Contributor Paul follows up on his MEI Executive Overnighter review with this one:
MEI Voyageur “light”
Reader review / first impressions
It’s been a long time since I posted my review of my MEI Executive Overnighter, a bag that has gone on to serve me well to this day. It’s held up beautifully, and still looks and performs like new.
Since then, I’ve been on the lookout for something a bit smaller for my leisure travel, since I have (like so many OBOW contributors) been able to reduce my one bag footprint. I have been using a soft suitcase I purchased from Tactical Tailor - see previous review on OBOW - that has given stellar service, but it’s dimensions are not quite optimal these days (the length in particular) so I found myself starting to cast about for another solution.
I was aiming for a bag approximating the TB TriStar. I like the Bihn product, but the cost is high (and I completely understand that TB is quality and quality costs), and after reviewing the sort of leisure travel habits I currently enjoy (nearly always to warmer climbs, and/or of shorter duration), the sort of packing assist gear I have (folders, light weight RS cubes, various stuff bags, etc.) and my personal preferences in bags (no wheels, comfortable backpack straps, ability to use my TB absolute shoulder strap, etc.). I decided that a one compartment bag would work fine for me.
In the course of my research I stumbled onto the following thread on the Bootsnall forums (I hope this link works):
The OP, ‘AceTracer’, contacted MEI to develop a smaller, lighter variant of the Voyageur. I suggest reading the thread; it’s a good read. The gist of it was the OP’s desire for a lightweight bag (“…Ideally, less than 2 lbs…”) of 55cm x 36cm x 20cm or 21” x 14” x 8” (38L) in size. It seems he tested a number of prototypes, and received a final copy. Unfortunately, the thread appears to be at least a year old, so I am unaware of the OPs thoughts after use, but I did like the idea and since I already was a satisfied MEI customer I decided to inquire with MEI on this. In the end I decided on a bag constructed as follows. It’s a bit larger than a TB TriStar, but, that’s ok:
Top & Back: 420 D Nylon Rip-stop in forest (hunter) green
Sides: Spectra nylon rip-stop in black color with spectra thread in white
Removable back foam pad, removable alloy internal frame stays
Light w/1/2” foam waist belt, 420 D Nylon Rip-stop 500 D Spectra Rip-Stop,
No lumbar pad, Backpack shoulder straps padded w/ .5” each of close and open cell foam
Per Ahmed @ MEI, weight is 3.4 lbs. all up
Dimensions (sewn edge to sewn edge:
L: 21”/53.2 cm
W: 13”/33.0 cm
D: 8”/20/3 cm
I just received the bag, and thought I would share some photos and random musings with the OBOW readership.
BTW, my thanks to that OP – I hope he lurks on OBOW.
The first thing I did after opening the box was take out my trusty – likely not terribly accurate, but that’s ok – handheld luggage scale and tested it. Ahmed was right on – 3.4 lbs / 1.6 kilos, all up.. Removing the alloy stays, and foam pad, the weight dropped to a bit below 2.9 / 1.3 kilos lbs. Not too bad. I wasn’t as concerned as the thread OP about getting below 2 lbs, since my personal packing methods are flexible enough that even with some extra bag weight, I easily keep at or below the unofficial ‘10% of body weight’ rule of thumb most of us generally follow and which works fine for me (for the record, I currently weigh 151 lb. / 68.4 kilos).
Quality of material and construction is, as I expected, excellent. Straight seams, tension points heavily sewed, quality YKK zippers and nylon/polymer buckle hardware, all very similar to my EO, and holding up beautifully. The main bag materials , although lighter than the Cordura used on the EO, look to be durable enough to survive the occasional gate check, although I hope never to put that to the test. There are 3 flush handles, using that interesting webbing that I’ve only seen on MEI bags, and work wonderfully on my EO. Only the geographic ‘bottom’ of the bag (think of the bag being carried on your back by the backpack straps, the bottom is the part closest to your bottom ) has no handle. Methinks that perhaps Ahmed can use this as a starting point to develop a similar version of the multi-compartment EO. Ahmed – if you are reading this … I may consider being a ‘test case’ …
The outside front of the bag has 2 full with zippered compartments, one a full width pocket deep enough for magazines, etc (10 “ / 25.4 cm) and the other, shallower, with a vertical stitch dividing this into 2 pockets (8” / 20.3 cm, and both pockets have full double zips across the entire opening length) . Either of the shallower half-pockets should be wide enough to hold a 9-11 baggie (I need to test this).
Inside, things are as I expected, with a few pleasant surprises. As expected there is one large compartment. There are 2 sewn and velcro’ed compartments for the removable alloy supports. What was unexpected is 1) a flap of material, basically the size of the bag, and open at the top creating a thin compartment at the back of the bag, that can be closed by velcro, suitable for paperwork or perhaps a clothing folder, and 2) a small removable oddments bag, that attaches at the geographic top of the bag interior using Velcro, that would be handy for, well, oddments. On the length-wide sides are mesh flaps, with short velcro–tipped straps, that can be used to isolate or subdivide the interior space (think socks, rolled up underwear, etc.). As is often found in bags like this, there are 2 tie-down straps with nylon buckles to secure the contents.
All in all, I am pleased with what I have, and look forward to using it. Ahmed was fine to deal with (our communication was entirely by email, but I had his number in the event I needed to speak directly with him). Ahmed (and his co-worker, M. Sipra) were very helpful, offering suggestions based on material availability and sending questions and updates as things progressed. It was approximately 30 days from 1st inquiry to delivery.
I’ve not yet had the opportunity to travel with this, or even to test pack it, but I look forward to using it. I hope that you find this useful, and I will try and follow up after I use it. Please let me know any questions etc. and I will try my best to answer them as time permits.
Happy Travels ~
Paul
(Frank II)