Luggage Bags and Packs
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It got caught in the machinery somewhere in the bowels of the airport and one of the wheels was ripped off. When that happened, it took off the zipper and part of the cheap plastic internal framing, which meant it couldn't roll, the lid wouldn't shut fully and even if it did, there was a hole in the bottom leaking clothes.
Oh, and when I say a travel voucher worth a free flight, I think it was a max value of only $125-150 or so- flights on Southwest can get really cheap. They gave us the duffel bag for our stuff, and then the option of reimbursement for the suitcase or the voucher. Since we only paid about $50 for the suitcase, the voucher was the easy call. If we had a quality piece of luggage, it would have been different.
But yeah, the overall message of that story is that Southwest has always been great to us.
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I have a Tumi bag that I use for long trips (such as the one I'm on now). It's super nice, but I do have a couple of gripes.
The first one (and this is probably unique to this model) is that the release for the telescoping tow handle is on the body of the suitcase instead of in the handle. Awful ergonomics on that piece. The base plate of this handle has somehow cracked, which shouldn't have happened. Great built-in suit hanger though. Otherwise the ergonomics and features are kind of "meh" next to B&R, but again, I'm just talking about one model here.
The other annoyance is that the warranty isn't quite what it should be anymore at the price point. Because of this, I haven't filed a claim to fix a few minor issues with it.
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Tumi has changed their business model the last couple of years. They used to have one of the best warranties in the business, now they only warrant their products for a couple of years and won't cover damage from the airline. AFAIK, only Briggs and Riley offer that kind of warranty these days
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The rationale for Tumi of limiting warranty to 5 years is that after 5 years they claim there couldn't be a factory attributable warranty claim. That's in effect saying you build your expensive bags to last 5 years. That dog won't hunt for me.
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I have had good experience with the Red Oxx travel bags.
The Air Boss is a really nice constructed bag that I have used extensively. Red Oxx offer a lifetime warranty on all their luggage.
Certainly a brand worth considering if you are looking for something overbuilt and made to last.
There are few pictures of my Air Boss bag on page 14 of this thread.
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The rationale for Tumi of limiting warranty to 5 years is that after 5 years they claim there couldn't be a factory attributable warranty claim. That's in effect saying you build your expensive bags to last 5 years. That dog won't hunt for me.
Which is exactly why I buy Da Kine. After 5 years I can replace and its only cost me $30 per annum….
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@Cutlasshound , nice write-up! I'm sold. How thick are the spade lock pouches? I'm curious how much interior space they take up. I'm also planning on getting the Stick It, outside pouch/pocket. I've sent an inquiry to MR asking about the lead time for ordering.
Hey mate apologies for delay! Pockets take up a little less than half the pack I would say….. Used it to take the lil man to gosport today and both the pack and the pouches performed exceptionally well!
My mate, who is six feet seven, carried the pack for a bit and said it was the most comfortable pack he has used (and he owns the Tad gear Fastpack litespeed).
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^Thanks. The first picture is hilarious. You really need to get on edcforums and post it. A little bit of a change from the other pictures of the pack with ammo, radios, and other 'assault' gear. Sometimes I miss my kids being in the baby stage but I don't miss carrying all the stuff.
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^^^ seconded. but i do prefer carrying my son's stuff over the ammo, comms set and fast ropes that i used to..
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Just picked up a Tumi hanging travel kit in leather. Did some research and it had the best combination of features. Super nice if anyone is in the market for a wash bag.
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@Cutlasshound my MR ASAP with Stick-it Pocket should be delivered tomorrow! I got lucky and they had both (black) in stock.
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@Cutlasshound my MR ASAP with Stick-it Pocket should be delivered tomorrow! I got lucky and they had both (black) in stock.
Glorious news old chap. Damn that's quick! Let me know your thoughts when you get it!
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Big fan of the ASAP. Very versatile pack and the Stick-It has been invaluable. Great place to stash shoes, jacket or smaller items (water bottle and IH hat) clipped to the pals webbing.
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Big fan of the ASAP. Very versatile pack and the Stick-It has been invaluable. Great place to stash shoes, jacket or smaller items (water bottle and IH hat) clipped to the pals webbing.
Glad you're enjoying it bro!
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I got rid of a lot of bags before moving, and could really do with something new for travelling. As I've said before I've got a profound dislike of wheeled bags. So here are the things that I'm currently considering.
Fjallraven Stubben
The Stubben is a clever looking pack. It's got a steel internal frame, so that it can be used as a seat, and with the side pockets attached it's about 37 litres capacity, and a couple of centimetres (about an inch) wider than the hand luggage "box". It's front loading, which will make it easier to find things.
Without the side pockets it's 27 litres, putting it into the big daypack category. I'd probably get a lot of use out of it as a general bag, whereas some other options would be for holidays only. The downside is the metal frame makes it relatively heavy. If an airline is being strict about hand luggage weights, then, at 2.2 kg, it might eat a quarter or a third of the limit. I'm also not sure where it's manufactured, probably in China, and I prefer to support smaller companies.
There's also a video showing off all the features.
Topo Designs Travel Bag
I like basic bags, and the Travel Bag is one of the simplest carry-on style travel rucksacks I've seen.
It's part of a system, and Topo Designs also sell the Trip Pack, which is a small daypack that attaches to its front.
Plus there are packing cubes that are sized to fit it as well.
Topo Designs are made in Colorado, which appeals, and the size would work well for me. Normally I travel with a 30 litre rucksack. The downsides are that I'm not sure how much it would get used on a day-to-day basis, as it'd probably be a once or twice a year sort of bag, and it's not exactly attractive.
De Bruir Parachuter Bag
Both @trail and arrow and I really like the Parachuter Bag. It's made by a small company in Ireland, and is a really unique design.
It comes in a variety of sizes, ranging from a smaller daypack through to maximum carry on. I'd probably go for the second largest model, which is about the size of the Topo Designs Travel Bag, and then get a stack of their packing cubes to use in it.
The downside is again the same as the Topo Designs bag, namely it's probably an awkward size for day-to-day use. But I think that's just me trying too hard. And it's expensive, at around €600.
Trakke Krukke and Mule
Trakke are a small Scottish company making outdoor gear. They offer the Krukke, which is a 30 litre waxed cotton backpack, inspired by classic, alpinist rucksacks. It'd be a good size for travel, but its smaller sibling, the Arkaig, would be a better daily bag.
The Mule is a large courier bag.
At this stage I'm not sure what I'll go for. The Stubben is the current winner, but I'll probably change my mind at least three times before I order something.
