[leadin]Two bags in one. That’s the concept behind the to-be-released Eagle Creek Morphus 22, a nifty piece of rolling luggage with a removable backpack and a second, streamlined interior bag for travel use.[/leadin]
Apparently, a lot of people are looking for versatile travel luggage. Just last week, we featured the Kelty Ascender 22, a similar expandable piece of rolling luggage.
But the Morphus 22 goes about multitasking differently than the Ascender 22. Let’s start with the single roller bag, zipped together. In this configuration, the Eagle Creek bag is a compartmentalized carry-on with plenty of pockets for toiletries, and dedicated sleeves to tote a laptop, tablet, phone, and an iPod all at once!
Now zip off the outer bag and detach it from the polycarbonate back plate and wheels. Voila, you’ve got a backpack or shoulder bag (both sets of straps are included). Tucked away inside the back plate is another bag for use as a simple carry-on.
Why not just buy a roller bag and a backpack? I wonder that myself. This concept certainly works, especially for those who shop during their travels or who want the convenience of a roller and a backpack but don’t want to carry both bags all the time.
The Morphus is very well made, with heavy zippers, tough fabric, and obvious attention to detail that frequent travelers will appreciate.
As rolling luggage, the Morphus is well designed and rugged. As a backpack, this is a day-use, around the town type pack that could stretch into the backpacking realm in a pinch. The zip-away backpack straps do have a load-lifter system and sternum strap, and the pack is pretty comfortable for light cargo. But it is missing any sort of frame or hip belt.
It comes in a 2,925 cubic inch Morphus 22 version and a large 5,675 cubic inch Morphus 30 model. They cost $395 and $470 — a pretty pricy bag. You do, however, get two separate pieces for this price and the added value of versatility, which is something experienced travelers both seek and appreciate when done well.
