Luggage

[professorchaos]

Let's talk luggage, gents. I travel with two small(ish) bags, a garment bag and a wheeled bag. I could carry either of them on board, but I'm a little weird - I prefer to check bags. Less to worry with through security and beyond. All I carry on is a book and my IPod.

How do you travel? Seems to me that baggage handlers really savage luggage these days. What kind of luggage do you like? Hartmann? Tumi?

 

[SpankyFace]

nice topic

tumi is pretty nice but it lacks a certain "i don't know what"

at south coast plaza i've seen even more interesting leather cases that look more vintage and detective-ish at the FOSSIL store.

lets here some good suggestion for the other BBs

 

[professorchaos]

I'd love some classic leather luggage, much like what one would have taken on a trans-Atlantic voyage before air travel. Hate to think what the TSA and baggage handlers would do to it.

 

[The Nid Hog]

That's exactly how I feel. I'd love to have a collection of various sized leather bags but I think that they'd be reduced to tatters after a couple of trips.

When I travel for short trips, I have a small wheeled Samsonite bag--black and nondescript. It's small enough to carry on with me, but I usually check it. I also carry a Crumpler computer bag with my laptop, a couple of books, and whatever gadgets I'm toting around with me.

On longer trips, I use a large, wheeled Eagle Creek bag. It's essentially a trunk and it's in dark green-gray ballistic nylon. I usually pack an empty duffle bag of some sort inside it too, to be filled with whatever swag I bring back at the end of my travels.

For a while, I had a field desk too. When I was in the Marines, my First Sergeant had one--a steel-reinforced wooden trunk painted OD green. It would open up into a conventional writing desk with drawers and even, as I recall, a space for a typewriter. I bought one at a surpus store and took it with me on extended trips when I'd be staying in rough surroundings. Eventually, at the end of one visit, I gave it to somebody who needed a desk. I miss it now, but it's probably impossible to find them anymore.

 

[blantyre]

I have an old (from the days of dark green ballistic) Tumi 2 suiter roller, a Pathfinder carry-on size roller, a Tumi brown leather expanding briefcase - also my daily briefcase for >10yr., a leather kit bag, and a backpack. Some mix of these things has covered me for everything from an overnight trip to 5 weeks in Japan.

I think that the older (10-15 years ago) Tumi luggage was outstanding and not trying to be anything other than very functional luggage for people who travel a lot and don't want to attract attention or silly frills. They have repaired or serviced pieces at very fair cost. Their current range not to my taste and seems to be overstyled and in your face. The pathfinder is very solid and has survived a lot of baggage handlers since I usually check bags for long haul flights.

 

[cmiwa]

On shorter 1-5 day trips I use either my RedOxx Air Boss shoulder carry or my Andiamo Valoroso 22" rollerboard. Both are fantastic bags I use depending on the trip and I avoid checking luggage at all costs.

I pick the bag based on how much I need to bring. I use the Andiamo when I have a heavier load, and the RedOxx for lighter loads.

Also have been using the Eagle Creek PackIt folder organizers to streamline the packing process. These come in a variety of sizes and formats and they really speed up my packing/unpacking times.

Safe travels.

 

[rickboone1]

If flying all depends on the length of the flight. 6 hours or less I check everything but a book and a neck pillow. I wear slippers and no belt too. Blasted checkpoints.

Longer than that, I will take a small carry on. Very small. I like to get off the plane, not fight with my luggage.

 

[mankini]

+ 1 for the RedOxx Airboss, been using mine for 2.5 years of steady use. I have four other RedOxx offerings and each one gets a regular workout.
Recently I stuffed my airboss to the gills returning from a 4 week trip and could not believe how much this bag can take.

This is not the most beautiful bag on the planet but it has grown on me, I will take function and good ol' American made gear over some designer inspired weenie bag anytime. I see the crap people are traveling with and I would not trust my belongings in it.

This is carry on luggage without wheels or bulky frames to wrestle with, it is a breeze to whip past roller toting folks getting all balled up navigating around stuff. Truly grab and go and never look back.

 

[Alacrity59]

I never ever ever ever check luggage . . . . I pack well and am good for three days out with what I can carry on. I get to leave the airport quickly get settled at a hotel or get to where I need to be before I need to . . . . less stress. With carry on I've managed to snag the last cab/limosine in snowstorm headed home. . . . this is a good thing. . . home is nice. . . .very very nice.

 

[tsmba]

I bought a set from Lands' End years ago and they've been great. I like good luggage, but not so good that losing it would be a disaster.

 

[julianrosenberg]

I travel about 50% of time and I use Briggs and Riley.
With their lifetime warranty I will never have to buy a replacement piece. Their repairs are always quick.

 

[r_w]

I used to travel a lot for business. I have gone through Briggs and Riley, Boyt, Flightpro, Tumi, several cheap brands, even Pelican hard gear cases. NOTHING will stand up to baggage machines or being dragged across the tarmac.

I learned to pack LIGHT. Better grade clothes (wool slacks, egyptian cotton shirts, etc.) pack much smaller than khakis and cheaper shirts. I could go for a week in an overnight bag, and a laundered my stuff if I needed to stay longer.

 

[julianrosenberg]

I used to travel a lot for business. I have gone through Briggs and Riley, Boyt, Flightpro, Tumi, several cheap brands, even Pelican hard gear cases. NOTHING will stand up to baggage machines or being dragged across the tarmac.

I learned to pack LIGHT. Better grade clothes (wool slacks, egyptian cotton shirts, etc.) pack much smaller than khakis and cheaper shirts. I could go for a week in an overnight bag, and a laundered my stuff if I needed to stay longer.

Why didn't you get the B&R's repaired. That's how I keep mine going. They're not worth the price unless you take advantage of the warranty.

 

[r_w]

I sent all of them in for warranty work--all of them had lifetime warranties. They would repair them as long as they could, then they replaced them or gave me a credit to their website. Some were fairly quick, some held them for nearly 6 months before resolution. I always had at least 2-3 bags in rotation (one in use, 1 or 2 out for repair). I just got tired of dealing with it, so I either gifted or ebayed the rest as they came back new.

 

[johsa]

Why didn't you get the B&R's repaired. That's how I keep mine going. They're not worth the price unless you take advantage of the warranty.

Is damage caused by airlines covered in the warranty? I have had a number of bags that have been destroyed by airlines, both cheep and high quality ones.

I have never been able to use the warranty of a bag since it normally only covered "normal wear" and not the abuse from airlines. And getting money for a new bag from airlines is not a simple task and even if you succeed they only covers bags up to a value of one of the cheapest ones.

 

[Doc4]

For non-airline travel I like Filson and Mulholland. For airline travel, I just get above-average department store stuff that can be padlocked, and has enough individuality to be spotted quickly on a carousel.

I like luggage to be rugged, robust, durable, and made of natural materials (leather, canvas) whereever possible. But there's only so much I'll trust to The Black Hole on the other side of the airline's check-in counter.

 

[Cutter]

I pretty much live out of my luggage. I have a Mossy Oak rolling duffel with a matching 3-in-1 which is an upright roller and a backpack. My laptop bag is Kenneth Cole, and my Dopp is, well, Dopp.

 

[mbrooks]

I just have some department store AT pieces. They do the job and I can check them if need be when I fly. However, when I do, I can cram a week's worth of business dress clothes into my carry-on, which happens to be about as big as they'll let you bring on. There's no way I'm going to pay an airline $50 to destroy my bag for me unless I have no choice. Back when it was free, I was willing to take chances, which is why I have the cheaper stuff to begin with.

I love aviation, but I hate airlines. Southwest seems to be the only one that's close to getting it right. Even if I didn't have an itch to fly, I'd still consider getting my pilot's license just to avoid putting up with their BS. Besides, when you fly yourself, you can use that nice vintage leather luggage without worrying about some dude dragging it across the tarmac.

 

[r_w]

Some cover airline damage in the warranty, some exclude it in writing but have always repaired it for me (sometimes free, sometimes for a minimal charge). But even if they cover it, it still was costing me a lot of money in shipping.

Lighter is righter. WAY less stressful dealing with taxis and subways.

 

[julianrosenberg]

Is damage caused by airlines covered in the warranty? I have had a number of bags that have been destroyed by airlines, both cheep and high quality ones.

I have never been able to use the warranty of a bag since it normally only covered "normal wear" and not the abuse from airlines. And getting money for a new bag from airlines is not a simple task and even if you succeed they only covers bags up to a value of one of the cheapest ones.

As far as I have discovered only B&R will cover all damage regardless of who did it. Check out their website for their words.