Briefcases, bags and luggage

https://www.aussiedisposals.com.au/military-and-hunting/packs-and-bags/bag-dutch-hold-all-camo
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prince nez said:
I have a kit bag from these guys up in Byron Bay - good quality and good price. Not sure what shipping is like o/seas but free in Oz.

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https://www.ruggedluxury.com/collections/leather-bags/canvas-bags

They also make some nice-looking leather bags for those who want a bit of free weight training or something to pack neatly in their Porsche or Jag:

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Seems like decent kit and a good price. Shipping from Oz to Canadia:

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^ Ouch. But not unexpected considering how crap our postal service is. You’d save 10% gst though at least ~$30.
 
doghouse said:
I have an all satin black Rimowa I use if I have to carry suits or jackets. It's a very rugged piece.
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Is it metal or laminate plastic?
I’m intrigued by Rimowas and they look the mutt’s nuts, but as stated above they seem to attract dents. Some will say that’s part of the charm but if I pay a grand for a suitcase I expect to be buried in it decades from now and it still be in pristine condition.
It’s all very well saying ‘it’s just a carry on, you can always keep an eye on it’, but sometimes I end up on those Buddy Holly planes where you have to gate check your hand luggage and it’s at the mercy of the bag handlers.
They do a fiberglass type rollaboard which looks decent for half the price but I also don’t like how the handles don’t have a ‘half way’ point, which is useful if the escalator’s bust and you have to hump it. It’s fully retracted or fully extended, no stops. Inside curtains look nice. I’ve had a brief roam online for reviews which seem mixed. Still undecided. Currently using a Tumi Vapor but it’s seen better days and is small.
 
Irrespective of the shell and for the newer production runs of the last 5-10 years, the weak point of Rimowa is the handles and the wheels, which frequently jam. This is experience of hardcore users with >100 flights per year, so if you only do 100 for the rest of your life, you might not care.

Additionally they have (or used to have at least) excellent customer service, so if anything breaks they will usually just send you a new one no questions asked.

You might think that a piece of luggage that tries to create the impression of being rugged could be repaired and maybe it can, but at least Rimowa doesn‘t bother with that too much. Most likely because production is so cheap it is easier to just send a replacement.

If you don‘t like dents, don’t buy the metal ones. However, why anyone would buy a non-silver, non-metal Rimowa is beyond me.

If you want to try Rimowa, the usual recommendation is/was: Buy a cheap one from Ebay (ideally broken wheels, lost keys, etc) and send it to Rimowa for a free repair/replacement.

Don‘t know if/how the above has changed after being bought by LVMH. I‘ve been told prices have increased massively since then.
 
Thanks G. Interesting. I do about 100 flights a year. It’s good to learn that they seem to have a no quibble repair or replace policy but I’ve read reviews about the wheels and handles being suspect which is a bit of a worry on a supposedly rugged bulletproof case - surely they are the most important features?
 
Great White Snark said:
Is it metal or laminate plastic?
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Metal. Dents are definitely part of it, but I am ok with that.

güero said:
Irrespective of the shell and for the newer production runs of the last 5-10 years, the weak point of Rimowa is the handles and the wheels, which frequently jam. This is experience of hardcore users with >100 flights per year, so if you only do 100 for the rest of your life, you might not care.
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I have had handles go, but the wheels have always been solid in my experience.

I was knocking back about 250k miles a year for awhile, fwiw. I'd recommend them.
 
I’m on my third handle set on the Tumi Vapor. Both times it broke in the exact same point, where the actual handle meets the telescoping vertical rod. Both times United paid for the repair.
One wheel was getting sticky but I squirted some WD40 around and it’s fine now.
 
The issue I've had with Rimowa handles is the little push button mechanism for setting the different levels of telescoping wear out. Never actually broken the handle itself.
 
doghouse said:
The issue I've had with Rimowa handles is the little push button mechanism for setting the different levels of telescoping wear out. Never actually broken the handle itself.
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I’m interested to know what is and what is not covered by their famous warranty. Would this be covered? Next time I’m in their shop I’m gonna look into this further.
 
Great White Snark said:
surely they are the most important features?
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I agree, wheels and handles must be the most important feature of a trolley. I don't think that currently any manufacturer offers something that is truly rugged/solid/travel-proof. Personally I have never used a wheeled carry-on, I think it is for tourists. It has the single advantage of not having to carry a few kg for a few km at most and a whole array of disadvantages. Doesn't make any sense to me. But if you want one, I guess Rimowa is a good choice, if only for their service and the design/nostalgia.
 
On the contrary, when I’m a tourist I’m with the family and we have large cases for extended stays so we check as much as we can and I may only have a shoulder bag with a few essentials to carry on.
When I’m travelling for business I have two or three days’ clothes etc in a rollaboard and laptop and work stuff in a satchel which fits over the handles. There are often long walks through airports but when I arrive at my destination (or home airport) I can get out of the airport ASAP and not have to hang around the carousel waiting for luggage to appear. Having a four wheeler has been a revelation and so much easier if I’m forced to do the ‘airport sprint’ on a tight connection. The decision to carry all my stuff with me removes the likelihood of arriving at destination while my clothes have been sent elsewhere.
 
True but besides the (my) point. I was not talking about checking lugagge, I hardly ever do that (no kids).

My point was that I don't have to wheel my carry-on bag around, because I'm perfectly capable of carrying 5-10 days (business, fortunately overcome) or 10-20 days (leisure) of stuff around. Even considering that I can pack more stuff/more weight when I don't have handles and wheels in my way. A wheeled carry-on just doesn't make any sense, to me at least. I know its different for business clowns (not saying you are one), they must have either Rimowa or Tumi and many of them even need to wheel their laptop around on a day-trip like some geriatric grandma. I see it at every airport and many train stations, it's just pathetic (to me!).

The tourist vs. traveller thing was meant metaphorically, it's a mentality thing, it has nothing to do with the actual purpose of the trip. But this is a clothes not a travel forum, so no need to discuss this. Buy a Rimowa and be happy! If you're unsure because of the price, get it used and have it refurbished. It might not necessarily be a better product than the Tumi, but it certainly looks better.
 
güero said:
Personally I have never used a wheeled carry-on
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Yeah, 90% of my travel has been done without them too. I got a hard shell for carrying multiple suits without getting them smashed to hell, which the Rimowa has been pretty effective for.
 
How are you all traveling with suits and jackets? Since most of my work travel is by road, I’ve just been carrying them on the hangers, but I’ve been thinking about getting the Filson garment bag.
 
I can't be bothered with a garment bag. Since most of my work trips are only for 2-3 days, I usually take one suit or one pair of odd trousers and an odd jacket, plus different shirts, ties and pocket squares. I fold my jacket inside out, although still keep the sleeves the right way around, then fold the jacket vertically in half along the back seam. Then I fold it gently in half horizontally and place it in the suitcase. I fold my trousers into thirds or quarters and tuck the trousers inside the jacket.

I tend to jackets or suits made from a more open weave, such as hopsack or Crispaire, or a mohair blend, as they all tend to wrinkle less and what wrinkles they do get tend to fall out overnight once I hang the jacket and trousers up in the hotel.

I hate having checked luggage on business trips and so I always pack everything into one small, carry-on suitcase.
 
There are of course those travel blazers that you can roll-up and crunch into balls and such like. I wanted one of these back in the day:



I think they were around GBP 200 back in the late 1990s. Now they're GBP 130. Cheap as chips.

Travelling light is the mission and I will go for week plus trips with everything in a carry-on, but I will use the hotel laundry. Also shoe trees have to come.
 
Dropbear said:
How are you all traveling with suits and jackets? Since most of my work travel is by road, I’ve just been carrying them on the hangers, but I’ve been thinking about getting the Filson garment bag.
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I wrap pack everything including suits and jackets. I rarely use a garment bag, even when travelling by car. Think it's more convenient with just one bag.
 
You can save dry cleaning bags, and after you fold your jackets and shirts, just slide them in. The friction between different fabric is what causes most wrinkles.
 
An advert in ‘Private Eye’ drew my attention to a company called blokes bags. The logo features a Victorian or gay moustache. https://www.blokesbags.co.uk/

It offers ‘clutch handbags’ for men.

‘The men's handbag (also known as a clutch bag, or abbreviated as "manbag") is just one of the more recent cultural shifts in the fashion industry, and we think it's absolutely brilliant. These clutch bags are a brilliant addition to your everyday life, featuring space to hold your phone, wallets, pens, documents and much more; we definitely recommend being a part of this.’

Might suit fashionable types who pose on catwalks with housewives shopping bags.

Not for me though.
 
The zip broke on my 25y.o. Filson duffle. Free shipping and repair, no questions asked. I was very impressed with the service.
 
^ Exactly. My Filson's now about ten years old and apart from a bit of dirt, still looks fantastic with not issues at all.
 
This is really admirable in a company like Filson's, it really is a solid company with a great name ... normally most companies in your situation reduce quality and never give good after-sales service. It really is excellent
 
Kingstonian said:
An advert in ‘Private Eye’ drew my attention to a company called blokes bags. The logo features a Victorian or gay moustache. https://www.blokesbags.co.uk/

It offers ‘clutch handbags’ for men.

‘The men's handbag (also known as a clutch bag, or abbreviated as "manbag") is just one of the more recent cultural shifts in the fashion industry, and we think it's absolutely brilliant. These clutch bags are a brilliant addition to your everyday life, featuring space to hold your phone, wallets, pens, documents and much more; we definitely recommend being a part of this.’

Might suit fashionable types who pose on catwalks with housewives shopping bags.

Not for me though.
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Never been able to allow to use a man bag. In the 80s, I lived in Turkey with the Generals, and at that time all the Turks I knew carried a clutch bag. I was given one and I tried to use it for the massive amounts of cash that had to be carried. But daily I had to return to restaurants as waiters called 'Monsieur' after me and beckoning towards the bag. I soon gave the bag away.
 
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