On Rick's colours for luggage

Eli-
I bought 4 RS Convertible Carry backpacks for my family (2 adults/2 teenage sons)for our upcoming month long Europe trip (yes we are---the GRISWOLDS!).I thought it would be best to have 4 different colors, I bought Merlot,Evergreen,Blue Spruce,and a Slate. They all are pleasant colors, look just like the colors on the website. I bought the additional straps too. I have used one of the backpacks on a few short trips and love it!
(they are onsale at the RS travel store online!!)

Mrs. Griswold (I cracked up when I saw you wrote that), when are you all going to Europe?

The colours you mentioned were the ones I was checking out. Thanks. Do you like the construction? Do they seem roomy enough?

The bags have many compartments. I used the backpack for Las Vegas and camping trips, worked great!
We will be traveling at the end of June until the end of July (kids school schedule). We will go to London,Paris,Sorrento,Rome,Venice,Lauterbrunnen,Munich, and end the trip in Prague.We are staying at many of the B&B's recommended on this site,(tough to find lodging with us families of 4). I've been to Europe a few times but this will be my husbands and sons' first time! Pack light,if you really need something you can buy it on the trip.

All of our bags are slightly different colors. Makes keeping track of the bags in the room much easier. Not much of an aid if you check luggage. We also used color handle covers -- all different.

Eli, you didn't mention whether you're getting the backpacks or the rolling cases. If you are thinking about the backpacks, I'd point out that my husband (6') has the regular-sized backpack (or convertible carryon), and I have the slightly smaller one (I'm 5'4") as it fits my back better. (We were able to use the store, which admittedly makes it an easier selection process.) Otherwise, all the colors are great and the construction is very sturdy.

four colors may be best - just remember that probably 95% of the other luggage if you check it is black - but that said - you dont want to stick outtoo much with neon gear! I think ricks colors are fine - but you can also use bright-handel covers to differentiate yours from other (if you do go with the black color for one of them).

Also - id recommend the packing cubes - if not ricks - then the eagle creek brand - they can all have their own color too!

We own 6 pieces of Rick Steves luggage and 1 Civita daypack and 1 Avanti flight bag. I've had very good luck, especially compared to my former Samsonite suitcases. I swear by their zippers. We own one 24" roll-on bag and plan to buy another. These are not available on the this website, but they are available through Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Rick-Steves-24-Roll-About-Merlot/dp/B000PWLZLG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1207770588&sr=8-2 The 21" roll-on is great when you have to use trains, or when you are going for a short time where you don't expect great weather changes. The 24" is better if you are renting a car and need more wardrobe/shoe options. Our colors include teal blue, green, black and maroon. When I've traveled with my children, my only rule is "handle your own luggage."

Traveling with 5, each of our bags was unique enough to be easily identifiable. I think it helps sort things out quickly when you are unloading. When traveling with kids, anything that prevents arguments over what belongs to whom is a good thing.

Since I travel for a living I see LOTS of luggage along the way. One of the best recognition features I've ever seen was someone who took their basic black bag, and used fabric paint (available and any hobby type store) to personalize their bags on the top, sides and bottom. No tags to loose, no floppy ribbons to get caught in a baggage belt, and no doubt that the bag was theirs. These folks actually created a type of "American Indian" motif that was quite eyecatching. To be sure, if someone else pulled that bag off the belt, it would be easily spotted. And if it was "mis-directed" by the airlines, it is easily described to the lost luggage office.

CJ - I have often thought it would be great to paint my bags for quick ID. I carry purple luggage and suddenly there is a lot of purple luggage out there. I hang bright ID tags on the bags and I make bright tassles for the zipper pulls. My artistic daughter will be busy painting my luggage next time she is in town. Thanks.

Eli,
We, too, are a "Griswold" family and travel with our children, ages 11 & 16. We have gone everywhere with our RS Convertible bags (Blue Spruce, Black, Navy & Merlot) and we also have matching Civita day packs. This makes everything easier to identify. We love the bags and never use anything else! We, too, are doing France and Switzerland for the whole month of July, so maybe we will see some of you, including Carol and family, there!
Lisa

All 4 of us are 5'10"> and the backpacks seem like the right size for us.
(( I'm not joking....our last name really is "GRISWOLD", good icebreaker)) :)

Hi Eli- I would definitely suggest getting 4 different colors or personalizing them in some way- just makes things easier. I ordered the slate regular sized convertible carry-on for myself and was very pleased with the construction of the bag and the color. However, I packed it up and tried it on and it just didn't feel right to me- it sort of hangs. If you and your family are tall it might be fine (was fine on my husband), but if any of you are shorter, you might want to try the smaller version as the other poster suggested. If I had seen that suggestion earlier I would have exchanged it, but I already returned the bag and ordered the MEI voyageur since it has an internal frame.
Kristy

I've seen the RS bags in person, and the web does pretty accurately indicate the colors. I have the Civita day pack and love it.

Not to be anti-Rick, but there are other options out there. I personally use the convertable backpack from eBags (see HERE). They also have rolling versions. They have a bigger color selection but their colors in person are much less vivid than the online depictions. I bought orange thinking it would be super bright and it's more mellow.

My two sisters and I all have the same RS bags in the same color and to identify which is ours, we each have a different colored luggage tage visible. It works great since none of us were too fond of the other colors of bags.

I second the votes for each person having different colored cubes. Makes hotel unpacking, sharing drawers much easier.

Also, may I suggest you get at least one rolling bag so that if someones is sick, or naviagating, or whatever, it would be easy for someone else to temporarily double up their load?

Happy travels.

RE: the Civita bag - I hauled my laptop to England in the Civita for a lot of genealogy research. The bag is awesome, and the fabric is so soft to the touch. I also took a 5 day trip from England to France, using the Civita as my luggage bag. That bag can hold a lot more than you'd think it can. It is 4 yrs old now, and when I look it over carefully, there is NO sign of wear anywhere.

I was in the Rick Steves store today, and the colors of the bags online very accurately represent the real thing.

One other thought - if you are planning to check your bag, I'd also suggest looking at the new Eddie Bauer Ripstop Rolling Duffels. I looked them over today as well, and am very seriously considering them instead of the RS bags. They won't qualify for carry-on (well, maybe the medium size will), but for sure they look like great bags.

Hubs and I each have an Avanti Flight Bag, which if I didn't have to haul meds, would probably do me for an entire trip. Those things are ROOMY. Mine is green, his is gray.
If I had kids to get for, I'd definitely get everyone their own color. Be so much easier to find at airports, etc.