I wanted to start off this series by discussing the topic of
purchasing luggage and travel packs, the most important purchase for travel
lovers like myself. What better way to begin than by sharing a great experience
I had today. In preparation for my upcoming trip to Europe, I needed to buy a
really good travel backpack to get me through 5 cities in 3 weeks. I did a lot
of research on the best brands for travel gear and realized it would be vital to
visit a store and try a few out for myself. So today, my mom accompanied me on
a visit to the great outdoors store, REI.
I have visited this store before for buying spinning shoes,
but today I was impressed by their huge inventory of outdoor and travel equipment,
as well as their knowledgeable staff and excellent service. This is a place I HIGHLY recommend for anyone
going on a big trip, or for those who participate in outdoor activities,
sports, etc. They even have an excellent lifetime rewards program. This is as
good as it gets!
I went in anticipating that I’d try a few brands of
backpacks out and get a general idea. Not only did I get to do that, but I
picked a great one out and the salesman showed me every single bell and whistle
on this bad boy, put it on me, strapped me in, and even packed it with weights
so I could get a real feel of how it would be to carry 30lbs of gear on my
back. This was eye opening and I am SO thankful because I realized how much I
will only be screwing myself by packing a lot of stuff like I usually do. So I
cannot stress how important this may be to anyone else looking to travel
extensively like me. These people at REIs are not only experts on this stuff,
but many of them travel pretty frequently too so they know firsthand. They also
do not make commissions on sales so they are totally honest. I seriously couldn’t
thank our salesman enough. He was truly awesome.
We settled on the Osprey Porter Travel 65Pack, which is a
nice size for a taller/stronger girl like myself that will fit 65 liters of
items. I probably would not recommend this for shorter or smaller girls, but it
seems like a PERFECT fit for me. The most important features are that it:
-
Is water resistant, so it can last through a
small amount of rain or moisture, and will not damage or wet your items inside.
This is important to consider because if your pack is NOT water resistant or
waterproof, any water WILL wet your clothes inside and lead to a mess.
-
Had padded shoulder straps and additional straps
for the chest and hips for extra support
-
Is expandable so it can truly stretch to
hold a lot and then can be squeezed by
the two straps in the front to condense it down quite a bit
-
Had a lot of pockets and compartments, including
one at the bottom for shoes and one on the top for easy access to items of
frequent use or need
-
Is a durable, quality fabric that will literally
last FOREVER
-
Comes in many colors, so this bright red/orange
color will be easily identifiable
-
Has zippers that can easily be locked
-
Is easy to strap on and unstrap off, for easy
wear and mobility and good fit, which is important when carrying a lot of
weight on your back
For me personally, this one is perfect. That is only because
I do not mind checking the bag since I am only taking a roundtrip flight to and
from Europe, and for the rest of my travel will utilize trains to get around
within the European cities I’m visiting. For those who will fly more frequently
or do not like to check their bags, you definitely want to invest in a smaller
pack, such as the 46 liter pack which is small enough to be checked. This is
also a better size for smaller girls like I mentioned. Also, the cost of my
particular choice is $150, which is exactly what I wanted to spend. Some packs may
cost up to $300. This is an investment that will last you many years and can
make or break your experience when traveling abroad, so in my opinion, you don’t
want to go too cheap and end up with something that isn’t practical or won’t
last. Generally, both the REI and Osprey brands are reliable quality with many
good reviews. But I would definitely recommend reviewing what other users have
shared on Amazon reviews to decide for yourself.
I had a great experience overall with the gentleman who
showed me the ins and outs of this pack, including every pocket, compartment,
strap, and latch. I cannot stress how valuable this was for me, as I was
tempted to just order it online and then would not have truly understood how to
use it (packing it, fitting it how it’s supposed to, ensuring weight is evenly
distributed, etc). Therefore, I really wanted to emphasize that buying this
type of thing is always better in person.
In addition, the salesman had a few other great
recommendations and product suggestions that I wanted to share. He stressed that
bringing 18 days’ worth of clothes would ensure a miserable time in carrying my
pack. Real backpackers and travel experts tend to pack a few LIGHT items that
can be mixed and matched, and will be washed and reused the entire time. This
is something I have heard numerous times throughout my research. So as much as
I want to look fly and bring a ton of cute outfits with me, I realize it’s just
not practical on this type of trip.
I ended up buying a travel clothesline (top right in photo
above) for about $10 that will clip in almost any shower type to dry clothes. I also bought some travel wash for my clothes
(bottom right in photo above) so that I can wash my clothes in the bathroom sink
of my hotels. This is something I am truly not used to having to do while on
vacation, but I really believe it will come in handy and will be crucial in
packing light.
Another thing I bought was some good “walking socks” (left in
photo above, left). I never even knew these existed until now. These socks are
made with some good padding to reduce any pain caused by tons of walking while
sightseeing. They are also as thin as possible and designed to eliminate any
odor or sweating so they can be worn for multiple days if needed. They were
kind of pricey at $16 a pair, but I figure 2-3 pairs will definitely come in handy,
since I plan to be on my feet pretty much the entire trip.
So after my visit to REI, I feel a lot better and more
prepared for my Europe trip, and am more excited than ever that I will finally
be going soon.
In addition to this experience today, I wanted to share my
recent experience on buying actual luggage. I have been searching for a new
suitcase for many months. This is something that is NOT easy to find when you’re
as picky as me! So I have literally lost count of how many stores and websites
I’ve visited during my hunt. Again, I think it’s much more ideal to purchase
this type of item in person so you
can really inspect it and know exactly what you’re buying, which unfortunately
online shopping cannot offer. I believe luggage is an investment for those of us
who travel a lot, and therefore is something you don’t want to skimp on too
much. At the same time, luggage is NOT meant to last forever, and will
inevitably get messed up when it’s thrown around throughout airports, and
therefore isn’t something you want to spend a TON on. I just can’t see myself
spending thousands on designer luggage that will get scratched up, torn up and
will need to be replaced within a few years. Therefore, this is the criteria I
was looking for in my luggage:
-
A hard shell: I had never bought this type
before as I was loyal to fabric suitcases…. However, these have become insanely
popular in the last few years due to its increased durability in being thrown
around by baggage handlers. My soft suitcases have gotten torn the hell up in
just a couple years and have also got soaking wet in the rain, which damaged my
items inside. So despite the disadvantage that hard-shell luggage does get
scratched up, I was looking to give it a try.
-
Light-weight: I tend to push that 50lb weight
limit on baggage a lot of times, so I need as much of that weight to be from my
actual items rather than from the luggage itself. Some larger suitcases can
weigh up to 15lbs, leaving you with less weight for your belongings. Therefore,
I was hoping for something under 10lbs.
-
Colorful: I cannot stand waiting at the luggage
carousel and seeing 90% of the bags being black and plain, so every single
person thinks it’s theirs. I think this leads to a higher chance of someone
else “accidentally” picking up your luggage, plus it’s harder to spot your own.
So I always aim for some bright color or pattern that will make my bag easier
to distinguish as my own.
-
Compartments: I am a sucker for organization. So
I was hoping to find something with at least a few zipper and straps to better
organize and hold my stuff.
-
Four wheels: This makes life a LOT easier when
your luggage has smooth mobility with four high-quality wheels. You will know exactly what I mean if you’ve ever had
one of your wheels break or keep getting jammed.
-
A price range of $80-120. I believe this is reasonable
for a large size luggage that is good quality and long-lasting. Some can be up
to $500 and I just refuse to pay that much for something I do not anticipate
lasting over 5-10 years at my rate of travel anyway.
After many trips all over the damn place (mostly multiple TJ
Maxx, Ross, Marshall’s in different cities as these are my favorites stores
that offer a variety of luggage brands at a great bargain), I finally found my
baby. I found her at the TJ Maxx in Laurel, Maryland. I saw her from across the
store, and it was love at first sight. She is a hard-shell beauty with a glossy
pale peach cover, a unique color that I have never seen in other luggage and I feel
totally fits me and my personality… peach is actually one of my favorite
colors! She has 4 wheels, multiple compartments and straps inside, an easy to
use and smooth handle; and cost only $90. Also, she weighs about 9lbs, which is
impressive for a hard shell suitcase. So she absolutely fit every one of my
criteria! Also, she is an “It” suitcase, a British brand has gotten a great
reputation for being affordable, practical and good quality luggage of all
types. Oh, and yes, she IS a she. I could NOT be happier.
Isn’t she pretty?!
The real test was when I finally put her to use on an actual
trip. I flew Southwest to Miami a few weeks ago and she held up very well. She got
scratched up pretty badly, which I had expected. However, I wiped the scuffs
and scratches down with rubbing alcohol and most of them went away quite easily. As you can see in the pictures above, she still looks brand new. This luggage is sure to get me through many trips over the next few years, as I
will be traveling back and forth to Hawaii, and visiting God knows where else.
So I could not be happier. Waiting until I found the right luggage to make that
purchase was definitely worth it!
So the moral of the story is, buying luggage and travel
packs is not easy. It definitely takes time and patience. It will require
shopping around and is NOT something you can just buy on an impulse or without
some good legwork involved. Decide what criteria is important to you, ask for
help by the pros when you need it, and do not give up until you find it. And
you will!
