New Luggage Recommendations

Andy Travels

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2022
Posts
10
Hi all :)

Newbie here but a frequent flyer who will be rejoining the skys again very soon.

I'm looking at refreshing my carry on luggage to a hard case. Currently looking at the Qantas branded hard cases but just wondering if anyone has any feedback / suggestions? Probably looking at around $120 mark (obviously in this field a $120 price tag is usually a RRP reduced from $250 haha)

Thanks!
Andy
 
Reasonably priced.
Should be good for a few bibles. ;)
A missionary's work is never complete. I don't like that it's black, but hey ho. It's the only config/design that works for me, so will just use my various bag tags etc. to make the bag stand out for the times I may need to check it in.
 
New bag arrived, actually quite happy with it in terms of size, quality, features etc. Colour is the only thing I don't like (black.....) but can work around that. It looks smaller than my previous 2 carryons, but is actually bigger - nice. Will give it a test in a few weeks as I'm going through a travel drought at the moment.
 
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My issue with rollers is pulling them far off the beaten track. Sometimes I want a case with a bit of structure (soft sided luggage) but is also luggable over terrible streets.
Leaving a roller onto 2 wheels is generally less than desirable for its longevity and also balance, whereas my 2 wheeler is built for that and handles cobbles etc well.
Also it doesn’t leave on its own accord when it’s on a hill while you wrangle 2 toddlers
 
Leaving a roller onto 2 wheels is generally less than desirable for its longevity and also balance, whereas my 2 wheeler is built for that and handles cobbles etc well.
I've only had one four wheel "Spinner" and I can't say I liked it at all. It was light at less than 2kgs, but I always felt it was one bump away from having wheels fall off. My Latest two wheeler was one I picked up in the US a couple of years ago:.

BLA_D21.jpg

Sadly never saw it available here, and the Australian Eagle Creek store seems to only carry a small selection of whats available overseas:
 
My issue with rollers is pulling them far off the beaten track. Sometimes I want a case with a bit of structure (soft sided luggage) but is also luggable over terrible streets.
Leaving a roller onto 2 wheels is generally less than desirable for its longevity and also balance, whereas my 2 wheeler is built for that and handles cobbles etc well.
Also it doesn’t leave on its own accord when it’s on a hill while you wrangle 2 toddlers
Watching jockeys arrive at Albury racecourse yesterday some had duffels with what looked like 6" go-anywhere wheels.
 
Yeah, wheeled duffels are good but when u need to protect the contents AND go weird places a bit more. It’s a rare event now I have kids so maybe I need to let go
 
I've just acquired a compromise solution for my needs. Not a suitcase, slightly better than a duffel. Not a clam-shell. 2 inline-skate wheels. Concealed shoulder harness. Hard standing end (unlike most duffels). Caribee Adventure 70L. And the only model I could see in a physical shop before buying!
Adventure_70L_BLK_1_1500px copy.jpg
I haven't used it yet, but did a test pack. The two biggest downsides for me are that it tapers significantly from top to bottom, and the lack of a flattish surface at the top when standing means it would be hard to stack a small bag on top. Very different from my existing rectangular soft-side suitcase.

Of course, like pretty much every case ever, the stated volume is a fiction. I would put it at just under 60L when packed tight.

The upsides: Weight is reasonable for what it offers (3.4kg). All zips are lockable. Two front-face carry handles (but none on the long sides). The length adds some flexibility for transporting things like walking poles or interesting purchases. The wheels run smoothly and are slightly protected as not set flush with the bag's corners. Most people would not want to use the backpack harness as a regular thing for a bag this size, but it could certainly come in handy when negotiating lots of stairs.

For comparison, the other 2-wheel candidate bags I could find available in Australia without too much hassle and without abysmal reviews were all clamshell duffels. The biggest design issues with these are that the front half has no rigid foot/base or is just unsteady because that part isn't connected to the back half, and that a large clamshell is a pain to pack. None of the candidates had a front-face opening to get around the clamshell issue, unlike cheaper less-robust models. American Tourister Urban Pack: I felt the number of reported problems in reviews, although relatively small, seemed to point towards quality/design issues. Eastpak Transverz: Similar to the American Tourister, but with fewer reported problems; seems to have been replaced by a newer, slightly heavier, fancier model (CNNCT). Two more expensive candidates were High Sierra Composite 76 cm Wheeled Duffle V4 (getting too big, and single-pole handle), and the Osprey Transporter 60L (the material blemishes badly).
 
I only use two wheel luggage.
+1

Urgh, I dread having to replace my well travelled large 2 wheeler Victorinox. Lifetime warranty including carrier damage was amazing, but it’s coming to an end of its reasonable life and is more repair than not at this point. 15 good years for a soft case, and I want a 2 wheeler again. I suspect I’ll be looking a while
Travelpro :)
 
I've just acquired a compromise solution for my needs. Not a suitcase, slightly better than a duffel. Not a clam-shell. 2 inline-skate wheels. Concealed shoulder harness. Hard standing end (unlike most duffels). Caribee Adventure 70L. And the only model I could see in a physical shop before buying!
View attachment 405346
I haven't used it yet, but did a test pack. The two biggest downsides for me are that it tapers significantly from top to bottom, and the lack of a flattish surface at the top when standing means it would be hard to stack a small bag on top. Very different from my existing rectangular soft-side suitcase.

Of course, like pretty much every case ever, the stated volume is a fiction. I would put it at just under 60L when packed tight.

The upsides: Weight is reasonable for what it offers (3.4kg). All zips are lockable. Two front-face carry handles (but none on the long sides). The length adds some flexibility for transporting things like walking poles or interesting purchases. The wheels run smoothly and are slightly protected as not set flush with the bag's corners. Most people would not want to use the backpack harness as a regular thing for a bag this size, but it could certainly come in handy when negotiating lots of stairs.

For comparison, the other 2-wheel candidate bags I could find available in Australia without too much hassle and without abysmal reviews were all clamshell duffels. The biggest design issues with these are that the front half has no rigid foot/base or is just unsteady because that part isn't connected to the back half, and that a large clamshell is a pain to pack. None of the candidates had a front-face opening to get around the clamshell issue, unlike cheaper less-robust models. American Tourister Urban Pack: I felt the number of reported problems in reviews, although relatively small, seemed to point towards quality/design issues. Eastpak Transverz: Similar to the American Tourister, but with fewer reported problems; seems to have been replaced by a newer, slightly heavier, fancier model (CNNCT). Two more expensive candidates were High Sierra Composite 76 cm Wheeled Duffle V4 (getting too big, and single-pole handle), and the Osprey Transporter 60L (the material blemishes badly).

A similar product I can recommend is the Macpac Global 80 L, two wheels, solid base, concealed shoulder harness


Feels bigger than 80L, has nice deep and semi-rigid walls and doesn't taper too much. We bought one earlier in the year and it survived a 6wk Europe trip and having a kids car seat strapped on top of it and lugging it up and down train station stairs. I seriously thought I was going to pull the handle extender out of its socket a couple of times when pulling it up stairs with a car seat on top of it, 25kg inside of it, when toddler needs meant I couldn't pick it up by a handle! But it held up very well

They had them in our local Macpac shop for a look

May be a bit late for you now, but if anyone else sees this
 
I wonder if there are any current recommendations for 2-wheel (ie, enclosed inline-skate wheels) softsided suitcases at the moment? (Replacing 65cm, 3.2kg Paklite.)

They don't seem to make the Kinetic anymore and the few they have now are either overpriced or too large dimension wise.

Osprey make decent stuff, but also $$$ and likewise for Eastpak. I'm really struggling though with trying to stomach paying more for a carry-on that a check-in size bag!

Which of these is it closer to?

The first one is nice, but at nearly £200 .. probably not. The second one which is basically just a backpack with wheels is no good, as I can't maximise the carry-on size (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) and it's also slightly over by 10cm on one dimension.

But then again, it's all about tailoring your search terms. Searching for 'rolling wheel carry on luggage' gave me this:

Doesn't look super robust on the wheels, but then again should at least get a few years out of it?
I would say the "utility is the replacement for "kinetic", seems to the max carry on size.
Agreed, however that $300 is a bit exy. I do not mind though, paying for quality if I get the usage out of it.

I can say that with both the Kinetic and particularly the Osprey that I am happy with the value I received verses the outlay.

Do you need a lock on your carry on? I have never locked my luggage. But then any dodgy place I have gone I have not had checked in luggage.
  • Patagonia Black Hole 40L Wheeled Duffel $296.77
  • Osprey Transporter Wheeled Duffel 40L $299
 
Although not a fan of hybrid wheeled duffle/backpacks Aldi has a 3-wheeled one for $24 today that is super light and would be suitable for clothes but wouldnt want to put anything fragile inside.

 
A similar product I can recommend is the Macpac Global 80 L, two wheels, solid base, concealed shoulder harness


Feels bigger than 80L, has nice deep and semi-rigid walls and doesn't taper too much. We bought one earlier in the year and it survived a 6wk Europe trip and having a kids car seat strapped on top of it and lugging it up and down train station stairs. I seriously thought I was going to pull the handle extender out of its socket a couple of times when pulling it up stairs with a car seat on top of it, 25kg inside of it, when toddler needs meant I couldn't pick it up by a handle! But it held up very well

They had them in our local Macpac shop for a look

May be a bit late for you now, but if anyone else sees this
Can you lock these duffels?
 
Managed to convince Mrs NM to attempt 3.5 weeks in the USA, including 12 flights with HLO. The sweetener for her was the offer to buy her new bags for the trip.

We both dislike 4-wheel spinner cases, so 2-wheel was essential. Ended up settling on American Tourister Applite 4E as her "Carry On Bag" plus a July Everyday Large Tote as her "Personal Item" (in a two-tone colour not currently available on their web site). Her regular day handbag fitted into the July tote for flights.


She managed amazing well and was very pleased I convinced her to give HLO a try for such a trip.

Note the 2-wheel Applite 4E is 50cm tall, while the 4-wheel spinner version is 55cm tall but has exactly the same internal volume and width/depth dimension. The extra 5cm is for the spinner wheels - wasted space and needs more depth in overhead lockers.

The July tote was twice the cost of the American Tourister Applite 4E, but it is very well made, has great internal pockets/spaces, and slips over the roll-aboard case handle for easy handling of both bags with as one unit.

I used existing an Samsonite 2-wheel roll-aboard bag of very similar dimensions/features to the Applite 4E, plus a Samsonite laptop backpack (without the computer which remained at home).

Would we do it again - absolutely.
 
Your luggage requirements can change like the seasons. What was good yesterday may not be okay today. You need a few options up your sleeve depending on the destination and environment.

Agree whether use a suitcase, travelpack/backpack for checked luggage and a day pack or small suitcase for carry-on (in additional to my favourite travel purse) all depends on the destination.
My best bag was bought cheaply in NY as an overflow.

One of my favourite 4 wheel samsonite spinners was bought at outlets in DFW for US$20 as I had shopped too much on the way home after being restricted to a single 20kg travel pack in Mexico and Cuba due to internal flights and small vehicles. Served me well for 12 years or so.
 

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