Road Warriors Toolkit – Luggage
Posted on July 24th, 2010 by TWSI’m probably not into writing in depth product reviews but the one thing that will make your travelling life a whole lot easier is a good set of luggage.
Whenever possible, I try and fly with carry on. This is becoming harder I know, but still do-able. Most of my trips are 3-days and I have learned to pack light. I hate waiting for bags. In fact, my wife reckons I hate waiting for anything.
In my view, the best luggage on the market is made by TUMI. It’s serious money but I’ve had my bags for 12-years now and they are still going strong. Worth every penny. I must admit though I like the older Tumi stuff more than the newer stuff and to be honest, I’m not sure if the quality is quite as high as it used to be.
This is the computer bag I use.
This is leather and has worn exceptionally well. The main zip is due for replacement and I have had the clips on the shoulder strap (which attach to the bag) replaced a couple of times, but it was no big deal.
If you’re a wanker, you can even have your initials embossed on it (see the little square on the left pocket)
I have a 22-inch “wheelie” which is almost bulletproof and its what I use for most trips. Sometimes, when I’m on a Qantas domestic, they break my balls about taking this onboard – but I’ve never had any problems flying long-haul because it is an approved size.
I’ve also got a roller-aboard suit pack, but they don’t make this anymore. If you want some of the older Tumi stuff, check-out what’s available on eBay.
If you’re flying down the pack, the larger wheelies are sometimes harder to take on board, as the gate gestapo will often give you grief. If you’re flying in the middle of the plane or up the sharp end (on flights to the US especially), then you’ll have no drama’s.
And let’s face it, have you seen the amount of shit the average American will try and haul onboard these days.
Some of the benefits though with Tumi is its’ exceptional warranty and luggage tracer feature. All you do is register your details on the Tumi website and in the event your bags go missing, Tumi will notify you.
I’ve never met a person who isn’t a fan of their Tumi stuff. Huge brand loyalty and a great reputation for customer service. When I’ve had my bags repaired in Australia, I’ve only ever had to pay for parts. The labour was always free of charge.
TravelPro (below) provide a lot of the crew and pilot bags and they even have a secure login to their website for airline staff.
The third brand I like is a German company called Rimowa. Very trendy and virtually unbreakable aluminium luggage. Brands like Tumi are following the lead set by Rimowa and making a competitive style of hard case.
If you do need to take a suitcase (ie you are female and insist on taking 20-pairs of shoes) or you are travelling with the family or in my case, when I go to the US, I am given a shopping list which could choke a horse, there is only one type of suitcase I would recommend. It’s the good old fashioned plastic Samsonite. Stuff stays dry (if your bags is left on the tarmac), presents and wine bottles stay intact and the bags themselves can withstand just about anything a disgruntled, pissed off ramp worker, making $8 bucks an hour can do to it.
Most airline crew use these bags and if you’re worried about how you will be able to tell your bag from theirs, then I’m sorry.
My advice with luggage is don’t be a cheap arse. Good luggage will last you a long-time and if you use the same bag(s) all the time, you tend to pack them exactly the same each and every time you travel. Meaning you forget less. And as you get older, apparently, that’s important!
