Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with luggage

What suitcase should I get?

jacquilynne — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:26:13 -0800

Is luggage one of those things where spending more money buys real quality? And if so, what should I spend it on? I have owned a series of basic, mid-sized (22-25 inches) suitcases that I've use for almost all of my trips, but almost invariably after I've used one 3 or 4 times, the whole frame ends up cracked and misshapen. It'll still be vaguely usable, but it doesn't look like it's providing any protection anymore. These tend to be pretty basic suitcases of the nearly-always-on-sale-at-Bentley's type, where the individual suitcase is in the $60-80 range when it is on sale.

My question is, if I move up the line and buy more expensive luggage, does the quality improve to the point where I can count on it lasting for many more trips? If so, what price point or specific brands or bags should I be looking at? Hard or soft?

This isn't a 'money is no object' situation. If the price point of 'luggage that lasts' is too high, I'll just keep going with replacing my bag every year and a half, but if it's under $300 or so, then I'll consider moving up.

where can i leave my luggage for the day in boston?

gcat — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:24:53 -0800

please help me see boston for a day! (anyplace i can leave my luggage for a few hours?) i fly into boston this afternoon. i will be having dinner with an acquaintance and then spending the night at his home. the next morning, we will part company. he will go to work and drop me off somewhere in boston (apparently he lives 10 minutes north). then i am meeting another friend at 6pm and we are driving up to maine.

so, between 8-ish am thursday morning and 6 pm that evening, i will be free, so i would like to see at least one historic tourist attraction.

the problem: i will be carless and will have my luggage - a heavy suitcase and a carry-on bag. is there *anywhere* i could leave my luggage for the day?

i know, poor planning on my part, but is it a lost cause?

so my question is essentially this: can anyone help me think of anywhere i can leave my stuff that is both 1) safe (for my luggage) and 2) very close to public transport? i would be willing to pay if necessary.

it wont be at all practical to leave my stuff at my friends place for the day.

oh, and also, havent had a chance yet to research public transport. any tips? where should i have my friend drop me off thursday morning? (i.e., maybe somewhere close to something really cool that is not too far from public transport?)

im not really coming up with any ideas, so it may not be realistic, but if the hive mind could help me i would be very grateful.

thanks so much!!

Avoiding the the airport XXX-ray so I can fly solo.

Eleutherios — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:53:32 -0800

I'm going out of town soon. I will be packing some naughty items, that I would be embarrased if they show up on a baggage X-ray. How do I gain access to a lead apron? I will be staying with relatives for about two weeks, in northern Nevada. It had just occured to me that that will be two weeks without pleasure! I thought about just buying new sexually explicit media and tools, but I won't have transportation to get to such places that sell them. Well, I will have my relatives to transport me, but that is not something I want to buy when they are around.

Whenever you send your luggage through that X-ray machine, everything inside shows up, right? I do not want my personal products showing up on the scan, so I came up with the idea of wrapping the products in a lead apron. You know, that heavy mat dentists throw over your torso whenever you get mouth X-rays?

The issue is...I have no idea how to gain access of one of these things. It's not something I can just buy at Target. So, is there some sort of special store I can pick one of these up? Can I stop buy a dentist office and rent one? If the latter is possible, what excuse should I give them so I can rent an apron?

Laptop Stolen. Options?

bokane — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:28:46 -0800

My younger brother was forced to check his laptop on an American Airlines flight out of Dallas/Fort Worth. You can probably see what's coming, but... The backpack his laptop was in never made it to Philadelphia, or at least never made it to him. It's been six days now, and he wants it back -- he's got years of schoolwork on it.

Has anyone had similar shitty experiences? Will AA compensate him for the full value of the laptop? Is it worth trying to file a police report? Is AA and/or Dallas/Fort Worth particularly bad for this sort of thing?

Which of these vehicles will give me the most luggage space?

gfrobe — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:29:02 -0800

What vehicle should I rent from the airport if I need to transport 4 people and a load of luggage (at least 8 big suitcases)? We're a family of four that will be landing at Newark with 8 large suitcases. I then have to go back to Newark the next day and pick up around 15 small and medium sized boxes so I'm essentially looking for a vehicle that will fit at least four for the first trip but then allow me to fold down all unneeded seats for the next day.

I'm looking at the airport vehicles and I see Dodge Caravans, Chevy Trailblazers, Chevy Express Passenger Van (seats 12) and Jeep Commanders. The vehicle listings do estimate how much luggage will generally fit but I'm assuming that is with all seats upright.

Does anyone know which of the above vehicles will allow the most seats to fold down for the most cargo space?

A bag for all seasons

AnnaRat — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 05:02:06 -0800

I am looking for a new bag - hopefully, you can help me find one bag that will do my international business trips, day hikes, and weekends away. The bag needs to serve as carry on luggage, to-the-office luggage, day hike, or overnight trip luggage.

I want something that can fit a laptop, preferably in a compartment/sleeve for that purpose. My own laptop is a 12 inch Apple, but when travelling for work, I have to carry a larger laptop (15 inch?). I usually put their laptops in my checked luggage, so as not to cripple myself in the airport, but then need to carry it between the hotel and office while away. I find it too heavy to use a messenger bag or shoulder strap bag.

I accept that the only way I can do this sensibly, given the brick laptops from work, is with a backpack (despite a visiting consultant snootily remarking that she doesn't think people should have backpacks for business - fine for her, as an independent, she has bought a 10 inch laptop). Wheels will be a pain for the other uses and the main office I visit overseas is in a country where there aren't nice smooth surfaces to drag the bag along.

But it needs to look somewhat professional (not bright colours or too sporty looking). Also, I am female and small, so not too large, should be comfortable for me to wear.

I would like an easy to access compartment to put my passport and travel docs when moving through the airport. But not heaps of little compartments inside.

For day hiking, waterproof/resistant is good, and I would like a water bottle holder on the outside.

I want it of a size that I could fit a change of clothes and small toiletries, if I am going somewhere just for a few nights.

I am in Australia, but will consider online possibilities also (oh, I have a MEC membership!). No particular cost restrictions - I think you get what you pay for with luggage. Having said that, my last bag that I used for these purposes was maybe US$50 and has lasted for 12 years or more (zip broken, and waterproof lining has deteriorated).

Tell me your favourites!

I don't want to be the stinking traveling girl.

KateHasQuestions — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:14:29 -0800

What is that horrible suitcase smell and how can I prevent it? Recently I've come across 2 sets of second hand luggage, and a laptop bag that's a couple of years old. Both sets of luggage and the bag had this HORRIBLE smell coming from the inside, the same smell even though all three things came from different people, and seemed to be different brands. I don't even know what to compare it to, something rotting + burning rubber perhaps? No, that's not it. But it's bad - I think if anyone has smelled it they'll recognize what I'm talking about. The smell is absolutely disgusting and strong, I remember I smelled it from the other room when I had this luggage.

None of the bags/suitcases I mention had a materials tag on it, but the material on everything looks similar - plasticky on the inside, and that 'bookbag' material on the outside. The laptop bag is made by HP, I don't know who made the luggage - I threw both sets out after using them once, ugh. The smell doesn't go away after airing them out, or spraying with febreeze or lysol or anything.

My questions: What causes the smell? Does all suitcases become like this? If yes, after how many years? If no, how do I make sure that when I finally buy my own luggage instead of getting my friends' used luggage that the smell won't appear? Is it a special material I should look for? A way to clean it?

Thanks!

ISO waterproof luggage

SuperNova — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:58:17 -0800

Looking for a set of waterproof luggage, suitable for Central America, but not a backpack. Help? A friend of mine is going to be traveling to Guatemala for two years on an LDS mission and will be moving around quite a bit in country. A lot of the transportation will be by "chicken bus" -- basically old US school buses. Most of the time his luggage will be on top of the bus, so he's looking for something waterproof and durable. Unfortunately, backpacks are not allowed.

My friend, being acutely aware of the wisdom emanating from the MeFi oracle, asks your advice. Any thoughts?

How can I bring a 20-piece dinnerware set on a plane?

Nematoda — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:12:53 -0800

How should I take a 20-piece dinnerware set on a plane? My parents bought me a lovely 20-piece dinnerware set on sale, and will give it to me when I visit them. However, I'm flying up to see them, and I wonder how I should bring the set back on the plane. It will still be packaged in the original box, but I have seen how the checked luggage is literally tossed on the conveyor belts, so I'm worried the dinnerware might become a 100-piece set on the way back. Should I try to bring the box with the dinnerware as carry-on? Or should I check it?

Need luggage delivered from France to UK!

FuckingAwesome — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:40:45 -0800

I have accidentally left some luggage at a hotel in France and need it delivered to the UK as soon as possible. All of the courier services I have been in touch with seem not to deal with personal effects. Any recommendations would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

What is the max value of things I can bring to Peru?

mateuslee — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:18:16 -0800

How many laptops can I legally bring to Peru? Two of my friends in Peru have asked me to bring them down netbooks (they saw my Acer and want something similar). They asked if I can bring them one to sell at price. I'm not opposed to this (aside from the space they would take up, but they told me that it is for their children... though not sure why their kids need a laptop) but I'm concerned about the legality since, considering I'll bring my own laptop too, that totals three computers in my luggage and I imagine the border authorities may think I'm selling them or something.

Do you know anything about the legality of this? Or how I can best help them? Sending it by mail would require them to pay taxes upon receipt. And considering how far away they live from a city that sells these computer, and the presumable mark-up, this is a good chance for them to get a computer at a good price.

Storing my stüff for a few weeks

trouserlouse — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:42:38 -0800

I arrive in Frankfurt next Sunday. I leave Frankfurt in the beginning of August. I will not be in Frankfurt in the meantime. Where do I keep my stuff? I've been looking at long-term storage of various types. The airport seems to want 5 euros for a "normal" bag per day, which for my two checked bags for 45 days is...a lot. Not very good for my student budget. The main train station wants 4 euros per day per locker, and it's not clear that I could keep stuff for that long anyway.

What other places exist for long-term storage of things in Frankfurt? (Also, if I stayed at a hotel for a night, is there any way they could hold my things?) If all else fails, what are the available shipping services?

Luggage Storage in Hildesheim

Zarkonnen — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:28:40 -0800

Ms Zarkonnen and I are going to M'era Luna in Hildesheim. But prior to that, we're going on holiday in Switzerland. We don't want to take our laptops etc to a festival. Is there a place we can certainly store our luggage in Hildesheim?

Getting a Guitar and Computer Back to the US

andoatnp — Sun, 31 May 2009 06:49:08 -0800

How do I get a guitar and macbook laptop from Israel to Los Angeles when I am going on a three week detour through Europe. I am leaving June 10th on a flight to Rome from Tel Aviv, then on June 30th I am taking another flight from Rome to Los Angeles. I have a guitar and laptop with me in Israel. I'll be backpacking and staying in hostels, so I assume that bringing either with me would be unsafe and a giant hassle, but I'm considering taking the laptop. I'm not sure how else to get either of them back to LA. Options include:

1) Shipping the guitar. This probably isn't a good idea for the laptop, though. And the largest boxes they had at the Israel post office to ship items were too small for the guitar, so I'm not sure how to do that anyway. Anyone know of any companies that can send a guitar from Israel to the US? Time is no factor at all, it doesn't matter how long it would take, and money is only a slight factor. Is there a shipping option that people would trust a laptop to or is that a bad idea?

2) Finding somewhere safe and secure to leave the guitar (and laptop?) in Rome for three weeks while I am in Europe so I can pick them up for my flight home. Does anyone know if there are lockers or some other option at the airport in Rome or somewhere near the airport that I could do this?

Other than that, I'm not really sure what to do. Any other ideas or suggestions on how to get these items back to the United States would be a big help. Thanks!

How fussy are Easyjet about hand luggage?

monster max — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:40:50 -0800

Easyjet flight UK to Spain hand luggage: can I use a M&S Xenon medium rollercase? It's 22.5cm wide but limit says 20cm - too risky? I'm traveling by Easyjet in a week's time and wanting to use a Marks & Spencer medium Xenon rollercase. Its given dimensions on the website are H52 x W39 x D22.5cm but the limit on the Easyjet website is 55 x 40 x 20. So it's technically 2.5cm too deep - are they that fussy? Or is it not worth the risk and should I take a different bag?

May my luggage never grow musty or worn...

GleepGlop — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:47:05 -0800

Is there any hard-shell luggage that will last me forever? You know like those big ones that you always see on the conveyor belt at the airport and they have wheels... My soft-shell luggage of 5 years and maybe 6 international trips tops smells incredibly musty and I can't get the smell out of the fabric, and the handle is slowly tearing off.
I was looking at 'hard-shell' luggage today and it was all this malleable plastic that looks like the same plastic that is on the interior of my current luggage which is all cracked to pieces. Isn't there any luggage in the same form-factor that could survive falling off the back of a truck? I don't mind if it is a little heavier.

Help me grab a bag

TheOnlyCoolTim — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 13:53:35 -0800

I would like to know a superior form of backpack. It should be primarily appropriate for day to day backpack and school usage but also useful for light travel use or light camping use. I am ~6'4", usually weigh about 185 pounds, and male. A backpack is a item of function, so I do not care at all about the aesthetics.

Durability is the prime concern; I am tired of buying a normal backpack and within a year it's deteriorating and after a few years it's useless. This would ideally be the last backpack of this type I buy in my life; I don't like today's throwaway consumer goods.

Waterproofing is another important concern. I am not as afraid as most people are these days to get wet when it rains, but I've found normal waterproof backpacks to be barely so, and then the rubber layer on the inside flakes off ant they're not at all.

Comfort and adjustability also matter.

I think the durability and waterproofing I like for my day to day use covers most of my requirements for the level of travel and camping I'm thinking of. Basically in addition it should be big enough for several day's worth of clothes and sundries or a couple nights of camping. Despite my last question this pack is not intended for actual serious backpacking, so don't really worry about things like strapping on tents and sleeping bags or that it won't have a frame. I'm just thinking I'd like to be able to use it to hike a few easy miles and plop down for a night or two and for that I will strap my big luxurious sleeping bag to myself in an ad hoc fashion and carry my big luxurious tent in my arm.

I'd prefer zipper closures, but with powerful zippers that will not break or malfunction.

I also prefer an absence of goofy specialized pockets or features for MP3 players, water bottles, laptops, and cell phones.

No wheels.

International freight parcel missing in Dublin

kairab — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:03:04 -0800

Posted my daughter her excess luggage by Parcelforce (UK to Ireland) when she went back to uni (UCD) last week. Now there's no trace of the suitcase although it is logged as having been received in Dublin. It's now one week behind schedule, and An Phost's customer service is completely useless (didn't ring back as promised, hung up/disconnected, can't get through with 15 minutes waiting, etc.). Registered a complaint with Parcelforce who are working on it, without a result to date. Is this par for the course? Helllllllllllp!

I want this bag! But I can't pay for it!

peachfuzz — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:54:48 -0800

I am obsessed with this bag. I cannot afford it. Please help me find a substitute. I will buy this bag someday and use it forever, but in the meantime something pretty close will do. What I like are the proportions; the generous weekendy size; the not-flashy leather; the straps/buckles/general equestrian-ish but very clean and unfussy look; the short handles; the general pleasingly old-school aesthetic; the promise of becoming more beautiful as it ages. Less important - brand, big mouth frame opening, combination of interior/exterior pockets. Things I do NOT want: big logos, overly fussy/feminine details, overly masculine/squared off shapes.

I seem to see riding satchels that have the same general look out and about, but don't know where to go to find one. I want to use it as my one and only bag for the many short trips I take, and possibly as an everyday bag, too - it's sort of huge, but then I like that. My budget is $200 at the top end. I am saving up for the real thing, but I really can't justify an expense like that for quite a while...and I need a bag now. Thanks!

Should I take a suitcase or a pack to Whistler?

girlgeeknz — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:54:20 -0800

Should I take a suitcase or a pack to Whistler? I'm going to Whistler for 3 weeks of skiing (yay). Leaving from Auckland (New Zealand), with 2 nights stopover in Vancouver on the way, and 3 nights in San Francisco on the way back. There'll be a few transfers on buses or in taxis during the journey.

I'm 5' 4", and not very strong. I prefer a suitcase with wheels, because I can roll it along and my strength isn't an issue. My boyfriend thinks I should take a pack, because I can put it on my back, and if there's snow on the ground a suitcase on wheels wouldn't be suitable. I think a pack will be too heavy for me (I have used one before to get up the mountain when we ski locally, and always find it very difficult).

Which would you take?

want to tourist without cumbersome luggage

waltzing astronomers — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 13:21:07 -0800

Where can I leave three small carryon bags in Paris this Sunday? (or what can we do while lugging around rolly suitcases and a backpack?) our hotel is sketchy so we can't leave stuff with them. We are in our mid-20s so probably don't look nice enough to leave bags at a random hotel.

Where to store a suitcase in Manhattan?

prozach1576 — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:57:56 -0800

I'm flying into LaGuardia at 10:30 on Friday morning. I'm staying with a friend in Brooklyn but won't be able to get into his apartment until the evening. I would like to spend the day in Manhattan, but will have a large rolling suitcase (like the biggest standard size one you can buy) that I don't particularly want to tote around all afternoon. Where can I leave it? I plan on taking the M60 bus from LGA to the 125th street stop for the 4/5/6 train (I've done this before with no problems), and then the subway downtown to go to a museum or do some shopping in SoHo. From there I will take the subway to Brooklyn in the evening. I'd kind of like to minimize any running around solely due to the suitcase, if possible. I don't even care what kind of place I leave it, as there's nothing particularly valuable inside, or what I have to pay, within reason. Thanks!

Where to buy a roadtrip bag in L.A.?

drjimmy11 — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 21:26:14 -0800

Where can I buy a cool piece of luggage in Los Angeles tomorrow (Sunday)? Looking for more of a bag than a solid suitcase. Big enough to throw a few days clothes and other junk in for the roadtrip I'm leaving on Monday morning.

Lame terms though they may be, "indie" and "hipster" kind of sum up my style. I'd prefer something more vintage/cool and less corporate/plain black or brown looking.

Would be nice if it would last a while. Eastside is better than westside, but I'm willing to drive. Price is not an object, within reason. Prompt responses are appreciated. Thanks!

How much worse is the carry-on baggage situation getting?

Kat Allison — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:39:01 -0800

Question for frequent flyers: have airlines' new pay-to-check-a-bag policies significantly affected how much baggage passengers are trying to carry on board? To the point where it's gone from just aggravating to completely !%@#!*#@ impossible? I have to fly in a couple of weeks (SEA-ORD), and I'm booked on American, which now charges $15 for every checked bag.

In the past I've always travelled very light and packed everything in a modest-sized carry-on. However, my expectation is that the new baggage fee will lead people to act even more egregiously than before with regard to carry-ons, and that I would be competing with teeming hordes trying to jam steamer trunks into the overhead bins. Hence, I'd been thinking, "Oh, the hell with it, I'll just pay the fee, check the bag, and reduce my aggravation" (which is, of course, making the large assumption that the airline doesn't lose it).

But I was wondering if there's actually been a significant, discernable increase in the amount of carry-on luggage on those airlines that charge the checking fee. Those of you who fly often -- have you seen a change? Do you think ponying up the $15 and checking the bag would lead to any appreciable decrease in hassle?

Real-Time Airplane Travel Problem

lockedroomguy — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 07:15:26 -0800

Help my wife! She's stuck in Philadelphia airport. Can't get her connecting flight until 1:00 at the earliest. Will US Airways let her ditch the connection and ship her bags home? This is happening to my wife right now. She just called from the airport. She started in New Bern, NC, and flew to Philadelphia as the first leg of her trip to New York's LaGuardia. They cancelled her original flight to New York, and rebooked her on the 1:00 EST flight. Rain is forecast all day in both cities.

I've recommended she try to get her bags back, and get on the train to NYC. Will US Airways let her do that? What are her options for getting her bags shipped to her? Today we are immediately leaving by car for a vacation, so we can't go somewhere to pick the bags up this week, but there are places (not our home address) where we could safely have them delivered.

At this time she doesn't know where her bags are, but it seems likely they're in the airport's baggage system, and not in the plane, since the flight isn't scheduled until 1:00. She's going to ask US Airways all this of course, but I thought I would check for any tips, tricks, or strategies.

She's calling me back in 30 minutes for advice.