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If you can take only 1 piece of luggage (carry-on) abroad, what would it be?

If you can take only 1 piece of luggage (carry-on) abroad, what would it be?

Old Oct 9, 2015, 2:18 am
  #31  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 6
It would be better if you use Briggs & Rilley Large Spinner. I'm using this for my long trip or vacation for about 3 weeks or a month. And guess, it takes years due to its durability of hardside case. Very comfortable to carry for its molded soft touch top and side carry handles are great.
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Old Oct 10, 2015, 2:59 pm
  #32  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
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ebags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible Junior http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/t...gs-and-reviews
This is the bag for a trip like you have described. You will need backpack straps if you are walking 1+ miles with your bag.
Also they have a great warranty and if you catch a sale right their price is not bad. I think this weekend they have 20% off.
Good luck!
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Old Oct 11, 2015, 7:16 pm
  #33  
 
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I don't see how you guys do the stuff without wheels. Between my laptop, tablet, and clothing, I just can't see it.
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Old Oct 12, 2015, 11:43 am
  #34  
 
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Originally Posted by Cargojon
I don't see how you guys do the stuff without wheels. Between my laptop, tablet, and clothing, I just can't see it.
Personal preference. I don't even consider carry on luggage that is wheeled. Even if I'm checking I'd much rather have a backpack or duffel unless I know my trip is a simple airport to rental car to hotel type of affair.
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Old Oct 12, 2015, 12:44 pm
  #35  
 
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Originally Posted by Zeeb
Personal preference. I don't even consider carry on luggage that is wheeled. Even if I'm checking I'd much rather have a backpack or duffel unless I know my trip is a simple airport to rental car to hotel type of affair.
+1 here

I use my eBags TLS Weekend (22" full size) that's good for 3 seasons (shorter trips of 1 or 2 nights and warm weather - the backpack usually suffice) & make good use of the internal/external straps to keep it slim & trim, using packing cubes to keep the interior organized & contents not shifting around. Especially abroad, if it's a longer walk - make good use of those free luggage cart (not @ JFK ... prices up again, it's now $6 per rental) The key to getting around is a comfortable shoulder strap (one's own preference) or using the backpack straps - when it's "heavy" (30+ lbs for me w. electronics/gadgets)

Have an expandable Kirkland 22 (and 3/4") carry-on rollers, which I typically used as my checked bag (it can be heavy, as much as 35 to 40 lbs w/o the expanded zippers) and stacking the second bag/carry-on or cabin bag on top - lifting it overhead isn't fun even if we do early boarding & have access to bin space ... pack less & switching to a smaller backpack is an option, sometimes - especially in warmer months.

Last edited by Letitride3c; Oct 13, 2015 at 7:40 am
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Old Oct 12, 2015, 9:15 pm
  #36  
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Michigan
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Originally Posted by Cargojon
I don't see how you guys do the stuff without wheels. Between my laptop, tablet, and clothing, I just can't see it.
Personal preference as stated earlier. With a lot of walking or public trans, anything with wheels is a pain. A solid backpack or convertible bag are much more flexible and less likely to get gate checked for regional flights. I find it much quicker to make connections with one bag and something I can throw on my back. Also makes you pack smarter so you bring less stuff versus the "well I might need this" syndrome. I can do 3-4 days easily with one bag (Tom Bihn Tristar), never have to wait for gate checked items or haul 2 bags to a customer site. Now it'll weigh about 25-30lbs so the backpack straps are used for long jaunts through the airport.

If all you are is airport - hotel and back, rollers are not bad.
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Old Oct 31, 2015, 4:29 pm
  #37  
 
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I've enjoyed reading this thread, thanks for getting it going.

I'm fortunate to be able to get to Europe a couple times a year for budget travel 2-3 weeks each time and most recently returned earlier this week.

My usual routine is to fly over then use the trains to get around and then fly home from a different airport than I arrived etc. I get to big cities, small ones and anything in between.

I'm definetly a one bag guy, a very light packer and over the years I've used all sorts of different small bag types.

For my October 2015 trip I borrowed a friend's small, new, somewhat low to medium end, hard shell spinner (or whatever they're called) to see how it would work for me. This thing was pretty small to him and he laughed at me and mentioned that I'd need two other bags if I was seriously going to Europe for a few weeks. I welcomed the challenge.

Packing it before I left was very easy and using it throughout the trip whether in the airport or to chase metros, buses and trains was an absolute breeze. Cobblestone streets, sidewalks---it was all remarkably simple and very enjoyable.

As a seasoned traveller I was actually pretty surprised. I half expected to leave wheels and zippers and who knows what else all over Northern Europe during the trip but instead it was one smooth ride after another.

It definitely won me over and I'm now spending my weekend looking online for a decent one for my future European junkets.

As many others have mentioned, this whole debate/dialogue is pretty personal; we each need whatever it is we each swear by. My only advice is to use what works best for you but not to close doors you haven't yet opened either.

So if anyone knows of a decent, smallish, hard shell spinner that isn't very pricey and that'll be primarily used for European trips, I'm all ears.
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Old Oct 31, 2015, 4:38 pm
  #38  
 
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One more important point that a few of you mentioned that really resonated with me is that having a carry on bag, whatever kind, that you KNOW will qualify as carry on for sure is paramount. Not having to fret about whether your bag fits or doesn't fit is a pretty big deal. I look for as little stress as possible when travelling so I'd encourage anyone considering buying a carry on bag to make sure it truly is just that. One less thing to have to worry about.
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Old Oct 31, 2015, 4:44 pm
  #39  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
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I just got back from two weeks in Italy. I took my
B&R Deluxe Travel Tote B&R Deluxe Travel Tote
. It has a shoulder strap, but I am a wheelchair user and carry it on my lap.
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Old Nov 1, 2015, 9:44 am
  #40  
 
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Originally Posted by rbwpi
E Bags etech 2.0 Weekender Convertible. Have used it for several 2 week trips to Europe and the Middle East. Reasonably priced, lifetime warranty.

http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/e...uctid=10211619
Also my choice, although I might choose the TLS Motherlode version if I were buying now. For two weeks in Mitteleuropa, I added an Eagle Creek Guide Pro as my "personal item," plus a Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil sling bag (stored inside the Guide Pro) for the few times when the Guide Pro wasn't large enough.
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Old Nov 1, 2015, 11:12 am
  #41  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
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I use a TravelPro Business trolley. Got it for 70 at Macys. Has been very good for me, even when I fly 4-6 segments a week.
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Old Nov 1, 2015, 3:04 pm
  #42  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
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Originally Posted by heffman
As many others have mentioned, this whole debate/dialogue is pretty personal; we each need whatever it is we each swear by. My only advice is to use what works best for you but not to close doors you haven't yet opened either.
All of my luggage is carry-on and my needs change per itinerary. It can also change based on expected efficiency. A wheeled bag is easier on my body when waiting in long and inefficient lines while a backpack/shoulder bag can be easier to handle on public transit or tight connections. Two wheels is easier on carpets, spinners are good on hard ground and level streets. And so my luggage collection grows

Your itinerary sounds like a good candidate for a clamshell open backpack like eBags Weekender or Osprey Porter/Farpoint. It is easier to live out of a wider opening vs a top opening requiring you to unpack to get to the bottom and I'm sure room mates in hostels would appreciate you accessing things quickly and quietly. Use luggage carts as needed. Budget a bit for cabs or busses (and sim card for local data sim to find said busses/Uber/car share) for inclement weather or when you're feeling tired. Unless you're a very light packer (which usually doesn't come without practice), if you intend to walk a few miles you will want a good backpack suspension system, not a "just in case" setup.

Last edited by freecia; Nov 1, 2015 at 3:23 pm
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Old Nov 1, 2015, 6:04 pm
  #43  
 
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I like Rick Steves' Appenzell day pack. I had a full-sized backpack, and originally bought this smaller one (maybe 2/3 the full-sized one) for my grandkids. I took it on one trip and promptly bought one for myself. The full-sized backpack hasn't been out of my house since - maybe 10 years.

I combine the Appenzell with the even smaller Civita shoulder bag. The Civita starts out empty, just tucked in the Appenzell. The Appenzell loosely packed. When wandering around for a day, the Civita goes into service, leaving the Appenzell back in the room.

Electronics is an iPad mini - email, web and camera. No phone. (But the Philips Sonicare toothbrush goes with me).

On the way home both day packs usually are stuffed, but still easy to manage and still OK with the airlines. The small capacity is actually a discipline for not buying a lot.

I only take a roller bag if I need to look slightly more respectable for some reason.

I don't think I've ever been asked to "gate check" the Civita, but it happens fairly often with the roller bag.

Last edited by Romelle; Nov 2, 2015 at 10:06 am
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Old Nov 23, 2015, 12:26 am
  #44  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
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I'm a classic overpacker, but I really wanted to travel light on my 3 week trip to Europe. I used a cheap, unexpanded Ricardo softside spinner carry-on (20"x14"x9", or 21.5" high including the wheels), plus an almost empty over-the-handle Solo laptop tote as my personal item (almost empty so I could throw it in the carry-on for our Schengen flights that wouldn't allow a 2nd personal item). I measured the bag carefully on a hard surface and checked in advance that the dimensions would work for our particular itinerary. None of our flights had weight restrictions for carry-ons, but I still made sure it was under 50lbs/23kg just in case I were required to check it.

I think the items I packed and the way I packed them had much more to do with my success than the actual luggage. Using the method in this video, I packed five days' worth of coordinated separates on hangers, plus a dress, three bras, three pairs of ExOfficio underwear, two pairs of Icebreaker socks, bathing suit, pair of flip flops, sunglasses, 40"x72" microfiber towel, toiletries, makeup, flatiron, adaptor plugs, laptop, and kindle. The suitcase was easy to close without unzipping the expansion zipper. It rolled well on every surface, even Roman cobblestone, and it never tipped over.

I washed the undies and socks in the sink every few days, and sent out the rest to be laundered halfway through the trip. Even after adding things we collected, I never used the expansion zipper and didn't check anything on the way home. I now swear by this packing method, regardless of the luggage used.
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Old Nov 24, 2015, 4:02 pm
  #45  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 8
I am an advocate of ultra-light packing concepts, using a non-wheeled bag. This topic in all reality depends on the individual's preferences and goals. In my case, I have used an Eagle Creek Adventure Weekender bag. (http://shop.eaglecreek.com/ec-advent...g/d/1200_cl_-1)

Retails normally for $150, but can get it lower, such as $120 if you watch the sales. It can be carried by regular handles, shoulder strap, or backpack straps that can be tucked away. Have used this on quite a number of business trips and two Europe trips at about 16 days each.

On my last overseas trip, the bag and contents weighed in at 13.6 lbs. Fits easily in overheads, including the RJ bins. My packing list (not counting what I wore) included 2 pants, 6 shirts, 1 Patagonia lightweight vest, 1 long sleeve Icebreaker 150 shirt, 5 underwear, 5 sox, lightweight rain jacket, umbrella, 3-1-1 ziploc, ziploc with meds, and misc. other including toothbrush, safety razor, earbuds, cell phone charger. Often I use Eagle Creek packing folders/cubes, otherwise I bundle pack. I select my clothes so that they can be washed out in the sink and hung overnight to dry.

This method is not for everybody, but in my case, I would not travel any other way. One web site to check out for those of you who might be interested: www.1bag1world.com

Best wishes to all!
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