I just returned from a vacation, and idled away waiting time by trying to categorize types of flying luggage. Here are the categories:
Carry-ons:
Soft(ish) sided wheel-away.
Hard clamshell wheel-away.
Duffel-style wheel-away.
Straight duffel.
Backpack.
Satchel.
For convenience, I’ll have number 7 be any kind of luggage you check in.
I haven’t checked in luggage for years and I don’t intend to ever again. Waiting at a luggage carousel instead of proceeding straight to vacation is no fun.
The hard clamshell looks durable, but it won’t expand slightly if I forcefully stuff clothing and souvenirs in, so I like a soft(ish) sided wheel-away.
My husband has a soft-sided satchel which is barely small enough to cram under a seat if necessary.
Ballistic nylon carry-on with wheels. I have one made by Atlantic Luggage which is probably 20 years old and is nearly indestructible. If I have to carry enough crap to require hold baggage, I won’t go on the trip.
Soft sides with just two wheels so it stays put when you stand it up.
Edit: It’s small enough to carry on but I only like having one carry on bag, my leather manbag, and I don’t mind waiting a couple of minutes at the carousel.
I use hard sided clamshell with 360 wheels. I like the durability and low weight. You really only have to worry about closing it if you stuff it to full. I also like putting travel stickers on it for places I go.
Softish with two wheels. I prefer to check my luggage since I don’t like to shlep it in the bathroom with me, and also because I can pack reasonably sized toilet articles and my Swiss Army knife. But carryon is okay if I’m doing cheap standby, where what plane you get on is iffy.
Zippered duffel with shoulder strap. Bought it for a buck at thrift shop. Carry-on size, never goes over 12 pounds (5Kg). Good for six weeks on the road. No zip pockets, just one big compartment. I forget which pocket i put things in and have to open them all to find something, so everything just goes together like in a dresser drawer. Lidded plastic tackle box in there, for small loose items.
It’s too big, I carry things I haven’t needed on the last three trips, my next bag will be smaller and lighter. If I make a side trip of several days, I leave it behind and just carry a nylon string-tie bag, for tablet and toothbrush.
Backpack. I can pack for any trip under about 6 days in one, unless I need extra gear for some reason (hiking, etc.). Under duress, I’ll use a soft-sided wheel-away.
Friends always wonder how I pack so lightly, but I wonder how they pack so much. Then I see that they’re carrying a full-sized tube of toothpaste, a giant jar of vitamins, 3 sets of shoes, and other crap they don’t need. The small amount of time I spend optimizing more than pays for the time (and annoyance) saving elsewhere.
I have a #1 with 4 wheels, but am going to switch to a #2 with those nifty 360 wheels. I travel frequently and I made this decision because my makeup mirror (that I have to have because I can’t see to put on my makeup without the lighted magnification anymore) got broken on my last flight!
Gotta check to see if that lasik surgery thingy is covered under my plan.
2 has a zipper which allows it to slightly expand. 7 is a military duffel from my time as a Navy recruit, can be carried by hand or as a backpack; mainly used as a laundry bag.
I am the same. Current is a generation IV desert tan MOLLE with frame and a spare frame. A bit heavy, but I can ruck it up for short distances on crutches, and in a pinch strap it on the back of my wheelchair. I also have a spare radio bag I use to hold stuff in the SUV for road trips.
I do have a rolling suitcase that I have kitted out as a travel ‘kitchen’ with a hot pot, a couple Korean chopstick/spoon sets, 2 mugs and some paper plates and bowls, a roll of paper towels, a small cutting board and ceramic knife, a French press for making coffee, and small screwtop ziplok containers of coffee, condiments, tea bags and the like.
Since I am bopping back and forth between a few areas, I am unfortunately on the road at least one weekend a month. Sigh At least I can travel by wheels instead of flying.
#1, with a small shoulder bag or a backpack for my cameras, laptop and stuff I need readily to hand while traveling. For two-week business trips, a carry-on, only, simply isn’t enough.
There is normally a basket that you place your bag into to see if it’ll fit.
Hard sided 4 wheel 360 rollers (like this), 30" and 26" depending on how long we’re gone. Ours also has expendable zip to increase the space. We also use luggage cubes and they are the cat’s patoot!
We had soft side 2 wheelers before them and they got shredded after four trips. Given my druthers I would seriously consider a 1560 Pelican case as my checked bag. You can’t cram a bunch in there but short of running it over with the tow mule, you aren’t breaking it.
At the check in counter (and often at the gate), you’ll find a size-checking gauge, like this one. The reality is that airline staff seem to turn a blind eye when people bring obviously oversized bags into the cabin with them; the result is that if you’re among the last to board, you may have a difficult time finding overhead bin space for your checked bag, even if it meets the rules - and the airline staff may insist on tossing your carry-on bag in with the checked luggage. Pretty sure this is part of the reason for gate lice.
For years I’ve used a checked suitcase with two wheels and a handle, which results in a substantial part of the weight being borne by your hand - plus the suitcase is behind you and oriented broadside, making it difficult to get through narrow gaps without banging into stuff. This spring we bought new suitcases with four-wheel casters, and they’re awesome. Now all the weight is on the wheels, and you can push it in front of you (where you can watch for collisions) and orient it to get through narrow gaps without trouble. Much better.
Last month was the first time I’d ever taken a trip short enough to get by with just a carry-on (one that really did meet size rules). On one hand, it was nice to not have to deal with baggage drop off or claim; OTOH, I was dragging my carry-on through the entire airport on both ends of each flight (I like to wander to pass the time while waiting for departure). Overall, I guess I liked the carry-on-only experience, but not by a huge margin.
My computer backpack. The current one is from Amazon, their own brand. More pockets than I know what to do with, and it fits two laptops and enough clothing for a week easily.
If I’m traveling for two weeks or expecting very variable weather, I bring a hard clamshell carryon. The big suitcase that needs to be checked in, also a hard clamshell but an expandable one, is only for when I’m moving.
The gate agents also don’t seem to care when passengers have more than the allowable two carry-on bags (the larger case for the overhead bin and the “personal item” for the seat in front of you). Particularly around the holidays, I’ll see people with several bags, and then they want to neatly stow their suit coat in the overhead bin.
