Travel Luggage - What Features Should Travelers Look For?

Most travelers have bought inexpensive travel luggage that literally fell apart after only a few years of traveling and vacationing.  Sometimes it seems that most times in life you really only get what you pay for.  It makes a lot of sense to invest in a more expensive, durable set of luggage.  Quality counts in the long run, and can save you a significant amount of money by not constantly purchasing cheaply made luggage.

Make sure that you always buy wheel-equipped luggage, including your carry-on.  Check and make sure that the telescopic handles will lock in both the low and high positions.  This is especially important if you are a tall person, as you don't want to be always stooping over just to pull your luggage along.

One of the top-of-the-line, wheeled, nineteen inch roller board carry-ons is TravelPro's FlightPro4.  Another top brand name luggage is Tumi.

It's a good idea to carry luggage bungee cords with you to tie down any piggybacked luggage you may have.

What important things should you look for in larger-sized luggage?

Soft-sided luggage is superior to hard-sided suitcases because the locks on the latter can easily break open when your luggage is unceremoniously thrown around.  Luggage handlers have a well-deserved reputation when it comes to not being gentle when it comes to transferring luggage to and from airplanes to airport terminals.  The luggage should be sewn with strong and durable, 1,000 denier cordura nylon or polyester.  It should also have double or triple stitching as well as extra reinforcing at all stress points.  Each piece of luggage should have a padded, expandable handle that will lock into both short and long handle positions.  All luggage that you buy should be light-weight, expandable, and have outside pockets.  Look for brightly colored luggage because it is easier to pick out as it circles endlessly around the carousel.  Your luggage should have large zippers and wide, rubber, recessed wheels.

Luggage reviews can be researched on the website LuggageOnLine.com.

If you are planning to purchase luggage that has detachable handles or straps, you should take them off at the airport, so they don't get hung up on conveyer belts.

What should you look for in a backpack?

When shopping for a backpack, it should be lightweight and feel comfortable while you are wearing it when it is full.  Gender-specific design and a built-in lumbar support are two important features that will greatly increase your comfort.  The backpack should also have a weather resistant polyurethane coating, a zip-off day pack, outside and inside pockets as well as a hip belt with pockets, and adjustable, padded, wide straps.  The backpack's carrying capacity should be approximately 4,000 to 5,000 cubic inches.

Some backpacks have a light-weight steel mesh grid sewn inside to prevent valuable personal items from falling out if it is slashed by a robber while it is being worn.

Three of the top-of-the-line backpack brand names are REI, ArcTeryx, and GoLite