In preparation for my upcoming Canadian adventure, I have been busy purchasing travel related bits and bobs, including two new bags which I am very much excited to use for the first time! I thought I would do a quick “first impressions” review of these here, then later on (post-Canada), I can provide some commentary on how these held up over the two weeks! Please note that I have no affiliation with either Eastpak or Stackers, and I purchased these two items with my own funds.

Eastpak Provider Laptop Backpack in Triple Denim

A hefty, robust feeling backpack, this was more on the expensive side as far as Eastpak’s backpack offerings go. I can certainly see the reasoning behind the higher price tag, however. The amount of storage space, including 3 main compartments, one including a sleeve suitable for a laptop of up to 15 inches or a tablet, is what won me over when making my decision to purchase this item. It has all the space that one could need for a fairly substantial trip, however; I would err on the side of caution when packing this bag for a flight, since when fully “stuffed”, it may well exceed airline cabin baggage size restrictions!

The interior is roomy, and the laptop sleeve suitably padded for the job. Padding-wise, it is also padded on the shoulder straps and at the bottom, adding a nice “quality” feel to the bag and ensuring that your possessions are kept well protected. One thing that I really like about this bag is the top handle – this has a grippy, rubbery feel to it, and is large enough to easily grab onto in a rush. I have found with previous backpacks that the top handle can be a bit small and indistinguishable from the rest of the bag, but this one has so much more of a practical and functional feel to it. As you can also see from the above photos, the smallest compartment also contains some little pouches, including one that zips up, which could be useful for storing cables, earphones, documents etc. For added security, the backpack also has straps that can be clipped around the bag – keeping any contents safe and secure.

To sum the Eastpak bag up, this seems like a promising, practical travel backpack, and I cannot wait to use this for the first time on my Canadian trip (and hopefully well into the future too!)

Stackers Hanging Wash Bag in Blush Pink

A beautiful and solidly crafted wash bag, this one appealed to me specifically for its multitude of different pockets and compartments, plus its practicality as a hanging bag which can be hung on the back of bathroom doors or wall hooks. Below I have included a photo to show its comparative size to some standard-sized toiletry bottles – it feels positively cavernous in comparison to any of my previous wash bags! This is a pro for some, but may be a con if you wish to travel very light, as this bag does take up a fair bit of room inside a cabin-sized suitcase, for example. Since Stackers is a brand that positions itself more on the premium end of the market when it comes to bags and storage solutions, this bag was relatively expensive, however; I would argue that the price is warranted for its exceptional feel and for what I can so far see as its incomparable practicality.

An added bonus with this bag is that it comes complete with a separate clear bag, specifically for use as a liquids bag at airports. Although the airport requirement for keeping carry on liquids separate may soon be coming to an end in the UK (or so the news has been telling us for years now!), I still reckon this little bag could come in handy as extra storage for toiletries or makeup, if needed. As an example, before I purchased this bag, I would use two separate wash bags. One of these would be for bathroom items such as shower gel and shampoo, and one would be for makeup, so perhaps this could serve as my new little makeup bag instead!

I am looking forward to properly using both of these bags in the near future, and will detail their practicality in use after my Canada trip! What do you think to my first (brief!) travel product review? I would be interested to know, as I am happy to do more of these in the future if my readers are interested!