Best roller for private and tourist use - Suggestions?
aktchi, just pointed out that in my review of the 22" Travelpro Plat5 roller(which, btw, gets harder to get in black already), I said that it was ideally suited for business but that for private and leisure trips there might be better solutions.
What I mean is that the Plat5 has a good suiter and many features that make it ideal for business use in terms of packing, e.g. the extra coat compartment and places to easily store print materials. I also mean that it is a bit heavy but that for business use it will see mostly smooth pavements and escalators or elevators and that thus it can be rolled easily.
Otherwise, I would recommend a duffle. Those do usually very well in terms of volume/weight ratio. I own the huge Eagle Creek ORV Super Trunk for that reason; for when I need to transport dead bodies. Deducing from the quality of that bag and knwoing about EC's great warranty, I would recommend also the small carry-on size 22" ORV trunk here: http://eaglecreek.com/bags_luggage/d...runk-22-20216/
What would you recommend for private/tourist travel, if you don't need formal clothes, you don't need "file storage" but you still want to roll it?
I have BR 235X and Air Boss shoulder bags. My wife uses a BR 20" Baseline Superlight roller. We have 24" and 26" BR suitcases to check in; we carry a light and flimsy duffle at the bottom to be used as laundry bag or emergency extra bag. This system has evolved over years and works well enough for us.
I am reasonably familiar with a few other lines: Tumi, Victorinox, Hartman at (my) top end; Delsey, TravelPro, Pathfinder in mid-range; cheapo no name store luggage too. I don't use these at present. Some we own are being used for storage - either because of size (a few 29" from 70 LB days) or quality.
Your last two options are intriguing and I hope to try them some day.
Landor and Hawa just because of its light weight - although there is nothing "just" about such an important consideration as weight. From pictures I do get an uncomfortable feeling about the handle - is it too wide, will it support a shoulder bag on top as well as "normal" handles do? Just a question/doubt, I have no experience to indicate any problem. (Let me add that this is one reason I don't like Victorinox Werks line.)
A good duffle is another one of those things I never tried. I have seen them checked in, but again speaking from the position of inexperience, I would worry about how well the contents are protected. That is obviously not a concern in a carry-on.
You pointed out another good solution in a different thread: a shoulder bag and a micro-cart. Have wheels when desired, but unlike a wheeled bag, leave the cart home when packing lightly. Seems to be the best of both worlds!
I must have forgotten that you had the BR 235x AND the Airboss. Can you give us a comparison of those two?
I said the same thing about the Hawa Landor handle in my comments on Brad's blog (see link).
A duffle is simply a classic utility bag. For no non-sense carrying duty it cannot be beaten. I also like duffels without wheels and carpenter or doctor bags/satchels. I'd love to get my hands on a Mulholland Bros. Longhorn bag, for example. But, alas, I am not made of money.
The EC ORV series is simply super well constructed. I feel my contents are well protected. The bottom is totally stiff and the lower sides are strong. of course, common sense must be applied when packing.
You should also check out the German company Bree. Excellent stuff, some of it available here in the US, too.
I was intrigued by Landor & Hawa, albeit a little curious about the wide pulling handle, but the following discovery threw some cold water on my enthusiasm: the bag lacks a side handle. In practice that is likely to be inconvenient, when the bag fits certain space only one way, or someone has rearranged its orientation, and there's no convenient handle to grab it.
Still an interesting bag. I'll keep an eye on future models and see if they add an extra handle.
In the meantime, any user reviews are most welcome!
Plus, unlike the niche brands often mentioned here, they have a worldwide presence that lets you get your stuff fixed when you need it. For me, that's more important than a "lifetime warranty", because a broken suitcase means that you have to buy another one in order to get home and/or travel while yours is being returned to a faraway place to be repaired/replaced.
It's the Toyota of the luggage business.
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Otherwise, I would recommend a duffle. Those do usually very well in terms of volume/weight ratio. I own the huge Eagle Creek ORV Super Trunk for that reason; for when I need to transport dead bodies. Deducing from the quality of that bag and knwoing about EC's great warranty, I would recommend also the small carry-on size 22" ORV trunk here: http://eaglecreek.com/bags_luggage/d...runk-22-20216/
What would you recommend for private/tourist travel, if you don't need formal clothes, you don't need "file storage" but you still want to roll it?
Till
I am currently using an Eagle Creek duffel as well, and it holds up really well.
Have you tried using any other types of luggage by Eagle Creek? I am currently looking at a carry on bag by them, and it really has my attention.
I am currently using an Eagle Creek duffel as well, and it holds up really well.
Have you tried using any other types of luggage by Eagle Creek? I am currently looking at a carry on bag by them, and it really has my attention.
Thanks!
- Raithe
Raithe,
no, I haven't tried any other luggage per se by EC. I do have a packing cube, a shirt folder and the compression bags and am very happy with all of it. If you like their carry-on in terms of looks, layout and price, I'd say go for it. The quality is very good in my opinion.
Deducing from the quality of that bag and knwoing about EC's great warranty, I would recommend also the small carry-on size 22" ORV trunk here:
