Friday, August 8, 2008

Carry-On-Luggage - Best Features Vacationers Should Look For

By Dorothy Yamich


I'm sure that most travelers have at one time or another bought inexpensive travel luggage that literally fell apart after only a few years of traveling and vacationing. It seems that most times in life you get what you pay for, so it may make a lot of sense to invest in a more expensive, but very durable set of luggage. Quality counts. And, in the long run you can save a lot of money by not continually buying 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.

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

Always take luggage bungee cords with you so you can tie down and piggyback your luggage if needed.

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

Soft-sided luggage is superior to hard-sided suitcases as the locks on the latter can easily break open when your luggage is thrown around. Luggage handlers are not noted for being gentle when it comes to transferring luggage from place to place. The luggage should be made of strong, durable, 1,000 denier cordura nylon or polyester, and have double or triple stitching as well as extra reinforcing at all stress points. Each piece should have a padded, expandable handle that locks into both short and long handle positions. The luggage should also be light-weight, expandable, and have outside pockets. Brightly colored luggage is easier to pick out as it circles around the carousel. Lastly, your luggage should have large zippers and wide, rubber, recessed wheels.

There are a number of luggage reviews that can be researched on the web at 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 are the features that you should you look for when buying a backpack?

Backpacks should be lightweight and feel comfortable while being worn when they are full. Gender-specific designs and built-in lumbar supports will greatly increase a person's comfort. As well, backpacks should have a weather resistant polyurethane coating, a zip-off day pack, outside and inside pockets as well as a hip belt with pockets, and last but not least, adjustable, padded, wide straps. Their carrying capacity should be about 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.

A few of the top-of-the-line backpack brand names are ArcTeryx, REI, and GoLite.

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