Travel Luggage

[blkexp98]

I need a new large size piece of luggage and wanted some feedback on what yall were using. Some of the basic things i need it to do are roll, carry about 6 or 7 days of clothes, durable and be able to go on a plane as checked luggage. If i can think of anything else ill post it. Some of the ones i was looking at are from Dakine. I was looking at the 60/40 convertable, split convertable and the large split roller. Being able to check the two halves on the 60/40 is a plus but it holds over 9000 cu. in. of whatever and i wonder if that will be just way to big to get any use.

http://www.dakine.com/travel-bags/luggage

If you have any other good brands or models to look into let me know. Ill also be using it internationally so the more i can seperate everything the faster i can get through customs so that would also be a plus.

Thanks for any advise.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Tumi, the Noveske of luggage :D

I went thru bags like crazy until I put the money down and bought a Tumi. I live out of the bag about 20-25 weeks a year for the past 10 years and it is still going stong. In roll ons I have the standard bag and the newer 'european' carry-on that is a bit wider and shorter. Maybe not the most feature laden, but they are bullet proof.

Plus they make a pretty good desk to type at when you are waiting at the gate :p

Sitting at CLT right now.

[CarbonCycles]

Agreed, tumi is probably your best bet. I'm in the middle of research and purchasing another bag after my travel bag literally fell apart while I was in Germany. Currently, the Tumi Vapor appears to be a very good hardshell travel bag; little on the pricey side, but after blowing a significant amount of cash on a lesser bag...I do not want to go through that BS again.

[LMarshall73]

I've been using a Pelican 1610 since mid '07 after having soft sided cases destroyed by the airlines. I'm typically out 3-6 weeks at a time, though that has whittled down to 1-3 week trips the last couple of months. The Pelican does weigh in at just shy of 20 pounds, but I just pack a week's worth of clothes (toiletries, support equipment, etc) and do laundry on my day off. Weighs in right at 48 pounds most trips.

[HES]

I travel for a living. I got this (http://shop.samsonite.com/Samsonite-Skywheeler-Hardside-Spinner-Luggage/dp/B001TERU7M?ie=UTF8&refinementHistory=brandtextbin%2Csubjectbin%2Ccolor_map%2Cprice%2Csize_name&searchNodeID=2235723011&field_launch-date=-1y&class=quickView&searchRank=salesrank&searchPage=1&field_browse=2235723011&searchSize=12&id=Samsonite%20Skywheeler%20Hardside%20Spinner%20Luggage&field_availability=-1) Samsonite hard side and love it. The only problem I have is that I have to be careful to not over load it and blow the 50 lb limit.

[120mm]

After several years of dragging it all over the world, to include combat conditions, I am a gen-yoo-wine Eagle Creek 30" ORV Trunk Fan-boy.

That thing has held up very well, and I especially like the warranty and repairability of the critical wear items.

[rjacobs]

www.luggageworksonline.com

Purdy Neat Stuff bags are the last bag you will ever buy. The Stealth bags are basically indestructible. For a weeks worth of clothes and stuff your going to want the 26" version. These bags are used by thousands of airline employees and are used and abused everyday. Mine is going strong after 4 years of constant use in and out of airplanes. They are designed to fit into overhead bins. When you have sufficiently tried to destroy the bag, for 150 bucks they basically will rebuild the bag for you and it comes back looking brand new. Best bag money can buy IMO.

[pilotguyo540]

I would like to try tumi myself. I travel for a living and have lost so much money on bags. I got tired of dropping $200 on swiss gear and samsonite products that only lasted 2-3 months. In a fit of broke rebellion I bought a jeep rolling duffel for $20(ish). It took ne 10 months of hard travel to kill the little bastard. So I replaced it with another cheap jeep bag. It is a little tired after 8 months, but considering the dirt cheap price, I am very happy.

Also, the warranty policy for luggage is retarded! You must keep your original receipt. I am not going to keep that for 10 years! The ink doesn't last 2 months at most places. ,

[Rembrandt]

Eagle Creek here....I usually travel to over 30 states and half dozen foreign countries each year, been doing it for nearly 20 years with Eagle Creek products.

[OPPFOR]

I travel all the time for extended periods and I've found the "F'lite" cases to offer the best performance and durability at a pretty reasonable price. I'd get a hard case. They are very light and last much longer over time. I tried the spinner models (4 wheels that rotate 360 degrees). The wheels break off after they have been through 30 or 40 airports. I'd stay away from the spinners.

Here's a link: http://shop.samsonite.com/Samsonite-FLite-31-Upright/dp/B0001FF9VO?ie=UTF8&refinementHistory=brandtextbin%2Csubjectbin%2Ccolor_map%2Cprice%2Csize_name&searchNodeID=2235723011&field_launch-date=-1y&class=quickView&searchRank=salesrank&searchPage=1&field_browse=2235723011&searchSize=12&id=Samsonite%20FLite%2031%20Upright&field_availability=-1#

[Business_Casual]

Maybe if we focus on what kills the bags, we can find what makes a good bag better - or worth the money?

I find that zippers and zipper pulls are the weakest bits of hardware. Followed by the handles and then last of all the actual case sides. So look for strong zippers that work smoothly. Look for sturdy attachments points for the hardware and forget anything made in China. That stuff just doesn't last.

I usually do an overnight bag with my briefcase on top of it and pull it behind me. I see a lot of people lately that have converted to the four-wheel overnight that they push in front of them or beside them.

I've had enough with black cases too - they are very difficult to discern from the rest of the cases at 03:00 in the Mumbai airport. In the future I will try to get distinctive colors. Our checked luggage is already a cloud print which is hard to miss.

I really don't look for brands, I look at the actual build quality, as best I can tell and go from there.

Just some thoughts.

B_C

[RogerinTPA]

www.luggageworksonline.com

Purdy Neat Stuff bags are the last bag you will ever buy. The Stealth bags are basically indestructible. For a weeks worth of clothes and stuff your going to want the 26" version. These bags are used by thousands of airline employees and are used and abused everyday. Mine is going strong after 4 years of constant use in and out of airplanes. They are designed to fit into overhead bins. When you have sufficiently tried to destroy the bag, for 150 bucks they basically will rebuild the bag for you and it comes back looking brand new. Best bag money can buy IMO.

Agreed. The travel bag of choice for airline pilots. They are very durable and have been using them for years. If it breaks, send it back and they will send you a loaner until yours is repaired. Stick with the 22" if bringing it aboard and not checked luggage. It's the only one that will fit under your seat if all the overhead compartments are full.

[rljatl]

I used to travel 100%. The Tumi briefcase I had literally came apart at the seams and then the so called ballistic fabric began to unravel. Tumi are over rated and over priced, imho.

[blkexp98]

Thanks for all the replies so far. Ive been going through your suggestions and checking out the web sites for them. Thanks for the links. I think the tumi will be out of my price range so im going to have to pass on that one. The airline bags look good but i wonder if that 26 will be enough for my stuff plus the fiances "overflow". Im still reading more on the other ones.

Thanks again and keep them coming.

Major

[pilotguyo540]

Maybe if we focus on what kills the bags, we can find what makes a good bag better - or worth the money?

I find that zippers and zipper pulls are the weakest bits of hardware. Followed by the handles and then last of all the actual case sides. So look for strong zippers that work smoothly. Look for sturdy attachments points for the hardware and forget anything made in China. That stuff just doesn't last.

I usually do an overnight bag with my briefcase on top of it and pull it behind me. I see a lot of people lately that have converted to the four-wheel overnight that they push in front of them or beside them.

I've had enough with black cases too - they are very difficult to discern from the rest of the cases at 03:00 in the Mumbai airport. In the future I will try to get distinctive colors. Our checked luggage is already a cloud print which is hard to miss.

I really don't look for brands, I look at the actual build quality, as best I can tell and go from there.


Just some thoughts.

B_C

For me the weak points have been the wheels and supporting plastic,m and the bloody handles. I only had zipper failure on one swiss gear bag at the seam.

[rjacobs]

The airline bags look good but i wonder if that 26 will be enough for my stuff plus the fiances "overflow".

The 26" can fit a ton of crap. I have no problem going 4 days in my 22" and I really dont even pack it to the gills, just my toiletries, 1 pair of shoes, 2 pairs of jeans, 3 shirts, and 3 days worth of underwear and socks and there is room left. You can also get a few different sizes of duffle bags that clip onto the fastex buckles on the top of the bag if you need to carry some extra crap. Its not a hard bag on the front and it expands quite nicely. The zippers are all extra heavy duty YKK zippers also if you had any qualms about that.

Where are you located? there might be a dealer nearby that you could go check one out.

The best thing of them is the warranty, no bull shit really. You dont have to save your receipt, the two things I had to get replaced they took me on my word on when I bought it.

[Irish]

http://www.briggs-riley.com/ has what I believe to be the best warranty in the business, take a look.

If your Briggs & Riley bag is ever broken or damaged, even if it was caused by an airline, we will repair it free of charge. Simple as that!

[Roger Lee]

+1 for Briggs & Riley and their “Simple as that” lifetime warranty. Take a look at this 28” wheeled duffle (http://www.briggs-riley.com/category/productDetail.aspx?id=28-inch-Upright-Duffle_UWD628) from Briggs & Riley. You should be able to easily pack stuff for a 7-9 day trip and it’s designed to withstand the rigors of roughest travel conditions.

[rjacobs]

+1 for Briggs & Riley and their “Simple as that” lifetime warranty. Take a look at this 28” wheeled duffle (http://www.briggs-riley.com/category/productDetail.aspx?id=28-inch-Upright-Duffle_UWD628) from Briggs & Riley. You should be able to easily pack stuff for a 7-9 day trip and it’s designed to withstand the rigors of roughest travel conditions.

I would be putting that warranty to the test. To much plastic. I would break the wheels off of that in short order followed by the handle(or maybe the other way around). Plus its to thick to go into an overhead bin(15" thick if you pack it full).

[MIKE G]

I have 3 or 4 pieces of Briggs & Riley luggage and have used it extensively both on local (in vehicle travel) and flying and have yet to have to return any of it for warranty work. I also have a couple pieces of Tume and I think I like the Briggs stuff better for the money.

ETA: I have this model and the one just like it that is a generation before the one shown and have beat them up and they still work as new although with a few more scars: http://www.briggs-riley.com/category/productDetail.aspx?id=21-inch-Carry-On-Expandable-Upright_U421X

[Roger Lee]

I would be putting that warranty to the test. To much plastic. I would break the wheels off of that in short order followed by the handle(or maybe the other way around). Plus its to thick to go into an overhead bin(15" thick if you pack it full).

As far as I know, Briggs & Riley have the best warranty (http://www.briggs-riley.com/simple-as-that-lifetime-warranty/) in the industry that covers all repairs (and here I mean repairs for manufacturing defects as well as damage due to mishandling or accidents) for life. The only thing this warranty does not cover is cosmetic wear. As far as my suggestion is concerned, I never recommended that the 28” wheeled duffle be carried on board. I made this suggestion for checked luggage.