Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler XT Wheeled 21.5″ International Carry On Duffel Review

The Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler XT Wheeled 21.5″ International Carry On Duffel feels caught in the middle between a few categories of gear. That might read like a bad thing; however, if the Scottish folk rock band Stealers Wheel’s 1973 one-hit-wonder ‘Stuck in the Middle with You’ taught us anything, that isn’t a half-bad place to be.

With durable materials that are more lightweight than standard carry on rolling luggage and a few carry modes, we’re amped to dive into this one.

External Components

We’ve got quite a few materials to work with here. Eagle Creek lists 800D nylon dobby, 1680D ballistic polyester, and recycled 200D polyester on their product page. We know what you might think; I thought you said this was lightweight?! Well, those materials aren’t. However, compared to the polycarbonate, polypropylene, and aluminum hard-sided luggage on the market, these are as light as a feather! Plus, they are malleable, but we’ll get to that later.

At the time of writing, the pack comes in Charcoal, Earth Red, Glacier Blue, and Safari Brown. This isn’t an extensive color wheel. However, we’re happy with the choices available.

This bag comes in three sizes. There are the Carry-On size (40L), Medium Checked (90L), and Large Checked (120L) sizes. We opted for the Carry-On size because that’s kind of our thing (check out our reviews and packing lists), but it’s nice to have size options.

The zippers are from YKK. In our experience, these are some of the best in the business. Most high-quality brands use them, which says a lot, we think. There are no issues here.

The main compartment has nice pulls on the zippers. They’re a thin paracord-like material that forms a loop with hard plastic on the end. The rest of the pulls are plain metal. For the main compartment, we appreciate the extra help. There’s a fabric welt, and the zippers are larger, so it’s an excellent addition.

The plastic hardware is from Duraflex. Similar to YKK, these are some of the best in the business. We’ve had no issues!

There are four compression straps on this roller: two with buckles and two without them. The two that have them must be there because they go over a zipper, so you’ll need to move the strap to get inside the bag. These are appreciated because they can make the pack smaller and your gear more compact, so it won’t bounce around as much in transit when you carry less. They have strap keepers, which keep things organized, too.

The bag has four handles, two on the front face and two on the sides. The two on the front allow you to use them from the top and bottom of the pack when standing up, which is handy. Those on the sides are handy for snagging it from under a bus, a cab, or an Uber trunk.

The corner seams have reinforcement, which we dig. It’s a thin layer of hard synthetic material to prevent high-wear areas from getting beaten up too much. Like most things, the corners are more susceptible to wear and tear.

Plastic triangle rings on the bottom of the pack’s front face allow you to attach gear here, but they’re meant to be used as the bottom of the bag’s shoulder straps. We’ll get to those later!

On the back side of the bag, there’s an eagle logo, which is fun. The front side has Eagle Creek’s lettering and information about the pack. It’s handy to have on there, as it says the capacity, but it is large and a bit loud. We don’t mind it, though!

At this point, we think it’s safe to say we’re happy to be stuck in the middle (of this review) with you! Let’s keep rocking.

Fit Notes

The telescopic handle has no padding or grip, which isn’t the most comfortable. It isn’t fancy, but it works fine. If you had to drag it in warm weather, it would get sweaty after a while. If that’s the case, or if it rained, it might be a bit slippery.

There’s a button on the top of the handle to extend it. It’s large and easy to press. It will accidentally get hit occasionally; however, there’s no real issue once you’re used to it.

The telescoping handle has four stops on its elevator ride to the top, which we dig. There is a height for almost everyone here, and they all feel comfortable. Sometimes, you have to mess with the button to get things moving, but, again, once you get used to it, it isn’t an issue.

We’ve got two wheels here, not four, so this thing won’t spin. We feel that two wheels are faster than four in almost all cases, and the wheels are more protected, so they’re more durable.

There’s a stopper in front of the wheels, which makes it so that the bag stands up on its own while you have it in the wheeled position. It’s durable and handy for stopping and going at the airport, in the city, or in your apartment.

You open a zipper on the top of the pack’s front face to get the shoulder strap out. While the straps are hidden, you can keep other gear inside. The zipper remains open when the straps are out, so you can’t put anything here in backpack mode.

As we mentioned earlier, the shoulder straps attach to the triangle rings on the bottom of the pack’s front face. There’s no back panel, no padding or aeration to speak of. It isn’t comfortable and is prone to causing sweat; however, it works and is an excellent solution for trips that take you over cobblestones and stairs.

The shoulder straps have some padding but aren’t the most comfortable ones we’ve tried. Like the back panel, they get the job done, and that’s about it.

An apparatus on the left shoulder strap connects the two, forming a strap to carry the pack like a duffle bag. Combined, the two straps are padded and comfortable to hang onto, although they might be a little large for smaller hands. Again, it’s awkward, but it works.

Inside The Carry On Duffel

We’ve got just one secondary compartment to work with here. It’s on the top of the pack, so you can use it as a quick-access pocket while in backpack mode. In roller or duffle mode, it functions as a traditional bag pocket. We appreciate it, as it’s a feature you we don’t often see on hard-sided luggage.

There’s a mesh pocket inside, which helps lock down small gear that you want to keep a closer eye on. There’s a key clip here, too, which we dig.

The main compartment is large but has little organization. There’s an X-shaped compression system, which is handy for cinching down clothing to save space. If you don’t want to use it, you don’t have to, but we see no reason not to.

The lid has a mesh pocket, which, like the secondary compartment, is suitable for locking down gear you want to keep safe. We also stow socks and underwear here to ditch a packing cube.

Because of how little organization this pack has, we recommend using packing cubes, a tech pouch, and other organizers. Finding a loose cable in the main compartment is tricky, but finding a tech pouch with a cable stowed inside isn’t.

Overall, this pack is an excellent versatile option for travelers who never know what they will get into when they leave the airport. It’s roughly the same size as a larger travel backpack; however, the wheels make it a more comfortable carry on smooth surfaces.