Tumi bags

Over the years, we’ve owned a lot of luggage. Some we’ve loved. Some we’ve loathed. And there wasn’t always a correlation between how much we spent and how well we liked it.

For years, we admired Tumi bags, but resisted because of the price. Travel is so hard on luggage, that we couldn’t justify spending so much on something that would never look as good as it did in the showroom.

But we finally broke down and bought Tumi luggage. Only then did we realize that although Tumi bags are undeniably stylish, that’s not what you’re paying for. It’s the technology, materials, and craftsmanship that command the high price. If you’re a serious traveler, Tumi luggage can make your trips easier and more pleasant.

Gone are the days of being limited to black nylon with black leather trim. Although that’s still an option, today, there are several collections you can choose from. And the graffiti-inspired Tag line is colorful, fun, and even whimsical.

You’ll have no trouble finding a style that suits you. But what you should really pay attention to are the features that set a Tumi bag apart.

Perhaps the most valuable benefit for travelers is the Tumi Tracer system. When you buy a Tumi bag your contact information is entered into their database along with the unique, 20-digit identification number of your suitcase – it’s permanently affixed to the bag on a metal place. If your bag is lost or misdirected, it’s simple to track it to you – even if there’s no other identification.

Tumi Ducati

Tumi has always been a pioneer in their use of materials. They’ve turned to aviation, sporting goods, and the automotive industry for inspiration. They were the first to use ballistic nylon, and 30 years later, their FXT ballistic fabric can stand up to almost anything.

Their wheels are also best of breed, which is critical when running through the airport or negotiating cobblestone streets. Sealed steel ball bearings, custom-designed bushings, and solid steel axles ensure that Tumi bags roll effortlessly, anywhere.

Handles are made from aircraft-grade aluminum so they’re both lightweight and strong. A patented system keeps zippers from breaking. And the Add-a-bag system lets travelers carry multiple items easily.

Current collections include Alpha, which offers classic Tumi good looks and functionality; Alpha Bravo, for soft, unstructured pieces with an urban sensibility; the sleek and sporty T3 line; the casual T-Tech line; Vapeur, which features lightweight hardside cases in sophisticated colors; and Tag, designed in collaboration with New York graffiti artist John “Crash” Matos.

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Read more luggage information.

Tumi bags Image Flickr: hyku
Tumi Ducati Image Flickr: hyku

Tumi luggage

Not that long ago, people chose travel bags based on appearance as much as anything else. A nice looking suitcase was as much a fashion statement as a way to transport your things. In those days, porters, skycaps or bellmen handled your luggage, so it didn’t matter much how easy it was to carry.

In 1989, a pilot for Northwest Airlines developed the roll-aboard bag. Not long after, travelers started carrying their own luggage, and porters went the way of buggy whips. Nowadays, no matter where you’re traveling, you’ll likely have to carry your luggage yourself once in a while, so it’s important to buy travel luggage that will make that as easy as possible.

Since the airlines started charging to check bags, carry on luggage will save you both time and money. And several new features that can reduce travel hassles are now available. So if you’re shopping for luggage, make sure you get bags that incorporate the latest bells and whistles.

Today, four wheels are just as common as two. And two or four of them may swivel a full 360 degrees. With swivel wheels, you can turn on a dime, and it takes a lot less effort to move the bag. But on inclines, bags with swivel wheels can roll away on their own.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) sometimes needs to open luggage, so if you want to lock your bags, you’ll need to use the kind that can be opened by the TSA with a master key. Some luggage makers, such as Tumi and Victorinox Swiss Army, have built-in locks that are TSA compliant.

Lightweight luggage superstars.

When it comes to weight, the lighter the better. And several different kinds of luggage are available that weigh less than seven pounds in the 20” size. The nylon Hartmann Zoom is one of the lightest soft-sided bags at six pounds.

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Although it seems counter-intuitive, hard-sided luggage is now extremely lightweight. Bags made of polycarbonate and ABS plastic (PC-ABS) — the material that bullet-proof glass is made of — are very durable but flexible enough to cram into an overhead bin. Many of these bags come in bright colors that make them easy to spot on the carousel.

If you can afford it, Samsonite’s Cosmolite line is light as a feather. Made of layers of woven polypropylene, the 20” carry on weighs in at just 4.9 pounds. Slightly smaller, the 20” x 13” x 9” Tumi Vapor carry-on weighs a little more, but is suitable for international flights. Both are priced around $400.

In a novel twist, Delsey has come out with a Pullman case that features a built-in scale that weighs itself. When the total weight exceeds 50 pounds — the limit for most airlines these day — an indicator light turns red. Made from the lightweight fiberglass-graphite composition used for tennis rackets, it’s another good choice.

The right ergonomic design can redistribute the weight of a bag and reduce the effort required to carry or move it. Some designs minimize stress on the shoulders, arms, and back. And straps, harnesses, and handles can make luggage seem lighter than it is. So be sure to wheel the bag around, carry it with the shoulder strap, and try out all the handles before making a decision to buy it.

Find more luggage tips or read our packing tips.

Tumi luggage Image Flickr: hyku

In 2006, we flew in business class to Buenos Aires. It took forever to clear customs and immigration. And by the time we got to baggage claim, our travel bag was long gone.

Although we recovered it quickly – someone had picked it up by mistake – spending our first two hours in Buenos Aires at the lost bag desk wasn’t an ideal start.

In 2008, we flew from Los Angeles to Rome via JFK. Although we made the connection, one of our bags didn’t. And it took over a week for it to catch up to us.

Since then we’ve limited ourselves to carry-on bags. And it’s made our trips easier, more enjoyable, and even less expensive. The benefits of traveling with a carry-on bag are compelling – but you’ll need some advance trip planning to pull it off.

Here are our steps for getting everything you need for two weeks in one small travel bag:

1) Buy a travel bag that you can actually carry on. Domestic carriers let you carry on bags that total 45” – usually 22” x 14” x 9”. International airlines sometimes are more restrictive. So check their website for details.

2) Create a packing list based on where you’re going, what you’ll actually be doing, and the weather. You can use one from a travel website or guidebook as a starting point, but tailor it to your specific trip.

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3) Figure out the shoe situation. This is far and away the hardest part. If you can, wear your biggest shoes on the plane. If you can’t, stuff them with socks, underwear, and other small items wrapped in a plastic bag. Try to limit yourself to three pairs – one for walking around, one for nice dinners, and a pair of flip flops or sneakers. Waterproof them before you leave, and make sure they’re broken in. Pack some moleskin anyway.

4) Wear your coat, jacket, or sweater on the plane. Cabin temperature being what it is, you’ll probably want it anyway.

5) The only way to get everything you need for two weeks into one small travel bag is to wear each article of clothing several times. Instead of taking 14 days’ worth of outfits, take three or four. This necessitates doing laundry, which is easy if you stay for two or three days at a hotel with laundry service.

6) If not, you’ll need to do two things: 1) take clothes made of synthetic fibers that will dry quickly, and 2) take laundry supplies. We like the little individual packets of Woolite. They’re phosphate-free and biodegradable, and they rinse clean. You’ll need a stopper for the sink and a clothes line, although these days, many hotels – even nice ones – have them above the tub. Don’t wring your wet clothes. Blot them with a dry towel, and then hang them. That way, you won’t need to iron them. And if the bathroom window opens, so much the better.

7) Take clothes that all go with each other. If you take one pair of brown pants, then you need brown shoes, a brown belt, etc. But if all your clothes are black and navy, you can mix and match to create more outfits. Plus, they’ll stay cleaner longer than white or khaki.

8) Choose clothes that are versatile and can do double duty. A scarf or wrap can provide warmth and also dress up a plain outfit. Choose a nightshirt that makes an acceptable pool cover up. You can wear a nice quilted jacket almost anywhere.

9) Don’t take anything inexpensive and unwieldy that you could just as easily buy there. You can probably pick up a snorkel, mask, and fins at your destination for less than it would cost at home anyway.

10) Books and magazines weigh a lot and take up a tremendous amount of space. Leave the guidebooks at home and bring along photocopies or digital versions of the information instead.

Read more luggage and packing tips here.

Tips for finding the best luggage

But the right luggage can help make your trip easier and more enjoyable.  And with a few simple packing tips you’ll have everything you need and still feel agile and unencumbered.

Start by creating a packing list.

You won’t really know what kind of travel luggage will work best for your trip until you know what you should  take.  The goal is to carry as few things as possible and still feel comfortable — physically and socially — and prepared for the conditions you’re most likely to encounter.

To figure out what you’ll need, think about what you’ll be doing each day and night of your trip.  Will you be swimming, hiking, staying in fine hotels, or walking for miles on end?  What’s the weather like?  Does the forecast call for rain, snow, cool nights, or constant sunshine.

By now, you should have a pretty good idea of what to take.  Lay it all out on the bed and then try to reduce it by half.  If you’re going someplace where you’ll need a coat or sweater, plan to wear it on the plane.  Ditto your heaviest pair of shoes.

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Carry on luggage is your best bet.  So if you can fit everything in a carry on bag, finding the right bag for your trip will be pretty easy.  

Shopping for travel luggage.

Many bags that are sold in the United States as carry ons are too big for international flights.  Usually, the maximum size for carry on luggage is 22” x 18” by 10”.  But some airlines have a maximum length of 20”.  To be sure, check the exact dimensions allowed on the airlines’ web site.

If the bag expands, make sure it’s smaller than that when fully extended.  Or plan to check it on the way back if you take advantage of the extra capacity.

Whatever you do, don‘t buy luggage without wheels, preferably in-line skate wheels.  Being able to roll your bag while you’re running for a train or plane is a tremendous advantage.  But even if your bag rolls, make sure that it’s light enough to carry comfortably when full.  There are always unexpected flights of stairs, puddles, and other circumstances which will require you to carry your luggage yourself.  

Since carrying your bag once in a while is inevitable, make sure that the other set of handles is comfortable, well-located, and suitably padded.

Leather bags may look great and wear well, but the added weight isn’t worth it.  If possible, buy a bag that weighs less than ten pounds.

What to look for in a carry on bag.

If you travel a lot, invest in luggage made of ballistic nylon.  It’s more expensive than other materials but wears and lasts longer.  If you travel less frequently, cordura nylon luggage will probably be rugged enough.

Depending on design, even bags that are the same size can vary in capacity. So check the inside to make sure there’s plenty of room for your things.  Although having the handle retract inside the bag sacrifices some packing space, bags of that design are less likely to be damaged.

A single bar, with a T-shaped handle is less stable than  a bag with a handle made up of two bars.  And make sure the handle locks into position.  

The more interior straps the bag has, the less wrinkled your clothes will be.  And a shoe compartment or zippered pouch is a nice feature.

Tumi bags are extremely well made, long-lasting, and stylish.   But they’re very expensive.  Victorinox, also known as Swiss Army Luggage, is almost as well designed and is more affordable.   

What to do if you have to check your luggage.  

Chances are, you won’t be able to get everything you need for a three-week trip across Australia in a carry on.  So if you need to take a bigger bag, follow the same guidelines.  Make sure the luggage you take is not too big or heavy to carry yourself.  And pack as little as you can.

To minimize the inconvenience of a lost bag, include a complete itinerary with the dates and phone numbers of where you’ll be staying inside every piece of your luggage.   That way, the airline will be able to track you down and know where to send your luggage when it is located.

Pack several of your outfits in your companion’s bag and vice versa.  If your bag goes missing, you’ll at least have more than the clothes on your back.  And always take clean underwear, toiletries, prescriptions, and anything you can’t get along without in your carry on.  

Luggage image Flickr: geishaboy500