TobyDude

Hey,
this is my first post so please be gentle with me
I will be going to China next year for 4 months and I am just thinking what luggage i should buy. City is Beijing.
I will be flying with finnair and it will be an international flight. 23kg for the luggage max and 8kg for the cabin luggage max. I can have an luggage upgrade to 32kg for 50€.
I will travel around in China so the luggage will definitely be tossed around.

My plan was to have a Eastpak Gooff backpack as cabin baggage and a rimowa salsa mutliwheel 73. I looked around a little bit on koffer direkt and saw that the rimowa 73 weights already 4,6kg which looks quite heavy to me.

Could anybody here give me an advise for a good luggage that is probably lighter, has the ideal size for 23-32kg, won't break when it is not full and probably no one wants to steal?

Thanks for the help and sorry for the bad english!

TobyDude

The link for the Rimowa: http://www.koffer-direkt.de/rimowa-s...dell-2012.html

IflyfromABE

Depends on what you are going to do when you go to China. If you are stationary at a place and maximum doing weekend trips or something, this combination might work.

If you are planning on traveling extensively esp with buses and trains, you are better off with a different combination of a full size backpack (check in) and a smaller messenger bag or something with you. The point is you need something that can be on you or close to you at all times

And the Rimowa will attract thieves.

TobyDude

Thanks for the fast reply! What do you mean with the full size backpack? The big trekking backpacks?

That is why i don't want to buy the rimowa for the stay.
Yes i will probably travel a lot around with trains (transrapid) and busses and lots of planes...
The big backpack is ideal for weekend trips and for the unversity, i just looking for a better suitcase that won't attract any thieves, is cheaper and won't break if its not full. I am especially looking at travelite but don't know what to take.
So a piece of luggage that can be tossed around often.


I have also been looking at travelpro, eagle creek, brigg's&riley but it is quite hard to get in germany often as expensive as the rimowa. I tought about tumi luggage which i like a lot but it is so heavy...

IflyfromABE

Here is one. Pretty much indestructible, low profile and inexpensive. And less than a kilo in weight. Not sure how much the shipping would be, but it is really worth it. If you can spend a bit more, these ones are more convenient (or the just smaller size). You cannot beat that stuff... And nobody will take a second look even in China.

I did mean the full size trekking backpacks.

TobyDude

Thanks again!
Yes I like that redoxx stuff, but shipping is really expensive to europe and i am actuall looking for a trolley that will keep 23-32kg, has a low profile, can be tossed around

Javelin

I've never really understood the appeal of hard-cased luggage so I suppose I'm a bit bias, but I would definitely recommend a soft-shelled bag. Rimowa and Tumi will definitely attract unwanted attention, so I would shy away from those.

For your large checked bag, I would look at the Travelpros or B&R Transcends. They're solidly made and are pretty much unknown in China. They're also lighter than the hard-shelled Rimowas. The Travelpro is definitely cheaper and I suppose the B&R warranty isn't of much use to you (the shipping would be insane).

You can buy Travelpro stuff from the Travelpro UK store (shipping to Germany is only Ł5) at http://www.travelpro.co.uk.

The Rimowa you linked to is about 30" so looking at the comparable Travelpro stuff, I would recommend the following:

Travelpro Maxlite 2 29" Expandable Spinner (Ł175)
http://www.travelpro.co.uk/showitem.asp?prodid=70

Travelpro Platinum 7 28" Expandable Rollaboard (Ł325)
http://www.travelpro.co.uk/showitem.asp?prodid=55

Even with shipping, both of them are less expensive than the Rimowa (the Maxlite being considerably so). Interestingly, they're not much lighter. Note that the Maxlite is a spinner (is that what Europeans call a trolley?) and the Platinum is a two-wheeled bag.

Now regarding your configuration of bags.

Like IflyfromABE said, a large checked bag + a backpack may or may not work, depending on the length of the trips you plan on taking. If it's just a weekend trip, just the backpack may work. You definitely don't want to be taking that 30" bag with you everywhere.

The trains in China should have no problems accommodating a standard carryon-sized bag (although there are no overhead compartments—I believe the trains are the exact same models as the ones on the ICE). The sleeper trains are also thickness limited (you either have to stuff it underneath the bed or in the compartment above the corridor). While not impossible, hauling around a 30" bag will be far less convenient than just a carryon-sized bag.

One option I would consider if I were you is three bags—the 30" checked bag, a small carry-on sized bag, and the backpack (which can be flat packed in either of the two aforementioned bags). PEK has baggage carts for arrivals and departures so you shouldn't have a problem with two wheeled bags (which does get unwieldy). You leave the 30" carry-on at wherever you're staying and you can use the carry-on bag whenever you go on domestic trips. It'll have a lot more capacity than your Eastpak backpack, which you should keep because if you're an university student, it will definitely come in handy.

TobyDude

Thank you very much for the links, i didn't know that with the travelpro uk page.

I think that the travelpro luggage is quite heavy (5,5kg and more), but i like it because of the "up in the air"- movie

I am currently thinking about this one:
http://www.koffer-direkt.de/travelit...ley-74-cm.html

maybe this one:
http://travelpro.co.uk/showitem.asp?prodid=36

they are quite cheap compared to the rimowa one and a softshell trolly will definitely be better then a hardshell one.
But i still don't know whether the 2 case aren't too big for 23-32kg and I will just carry a half full suitcase with me...

I will put the backpack into the suitcase and probably take a messenger bag with me which is probably better for daily use.

The option with the 2 bags is a quite good idea, i will probably have to do that, do you have any advice for a good carry-on bag? It should be softshell. I looked at the rimowa salsa carry-on in a store, but a carry-on bag withouth any external pockets is just useless and rimowa discontinued the bolero series.

these are the requirements at finnair: one piece with a maximum weight of 8 kg (17.5 lb) and maximum external dimensions of 56x45x25 cm (22x18x10 in.).

I have a tumi T-Tech presidio carry-on bag but it is just to heavy (9,5 pounds)... because i will have to carry my laptop all the time (3kg (6,6pounds), power supply and battery included ).
http://www.amazon.com/T-Tech-Presidi.../dp/B0038M2SXO

SometimesFlyer

Couple of things ...

1) The Rimowa will attract a lot of attention in China. Its seen as a status symbol and you may/may not want that attention.

2) You mentioned that you will be travelling around in China. Not sure if you will have a "base" in Beijing which you come back to, or be continuously on the road for 4 months. If you have a "base", I would suggest just find the cheapest way to get you stuff to China (box) then once you arrive, there are lots of shops selling locally made hardside suitcases at maybe 10 - 20% of the price of the Rimowa. They will get really trashed anyway if you travel locally. (Air or train or bus). And you may fit in better. (I see your concern about not wanting to get it stolen ... )

TobyDude

Ok, i will take a closer look a closer look at the travelite crosslite. At the moment i do not know whether i will get a place at a student dorm or not so i will probably stay at a hotel for some time. That's why i think having a suitcase before coming to beijing is probably safer

Javelin

While I wouldn't call it heavy, it certainly isn't super light. It's very well-built, though. Unfortunately, the bag used by Ryan Bingham in Up in the Air has been discontinued—I thought it was one of their most aesthetically-pleasing bags (at least from the outside).

If I had to pick between the two, I would definitely pick the Travelpro. I'm not familiar with the Travelite stuff, but it certainly looks a lot cheaper (handles, wheels, zippers, etc.). I didn't notice the promotion on the Travelpro Crew 8 earlier, but it looks like a fantastic deal (although the discounted price is approximately what we would pay in the U.S.). While some have complained of a decline in quality, the Travelpro line really is top-notch and you can consider it an investment.

This is something you'll have to figure out. I travel only with a carry-on but my parents routinely check a larger bag when they're on vacation/cruises. It's about the same size as the ones you have listed above and they easily hit 50 lbs (~23 kgs). Depending on what kind of things you pack, this may or may not apply to you.

Let's start with the recommendations for carry-ons. The top three brand are, of course, Travelpro, Briggs & Riley, and Tumi. Since Travelpro is running such the promotion on their Crew 8 line (and with the availability concerns), I would definitely consider the Travelpro Crew 8 20" Rollaboard.
http://travelpro.co.uk/showitem.asp?prodid=32

The Finnair carry-on sizing is incredibly generous (especially the width), but I wouldn't consider the 22" version (it's out of stock on the Travelpro UK website anyway). I find that all of the 22" carry-ons and the wide-body versions in all brands sometime fit, sometimes don't fit. Personally, I went with a 20" B&R that fits practically any overhead compartment (even on the regional jets). The thing with carry-ons is that you need to buy a bag that is as versatile as possible, which usually means getting the smaller one.

Unfortunately, the Travelpro Crew 8 20" Rollaboard really isn't that much lighter than your Tumi (around .3 kg lighter). One thing to note is that I have never had an airline check the weight of my carry-on. I've never flown domestically in China though, so that may be something they do. For carry-ons, I routinely exceed the limit and nobody cares (how would they know?).

Let's consider your overall strategy.

SometimesFlyer is absolutely correct on his two points. If I were you, I would definitely not get the Rimowa and I would definitely consider changing my approach to this trip.

If you don't make these kinds of trips a lot (staying long-term at one location abroad), my suggestion is to get the cheapest 30" bag you can find (probably at some luggage store in Germany). If it breaks in China, you can buy another one extremely cheaply (200 RMB). If you can use a cardboard box, even better. I know this conflicts with my suggesting that you get the Travelpro instead of the Travelite, but I'm thinking super cheap bags. A colleague of mine bought a bag to replace her carry-on in the streets of Florence for 30 EUR and it wasn't half bad.

Then, I would invest in a solid carry-on. Carry-ons really are the backbone of your baggage collection, and you definitely don't want to skimp on quality here (unless you seldom travel). The Tumi you linked to looks great and would work very well. If you don't like it, the Travelpro discussed above would make an excellent choice, although it is only marginally lighter.

I would be a bit concerned about the Tumi in China, although the bag you linked to looks nothing like a typical Tumi bag (much to your advantage).

Wow, this was a long post. Hope it helps!

Baghoarder

You've got some great advice already so I'll just add a couple of thoughts.

1. Do you need a 73 cm bag? I guess it could make sense if you are a student and bringing lots of books, but there's not that much difference between three weeks' worth of clothes and four months' worth of clothes. It might be hard to keep a tightly packed 73cm bag under your checked baggage weight limits, so it could be worth considering whether you could manage with a smaller, less cumbersome alternative in any of the ranges that you have been looking at.

2. +1 on others' comments that a 73cm spinner or 2 wheeler is the last bag you want to be lugging around on trains and buses. Have you thought about using a convertible bag (converts between a backpack and a shoulder or hand carry bag) as your carry on item? If you choose the right one it could be very convenient for short trips etc. I am a big Tom Bihn fan - http://www.tombihn.com/ - and I have had good experience with the Western Flyer, the Tri-Star and the Aeronaut, all of which would meet carry on restrictions on most airlines and be perfect for short side trips during your stay. You might not want the shipping costs for Tom Bihn, but there is a variety of options from good manufacturers in this segment of the market, many of which are discussed elsewhere on this board.

Megn

I can vouch for the quality of Travelite luggage. I bought a drop bottom wheeled duffel for my travels around the Middle East. It has some of the best organizational features I've ever seen, is light enough to hold a lot of stuff without being overweight, and small enough to cradle in my arms. It It went onto lots of baggage pallets and was dragged over a fair number of gravel yards without any damage. The padding for the straps got chewed up in a conveyor belt, but otherwise it still looks great.

oshelef

Three thoughts:

-Whether you are at a hotel or a dorm, you'll have a base. Which means your larger checked bag will get little use. I'd go cheap. I'd also suggest you rethink the wheels if you need the weight limit. Paying someone to help you with your bag at the ends of your travel is fairly cheap compared to exceeding 32kgs. Wheel-less bags also won't take much storage space once you are there.

-Where to spend for quality would be on the smaller bag(s) you'll use for travelling "in country". Having an option without wheels is worth considering - it makes your 8kg carry on limit easier, and it will make you much more mobile for local travel. A bag that you are comfortable carrying with 10-15% of your body weight for a mile or two walk will come in handy.

-"Pack half as much stuff and twice as much money." Or to this specific question, be prepared to buy something there that meets the needs as you have them. I was going to recommend you pack one of the very light small duffel type bags to give you something else you can pack and fit on a train, but I imagine those are easy to get once you are there if you need one.

TobyDude

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Yes i know that a bag without wheels would be way better regarding the limit of 23kg. But it definitely prefer a 2-wheeled bag.
Besides the travelite bag i am currently looking at these ones:
http://www.amazon.de/Eastpak-Trolley...5271581&sr=8-1
-> the smaller eastpak bag with 78liters, weight: 3,2kg
the larger one: http://www.amazon.de/Eastpak-Trolley...5271581&sr=8-2
-> 121 liters, weight: 3,8kg

The only problem: the reviews say that when the bag isn't full it falls over...
(hope the english is right)
Does anybody have some reviews experience on these 2 bags?

I think that a carry-on trolley is just to heavy with a limit of 8kg, i weighted my tumi t-tech carry-on with my laptop and it was already 7kg...

I will take the Eastpak gooff (-> very good for weekend trips) or the travelite berlin as my carry-on bag. http://www.amazon.de/Travelite-Bordt...5272313&sr=8-2
I will probably pack both so one will go into the suitcase.

I will additionally pack a nike sports bag which is very lightweight and durable for washing my clothes and travelling via bus and trains and i can squeeze into any free space of my bag.

I would love to get some american brands, i am especially thinking of the redoxx air boss, but +shipping+tax it is just ridiculously expensive.

Does anybody have any more recommendations?=) I am open to everything.Maybe regarding a bag besides the my check-in bag and carry-on?