Best carry-on luggage?

S

storyville

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Aug 11, 1999
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My Travelpro carry-on case is on its last legs (recently exacerbated by airport security goons who inexplicably broke off four of my zipper pulls), so I am now looking to replace it. Bomb-proofness (seams, fabric, unbreakable zippers) is highest priority; next priority is ease of use (e.g., the "4-runner technology" type wheels on the Atlantic Luggage Gary Player line; sorry you'll have to dig a little in the link to find it).

Any suggestions, pro/con, and/or links to reviews? Much appreciated --

Glen
 
My boss and I both beat on our Tumi stuff pretty well and it's been holding up well for the last few years. We're sales reps that travel the Southwest. Lots of in and out of cars and airports. I also have a larger Travelpro Platinum III bag that's held up well although I've only had it about a year. The Platinum III stuff seems to be better built than the lower lines Travelpro makes.

YMMV,

John
 
I have a Tumi trravel bag that is almost 20 years old. About 3 years ago they completely rebuilt it (I tore the leather when I overstuffed it) for FREE. No reciept nothing. Great stuff and 17 years for a bag (pre rebuild) is pretty good.
 
I really like my Travelpro Platinum III suiter rollerboards. These are a different level of quality then the other Travelpro lines. If you travel with a suit and tie, the 20 and 22 inch bags are highly recommended, especially when you consider their pricepoints on Ebay ;).

I shopped Atlantic when I was looking and found the Travelpro to better made (i.e. Bombproofness) when comparing their top of line bag to the Travelpro Platinum III.

The European Delsey hardside carry on's are pretty bombproof if you want to bring one back from Europe (I wish I had :().

Of course, you could alway get a Zero Haliburton carry on or a Hardigg Storm Case IM2500 :D
 
I like backpacks but I'll listen to the travelling sales guys and a rebuild after 17 years is certainly hi praise :)

I would've said Maxpedition, Blackhawk 3 day assault or Eagle Industries.
But the above posts have me rethnking that as I don't fly often.
Tom
 
I forgot to mention that if you don't want to spend the long green for Tumi, or even Travelpro Platinum (quite a bit less than Tumi) the best bang for the buck is the Kirkland Signature stuff from Costco. From what I can tell it's made by whoever makes Pathfinder luggage and I've had one of their 20" rollaboards for several years now. I did have a failure with my original one after two years, but as it's Costco's house brand, I just took it back and they gave me my money back. So I bought another one.

I should clarify, my rollaboard is Kirkland Signature, my big 26" go-for-a-week bag is Travelpro Platinum III and my laptop case that I flog daily in all sorts of environments is the Tumi Bag in my collection. My boss has a Tumi laptop case, Tumi rollaboard and a Kirkland Sig 26" bag. In time I think I'll eventually replace the small Costco bag with a Tumi too, but the Costco bag actually does a pretty good job.

John
 
storyville said:
Any suggestions, pro/con, and/or links to reviews?
Click to expand...

I, too, am looking for suggestions and reviews. I went to the American Tourister web site, but nothing said "Buy Me!" I like Victorinox gear, that's way too expensive, and says, "Steal Me!"

I'm getting tired of looking, but I really do need a decent rolling carry-on that won't cost me hundreds of dollars.
 
My favorite carry-on is a backpack because I can move easily with it and it isn't big enough to be too heavy, yet carries everything I need and is full of organizational options. My favorite that is truly bombproof is the Jandd Aretz backpack:
Jandd Aretz

I also like using messenger bags for carry-on, but if you're going around a lot the one-strap method of carry gets really old really quick. My favorites are my Jandd Andrew, which is waterproof, too: Jandd Andrew messenger bag


For smaller carry I love the Timbuk 2 Pee Wee messenger bag. I don't know if Timbuk 2 still makes this size, but you can customize the colors and lot of options. Perfect size for EDC, too: www.timbuk2.com


You can get the Jandd bags on sale right now either because of closeout colors or new models coming in. The Andrew messenger bag is usually $80 but you can get closelout colors for $50. I've had all my Jandd stuff for years and use it all the time and it's still in perfect shape. The Aretz backpack goes for $63 usually but they're bringing in a new model and closing out the older ones for $42. I can't remember what the exact price on the Timbuk 2 was, but probably around $80 with the options I wanted.

What I typically do these days is use the Aretz backpack as carry on and stick the Timbuk2 in my check-on luggage, then when I get to where I'm going I use the Timbuk2 for EDC. In crowded cities and in many situations I like the one strap for swinging the bag to my front instead of having it on my back. This was priceless when I was in Rome last summer, although a gypsy still managed to take home one of the $5 reflector tags on one of the buckles.
 
I used to travel extensively earlier in my career (100k+ air miles per year) and I carried a Tumi laptop bag which still looks good after 8 hard years - one note about Tumi, they used to be made in the U.S., but have in recent years moved their production offshore. I'm not sure if the build quality is the same now, so you might want to check with someone that has the imported versions before shelling out big bucks.

As far as my other luggage, I went through a half a dozen different carry-on's and hard-sided suitcases until I purchased a large Samsonite hard-side and a ballistic nylon Samsonite carry-on. The hard-side has taken a real beating on the outside from baggage handlers over the years, but it still works great. The carry-on is still going strong as well - one thing to really pay attention to with these bags is the wheels, especially if you do the airport thing much - look for high quality in this area, trust me when I say that hauling a bag through the airport without good wheels is a complete pain in the @ss.
 
Wow, thanks for all the great tips! Definitely will check out Tumi and the TravelPro Platinum III line.

Cardimon -- thanks for the great Equipped.com link, and the heads-up RE ActiveX the Atlantic luggage site.

I do have a Granite Gear Vapor Trail backpack that I still sometimes take on longer flights (great for backpacking, of course), but it just doesn't fit into the overheads of smaller planes (e.g., the paper airplane connector flight I recently took between Eugene, OR and SF, CA). I don't like loading it under the plane because -- with the shoulder, belt, and adjusting straps -- there's just too much to get snagged and it's inviting trouble. I have tried a smaller daypack, but anything smaller than the Vapor Trail won't hold as much as a carry-on rolling case for me, and is less convenient to pack (esp. suit and tie for weddings, etc.). I also have a Timbuk2 Dee-Dog, but it's less stable for me than a good carry-on.

Again, thanks for the responses. I'm a bit too swamped right now to write up my 'travel tips' but if someone starts a thread here like the one at Equipped.com, I'll try to add my two cents! (Mailing ahead is a great tip; I do it all the time now for trips longer than 4 days.)

Glen
 
cardimon said:
I, too, am looking for suggestions and reviews. I went to the American Tourister web site, but nothing said "Buy Me!" I like Victorinox gear, that's way too expensive, and says, "Steal Me!"

I'm getting tired of looking, but I really do need a decent rolling carry-on that won't cost me hundreds of dollars.
Click to expand...

Travelpro Platinum III from Ebay. Carry on rollerboards are typically in the mid-$100 range ($140-170).

Something I like about the Travelpro Platinum III that many people do not notice is the handle that swivels off the horizontal cross bar handle leaving a single "pole" to grab on to. I really like this feature because it is so easy on my hand and is super maneuverable.

The other thing to consider with premium rollerboards is the wheels. Are they large enough around (i.e. do they lock up on every pebble on the sidewalk?)? Do they roll smoothly? The Travelpro Platinum III passes both of these tests.
 
Storyville. Just got my travelpro back from the authorized repair station. Only cost me a buck to replace the broken zipper pull on my wheel aboard. Thought you might like to know. Otherwise I've been very pleased with the Travelpro and would probably buy another but would have to check out Tumi first. I thought Tumi was ridiculously overpriced at first. But every Tumi item I have ever bought just impressed me with its build quality and features. Started with a wallet and the last thing I got was their organizer briefcase. Over time I've changed my mind about Tumi and so would consider a Tumi carry on.
 
www.filson.com
Pay once, cry once. Kinda expensive, but anything Filson is quality, and will not wear out. I have the extra-large outfitters bag, and absolutely love it. Last time I flew with it though, I really wish it had wheels! They do have something with wheels though if I recall correctly.
Filson. May as well get the best.
 
I just knew somebody would post about Filson. While their stuff might be well built, there's nothing in their line that resembles a traditional suitcase. It looks like great sporting luggage, but not much for the business traveler.

John
 
I've seen Filson's garment bags advertised somewhere as a recommendation for business travelers. Certainly looks like it would provide great protection for suits, of course for $491.50 it should stop bullets :) .
-Anthro
 
jmxcpter said:
I just knew somebody would post about Filson. While their stuff might be well built, there's nothing in their line that resembles a traditional suitcase. It looks like great sporting luggage, but not much for the business traveler.

John
Click to expand...

Well, I'd have to disagree... Check out #'s 290 & 291OT for a wheeled bag.
#'s 252, 256, and 252 for great briefcases. #270 is I believe their garment bag, and #243 is their pullman bag... pretty much a traditional suitcase design.
 
I like Filson's stuff, too -- used to carry the classic med. field bag and still wear a Packer coat casually in winter -- but it's not my choice for traveling. For me, Filson is like the Randall Knives of outdoor garments and gear: The quality is certainly there and they will just about stop bullets :cool: -- but it's no longer the best or most practical performance-wise (if it ever was), and ultimately you are paying for an old-school, meticulously American-made style. The paraffin waterproofing has its limits, the garments and bags are appreciably heavier and bulkier than modern synthetic designs ... but Filson definitely delivers old-school style, and customer service is tops.

Glen
 
Look at Tumi's Trifold garment bag. I travel coast to coast every week and have used the same bag as a carryon in addition to my Tumi brief case (for over 5 years...looks like new).

You can always fit it into an overhead space while all the other poor bastids are trying to shoe horn their roller boards in. Of course the downside is that you have to carry it, not roll it.
 
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