Within the Cascade Designs family of brands, Hummingbird sits as a slightly upscale but-rugged travel brand. Many of the products are similar to SealLine, which is more of a hardcore, outdoor brand. Hummingbird offers three types of travel-focussed items: travel bags, comfort essential and protective cases. Most are made of the same bomb-proof vinyl material as the SealLine products. The SealLine Widemouth Duffel we reviewed is very similar to the Hummingbird Widemouth Carry-on but is perhaps made with slightly different material.
The two Hummingbird pieces that we’ve been enjoying are the little Travel Pak and the Carry-on Zip. We’ve had them for a while now and they’ve accompanied us everywhere from heli-in backcountry ski weeks to paddleboard camping weekends on Kootenay Lake. We can say with confidence that we’ve gotten to know their strengths and weaknesses.
Here are the two pieces together. The colours are bright and distinctive—easy to spot on a baggage carousel, or the beach.
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The closures are entirely waterproof. The Travel Pak has a roll-top closure while the Carry-on features a dry suit type zip. Both are submersible. For real (we tried).
Looking into the Travel Pak here. Just enough room to keep a phone, wallet, t-shirt and snack dry if you are on the water.
The Travel Pack has a front pouch for smaller items that you may want to access without getting into the main compartment..
Here’s a close-up in the Carry-on’s burly YKK® watertight zipper. No messing around.
Note the RF-welded seams. More bomberness.
Hummingbird kit at work. First—top of the class at Mount Carlyle Lodge, second, heading across Kootenay Lake for a boy’s fishing weekend.
Features:
Travel Pak:
- Roll-top closure system is fully waterproof.
- Removable waist belt and D-rings provide multiple carrying options.
- External pocket offers quick access to essentials.
- Top-loading access makes packing and unpacking a snap.
- PVC-Free X
- Made in U.S.A.
- Closure: roll-downCarry-on Zip:
- Much lighter than comparable products of similar volume.
- Submersible, diagonal YKK® zipper keeps out the elements while offering easy access.
- Rugged, RF-welded 19-oz. scrim-reinforced vinyl ensures lasting protection.
- Three-point carrying system doubles as a backpack.
- Can be packed to meet any carry-on requirements worldwide.
- Made in U.S.A. of U.S. and imported materials
- Closure waterproof YKK zipperVerdict:
These items really shine when the weather doesn’t. You can chuck them on a kayak, paddleboard, motorcycle, chicken bus, etc. and not worry about your contents getting wet in crappy weather. The colours are vibrant and hold true after years of use, making them easy to spot from a distance. I love pockets so I think the Carry-on could benefit from something on the side (like the Travel Pak has) to stash things you don’t want to get swallowed up in your bag.
Though the Travel Pak does have one of the pockets (which I admitted to craving) on the side, it has a little water draining grommet at the bottom which lets the water out. Importantly, it also lets the water in—so forget about stashing anything you want to stay dry in there. This is the kind of thing I am sure Hummingbird designers made a call on after discussing it at length. I just don’t get it.
I love the fact that these bags transcend the seasons and environment. There are some instances where you must have a dry bag—like paddleboarding—and the Travel Pak and Carry-on Zip work like champs. What is super cool, is how they work well as all-around and even fly-into-a-city luggage. A testament to their style.
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PROS:
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CONS:
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SPECS:
Travel Pak:
Price: $79US
Colour: Orange/Gray, Green/Gray, Red/Gray
Weight: 207g / 7.3oz
Dimensions (l x w x h): 20 x 8 x 20cm / 8 x 3 x 8in
Volume: 4liters / 244cu. in
Material: 600D polyurethane coated polyester
Carry-on Zip:
Price: $159US
Colour: Yellow
Weight: 1 lbs 9 oz / 716 g
Dimension (w x h): 10 x 14.4in / 25 x 37cm
Volume: 40liters / 2440cu. in
Material: 19-oz. scrim-reinforced vinyl
RATING: 8.5/10
Innovation 1.5/2
Function 2/2
Aesthetics 2/2
Features 1.5/2
Quality/Price 1.5/2
Did we miss something? Are we totally out to lunch? Let us know what you think. People like/dislike gear for different reasons so chime in below and we'll get a well-rounded evaluation.
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