Trakke Eigg Sling Review

When an aesthetically pleasing sling like the Trakke Eigg Sling lands in Pack Hacker HQ, we can’t help but feel charmed by its styling. The heritage vibe and the feel of the dry-waxed canvas are certainly appealing, but we also can’t help but ask if there’s any impact on functionality. Though we don’t believe that style and functionality are mutually exclusive, they can sometimes be hard to reconcile, thus our apprehension.

Fortunately, the rotund and eye-catching Eigg ticks the right boxes. Its spacious pockets, wide opening, and thoughtful organization make it comfortable for a day-to-day sling. If that sounds interesting to you—and you’re already swooning after the Eigg’s style—then read on.

External Components

Trakke’s gear has a distinct personality, in no small part thanks to the brand’s penchant for dry-finish waxed canvas, and it’s no different for the Eigg. Even as our sample’s black colorway tries to hide this fabric’s charm, we can’t help but appreciate the heritage vibe it brings. It has a somewhat coarse texture, and you can even see that if the light hits it at the right angle. The “dry” in the name also means you won’t have to worry about any residue on your hands when touching the fabric.

That said, this fabric is also oddly good at picking up pet hair, as you can see from all the white strands of fur scattered throughout our sample. Additionally, creases tend to linger and look more evident, especially if you have gear inside that’s jutting outward. That’s not to say that the Eigg feels lacking in structure. On the contrary, the entire sling holds its shape really well, thanks to the thickness of the canvas fabric. At the very least, it’s much more structured than ripstop-based slings.

Fabrics aside, the Eigg’s aesthetic is carried simply by its rotund shape and lone patch. The latter is removable, so you can replace it with your own patch if you want to personalize it a bit. There are also ring pulls on the main compartment’s two YKK AquaGuard-style zippers. We’re usually okay with these, but these sound particularly jangly on the Eigg. It’s most audible whenever we pull up the sling to take out gear, which happens frequently.

At the top is a carry handle for quick grabs, and flowing neatly from its flanks is the crossbody strap, which is made of cotton and has a thick and fuzzy look that aesthetically matches the dry-finish waxed canvas. Needless to say, the thickness also helps make it feel tough but not overkill for the Eigg’s 2.4-liter capacity. Unfortunately, its heft also presents downsides.

This thick strap is, quite simply, tough to slide through the metal adjuster, to the point that we have to manually feed it through to make any adjustments. Move the strap and you’ll see how the adjuster catches on the imprint it leaves, so there’s no doubt on our part that it’s the strap’s thickness relative to the adjuster that’s the issue.

Fit Notes

If there’s any consolation regarding the tough-to-adjust strap, it is that it maintains its adjustment really well. We found that carrying it by your side or at the front of your hip is the ideal comfortable carrying position. It’s not the kind of sling that carries well strapped closely across your chest, and that’s okay. We’re perfectly content with the Eigg sitting comfortably by the side—at the very least, it puts more distance between the ears and the jangly zipper pulls.

Still, we can’t help but wish the Eigg’s strap was easier to adjust. As it stands, you have to take it off before making any adjustments, so we recommend getting it right as soon as you get your hands on it. Once you have it set, you probably won’t touch it again, so the issue isn’t that big of a deal, generally speaking.

Inside The Sling

The Eigg comes with one secondary pocket at the back: a simple slip pocket with no closures to seal it shut. This means you probably shouldn’t store anything sensitive inside just in case it rains. However, the pocket is wide enough for a Kindle or an iPhone 15 Pro Max if you need to stash those quickly while your hands are busy with something else.

As an aside, we dig having this much room in this pocket as it prevents the bumpy and overpacked shape you get when you pack bulky gear. It makes the sling rest more comfortably against the hip, and we really appreciate that. There’s a “thoughtful roominess” going on with the Eigg, as you shall see once we get into the main compartment.

The Eigg’s main compartment opens in a crescent shape that encompasses nearly the entire front area, resulting in a wide opening that makes the 2.4-liter capacity feel much roomier. It also may be the bright orange liner that gives off a spacious vibe. Either way, we’re digging how Trakke designed the Eigg’s layout. That said, we also have to note that the thick AquaGuard-style zippers feel resistive, usually requiring us to use both hands to unzip the main compartment.

A slip pocket against the back panel is also big enough for a Kindle, though we usually put a smartphone here when the back slip pocket isn’t an option. Adjacent is a zippered pocket that comes in handy when carrying banknotes that are larger than the U.S. dollar. It’s a good alternative, especially if your travel wallet’s too cramped. A sealed pocket like this is also handy for storing really small items like memory cards and jewelry so they don’t fly everywhere.

There’s also a key leash with a carabiner-style clip at the end. This helps you keep track of your keys, so you don’t have to dig them out each time you need to unlock doors. The leash isn’t the longest, yet we have no issue reaching doorknobs since we can bring the sling closer anyway. Our only real nitpick is that the clip’s tip is too big for small keys to fit; we used a keyring even just for one key.

Finally, there are two liner pockets on the front side. Though there’s really nothing fancy about twin liner pockets, we do appreciate how these are suspended. They’re not stuck to the front side, allowing the pockets some expansion depending on the gear you put in. So, say you pack them full with your AirPods and a chunky charging adapter; it won’t create an unsightly imprint on the outside, ruining the Eigg’s otherwise clean shape. It’s a subtle design choice but one that absolutely makes a difference.

The rest of the main compartment’s free space is free for you to use. Just keep in mind that there may not be enough space between the liner pockets at the front and the rear slip pocket to fit oddly shaped gear.