So far, I am very happy with both Victorinox bags, but I have just used them for 6 round trips. They seem of very good quality ... time will tell.
I'm reasonably happy with my Victorinox suitcases (a 24" expandable, a 22" expandable and a 20/21" non-expandable). I've use 22" most often for business and like the fact that it's bright blue (one of my favourite colours) and easy to spot. I've had the suitcases, on average, for about 4 years. They are very lightweight and I like the ergonomic twisting handle. The expandable ones cope very well with purchases and gifts given by conference hosts when I speak at conferences. The design is sleek.
They're not, however, as sturdy as I expected them to be. The largest is quite worn around the edges. Granted, that's the oldest one and the one that tends to go on physically more demanding trips (it went to Morocco on our honeymoon, although it stayed behind in the hotel and didn't get strapped onto the mule - that treat was saved for a duffel bag). The zipper tabs fell off rather quickly, which required creative replacements. The smallest black suitcase similarly has ended up fairly worn, but my husband is harder on luggage than I am (and mostly, I let him use the small black one while I hang onto the blue one.) On a business trip where my blue 22" suitcase wasn't fully packed, it turned up on the conveyor belt dented in on one edge. It was easy to push it back out again, but it redents pretty much any time I pack it less than 100" full. They have been checked a lot, though, and I have had them for about 4 years, so I'm reasonably pleased with them.
I am tempted, though, to buy a new bag in the next few months. I expect to be travelling on very short business trips (e.g. one or two nights) where it would be better not to have to check a bag. The small black one definitely meets carry-on requirements, but is somewhat the worse for wear. It might be worth having something even a little smaller for overnight trips, but I think I'd still need to wheel it because I have trouble with my back and am recovering from a torn rotator cuff. Mostly, though, I think this is just an excuse to shop for more luggage ...
... BTW does your B&R Deluxe Tote have enough padding to protect the SLR gear? ...
Not much padding, but I don't think you need that much. Cameras are not that fragile, and I usually have some clothing in the bag that will provide some protection
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For my carry-on, I have a TravelPro Platinum from the 5 series..and it has held up great over the last 10 trips or so.....
For checked luggage, I recently bought a Delsey Helium LTD 300 and the last five trips, it doesn't have a scratch on it so, so far it's holding its own against the luggage handlers
I'm in need of another piece soon so I'm looking at the Kirland (Costco) brand due to all the recommendations here on the board...
Delsey Helium has, apparently, cancelled the 300 line and is bringing out something to replace it soon. The luggage salesperson I spoke with recommended the 300 of all the Delsey's so I'm waiting.
I love this luggage by International Traveler-Equator 22", hard case. It's super cheap $49.99 on ebags. But worth every penny, I have taken it to 3 major international trips. Still working fine and it's a pretty cool design.
I am going to get another one soon, since it's so cheap!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by exc3ll
I love this luggage by International Traveler-Equator 22", hard case. It's super cheap $49.99 on ebags. But worth every penny, I have taken it to 3 major international trips. Still working fine and it's a pretty cool design.
I am going to get another one soon, since it's so cheap!
I've always found those to be attractive, both in design and price, but have been scared off by the reviews. Most of the reviews (or at least a disproportionately high percentage) haven't been so good.
Do you use that as a checked bag or take it on board??? That can make a huge difference. Even a cheap bag can seem up to "snuff" when it's in the overhead and out of the hands of unorthodox handlers.
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I have always searched for the perfect shoulder tote, but recently decided what I really needed was a rollaboard carry-on bag a little smaller and lighter than my 22" but still with enough capacity for a weekend if I didn't want to check a bag. I have been using one by Delsey, but it seems to be more for files/business stuff and wasn't all that easy to use. So (with some prompting by reading this thread) I got serious in my searching and finally found a near-perfect one - Baggallini's new rolling tote bagg. First of all, it meets my non-negotiable rule that a bag be under 6.5 lbs. It's 5 lb. 8 oz. It comes in a lot of colors and trims, and I think the shape is sophisticated. But equally as important is that the organization seems perfect: one big compartment for clothes, middle compartment about half that size, perfect for laptop, files, books, extremely accessible, then another side compartment, smaller than the other 2 but still pretty big, with a zip pocket on the outside of it. Anymore compartments and pockets and I get confused.
It looks like it might hold as much as my 22", but since it's more square (I know, there are no degrees of squares or circles) than rectangular it should be much more stable, not always falling forward or torquing sideways like my others.
The only caveat is that I haven't used it yet. But it sure looks perfect.
I'll be using it this weekend, so I'll report back.
That looks great! All of my luggage is now Briggs & Riley. My color of choice is olive green. B&R is the most well-designed luggage I have ever seen (or used) in all of my years of traveling.
Yes B&R is well designed(maybe a little bland for some taste)but it is extremely heavy.
i am wondering if the heavieness in reliable luggage is just the trade off you must make.If space age modern, super strong,super light components would make the bags to pricey for the mass market(I am thinking graphite or titanium frame and wheels,newer compunded materials for exteriors)but I now at least one person to whom money is not an object that would buy such a bag.
Yes B&R is well designed(maybe a little bland for some taste)but it is extremely heavy.
i am wondering if the heavieness in reliable luggage is just the trade off you must make.If space age modern, super strong,super light components would make the bags to pricey for the mass market(I am thinking graphite or titanium frame and wheels,newer compunded materials for exteriors)but I now at least one person to whom money is not an object that would buy such a bag.
Yes, but as others have pointed out, the wheels/handle add a lot of the weight. I switched from a small-ish (21") Eagle Creek wheeled bag to the B&R - it's fantastically lighter but has the same cubic capacity.
I've been using an Eagle Creek wheeled bag plus attachable day pack for years -- I think my model is obsolete but it's like the current "Switchback" series. I hate to sound like a commercial, but it's one of the best travel things I've bought. Very rugged, waterproof enough to keep things dry in the rain (at least if it's not a case of prolonged exposure to heavy rains,) and well designed. One particularly good feature it has that many brands lack is a full large tough thick plastic plate - not just a couple of puny plastic strips -- on the underside on the fabric above the wheels, to prevent damage when you're wheeling it up stairs. In my travels I often end up wheeling this luggage up and down Mediterranean style rough stone stepped paths, and this feature really is valuable for that.
The only down side is that my bag isn't as light as some of the current state-of-the-art high tech bags. Though maybe the current Eagle Creek models are lighter than mine.
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