subject: Choosing And Buying The Right Suitcase For Traveling [print this page] Which Suitcase to Buy?
Deciding which suitcase is one of the fun parts of traveling. Youve planned and booked that long awaited vacation. Then you make your way to the local luggage store to pick a suitcase for the journey. The anticipation builds as you look over all those shiny new pieces of luggage. Get it right and your luggage will last you for the rest of your traveling life. Get it wrong and you can be dragging around 40 pounds of dead weight for the rest of your holiday.
The problem you are faced with when you go to that shop or visit an online store is that they all look so good. Handles, pockets, wheels, attachments and locks, some are cloth, others synthetic material and yet others formed plastic.
Which one???
Let me cut to the chase and tell you which brand or brands I would chose from and for the record they arent paying me money. I want to point you in the direction of the Rolls Royce of suitcases so if you plan to travel a bit then worrying if your luggage will make it is not going to be a problem. Lets face it there are lots of other things on vacation that can go wrong that are out of your control, like delayed flights. Picking the right suitcase is one of the things you have complete control over so give it some thought.
Samsonite or Delsey are the two brands I have owned. I have been doing over 150,000 to 200,000 miles a year on coaches, cruise lines and air carriers for over 20 years and I have only owned 2 suitcases. As you will see in the video on the Affordable Cruises Tours website I am on my second one and it is a Samsonite and has lasted for over 10 years and is still going strong.
You dont need to get the most expensive model of either of these brands. In fact I find the cheapest models are often the best because at the end of the day as a suitcase has to do very little and the simplest models are to do the basic things required of a suitcase.
1. It has to be able to accommodate your personal clothes and items.
2. It has to be able to be transported from one place to next with ease.
3. It has to able to withstand the rigors of porterage, airline
baggage handlers etc.
4. You have to feel comfortable with it.
5. It has to meet a budget.
A Samsonite or Delsey will cost you more than that cloth or canvas suitcase so sometimes that extra will cause people to stop and try to save a little but trust me its worth the extra investment. If you decide I am right then dont be tempted to purchase one of the lookalike brands. The problem with many of these is that its things like the wheels that look great in the shop that fall off once they encounter their first bit of abuse.
When you are looking over the suitcase in the shop stop for a moment and imagine it filled with the 100 pounds of stuff you are planning to take with you. Lets face it most people travel with more than they need. Give some thought to some of the following;
1. Does the main handle you will be lifting the bag have one or two rivets holding it to the frame?
2. Does it have very well recessed wheels so they wont be broken off the frame the first time it goes over a curb?
3. Do the zips on the cloth suitcase look substantial and do they slide easily? Or do they look like the zip on that favourite summer dress or slacks?
4. Does the frame feel sturdy when you start to manhandling it in the store?
5. Do the telescopic handles used to wheel it feel substantial and do they slide easily back into place with a secure and reassuring click locking them until needed again?
6. Is there a place to put your home address?
7. Are there locks and if you are flying through North America are they National Transportation Authority approved so they dont have to break your suitcase open to randomly inspect it.
I could go on and on but you might like to have a look at the Video entitled Which Suitcase on the Affordable Cruises Tours web site. Or visit affordablecruisestours.com channel on You Tube.
As always we are here to help you with these sorts of things so if we can be of assistance please dont hesitate to contact us at Affordable Cruises Tours.
Author: Michael Drewell A travel professional with over 20 years experience.
by: Trafalgar Tours Expert
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
