More details on our quest to find the bags that we could carry plenty of clothing while not requiring us to check bags. This post will discuss suitcase and bag selection. Many of my choices are recommendations from the Travel Fashion Girl website/blog which I highly recommend. They aren’t exclusive to Carry-On-Only, but much of the content is supportive of it. The Travel Fashion Girl facebook group is very active and helpful as well. I found some excellent ideas and recommendations there. I’ve also got a nearly daily package delivery as a result (just ask Tom!)
My first new suitcase purchase was a 19” TravelPro MaxLite 5 four-wheel spinner bag, which holds about 39 Liters and weighs 5.6 lbs. The burgundy color is unique without being garnish, which I really like. However, even empty the bag would fall over if the handle was extended. I didn’t want to have my bag falling over all the time while traveling through airports and train stations, so this was a deal breaker. Back to the UPS store for another Amazon return…..
The next suitcase I chose was another TravelPro, but a two-wheel version. Let’s face it, wheels are not just heavy but they also take up valuable packing space. The TravelPro ensign blue MaxLite 5 two-wheel 20” case holds a whopping 45 Liters and weighs only 5.4 lbs. So far, this is likely to be the suitcase I bring.
Tom is happy with his first purchase, a Rick Steves 20” rolling backpack case. This case weighs in at 5.8 lbs and holds about 32 Liters.
I also found packing cubes to be very helpful for orderly packing (which inevitably saves room). I tried a variety of packing cubes and compression bags, finally opting for the slim Compass Rose packing cubes. For larger items that need compression, I’ve decided on the Cambond compression cubes, available on Amazon. These worked are good for larger items, such as sweaters and pants.
When using a Carry-On-Only strategy, the personal item is just as important as the suitcase. Lightweight, attachment to roller bag handle, and capacity are key to selecting the right bag. I opted for the Mocare travel duffle in blue. It has some great features, such as separate dry-wet compartments and it holds 34 Liters while only weighing about 1.4 lbs.
I’m not all that matchy-matchy, but these two seem to at least not clash. If you want a beautiful matching set, I’m sure you can find some lovely ones. Again, Travel Fashion Girls is an excellent source of information.
We traveled with these bags on a few shorter trips this year, trial runs you might say, and they worked quite well.