Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi. I'm from the Usa and looking to travel domestically by air. I have traveled before on domestic flights before but never had a checked bag. The reason is because my trip is always less than a week and all i carry is a big messenger bag and that is enough for me and never have to carry too much clothes and also because i'm not allowed to carry liquid stuff so my bag is never huge.
Well this time, I'm looking to carry a lot of my clothes with me as I'm looking to travel to las vegas and stay there for 3 weeks in las vegas. And the thing is I want to have a ton of my clothes with me and some other shoes as well.
I see lot of people want to have just a carry on luggage like 21 or 22' so they dont have to pay for checked bags. Well, I'm looking to fly by jetblue and jetblue allows one free checked bag. And I also know i'm allowed one free carryon. Well even if i cant fly by jetblue, i dont care for paying for checked bag as i want to bring lot of stuff with me.
I have many questions that i want to ask and would want recommendations especially from those who travel and bring lots of stuff with them.
1. Which size luggage would be best for me? I read that 21' or 22' luggage is only good if you are on like a weekend trip so this would obviously be not good for me. I read 25' and 26' are best for 1 week but I'm planning to stay for a month. I also read that 28' luggage is the best if staying for more than 2 weeks. Is this true? I read luggage that are 30' and above right now isn't good because airlines dont accept luggage that big and even if they did... it would be way too huge to move around. The thing is I plan to bring 2 bags with me... one as a carry on and one as a checked bag.
2. What brand would you guys suggest? The thing is I basically want something functionally and don't want to spend a lot for lugage. I'm not those people who care about $400 luggage sets and those who travel in style. Just want something that is functional and basic. I read a bit online and it seems Traveler's Choice is the best option as it doesn't cost much and its pretty good? The other brand that I see is okay seem to be High Sierra as well?
3. Would you guys say getting a wheel luggage is superb compared to a big duffel bag? What about to a wheel luggage duffel? Also, is there a reason why so many duffel luggage bags are so much cheaper compared to a regular wheel luggage? I see some of these 28' luggage duffel on wheels that cost like $65 but then the same one that is not a duffel but a luggage cost like double the price. Is there a reason for this? I would assume its because duffel luggage even on wheels look bulky as it doesn't have straps on the inside like a regular luggage? Also, I see that many say most of these duffel luggages on wheels can't stand on its own and you have to hold on to it or leave it on the floor?
4. Basically i will be putting a lot of my clothes with me, a laptop, like 3-4 shoes, a few jackets as well and of course t shirts/shirts and sleeping garment. So i basically will be putting a lot in the luggage. I'm thinking about carrying my messenger bag and a 25' luggage on. Also, is there such a big differennce between a 25' and a 28' luggage? What should be the maximum size I should get? I read that 62.5 is the biggest size for a bag when checking a bag and it seems like 30' would be very close to pushing it as the dimensions for a 30' is very close to 62'. Should my checked bag be 25', or 28'?Also, I plan on putting a pillow inside so that means i should go with the 28'?
5. Since I"m a male, would you say its best to just get black as the color? Someone mentioned that black isn't good because everyones luggage is black and it would be hard to find the bag when trying to get your luggage. Also, some people said that they get black because it doesn't look like a little kid and looks professionally. To me, I feel like grey is the best color because doesn't grey go with everything? What about tan?
6. Why do they sell those luggage sets online so cheap compared to regular luggage? I see like 4 luggage bags for like $110 and the smallest luggage they give is basically useless if you know what i mean. Isn't 2 luggage pretty much the best?
7. These are the 2 luggage bags that I checked online which I think is good.
Both are the same except one is 25' and the other is 28'. Also they have very good reviews.
Amazon.com: High Sierra Elevate 28" Wheeled Upright: Clothing (http://www.amazon.com/High-Sierra-Elevate-Wheeled-Upright/dp/B002YQ231W - broken link)
May i have your thoughts on it? My plan at the moment is a messenger bag and a 28' luggage on wheels. Its either that or messenger bag and 25' luggage on wheels.
I have never seen so many questions about luggage. Get whatever you want. Size does not matter when checking bags in its all about weight, usually anything over 50lbs gets extra charges. Buy a huge suitcase, whatever color or want. It does not matter. Always make sure to carry on anything like a laptop medicine etc..
Get the 28 and yes you should always have a carry on bag with you too. Travelers choice is good. I have had a set for years with no major problems. Done a lot of flying with my travelers set.
How often do you plan on traveling with a checked bag. If you only plan on using the suitcase once a year I would not spend a lot of money on it. Often you can find name brand suitcases on sale for under 50 dollars at places like Sears or Walmart. They are nothing fancy and not heavy duty. But, they get the job done for the occassional traveler. I paid less than 30 dollars for my 26 inch suitcase. It has made many overseas trips during the past couple of years.
I would stay away from the cheap off brand luggage sets. They often are of very poor quality.
Hey. I dont plan on traveling with a checked bag that much. I would say at max 2 times a year? I"m basically getting one right now b/c i need to pack lot of clothes.
FlyMIA: "Size does not matter when checking bags."
Don't mean to be rude but you must not fly much or lately. Your comment is incorrect. I fly domestic and internationally (Europe & Asia) 3-4 times per year and am quite familiar with luggage requirements on most airlines. Assuming one is flying Economy (Business & 1st class have differing limits), a general guide is as follows:
Checked baggage is limited in both weight, typically 50 lbs. AND size, generally a total of 62". That dimension limit includes handles and wheels.
Carryons are generally limited to 45" total (22" long x 14" wide x 9" tall ), though there are some variances amongst airlines and/or particular aircraft. Some specify weight limits and some don't.
In all cases, its highly advisable to check with specific airlines about their rules and pay attention if they use different size planes on your desired trip - sometimes the rules change between planes and/or airlines. They have gotten much more rigid in the past few years.
The over size and weight limit penalties can be pricey. A common problem with bottom priced retail luggage is that the zippers break, wheels come off and the extended handle falls apart. Skip the foo-foo name brand/celebrity stuff and go with a solid outfitter thats been around a long time. My favorite is LL Bean, but there are others. A solid set will last decades.
I just replaced a 25 year old LL Bean set with a new one from LLB. I definitely got my money's worth out of it. It is also much lighter than the old gear, which I had purchased from a resale shop in 1987.
If your counting your nickels, shopping resale shops is a good way to snag quality luggage at a highly discounted price, also try yard and moving sales (divorces make for some great deal opportunities). Ideally, look for metal zippers (only available now on upper end gear) and stout handles.
1000 denier nylon or Cordura (a special type of nylon blend, also used in motorcycle protective clothing) is an excellent substitute for leather (and doesn't require the maintenance leather does). Hard cases are fine but be sure the carryon is less than or equal to the exact limits for your trip as they obviously won't squish in a tight overhead.
An inexpensive luggage scale is a good investment. As I noted above, overweight bags get expensive. As for color - whatever punches your buttons. If you do go with a common black, brown, sage, whatever - just apply some distinctive bumper stickers or similar attachments so you don't have a hassle identifying your gear.
Happy travels.
Last edited by Pilgrim21784; 04-05-2012 at 11:01 PM..
FlyMIA: "Size does not matter when checking bags."
Don't mean to be rude but you must not fly much or lately. Your comment is incorrect.
Checked baggage is limited in both weight, typically 50 lbs. AND size, generally a total of 62". That dimension limit includes handles and wheels.
Carryons are generally limited to 45" total (22" long x 14" wide x 9" tall ), though there are some variances amongst airlines and/or particular aircraft. Some specify weight limits and some don't.
I mentioned the weight limit. And if someone needs a bag larger than 62'' well I do not know what to say to that. The OP did not seem to be looking at huge bags. I meant "Checking in" bags. I never meant carry on bags.
Anything smaller than 62" should be fine unless you are planning on flying in some very small regional planes where there might be some larger smaller limits.
Again from Travellers Choice is fantastic. I have had My Traveler's Choice bags carry on and check in for about 5 years now, they have been on about 90 flights in those 5 years and besides for one day trip have had one or both of those bags with me every trip never have had a problem they last well, plan to use them for another 90 flights.
I noticed that the High Sierra Brand has one of the most lightweight luggages. The 25' is 7.3lbs and the 28' is 8.2 lbs. I had looked at other brands and it seems like most 25' are minimum 10 pounds. And those that are 28' are 12-13 lbs. And there is no way i would go over 50lbs. But i will be packing stuff with me though.
Does that make a bit of a difference? Also, i saw a video of a 25' high sierra on youtube and it looks pretty small to pack stuff in. And the 28' did look big but not huge.
Does anyone say 28' is just too big? Are there some 28' luggage that are not that bulky compared to others?
I wanted to go with the 25' but then when i saw a video of it on youtube here... it kinda looked small.
I bought a nice set of Samsonite luggage for $140 on Amazon. (link to Amazon luggage sets). I chose this instead of some of the more expensive brands simply because it's replaceable. It's been fairly sturdy, and it has multiple matching pieces. Even if I replace within 1 years, it'll be worth the price.
Aside from the matching and the value, most of these sets come in fairly standard sizes. There will be a roll-on that will fit well in the overhead, a smaller bag that'll fit under the seat, and a larger back good for checking.
Wear your heaviest shoes and jacket/jeans/etc....on the plan....You could wear 20 lbs of additional clothing and they can't charge you for that!!!
Scottvest company makes some pretty cool gear I've been using for years. They make a travel overcoat and vest that you can pack a lot of gear into and it doesn't count against the baggage limits. Just FYI.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
