What is Leader of the Pack?

Leader of the Pack is written by me, Keir Whitaker a carry-on obsessed frequent traveller and is dedicated to backpacks, luggage, everyday carry, travel hacks, on-the-go tech, and more. Expect to find independent reviews, interviews, and links posted on a regular basis.

In 2019 I launched my independent marketing consultancy specialising in ecommerce. Previously I worked at Shopify, an ecommerce software company, and had the privilege to travel widely as part of my job. Consequently, I spent (and continue to) a lot of time at airports and in hotels and regularly marvel at how people travel — from the bags they carry (or lug around and get angry at) through to the pillows and travel tech people pull out of their carry-on during a flight.

I’m always on the look-out for a great travel hack, a new and interesting piece of useful tech, a quicker way to traverse security or the ultimate piece of carry-on luggage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who am I kidding, nobody every asked these questions but I thought the answers might be of interest.

What’s with the bag obsession?

Great question and to be honest I can’t recall the original spark that set me on a road of multiple bag ownership. It started many years ago with Manhattan Portage messenger bags and today I spend far too long eyeing up the many crowd-funded backpack projects on Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

So you’re just doing this for free bags, right?

I’ll admit being sent review items is always a pleasure, and might save my wallet a regular beating, but my goal is to provide readers with honest reviews, useful hints and tips to make their travelling life easier, as well as insights from fellow frequent travellers.

Wait a minute, is that an affiliate link?

Yes! Reviews may occasionally contain an affiliate link to the items manufacturer. This means that if you choose to click through and make a purchase I will earn a commission at no cost to you.

You’re being paid to give good reviews, aren’t you?

No! This site is an independent review site not affiliated directly with any other company. That said in the future should compensation be offered for a review it will be explicitly and clearly stated in the review.

Can we send you something to review?

Of course! If you would like send an item for review please get in touch via the contact form or directly via email.

How long do reviews take?

I think the best reviews come from actually trying out the item. I travel most months so a bag review shouldn’t take longer than a few weeks to put together. Smaller items such as wallets, pouches, travel tech can be given a thorough trial much quicker.

Who came up with the name?

All credit to the one and only Cat Hunter who came up with the name Leader of the Pack!

Elsewhere

As well as regularly publishing to this site you can friend and follow Leader of the Pack on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.