Luggage Help

[Whimsy88]

DH and I booked an Alaska cruise on NCL for next summer. This is the first time we will have flown to a port, and our well-worn soft-sided luggage is exactly that. We're planning to check a bag each (cross-packing of course). I'm having a terrible time trying to decide if we should just replace the sofr-sided, or get hard sided instead. I know everyone has their own preference but please tell me so I can educate myself.:confused:

[Bizmark'sMom]

I prefer soft sided, with 2 sturdy wheels. My nephew is a baggage handler. The little wheels on spinner bags just beg to be broken off.

[martincath]

Ditto. Hard shells are impractical when flying in some ways even though they theoretically provide more protection to the contents - TSA approved locks usually can't be added as they come with their own locks. Even if those built-in locks actually state they are TSA approved so they can be opened, not all the TSA minions bother to check - we've had multiple separate TSA-approved locks cut off (zip ties are put on the reesecure them so we just lost the locks), but one hardshell suitcase was literally smashed open, then wrapped in tape. All had a note left inside confirming they had to break in - and good luck with a complaint to get refunded for the damages!!! So my delightful Delsey trio of hardshell nesting cases only get used for road trips these days - the two that survived that is;-)

 

I also agree that 4 spinner wheels do break off more than the inset 2 wheel rollers - it's a rare flight I don't see at least one person dragging a now-three-wheeled suitcase through the airport, and I'm pretty sure none of them are stupid enough to have brought an already-broken case. I'd be looking at the lighter 2 wheeler softsides of the relevant size myself.

[Flatbush Flyer]

I prefer soft sided' date=' with 2 sturdy wheels. My nephew is a baggage handler. The little wheels on spinner bags just beg to be broken off.[/quote']

 

 

Yes. Most people never bother to look at the very fine print on each of those spinner wheels. It reads: "Attention airport personnel. Please break me off."

 

As for OP's quest: look at what many airline personnel are dragging behind them. One of the favorite manufacturers is TravelPro.

[LHT28]

I have hard sided & soft sided plus one that have hard bottom & soft top some with AWD & some with 2 wheels

 

I like one with an outside pocket

 

No matter what you choose the bag handlers will find a way to destroy it

 

So far I have not had the wheels fall off

 

When flying to/from USA I use zip ties because it makes it easier for TSA to get into your bags ..we would not want to slow them down by having to get the proper tool to open a TSA lock

[Krazy Kruizers]

We prefer the soft sided suitcases -- easier to fit under the beds on the ship.

[SRF]

I use hard sided. I have some with locking latches and some with zippers. I used to use soft sided. I have had locks broken and zipper busted.

 

Now I use 4 wheel spinner type. Much easier to get around with, at least on harder surfaces. If you need to haul over cobble stones, 2 wheel is better.

 

I travel a lot internationally, and I have not had a single spinner wheel broken off. But I do use quality luggage. These days Delsey or Samsonite.

 

I have had several cases over the years where zippers have been damaged by the bag being drug on a hard, abrasive surface by the airlines.

 

For most use, I prefer a "clamshell" type, where the opening seam is offset to the stop versus being in the middle. This allows me to no unpack much, and use the suitcase as a deep bin. On a cruise, this is not an issue, as I actually unpack.

[Shak]

DH and I booked an Alaska cruise on NCL for next summer. This is the first time we will have flown to a port, and our well-worn soft-sided luggage is exactly that. We're planning to check a bag each (cross-packing of course). I'm having a terrible time trying to decide if we should just replace the sofr-sided, or get hard sided instead. I know everyone has their own preference but please tell me so I can educate myself.:confused:

 

I am not sure how your simple question got to wheels and locks but to answer your question I would first see how much your worn bag weights. If like many older bags it may weigh more then the newer bags. As far as hard side vs soft side it is a preference. The hard side offers a bit more protection but you can pack more in a soft side because the soft side flexes. The flex can be a problem with a carry on and you exceed the carry on dimensions.

 

Shak

[lamchops]

We prefer the medium sized (25”?) hard sided luggage. When stuffed they get close to 23kg but never over on our last 4 overseas trips. With the previously owned soft sided, I would be readjusting the load at the airport . DW always thinks if it fits, put it in. Don’t bother with the 30” large size unless you do not travel by air. DW can never keep that one under 23kg.

[cruisemom42]

I prefer a good sturdy soft-sided bag with two in-line wheels. I tend to not like hard-sided bags because most open like a book and you have to have enough space to open it flat and to pack both sides.

 

The denier of the material used in soft-sided bags makes a big difference between inexpensive vs. more expensive bags. The higher the denier, the more durable the bags are (and less likelihood that the contents will get wet!).

 

I like Eagle Creek bags -- very good durability of material and nice wheels at their price point. I also have a couple of the good quality Victorinox bags.

[iancal]

We think that your choice very much depends on your travel habits. There is a huge difference between the needs of someone who goes from home to airport to hotel/resort or cruise ship. Compare that to someone who does a great deal of independent travel to manyforeign countries. Lots of cobblestones, uneven pavement, lifting and pulling on trains, ferries, busses,etc.

 

We prefer two wheel,soft side, Eagle Creek product. This does not mean that we recommend it for anyone else. Our buy requirements are , good wheels (two), good zippers, and high quality light weight material. We only do carry on. Others may find spinners and hard shell more suitable for their type of travel.

 

Whatever you select do not believe those 50-75 percent off sales. Luggage is marketed like mattresses. Some brands make product specifically targeted for outlet stores and 75 percent off sales.

[Reina del Mar]

We have both and depending what type of holiday we are doing, choose case/ bag accordingly. Having said that we just came home and had to pay overweight bag charges.

(Soft sided wheelie bags that were too heavy from stuffing too much inside !!)

 

However, I have read on Cruise Critic that some people prefer hard sided cases to avoid picking up bed bugs that some other guest may have left behind. Same post recommended storing bags/cases in bath to avoid bed bugs.

(Not pleasant but worth considering!)

[Heidi13]

We travel extensively with many flights and cruises. Current cases are Samsonite 4-wheel spinners, of which we have four. Rarely go for just a cruise, as our trips are normally up to 7 months and include cruises and probably many flights. Hence reason we travel with 4 cases.

 

Have used these cases now for 4 years, they have been on multiple cruises, flights completely around the world, domestic Canada/US flights, multiple trans-atlantic flights, etc. While many complain of wheels being broken, we have been lucky.

 

Since DW walks with sticks, she is unable to pull cases, so I find it easy to manoeuvre 4 cases with 2 back to back in each hand. This works well on all but the roughest surfaces.

[cb at sea]

Whatever is within your budget and has the features you want. It's an "either/or" thing. Some like soft side, expandable, hard-side.....doesn't really matter. A trash bag will work, too!

[martincath]

However, I have read on Cruise Critic that some people prefer hard sided cases to avoid picking up bed bugs that some other guest may have left behind. Same post recommended storing bags/cases in bath to avoid bed bugs.

(Not pleasant but worth considering!)

Actually not much of a factor at all - none of the fabrics used, even the cheaper ones, in soft suitcases will let bedbugs penetrate - it's whether you leave your bags (of any type) unsealed is the biggest factor in determining if there's any chance of them hitching a ride (although a hardshell does usually have a few less crevices as they tend to be made of just two large pieces, while softsiders are usually made from more bits so they do have more external seams, but those seams are rarely deep enough for bedbugs - they like narrow gaps with space behind, like headboards mounted on hotel room walls). The bath storage thing also works, but more due to bedbugs never living in bathrooms as people don't sleep in there hence no food than that baths themselves are magical - a shower stall works just as well! Source for these factoids is an old colleague's husband, who studied bedbugs for his PhD and has continued to do so professionally his entire career, making him one of the leading experts on the topic.

 

While personally I think it's overkill, BedBugDude also stores bags with all zippers & catches closed in the bath when traveling, and puts all suitcases and the whole families travel clothes in a chest freezer in the garage kept purely for that purpose as soon as they get home - clothes left inside the suitcases! - for 24 hours before reopening them (for those paying attention, yes this means they all have to strip off in the garage, check each other for bugs, then put on a set of clothes that were left in a vacuum-sealed plastic bag before they went on vacation!)

 

24hours later the freezer and bags are opened, shaken out over a tarp in the garage, the suitcases left in the garage where they live (plastic-wrapped) and the clothes taken into the laundry. Apparently he's brought home several inadvertent specimens in his clothing over the years - not just bedbugs. Freezing kills many, including most bedbugs, and puts any kind of insect life into a torpor state making them easy to shake out. The ones that do survive wake up in the lab for study;-)

 

Apparently the single most useful luggage-related choice you can make is to NOT buy red, dark brown, or a similar shade of bag - paler is better, as bedbugs naturally head for darkness when they want to hide and reddish tones can look like other groups of bedbugs which also entices them.