New Luggage Advice

So, my trusty 22' Travelpro Crew4 has reached the end of the road after about 750,000 miles and the best part of 10 years use.

So, I need to replace it with a similar bag (22', wheeled, expandable, pull-out handle), but the equivalent Travelpro animal today, the Crew7, is inferior in both quality and features.

The Crew4 came from an era when there wasn't that much difference between the consumer and professional (i.e. airline crew) ranges, but that gulf widened significantly with the later versions of the consumer model.

Looking for advice from the gathered masses here about what my next bag might be.

Needs to:
a) not be a four-wheeled 'spinner', but a 2-wheel rollalong
b) be a 20-22' expandable
c) not have a hard-shell, but durable, fabric finish, hard sided
d) have a good selection of pockets
e) a clip-on 'piggyback'/j-hook

Cheers!
Mike

Tumi or Eaglecreek worth a browse & fit your criteria - depends on your budget.
Either of the above worth hunting down in the US, especially now with sales etc.. We've been renewing said luggage with Tumi, on each US visit dependent on what we can find & haggle for - often half price...

NH

I'm a fan of Mandarina Duck, have one of these which is proving very durable, well made but not sure it fits your expandability requirements fully ...

[ChuckC]

Greetings, Mike:

I think the bag you want is this one which is on sale right now from Costco's mail order for only US69. It's a Travelpro and I have this exact model. Actually, I'm on my second; the first lasted me at least ten years and is still usable save for a little wobble in one of the wheels.

Hope to see you at one of our events.

Chuck-

iam in fact about to buy a new set of luggage but in the current climate dont want to go crazy - It was mentioned to me that Antler are a good rdecent priced product - Would I be correct or are they not up to scratch?

[Decker]

Never really rated Antler. Historically, like Mike, I've gone for TravelPro.

[RichardMannion]

Samsonite in the Mannion household, the higher end stuff obviously. The outlet in Bicester or Swindon is normally good for a Samsonite deal - there was at least 50% off and buy one get one free a couple of weeks ago. There is a Tumi outlet in Bicester too.

[preiffer]

Antler = Muck.

If you're getting throw-away luggage (I have plenty of it) then fine. If you want it to last, nope.

Preiffer - Thanks for the information - I know bugger all about luggage and Antler are a well known brand but its good to hear that some well known brands sre rubbish.

We have always used Samsonite,but I do admit to having a little Antler bag that fits on my rollers handle.I bought it in a hurry for a last minute trip when we decided to take no checked luggage.Have to say it's lasted quite well,not bad for about 15.

[preiffer]

I think that's the key point - how long do you want it to last, and at what price?

And THEN, how much of a brand-whore do you want to be in terms of labels?


ie:

a Tumi/Gucci/LV case may last 50 trips, but it's 1,000++ (say).
a Delsey/Antler/Samsonite one may only last 20 trips, but they're only likely to be 80-100.


Pretentiousness isn't cheap.... [:w]

[Darren Wheeler]

North Face duffels/Rolling Thunder. Not hard-sided but damn near bomb-proof and the sort of luggage James Bond would take on a mission.

My Mandarina Duck did at least 50 flights last year and more the year before and is in tip top condition - I'd classify it as a BMW not a Roller and certainly not a Deux Chevaux!

quote:Originally posted by slinky09
I'm a fan of Mandarina Duck, have one of these which is proving very durable, well made but not sure it fits your expandability requirements fully ...


Similarly may contradict your dislike of the 4 wheel design, however load capacity is good, and a design classic:

The Tumi creditcruncher

[:o)]

quote:Originally posted by northernhenry
The Tumi creditcruncher

[:o)]


[oo][^][oo]

quote:Originally posted by northernhenry
quote:Originally posted by slinky09
I'm a fan of Mandarina Duck, have one of these which is proving very durable, well made but not sure it fits your expandability requirements fully ...


Similarly may contradict your dislike of the 4 wheel design, however load capacity is good, and a design classic:

The Tumi creditcruncher

[:o)]


[y] [:D]

so what really is the best luggage out there without murdering the wallet - Is Victorinox any use - My friend has the agency here in Ireland for all the luggage - Is Tumi a good brand or another more expensive version of Antler?

[Decker]

I have some Victorinox and like it, suspect this is down to a swiss knife fixation rather than a balanced judgement call.

quote:Originally posted by porsche911
so what really is the best luggage out there without murdering the wallet - Is Victorinox any use - My friend has the agency here in Ireland for all the luggage - Is Tumi a good brand or another more expensive version of Antler?


Problem is Tumi is an excellent product, although the 'murdering the wallet' comment does come with every purchase, as they are woefully expensive/overpriced..(depends on your outlook in life)
However as mentioned before, if you are willing to scope around, especially in the US & more so currently, there are some good deals to be had (half price deals brings in a similar price to Samsonite)
IMHO an extremely well made, and classy product without being 'in yer face & chavvy'. In a different league to Antler.

NH

ok many thanks -

I have a few samsonite caes of differing sizes and a couple of kenneth cole huge ones - seems to work well for me. I once did buy a couple of 'designer' cases but somehow those were the ones that went missing en route back to the UK [:?]

Regards,

Hackneyguy

I'm surprised so many of you 'knock' Antler, it's the only brand of luggage I've ever owned (although some of it M&S overbranded).

I have pieces dating back quite a few years that are still in excellent condition and also many new ones too.

Must admit to being a little biased as I have connections with the Company and I get all of mine at a VERY large discount and although I can return any item without question to be replaced or refunded at anytime I've never had to.

Jilly

Decided to go for the 20' Mandarina Duck rollaboard.

Short of the equivalent Tumi, which I was sorely tempted to go for, this was the one which ticked most of the boxes (rigid sides, not spinner, etc).

I'd say the only things it lacks are:

1) a handle on the bottom of the bag - usually in the form of a connecting between the feet - makes it easy for baggage handlers to get a solid hold for lifting the bag, and therefore less likely to get damaged. It's probably made up for by the sturdiness of the main handles, which I thought impressive.

2) a 'piggyback' for dragging another bag behind you.

Given that I have an immediate requirement (i.e. I'm travelling on Tuesday, the baby RJ-friendly Samsonite won't cut it, and the Travelpro 26' is overkill) this was the best deal, I think...

It also fills a nice gap in my bag arsenal - the Travelpro 22' was too big as a carry on for UK carriers, and the baby Samsonite is too small for anything greater than a 2/3 day trip.

As for the Travelpro, I've found out that I can order the pieces I need online to do a full repair. It may live to fly another day .

Thanks for the advice.

Mike