luggage questions

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

And I did have a tape measure. 

[Mum2Mercury]

On 9/5/2023 at 3:44 PM, SoloAlaska said:

My hard shell carry on which I just gave to my mom looks almost like new and has been on over 40 flight segments. no problem with durability.

Well, that's confusing to me because I KNOW I saw very beat up, cracked hard-shell luggage at Marshall's, and I thought to myself, "Who'd buy that?"  Perhaps actual use isn't as damaging as being send to a clearance store?  

On 9/6/2023 at 6:31 PM, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

With a large # of kids leaving for college soon if I don't like it someone will take it.  

I lost some luggage that way!  

On 9/7/2023 at 12:01 PM, donaldsc said:

I am going to make a comment about 2 wheel versus 4 wheel suitcases. 

You can leave the 4-wheeled suitcases for me!  I like that you can stop pulling, and they stay still.  We only have one 4-wheeler, but it's my favorite.  

I guess the real answer is, Buyers take your time and pull your potential suitcase up and down the aisles a while.  

[Flatbush Flyer]

30 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Well, that's confusing to me because I KNOW I saw very beat up, cracked hard-shell luggage at Marshall's…

Perhaps you’re unaware that not all “hard shell” luggage is made from the same material.

If you travel a lot, consider investing in good luggage with ironclad guarantees. Take a look at Briggs & Riley.

[Mum2Mercury]

16 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Perhaps you’re unaware that not all “hard shell” luggage is made from the same material.

If you travel a lot, consider investing in good luggage with ironclad guarantees. Take a look at Briggs & Riley.

Certainly I'm aware that different materials exist, but I hadn't really thought through it.  

[canadjineh]

On 9/5/2023 at 3:40 PM, Mum2Mercury said:

If you already own a larger suitcase, you might share one.  One suitcase can be easier to wrangle than two smaller ones.  

That's what my husband & I do.  He needs to take certain medical supplies now that he is older and has had a few surgeries, but that means I get to throw in more shoes 😍👡and fancier dresses that I wouldn't be taking if we were still in our pre-cruising days with just carry-on and a largish purse/tote.  Besides, once he uses up most of his supplies we can fill that space with gifts & souvenirs.

[Lois R]

On 9/5/2023 at 6:47 PM, SoloAlaska said:

I travel solo usually so no need to share. The reason I don’t use the larger one is because I max out the weight before I fill the suitcase. When I travel on business I carry up to 220lb of luggage, I’m an expert luggage wrangler lol.

I always travel solo and I bring 1 checked bag and 1 carry on for every cruise.....most of my recent sailings have been 10 nights or longer......most around 2 weeks. I have never exceeded the weight limit for any of my cruises. My checked bag is 25 inches and the carry on varies.....I have a small one (15 inches) and a larger one which is 21..  Just depends on which one I feel like bringing😀

[ldubs]

52 minutes ago, Lois R said:

I always travel solo and I bring 1 checked bag and 1 carry on for every cruise.....most of my recent sailings have been 10 nights or longer......most around 2 weeks. I have never exceeded the weight limit for any of my cruises. My checked bag is 25 inches and the carry on varies.....I have a small one (15 inches) and a larger one which is 21..  Just depends on which one I feel like bringing😀

 

Last couple trips involving flights, we moved from a 29" checked bag and a backpack carry-on to a 25" checked bag with an underseat carry-on spinner that has trolley straps.  The new combo so far is working well for us.     

[Lois R]

38 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Last couple trips involving flights, we moved from a 29" checked bag and a backpack carry-on to a 25" checked bag with an underseat carry-on spinner that has trolley straps.  The new combo so far is working well for us.     

I have never even owned that 29 inch bag.......(not that I can remember anyway). 

[ldubs]

9 minutes ago, Lois R said:

I have never even owned that 29 inch bag.......(not that I can remember anyway). 

 

You know, I think when it came time to replace the big bags from the old 70# days, we just naturally bought them.  Moving forward, I doubt they will get much use.  

[crystalspin]

On 10/27/2023 at 4:00 PM, Lois R said:

I have never even owned that 29 inch bag.......(not that I can remember anyway). 

We had two 29" Samsonite "clam-shells". One trip (not cruise) we got off the plane in Dublin, and our luggage did not. On the taxi to our hotel (we missed the shuttle, filling out forms), I realized we would be OK with the contents of our standard 20-22" rollaboards, and the lightbulb went off! (The airline did deliver our suitcases by tea-time, but the Gestalt moment had occurred!) 

 

Edited October 30, 2023 by crystalspin

[SoloAlaska]

On 10/27/2023 at 4:18 PM, Lois R said:

I always travel solo and I bring 1 checked bag and 1 carry on for every cruise.....most of my recent sailings have been 10 nights or longer......most around 2 weeks. I have never exceeded the weight limit for any of my cruises. My checked bag is 25 inches and the carry on varies.....I have a small one (15 inches) and a larger one which is 21..  Just depends on which one I feel like bringing😀

Ya my 26 inch checked luggage is perfect. It’s the 30 inch that when filled can weigh over 50lb. 

[Lois R]

I leave on Sunday for my next cruise and started packing today and am almost finished😃will do the rest tomorrow. 

[57redbird]

Back in the day we bought huge Victorinox suitcases....empty I think they weigh 15# each....hubby keeps using his, mine's in the storage area waiting for his to get destroyed & then he can use it.  I've been using either a rolling duffel or a clamshell type with wheels...quite a bit lighter & yes, somewhat smaller.

[Nebr.cruiser]

I take a 24-25 inch bag to check and a smaller carryon.  It will fit under the seat if necessary (but I usually put it in the overhead bin).  I like the small carryon as it has a separate shoe area.  I tend to really stuff the larger bag but it has never been over 50#.  Usually about 46#s.

 

We normally travel for 2 weeks or more and I got along fine with the above on a six week trip to Australia and New Zealand.  I did laundry three times, I believe. I helps that I am on the smaller side, especially with shoes!

 

If necessary I can get along with a 21" and the small carry-on. I prefer soft sided luggage.

Edited November 13, 2023 by Nebr.cruiser

[Haljo1935]

Don't have dimensions handy - I have a ridiculous assortment of luggage due to picking up pieces while traveling through the years. None are perfect, but many are very close; the ones I seem to prefer are soft sided and all of them but 2 are Samsonite. 

The wheels (dare I say it) have held up on all but 1 and all zippers (which have been well tested) still work.

Just returned yesterday from a trip where my luggage was well over weight (AA marked it as 90#) again arriving w/functioning wheels and zippers. My friends brand new, never before used hard sided luggage arrived scratched, dented, dinged and with 7 out of 8 wheels broken, 1 completely missing. Eek!

Advise to new travelers: edit contents packing less than you think you need, utilize laundry services and purchase quality luggage with looong warranty periods. Resist the urge to coordinate your luggage, opting instead for quality pieces. Also, use services such as Luggage Direct to minimize your luggage handling allowing you more time to enjoy your trip.