PupManS

Hi Wise People:

I am finding myself traveling again in situations where I need to carry 2 suits and for various reasons have ruled out some of my old approaches. I've never seen a 22 inch rollaboard that can take 2 suits (many do 1 suit well) so I'm contemplating several strategies and could use your feedback. Here are my constraints:

1) Need to pack two suits- I fly West Coast US to London for work a lot and that's too long of a trip to travel in one with the other packed IMHO.
2) No Bundle Packing- I own an Air Boss and when I was going to one place for 3 or 4 days it was fine. Lately I seem to bounce around a lot more and re-doing the bundles gets tedious. Not to mention, more walking and public transit and I find it heavy over long distances.
3) Suit Size - I'm about a 46R- I notice this is SLIGHTLY too big (length and width) for a lot of garment bags I have tried, like the TravelPro Trifold
4) I don't want a two wheeled rolling garment bag that can't roll down an airplane aisle.
5) I carry workout clothes, sneakers, shirts/ties/underwear for 3 o4 4 working days, or alternatively, I wear sneakers on the plane and pack dress shoes. But no matter what, I'm carrying a set of shoes.
6) For certain settings I need to carry a small briefcase (not my big Air Duffel from Waterfield, or my Peak Backpack)...if the suits involve 2 bags, need to save room for a briefcase.

Here are some things I have considered:

1) Keep carrying my 22 inch spinner (Away Aluminum) as it travels well and add a trifold type garment bag as my personal item. Cons: Need to put briefcase in the spinner, and garment bags so far (Travelpro) are a little tight. Maybe consider Tumi trifold as it's bigger.

2) Go back to my 22 inch 2 wheeler (Nomatic) which has a "electronics and folders" carrying front sleeve, and top it with something like a Henty rollup, or potentially a Lat56 Red Eye (I had the LAT56 folder and loved it till it was lost). Cons: Still need to pack and unpack briefcase, and I'm not clear if the Henty or Red Eye can hold two suits. I suppose one could go in the roll aboard.

3) Get a dedicated suit-carrying rollaboard- I'm looking at the Hook and Albert and the Vocier. Cons: Unclear if they can really deal with 2 46R suits. Also, as they are overall a little small, I'd need to carry a bigger briefcase or maybe my Tom Bihn Tri-Star as a personal item to be able to carry everything. Which then necessitates cramming in a small briefcase for situations where those huge bags don't work, adding to overall weight.

The last thing I've considered is topping the 22 inch rollaboard with something like the Hook and Albert weekender or the Briggs garment duffel. Cons- those things are BIG as a personal item, and unlike a garment bag, no way for the FA to hang them in a closet in flight, so they would have to do a killer job of keeping stuff unwrinkled.

Has anyone squared this circle?

EuropeanPete

I do something a bit different to what you’re trying to do:
- I have suits with two pairs of trousers, so I travel with one suit jacket (usually hung for travel rather than packed) and two pairs of trousers. I’m rarely in a situation where I have to wear my suit jacket so much that I need a second
- I almost always travel in my work shoes and have the most squeezable gym shoes possible taking only a little amount of space (increasingly easy nowadays with all the mesh tops).

PupManS

Good ideas on both ends but I'm in a line of work where matching suits are just how it is (sport coats / trousers not a thing) and I see the same people over multiple days typically. On the shoe front, when I was flying from tiny LGA to tiny airport elsewhere it was ok, but I find myself walking all over LAX, then all over LHR, then I take the Elizabeth Line to work (more walking underground) and that's a bit more than my feet can handle in dress shoes so I tend to travel in sneakers.

EuropeanPete

Ah, but this is where it comes to how you pick your wardrobe (and visiting London you’re in a good place to make it happen): start only buying suits which come with two pairs of trousers (bespoke/ made to measure is one way, you can also buy value suits in the UK with 2 trousers) and also invest in dress shoes which are reasonably comfortable - on a budget get some of their horrendous hybrid US-type things, or in the UK get yourself a pair of hand-grade Crocket and Jones which will last you years and be kind on your feet.

PupManS

I wish. My issue really is I deal with c-level investment banking types (City and Canary Wharf) who are sell-side and still dress to the nines. As such, matching suit important, and proper shoes. My shoes are Allen Edmonds cap toes- well broken in, Goodyear welt/cork footbed, etc. They are as comfortable as any proper dress shoe. However, between college and after, 20 years of ski racing and coaching have taken a toll on my feet; lots of weird bone and tendon issues.

And on a practical matter, a new piece of luggage is way cheaper than wardrobe

davidcamp6

You will find a number of inexpensive ( in the scheme of things) mens outfitters that will pass muster with the types who frequent Canary Wharf in and around the Temple area of Fleet Street/Strand. These shops ( Stanley Ley/Ede and Ravenscroft etc) cater for the Bar and you will find excellent quality at a good price, they will also direct you to a local tailor who can hem your trousers.
As to shoes, Best value is Herrings ( online) they despatch to the US, otherwise just walk down Jermyn Street and go to Trickers/Grenson/C&Jones, get them to measure your feet and purchase accordingly.
If you are frequenting London then before you leave take one suit to the dry cleaners, pay in advance and tell them you will pick it up in a couple of weeks.

OskiBear

I usually travel with two suits when I'm traveling for work (multi-day meetings). I've ditched using the built-in suiters in rollaboards as they've always been space hogs and don't leave my suit jackets any less creased/wrinkled than other methods.

I primarily use a garment sleeve for folding items. Two suits and 3-4 shirts fold easily into the sleeve and it fits nicely into the "suiter" compartment of my rollaboard.

Have you ever folded a suit jacket? There's a technique where you fold it inside-out and tuck one shoulder into the other. I think there are plenty of videos online that show how to do it.

PupManS

haven’t tried a plain old sleeve. My experience with the suitors is they kill coat sleeves.

im thinking maybe one in a sleeve as you describe and the other in a standalone garment bag. Put briefcase in the rollaboard when traveling.

LuciaSemon

I use a Briggs & Riley hybrid garment bag/backpack. It is convenient for me because I walk a lot and use public transport.
By the way while buying the this bag I found a discount here

DaveNCL

I mainly replying to confirm I think a normal EU sized cabin case works for this. I use a Salsa Cabin Deluxe and I’m a few sizes smaller on the chest but tall, so have long jackets and trousers.

It’s typical for me to pack: 1 suit, 2 jackets (I think a blazer is often thicker than a suit jacket), 2 trousers, 4/5 shirts, several casual items, gym kit, trainers. I will sometimes also pack my shoes if I’m wearing Grenson boots to travel. These days I tend to wear Tods which work for all occasions.

I almost never rewear cloths on a trip, except the jacket / trousers and gym kit.

My laptop bag is one of the smallest but expandable Tumi bags so I don’t use that as an overflow. I also recommend the jacket tip above, that’s how I fold after seeing it in GQ.

SPN Lifer

Thank you for highlighting this suit-jacket folding / packing procedure.

N1120A

This B&R product looks like it is made for you.

https://www.briggs-riley.com/collect...-garment-bag-1

1) I bet it can fit 2 suits in the garment section.

2) If it cannot, I bet you can bundle pack a second one in the main compartment, along with your other stuff that is bundled in. Then you can reserve that for your last "bounce."

PupManS

Ordered and tried it. It is slightly too narrow and short to accommodate 46R jackets. If I was a 44S or 42R it could EASILY accommodate the two suits.

N1120A

That's interesting. I'm a 45-46 jacket as well and I'm pretty surprised B&R, a US company, would not make a product that takes that size.