Luggage question

Moms View Message Board: General Discussion Archive: Archive July 2005: Luggage question

I need info about the duffel bag type luggage that's on wheels with the handle.

In the past couple of years, DH and I spent a FORTUNE on Samsonite luggage - all on wheels with handles. It is GOOD, sturdy luggage, all matches, etc. BUT it is HEAVY! The large piece weighs more than half the allowed weight of a checked bag on a plane.

So this is where the problem comes in. When flying, we can't pack the pieces full because of the luggage weight. This means we have to take maybe twice as much luggage as is necessary. Add to that the carryons - snorkel bag, camera bag, laptop.... you get the picture. For a week's vacation, it looks like we are going away for a month.

SO - we are looking into duffel bag type luggage. It is not nearly as heavy, and you can get more into it, AND it's convenient and easy to use.

So I'm open to suggestions here. What type/brand of luggage do you own? How durable is it? How heavy is it while empty? How expensive is it?

And my final question - and this is NOT to be confused with solicitation, just want to get that out there up front - hypothetically speaking, would you buy pre-owned luggage if you saw it advertised? And if so, how much would you pay for it based on age, quality, size, etc. (25%? 50%? More? Less?)?

By Feona on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 07:36 pm:

You know they have great prices now at tj max and marshalls.

I think we got a brand name for one luggage... not samsonite... but is is fine. Rolls fine.


We paid $25 extra one because the bag was overweight. I didn't realize the charge.

If we put the light stuff in the big roll on then it is under the weight limit.... Was it 50 pounds?


Shampoos and shoes and anything wet like bathroom stuff went in the other smaller roll on bag.

We are three people so we like

one huge roll on bag with mine and ds stuff.

one little roll on for ds

one regular roll on for dh.

Cause we can't roll anything else. So if we have to pay the overweight fee, then it is still okay.

I wouldn't buy used luggage. I would go to marshalls or kohls or tj max and see what they are charging.

By Feona on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 07:39 pm:

http://www.tjmaxx.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=1615&Ne=1000260&Ntt=luggage&Ntk=AllSearch&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&N=1000264&Nty=1


We bought an american tourister in green... doesn't match my other black roll on and I love it cause it is dark green and not black!

By Feona on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 07:43 pm:

http://www.tjmaxx.com/catalog/search.jsp?Ne=1000006&Ntt=luggage&Ntk=AllSearch&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&N=4294965033&Nty=1

$39 for american tourister 28 inch... Can't remember if that is big or small or what.... Got to roll one to see if you like it anyway....

By Feona on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 07:45 pm:

Wait that says it is 28 inches...then the description says 21 inch expandable so I don't know what size it is.

By Feona on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 07:47 pm:

http://www.tjmaxx.com/catalog/search.jsp?Ne=1000006&Ntt=luggage&Ntk=AllSearch&more=Brand&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&N=4294965955&Nty=1


or these samsonite... I seen them sold for much more than that.

Anytime I buy something anywhere but tj max or marshalls I over pay.

By Reds9298 on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 09:23 pm:

I have Atlantic. Bought an entire set 10 yrs. before a month long trip to Europe. It's been wonderful!!! It's been overseas several times since then and dozens of other places. It has held up very well, no tears at all, just a little banged up on the corners. For that reason, I'll probably go with Atlantic again when we need to buy luggage for dd later on. I remember that I waited for it go on sale before buying it, and back then the large suitcase, carry-on suitcase, and large duffel(not rolling) was only like $200. It's been well worth it. Hope that helps!

By Karen~moderator on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 10:10 pm:

Feona, when we bought the luggage, the weight limit was 70 lbs. Now it's 50 lbs. In the spring we had to pay $25 for one piece of luggage being overweight.

Deanna, we have the regular pieces, we want to get rid of them and get roll-on duffels. We saw a Samsonite set at the outlet mall that was a large roll-on duffel and a smaller carry-on. It was much lighter than the pieces we have.

I'm just wondering if other brands are even lighter, and just as durable.

And as for the question about buying used luggage, I'm not looking at used luggage, just wondering if it's worth my time and trouble to place an ad in our local paper or ebay to sell what we have.

By Amecmom on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 10:44 pm:

I wouldn't do used. You don't know how it was treated. You can see yourself the quality of the bags. I had a brand name one that fell apart - don't remember the brand, sorry.

Check that the material looks durable and that the seams are well sewn. Make sure the wheels are sturdy and are on casters.

If I can, I'll check and see what brands we have, but I do reccomend the duffel type. I've taken them to Europe and they've held up well.

Going anywhere fun?
Ame

By Feona on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 - 06:52 am:

I wouldn't sell my samsonite! But here is what is is going for.

http://search.ebay.com/samsonite_W0QQsojsZ1QQfromZR40

I still like the roll on's because they roll like a dream. I don't end up hurting myself. How do the duffells roll?

By Karen~moderator on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 - 07:37 am:

The duffels have a solid bottom, a bottom compartment that shoes work well in, and the duffel is on top, has inner and outter pockets, handle on one end and wheels on the other. They are GREAT.

Ame, not going anywhere just yet, but in the last 2 years, traveling with this heavy (expensive! ) luggage has been a major pain - not just figuratively, but literally as well.

We are planning to go to New York next year - DH has relatives there - we will fly in to NJ where his sister lives most likely, cruise to Bermuda, and spend 5 days in NY after that. I want *comfortable* luggage before then. Feona, maybe we could meet up then??? DH's aunt/uncle still live on Long Island and we would be staying with them for a couple of days!

Even just to go away to Gulf Shores, or to FL for a long weekend or a week........one reason it's such an issue for me is my neck/back problems. Every time we go somewhere, I spend the next few weeks trying to get my neck and back straightened out due to the luggage. Stupid, huh???

Thanks for the links, Feona.

By Kittycat_26 on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 - 07:41 am:

I can't remember the name of the one that we got but it was at JcPenneys. I think I only paid like $20 for it and I have loved it. It is just like you described with the flat bottom and outside pockets. When we last went to Florida for a week, I managed to pack everything for DH, DS (1 at the time) and me into it AND the plane still managed to get off the ground with it. It was heavy but oh so convenient.

Good luck in your search. I plan on taking ours again in October when we set sail for Bermuda.

By Tunnia on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 - 09:52 am:

We bought two of those huge rolling duffles at TJ Maxx 8 years ago and they are wonderful. I think we paid $20 for each. Ours have been to Costa Rica and back, Minnesota a couple of times and back, and other assorted plane and car trips and they are still holding up great. You can get so much stuff in them and we have never had an issue with the weight on flights. I believe the brand we have is Ricardo Beverly Hills or something like that (I'd have to pull them out of the attic and look). We prefer them to our regular luggage and only use the smaller pieces of the "good" stuff when we are going on short trips where we need to carry fewer items. HTH

By Feona on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 - 10:51 am:

I saw the rolling duffles at bj's or costco or those warehouse clubs. If you belong it might be worth checking out.

By Debbie on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 - 11:01 am:

We have two that we got from JCPennys. One we got when dh and I got married over 8 years ago. It held up so well, we got another one last year. If I remember correctly, we got the one last year on sale for about $60.00. I love them because I can pack for all four of us in 2 of them. Dh and I each roll one. I just checked the brand and they are Protocol. I don't know if this is a JCPenney's brand or what. They are a thick canvas and have held up really well.