Long ago, as a young man, I traveled extensively in the lands of steep hills, long staircases and not a few cobblestones, Europe. Then I spent a couple of decades traveling often by air in the US.

Two lessons learned:

1. Extensive "lugging" of big bags will soon convert one to packing lightly.

2. If it can be ripped, torn, bent or otherwise damaged, airlines and airports will do so.

20 years ago, as my wife and i began annual vacation trips abroad, I found a "real deal", a dozen modest (MSRP $49.00) rollaboards, assorted black, red, blue and yellow, 3 of each color, sized for overhead bins, but checkable, in a "closeout", $100 + $25 shipping, one of the best bargains in my life (since I had a place to store them).

Well, we're down to 3, and still traveling. My wife refuses to use the yellows, but I'm neither proud of fashion conscious. We both have learned to "pack lightly" and carry along an extra bag for inevitable acquisitions along the way. We try to split our belongs between bags, so as to be able to deal with 1 lost/delayed bag. Damaged, but still usable bags, have always found a home, first our daughters, now the lady who comes to clean.

....And my back and the backs of baggage handlers everywhere have benefited. Meanwhile, I've never had to wrestle one of those foot lockers pretending to be suitcases up the hill from the station or parking lot to some Tuscan hill town hotel.

Accept the fact that bags will inevitably suffer damage, no matter their price and presumed durability. Buy accordingly.