You know, I hate buying new things - like suitcases - when I have a perfectly good one already. Case in point - that big blue suitcase over to the right. I have had this suitcase for YEARS. It has nice BIG sturdy wheels. It has held up through numerous plane trips. It is great, except... well, it is heavy even when empty. We tend to hold onto things in my family - my Dad has had the same suitcase my entire life - it is on the small side, hard sided with a green marble finish and has cream trim. Anyone have one of these?
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For this trip I packed, weighed myself, weighed myself holding the suitcase, did the math, unpacked, repacked and repeated the process. My heavy suitcase was not helping the 50 pound weight limit at all (plus I am allowed an 18 pound carry-on and my laptop bag). An overweight bag, by just one pound, will cost $100 extra, up to $300 extra depending upon the extra weight... each way. Then, if you switch airline carriers mid-trip - guess what? You pay again. I have seen people having real problems with slightly overweight bags at airports.
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For a 3 month trip, I needed to bring all the Christmas presents (I try to keep this in mind when I shop and also try to buy very small items!), textbooks for school (that is just about the weight limit anyway - this semester my 2 books are e-books, thankfully), plus some clothes. Some. Just a few, seriously because by now I am past the weight limit. No matter how I repacked - that bag was always too heavy. At this point in time I was feeling like I should wear multiply layers of all my heaviest clothes to check-in and then zip into a bathroom after weigh-in and remove said layers and stuff them into the carry-on! When you are traveling to a cold climate, you need extra bulky clothes - maybe that idea wouldn't "fly" with airport security.
Obviously, the answer was a newer, lighter suitcase. So not what I wanted to spend money on, especially when I already have a suitcase. I went to all the area stores. I dragged my sister with me to discuss the pros and cons of each suitcase. I almost bought one, but then I didn't have my tape measure with me and not only is there a strict weight limit, but also measurements! Ugh. Finally, I got this wonderful brown bag at K-Mart for just $40. My frugal self knew that paying $40 up front in the long run could well save me over $200 in baggage fees. Plus, if you are going to spend money you might as well have something to show for it instead of paying "fines".
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I picked brown because I figured it was a color that the guys would not have an issue using should we ever switch bags. I went with the soft/fabric bag because I like the extra outside pockets to tuck things into at the last minute (although those hard cases are more popular right now - and one thing to consider - the hard cases are more waterproof!). My carry-on suitcase is hard-sided and blue, which used to sort-ov match my big blue bag. I know, now I don't "match". Oh - and my computer bag is purple floral. Really don't match! Seriously, if I had thought ahead a little bit, I would have ordered a complete matching set from Amazon!
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When I was shopping for a new suitcase, there were tons of "suitcase sets" on sale. I have to say - that middle sized suitcase is worthless for airplane travel - because you are no longer allowed to check 2 suitcases on most airline flights. HOWEVER, that medium sized suitcase is great if you do a lot of traveling in your car and need to check into a hotel. That small bag that comes with sets makes the perfect toiletry bag for hotels too or you can use it as a knitting bag or something like that! Buying a set is more economical because basically, you end up getting some bags for free. Except I didn't really want to spend money for a set right now so the $40 bag is fine and I will just have mis-matched luggage. It came with a 10 year warranty, which I stapled to the receipt and stuck into the inside pocket of the bag.
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For plane travel do yourself a favor and just have 1 big, ultra-light suitcase, plus your carry-on (all with WHEELS - I especially like the "spinner wheels" because your suitcase does not constantly fall over). Be mindful of the dimensions! And - weigh that packed bag before you leave for the airport.
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Oh - and the smaller the plane, the smaller the bag - so maybe you really will use that medium sized bag depending where you are going. Some small planes do not allow the big bag so again, check your ticket especially if you know you are transferring to a smaller plane somewhere along your trip. Happy light-weight travels!
Oh yes, I really do like some of these matching sets! Luggage sets make great graduation presents!
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