Travel Products - What makes a clamshell a clamshell?

What qualifies a piece of luggage to be called clamshell?

Now that I see its use in a different thread, I think I am mis-using the term.

My expectation is that any piece of luggage called clamshell:

1) Closes with a clasp, not a zipper, and preferably has a gasket, like the Samsonites have. Much easier and more reliable than zippers, and less for bed bugs to jump on to, assuming it's a hardshell as well.

2) Allows you to pack most everything on 1 "side" of the luggage. The other side is mostly just a lid. So when I get to a hotel, I can easily use the luggage carrier against the wall even with a big suitcase and just flip up 1 side against the wall.

My favorite for big luggage is definitely what I call my old Samsonite "clamshells".

Like these Samsonite F'Lite's, only the 10 year old version of them:
http://www.ebags.com/product/samsonite/flite-gt-30-upright/151716?productid=10022223##

I still use them on Southwest, 2 per flight, completely full, to move things to a family member who just purchased a first house. They have taken total abuse and are fine besides a ton of scuffs. Nothing with a zipper would have held this long pack full for so many flights.

Who else makes what luggage with those 2 features?

In the broadest sense, it means anything with a hinge along one side. So virtually any bag with a hinge is a clamshell design.

Pelican, Delsey Helium makes cases that meet your needs.

I'm far from an expert, but my first inclination when hearing clamshell luggage is luggage which when opened has two roughly similar halves - the top and the bottom - both of which are designed to hold significant volume. But it seems the word is used more broadly than that.

In the broadest sense, it means anything with a hinge along one side. So virtually any bag with a hinge is a clamshell design.

This. A quick search for relevant definitions verifies the above.

Pelican, Delsey Helium makes cases that meet your needs.Thank you Flahusky. I have never seen the Delsey Helium line. It's perfect for when I need to replace my Samsonite antique "clamshells" that I use on family trips.

What I need before Thanksgiving is a hardshell carry-on. I really wish their smallest met the AA-required 22 x 14 x 9. From their website, it looks too wide.

http://www.delsey.com/products/travel/helium/detail/product/000946701/
54 CM SLIM 4–WHEEL CABIN TROLLEY CASE
Ref : 00160680312
Description
The lightest DELSEY rigid case ever made will be available as of February!
Ultra-lightness, extreme resistance and streamlined design, HELIUM is the must-have case for those who wish to travel differently.
Dimension & weight
40 x 54 x 20 cm
15,7 x 21,3 x 7,9 inch
≈ 43 L - 2.3 kg

My expectation is that any piece of luggage called clamshell:

1) Closes with a clasp, not a zipper, and preferably has a gasket, like the Samsonites have. Much easier and more reliable than zippers, and less for bed bugs to jump on to, assuming it's a hardshell as well.

2) Allows you to pack most everything on 1 "side" of the luggage. The other side is mostly just a lid. So when I get to a hotel, I can easily use the luggage carrier against the wall even with a big suitcase and just flip up 1 side against the wall.

My favorite for big luggage is definitely what I call my old Samsonite "clamshells".

Like these Samsonite F'Lite's, only the 10 year old version of them:
http://www.ebags.com/product/samsonite/flite-gt-30-upright/151716?productid=10022223##

I still use them on Southwest, 2 per flight, completely full, to move things to a family member who just purchased a first house. They have taken total abuse and are fine besides a ton of scuffs. Nothing with a zipper would have held this long pack full for so many flights.

Who else makes what luggage with those 2 features?

I was looking for something similar to your requirements. Almost every manufacturer is going with the 'cheaper to manufacture' plasticky exterior shells with zippers. Even Samsonite changed their Silhouette 12 hardshell to this newer design. :td: Unfortunately, I gave up my search but there's also the Samsonite Cruisair Elite in addition to the F'lite.

Calmshell was a marketing term, used by Samsonite for their hard shell luggage hinged like a clam with multiple latches to prevent accidental opening from late 1980's.

While heavier they do offer very good protection. Pelican, Haliburton and Rimova are too specialized and targeted by thieves.

Tentseller, I don't agree.

Individual thieves, and organized gangs of thieves target " opportunities." They don't plan to hit just the Halliburton, Peiikan, and Rimowa boxes on any given day, as they look for sheer "volume" in stolen loot. They cannot afford to be that selective.

Who is targeted ? The unsuspecting backbacker leaving the train station in Florence, the sleepy tourists in line inside FRA airport, the flying commuter more concerned with buying a quick sandwiche than his carry-on just behind him, and the nervous businessman appearing to have something to hide in his black fabric luggage arriving in New York.

While waiting for a train at Milano Centrale train station, I observed an American woman leave her folded leather jacket, video camera, and other items in a large grocery paper bag momentarily. I wasn't the only one: Immediately a young man drifted over, picked up the sack and started leaving. Very smooth. That is, until I grabbed him by the arm, holding him as he protested colourfully, until the police arrived.

The thief ( quiet now ) turned out to be a known regular, and the police woman stated that he and his cohorts would take anything, and everything they could get inside and around the station. Even a bicycle.

The grateful tourist victim, heading up to Varenna, felt that no one would take a second look at her rumpled Trader Joes paper bag, versus better luggage. She was wrong, as the thief saw an opportunity, took it, and almost got away with it.

You and I may be attracted to that nice glossy luggage case, but that may be a liability to try and fence to a thief. It may also be numbered which will get him or her caught. Better luggage does not always yield anything more inside than dirty laundry, and smelly socks. The wealthy using private jets and exclusive trains, do not travel as most of us do anyway.

The issue of locks and cable ties is secondary to the thief, as the opportunity to steal anything, in volume, and not get caught, is the primary goal.

A well written and well thought out response, as usual, Swiss.

However, you fail to consider, that there are different kinds of thieves and different kinds of environs. The train station pick-pocket will look for stuff he can run with. He won't take a 28" suitcase, whether it's Walmart or Vuitton.

But the cunning person with security clearance in the airport will know fair well what the expensive luggage looks like. S/he will not have as many occasions to pull a bag aside and pilfer it. Thus s/he will maximize chances of finding "the good stuff" by opening a bag that holds the promise of valuable contents. In that case, Halliburton, Rimowa, Tumi, Vuitton and even Pelican (fragile items like electronics or instruments or art) are their best bet.

My Rimowa gets opened by TSA on one of two flights. My other luggage gets opened much more rarely. I usually pack the same stuff. Except that, yes, when I use the Rimowa, there is often something fragile in there. But I guess, lucky for me, they never saw the value of it. ;)

Till

Apparently we should further define theft and thieves. I commented above on the common type of theft in public places, if you will, as defined by police officers.

The situation you described is a new trend: Theft under the colour of authority.

Actually, there really is not much one can do about authorized security and baggage handlers going through luggage in an airport in North America.

There they have the time, equipment, keys, a written procedure, and mandate to open and inspect my luggage. Cable ties that have been cut, reset TSA locks, and unsigned love notes (or none at all) may, or may not actually tell me who, or what groups have looked into my luggage prior to being loaded onto aircraft cargohold. If my flight has 2 stop legs along the way to my destination, how does one track back to the opening of my luggage ?

I simply assume that they do go through and inspect my luggage each time, and every time. I therefore either hand carry, reduce, or eliminate valuables going through to to North America. ( My ASUS tablet is a business tool, by the way, and described thusly in my insurance policy ).

Cameras and random checks on such employees opening and inspecting luggage, appear to be missing a great deal of this type of new thievery, as it goes on for many years according to press reports. Initially due to the badge and uniform, I thought these were sworn federal law enforcement officers, but I read here at FT that they are not. Which now explains the lack of federal prison terms to those caught stealing, even after admitting many years of sustained pillferage.

If caught in Europe, that person would be tried and serve prison time. In North America, that same person is tried but released on probation, as I read in a recent case in Miami, because " he really was a good person. " A 6 year summer camp experience at Levenworth would be much too harsh, it seems.

Tell that to the victim who had his IPAD, cash, gifts for relatives, etc., stolen. I'm not sure he would quite agree.

Back on track:
From our perspective here, one is traditionally concerned about theft in public places such as those I mentioned. The new twist, and I must say this, is when we fly to and through North America. We now have to be concerned about street theft, AND the " good guys " stealing from us too, under the colour of authority.

The solution which I now see here more and more is to use FEDEX to try and avoid that from happening. Many individuals and groups here now use FEDEX to ship personal luggage to and from North America, an expensive option to lessen the theft you are describing.

Now, using that logic, does the hopefully small percentage of criminal-minded inspectors in North American airports then target only Samsonite, Halliburton, and Rimowa cases ? I really do not know. Obviously, they (he or she - Los Angeles) have the use of radiology, keys, snippers, paid-off accomplices ( recent case - Los Angeles again ), and the time to rummage through everything, looking for volume opportunities of loot to fence.

Just like common street thieves.

That being said I'm flying on business in two days, with two trustworthy " clamshell " Rimowas, and I'm looking forward to it.

While waiting for a train at Milano Centrale train station, I observed an American woman leave her folded leather jacket, video camera, and other items in a large grocery paper bag momentarily. I wasn't the only one: Immediately a young man drifted over, picked up the sack and started leaving. Very smooth. That is, until I grabbed him by the arm, holding him as he protested colourfully, until the police arrived.Kudos to you Swissaire for taking action. ^

Thank you Flahusky. I have never seen the Delsey Helium line. It's perfect for when I need to replace my Samsonite antique "clamshells" that I use on family trips.

What I need before Thanksgiving is a hardshell carry-on. I really wish their smallest met the AA-required 22 x 14 x 9. From their website, it looks too wide.

http://www.delsey.com/products/travel/helium/detail/product/000946701/
54 CM SLIM 4–WHEEL CABIN TROLLEY CASE
Ref : 00160680312
Description
The lightest DELSEY rigid case ever made will be available as of February!
Ultra-lightness, extreme resistance and streamlined design, HELIUM is the must-have case for those who wish to travel differently.
Dimension & weight
40 x 54 x 20 cm
15,7 x 21,3 x 7,9 inch
≈ 43 L - 2.3 kg

Not quite as light, but the Delsey Abstract (not available in the US, apparently?) should work for you:
http://www.delsey.com/products/travel/abstract/detail/product/003388650/
Dimension & weight
36 x 52 x 21 cm
14,2 x 20,5 x 8,3 inch
≈ 39 L - 15,4 inch ³ 3.1 kg
3.1 kg - 6.8 lbs

Also the Delsey Meridian Plus Aluminum (US/Canada):
http://www.delsey.com/products/travel/meridian-plus/detail/product/17877/
33 x 56 x 22 cm
13 x 22 x 8,7 inch
≈ 41 L - 16,1 inch ³ 4.4 kg
4.4 kg - 9,8 lbs