I wish I had MORE baggage!

February 26, 2015 1:17 PM

I just found mold all over my luggage and need to replace it - grrr. Help me find a mold-free replacement.

I've resolved the issue regarding mold for now, but mold could happen again and I'd like to find some luggage that I could toss in the laundry and clean if mold returns to the storage area. Things like rolling bags won't work (can't stick them in the washer) and leather bags (though lovely) won't work because they are harder to clean. Not afraid to go fancy, if I can clean them easily. Help me add more baggage to my life!

posted by Toddles to Shopping (8 answers total)

Best answer: My Patagonia Black Hole Duffel is my favorite piece of luggage by a wide margin. Tough, easy to clean, and they have rolling and non-rolling options.
posted by craven_morhead at 1:20 PM on February 26, 2015

I buy cheap rolly bags at Marshalls or TJMaxx because I don't want to be precious about them if they get wrecked when I check them. But, my preferred luggage storage area is dusty/dirty, so I store them in enormous garbage bags that are twist-tied closed. They stay nice and tidy that way and I've never had a problem with them being musty. Perhaps, this could also help you with storage in your occasionally damp/moldy storage area.
posted by quince at 1:28 PM on February 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

I have this Lipault bag that I use as a carry-on (in addition to my giant purse). The bag itself is lightweight with tons of pockets. Personally I haven't put mine through a washer but I can't imagine the nylon would cause problems.
posted by leftshark at 3:26 PM on February 26, 2015

My Samsonite Oyster is the most awesome suitcase I have ever known. I bought one for twenty bucks off of Craigslist from a guy that used to run an AV company and had a whole fleet of them.
posted by oceanjesse at 3:57 PM on February 26, 2015

Best answer: You can also toss in silica gel packets; these are just the first ones I googled. I've bought them for a lot less, like a kilo for $3.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:04 PM on February 26, 2015

The eBags Mother Lode has been my business travel bag for quite a few years of abuse and an astonishing number of miles. It is by far the best bag I've ever owned -- and it's because of the little things: the orange interior that makes it impossible to lose small dark items, the compression straps, the bizarre colors that make your bag trivial to spot when you have to gate-check it, all of it).

They make them in larger sizes, which I imagine are also awesome, but 95% of the time, I'm a carry-on only traveler... and this might be the last carry-on I buy (especially given their lifetime warranty).

It's better made and has lasted longer than a Tumi that cost 3 times as much.
posted by toxic at 9:28 PM on February 26, 2015

You shouldn't have mold issues with a hard shell suitcase. You can just wipe it down with the surface cleaner of your choice. I'd look for one without any cloth insert, or with removable inserts (I have a hard shell with no inserts, while my partner's hard shell has a sort of cloth divider on one side). I avoided hard shells for years because I thought they were always heavy, but I finally got a full-sized hard shell and I love it. It's no heavier than my old American Tourister cloth suitcases, and I don't worry as much about my stuff being tossed around by baggage handlers.
posted by neushoorn at 1:10 AM on February 27, 2015

Seconding the recommendation to look at TJ Maxx and Marshalls. I have a High Sierra that is pretty similar to the Mother Lode that toxic linked to and I got it at TJ Maxx for about $50. It has lasted me years. Combine the silica gel packets with the seriously huge Ziploc bags that they sell nowadays, and I think you have a good strategy for preventing future mold growth.
posted by soelo at 8:28 AM on February 27, 2015