With 50 years of adventure already in the rearview, we’re taking the time to reflect on some of the exciting, distant, and downright magnificent places travelers like you have taken us. At your side, we’ve been to icy tundras, beautiful beaches, bustling cities, and quiet countrysides. We’ve boarded planes, trains, boats, gondolas, and even a trolley or two. And as we look forward to our next 50 years, the possibilities seem even more infinite.
So, bright-eyed in 2025, we set out on a new kind of expedition: To tell the stories of Eagle Creek’s founders, favorite travelers, ambassadors and oldest customers.
Enter: Laura.
Laura Smith is one of our newest Eagle Creek Ambassadors. But that’s perhaps the least exciting thing about her (and listen, being an Eagle Creek Ambassador is pretty exciting). Laura is an Antarctic-adventure-leading, globe-trotting, boat-piloting, born-to-see-the-world explorer. The fact that she’s a life-long Creeker really is just the cherry on top.
“I got my very first Eagle Creek bag when I was about 13. I saw one of the early rolling bags that also had a detachable front backpack, and I think it’s still at my parents house 25+ years later.”
The Adventure Begins: Laura’s Early Explorer Years
It’s hard to say exactly when Laura started traveling, but, with her father being a geographer, there was always adventure around in some form. “Instead of bedtime stories, my dad would quiz me on geography questions.” Her exposure to travel happened early, and it happened often.
Her first core-memory trip came during 2nd grade, when she was only seven years old. “My dad attended a conference in Northern England and brought me along. In our down time we visited London, Durham, Hadrien’s Wall, and countless castles.” When it came time for her sister to attend that same conference with their dad a few years later, Laura convinced her to swap. “Don’t worry, my sister got to go to an Orioles baseball game, which was much more her thing than mine.”
“My sister had band posters on her wall. I had a desk set up like an 18th century ship captain.”
A family Amtrak trip across the US really sealed the deal on her desire to travel. “I just remember thinking ‘I wanna do more of this.’”
Next Stop: Everywhere
Laura’s interests took her to college for geology, which in turn brought her to new destinations. First, and perhaps most notably, was New Zealand.
“I was in New Zealand as part of my Geology studies, and some of my professors talked about their travels to Antarctica. That was sort of the first seed planted for me.”
The travels only ramped up from there. Mongolia came next, followed by Alaska, Vietnam, Norway, Tanzania, Argentina, Germany, Sardinia, and Greece (to name a few). “I met my Argentine husband in Las Palmas. He was building a boat with dreams of sailing it to Antarctica. That trip turned out to be our Honeymoon.”
The day-dreaming began. What would it be like to take others to Antarctica and share that love? What if we made that a business? Could we maybe make a real go of this?
Spoiler alert: They bought a boat, Googled “how to start a business,” and the rest is history.
Down To Business: Quixote Expeditions
With a new boat and a lot of heart, Laura and her husband grew Quixote Expeditions organically, bringing other ambitious adventurers to the unforgiving fronts of Antarctica. “It was really challenging to do the actual business side of things. We went from running everything ourselves to a multi-ship fleet that required us to not just assemble but also trust an entirely new crew.”
They forged ahead, learning big lessons along the way. Like how to properly pack (and teach others how to prepare) for such a challenging expedition. With minimal space to store luggage on board and many days of travel, Laura turned to Eagle Creek for her packing recommendations.
“We tell our passengers to bring duffels, but the reality is they’re also dragging luggage halfway around the world. Eagle Creek has options that have wheels but also collapse and are not bulky. They’re the perfect solution.”
Pro tip: Laura’s choice for her own packing is the Cargo Hauler.
Finding Meaning: Laura’s Greater Mission
It’s impossible to travel the world so extensively and not be moved by the experiences. For Laura, Antarctica really spoke to something deeper within her. “It’s something you don’t experience anywhere else. It's not a place for humans. It’s never been a place for humans. The animals there are built to live there and we’re really just visitors. You can’t ‘technology’ your way out of anything. Antarctica always wins.” The vastness changes people, too. Spending time in a world where everything is black, and white, and blue literally shifts how you see the environment.
“It’s jarring to come back and see green and smell the earth. We want people to go home thinking about their experience, sharing what they learned, and considering how it all fits in the broader picture.”
The trips themselves are educational as well as adventurous. Through citizen science, Laura and crew teach passengers about weather patterns and environmental context. They make it their goal to be model ambassadors for the continent—To show that Antarctica isn’t some isolated place at the end of the world but a key player on the global stage.
To ensure she’s doing what she can to live up to this mission, Laura is a participating member of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) and is a Delegate to the Antarctic Treaty. “It’s interesting to be both on-the-ground with tourism and also have a direct impact on the future of Antarctica. I get to participate in both the physical and cerebral aspects of this place.”
Packing With Purpose: Finding The Right Gear
It’s no surprise that someone as well-traveled as Laura has a clear preference when it comes to packing. Her biggest takeaway: It’s all about efficiency.
“We travel very light. We want to be able to move easily and navigate airports and buses without a fuss. Our travel happiness is directly tied to convenience.”
With a toddler in tow, Laura and her husband look to Eagle Creek packing cubes to keep everything organized and accounted for. “I didn’t really understand packing cubes until we had a toddler. Without them, all those tiny socks and little bits of clothing get lost.”
Her packing practicality is linked to the greater picture. “We don’t like stuff for stuff’s sake. We want gear that lasts a long time and is durable and multi-purpose. I don’t like buying new bags and constantly replacing things.” See the bit about her 25+ year old Eagle Creek backpack above.
Laura’s go-to gear list for any adventure (Antarctic or otherwise) includes:
Where To Next: Laura’s Never-Ending Adventure
Adventure travel is at the core of who Laura is. From her childhood ship captain desk to her recurring Antarctic adventures, she embodies our love for discovery and our view of travel as a force for good.
So what’s next for this adventurer and her family?
“We like to look at adventure travel through a global and local lens. If we’re traveling somewhere for work we also try to make the miles matter. We’ll go for work but stay for a few weeks and do some things.”
And some of her more treasured memories might surprise you. “My favorite so far has been taking our daughter to the playgrounds in Greece. All the grandpas take their grandkids there and share their cookies and snacks.”
Sometimes it’s the simple things.
You can follow along with Laura and Quixote Expeditions’ continued adventures on Facebook, and keep an eye on Eagle Creek’s Instagram throughout the year as we continue our explorations with all our ambassadors.
