Previous experience
After you have confirmed your vacation destination, chosen your tour category, and after making the necessary pre-arrangement. Then, the next task that you need to do is to buy a piece of suitable luggage for your trip or to take out the traveling bag that has long rested inside your house’s storeroom.
Have you ever experienced while during the process of luggage claiming, you were being asked by another traveler whether you have claimed the wrong bag, or you were unable to recognize your bag as it has the same material type and color as other luggage owners? You can’t find extra space to fit it into the luggage bag for the souvenirs that you have bought, or you wish you have chosen the correct wheeled bag to ease your worries to carry your luggage along the rough city sidewalks.
The common types of travel bags that I usually use
Listed below is the information on the various types of traveling luggage or bags that I usually choose for my different types of trips, tours, or vacations. Which include either a short meeting trip, joining in a paid guided tour, travel as a single adventurer, or attending a month-long overseas practical training. I will prefer to;
a. Rolling luggage - It comes with either 2 or 4 wheeled bags, this type of rolling bag will help to ease my worries about carrying all my gear inside my backpack, especially when my travel destination includes city road or when there is a need to travel inside a huge international airport to get to the boarding gate.
b. Duffel bag - is a large size bag, made from natural or synthetic fabric, usually, comes with top closure using a drawstring. It is easily adaptable due to the lack of rigidity and stable frame. Sometimes it is used as a sling bag. I love to bring along a duffel bag whenever I make one or two days domestic trip.
c. Wheeled backpack - I will select a wheeled bag when my trip includes traveling through different types of terrains, or when I am engaged in an outdoor activity like hiking or mountain climbing. It gave me the flexibility option of either rolling the pack or wearing it as a backpack.
d. Travel backpack - travel backpack is usually smaller in size than a suitcase. Traveling on a backpack means that there is no need for me to bring along the extra weight, especially for a short travel trip.
d. Carry-on luggage - a carry-on bag, hand luggage, or cabin luggage, is usually allowed to be carried onboard and kept inside the overhead compartment. Normally, this extra space allows me to safely keep my personal belongings: laptop, important documents, or a place to keep my bulky winter gears for an easy change before landing.
Situations when I choose either for a hard or a soft luggage
Choosing between hard vs soft luggage is depending on the traveler's personalized traveling plan and packing style. The pros of the soft bag are it is easier to squeeze into the tight cabin compartment, and it can absorb shock much better than the hard bag, Soft bags are more common on sales, especially for a duffel bag, travel backpack, or carry-on suitcase. It is also lightweight and makes it easier to sling over the shoulder.
Meanwhile, the hard suitcase quality and performance have been improved and upgraded consistently to fulfill the customer’s satisfaction. The quality has evolved not only from a lightweight bag to an ultra-lightweight suitcase but also it has become extremely strong and durable. That is why a hard suitcase is my perfect choice for checked-in baggage because of its large size and the hard suitcase can protect my fragile items from being damaged during transporting process to or from the aircraft.
I am an organized person, I choose hard luggage because of its unique design and innovations. Unlike the soft suitcase, hard luggage is designed in a clamshell style, comes with two equal compartments that fold together which allowed more space for my desired packing style. Apart from that, hard luggage are easy to clean compared to soft bag.
Two wheels or four?
When it comes to choosing whether to get two wheels or four wheels bag? It pretty much depends on the geographical landscape of my vacation destination. If my vacation holidays plan only involved city travels; transferring luggage from one hotel to another hotel, then a four-wheeled type will be my best choice.
Furthermore, a four-wheeled type will allow for an easy maneuver even with a fully packed bag. It is also an excellent option for travelers who are experiencing musculoskeletal conditions, to mention travelers with back pain or mobility disability, or for solo travelers.
However, when my vacation plan required me to travel along rough or uneven paved roads or sideways or I may need to carry my bag up the curb or stairs, then a two-wheeled bag will help me to keep the bag in a stationary position even on an uneven surface. The main drawbacks for two-wheeled luggage are that I need to drag the bag behind me and sometimes the pulling motion causes sprain and soreness to my wrists and shoulders
Do stay tuned for more details on my travel guides on choosing the right traveling bag for your trip, Part 2.
The lead image is taken from Unsplash