What I want is a wheeled suitcase + daypack combo of some kind. My current luggage, by Eagle Creek, seems to have been discontinued, but in looks and size it’s kinda like this. I don’t need it to look that sporty, though…sporty or formal would be OK.
I’m hoping for more carrying capacity than I have now – enough to take me somewhere for a week, if that week includes a business-casual meeting, a wedding (or funeral), and a day hike. If I could take the whole thing into the cabin with me (part overhead, part underfoot) that would be nice, but I’d be willing to check the larger piece. Also, I do most of my traveling in the USA so I need to keep up with my country’s luggage regulations (so much for checking that vat of “hair gel” into cargo).
Durable, reasonably priced, etc. Any recommendations? Yes, I realize “pack better” is a recommendation, and I do need to improve my skills. But if I can improve the tools while I’m at it…
Are you interested in a specific brand? I’ve really enjoyed L.L. Bean’s luggage; it’s very roomy and durable. Most of their new stuff has very nicely padded shoulder straps, too.
I have a few pieces of Land’s End luggage, given to me as a gift. They seem to be really into pockets and pouches, but the quality seems OK.
I second the duffel thing. I just got an Under Armour team duffel and the UA double deck wheeler that I used as a carryon on a recent trip and I found them both to be outstanding.
Whatever you get, I would get something in an unusual color. I can always see my lavender bag from the other side of the baggage claim area. Mr. Neville has to wait until his black bag gets much closer to see if it has the ribbon, shoelace, tag, or whatever he has put on it to distinguish it from the 6.02*10[sup]23[/sup] other black bags in the baggage claim area.
Good luggage is more a necessity for me than a luxury. I mostly live out of a roll-aboard, though I have other pieces. My roll-aboard is the exact allowable dimensions for an overhead bin. You’d be surprised how many roll-aboards are larger.
After lots of destroyed luggage, I’ve settled on Briggs and Riley or Delsey.
Seconding the Delsey. I have a 26in suitcase and it got me through a month in Asia of daily transiting. I don’t know about other designs of theirs, i.e. packs and such.
My husband travels a lot (A LOT a lot, 41 weeks last year, mostly internationally) and he’ll only use Tumi bags. They’re expensive but they take a beating and whenever we’ve needed a repair, they’ve done it for free.
For real? He’s never had a problem. Maybe it depends where one travels. Or perhaps thieves take one look at my 6’2", 250 lb. husband and realize that there’s no resale value in a used suit the size of a pup tent.
My new carry-on bag is a black nylon 22" Samsonite bag. The new thing is that it has four wheels instead of two. I was surprised how much more convenient this was. For example, I can leave it standing vertically and wheel it in front of me down the airplane aisle.
And while I was buying it at Macy’s, I looked at another bag with what looked like a useful feature; a spring scale built into the handle. So you could pick up the bag and immediately see if it exceeded the weight limit.
