Age, fragility, and carry-on only

I would use whatever bag/suitcase allows you to travel in February. Would taking a backpack type hurt when you take it on & off? Or, will it be a problem to manage picking up your roller bag when you need to go up & down stairs in a train station? Or, is there pain if you need to grab the handle of the train when loading & disembarking?

I love my Cotopaxi 35L backpack type, but I brought my old 2-wheel carryon for the recent Christmas Market tour because I wanted to bring home items, and that bag’s more protective. If you have both types, you could choose which would be best for a particular trip.

Hope you fully heal very soon!

Oh, sorry about your broken arm! Stay with what you always take. If you find the backpack and bag won’t work as you get closer to your trip, go out and buy a cheap roller at a local TJMax or Ross, or your store of choice.

How has your affliction affected the range of motion in your arms, and is it optimistic to expect a complete recovery by February? I still find it cumbersome to put on and remove my relatively small Appenzell pack, which I use as my carry-on - especially in a winter coat - I check my classic RS 22" roller. A full-size backpack, perhaps approaching 20 pounds in weight, would be more difficult for me.

I just returned from 9 days in London and the roller performed as expected - including 10 minute walks from the tube station to the hotel over various degrees of rough pavement, and maneuvering the stairs transferring lines at Piccadilly Circus.

The nature of your trip may be a factor - to what extent will you be on the move? I would play it safe and go with the roller.

I hear you. You're used to a backpack but due to your injury you're not sure if you should use that for your trip in a few weeks or get a rolling bag.

No one knows how well you will be healed by the time of your trip nor how you will feel by then.

But you don't want to pay full price for an RS rolling bag if you don't need to use it. Of course buying the bag now would save money but if you don't like it, or don't use it, you would have to pay to return it. That's not cheap.

So how about an alternative? I'm going to suggest this...

US Traveler 20" Rio

This bag won't last a lifetime but should help you get by should the backpack not work. If you choose the black it's only $36. Other colors are a little more expensive. If it arrives and you don't like it, Amazon offers free returns.

After your trip, should you decide that a wheeled bag is for you, and you feel this bag is not going to last, you will then have time to search for a replacement. If you want the RS bag, there are usually a few sales during the year.

I don't have this bag so I don't have any experience with it, but if the price is still the same when I return to the US in a couple of weeks, I might just buy it to give it a try.

It seems you view your luggage as more than a means to an end. It has become part of your self-image as a traveler. I encourage you to try different types of luggage to see which really suit your actual needs. I change what luggage I use to match my needs and the particular needs of the trip. I personally don’t like rolling backpacks, but it might be just perfect for you. I generally end up with a spinner these days.

hmmmm

I suppose it may depend if the break was in your dominant arm or the other.

If you want to pull a roller is it your stronger arm that can do the work?

And then, did the shoulder get involved in the injury - would you be able to easily get a backpack on and off?

sorry for the ouchie

oh - can you lift whatever bag up to the overhead rack on a train or overhead compartment on a plane? And get it down?

We travel with TravelPro 22 and 21 inch swivel wheel ultra light carry on bags and I use a small backpack. My wife carries a huge purse with meds, etc. in it. We never check any luggage.

The humerus breaks are often pretty major and they take between 6 and 12 weeks to heal. It sounds as if you will be essentially a one armed person during your trip.

.
For this trip, you should take a rolling carry on bag and check it with the airline. Do not even try to deal with a backpack as you might end up damaging your upper arm.

“For this trip, you should take a rolling carry on bag and check it with the airline. Do not even try to deal with a backpack as you might end up damaging your upper arm”

Listen to David’s very wise advice.

Just because you use a roller one time doesn’t mean you can’t use your backpack next time. Adapting appropriately to a situation is the mark of experience.

I’m sorry you are injured! But I hope you will enjoy your trip!

Well we traveled carryon for the first 39 years of marriage. Roller. This year, deciding against worsening back pain, we started checking our carry on! Life changing in the airport! We always carry necessities and clothing change lest suitcase be diverted.

Adapt as you need to, as you age. The important thing, to me, is to adjust to keep on traveling’.

I prefer a backpack but have come to realize that it is not always the best bag for me. Packing for a last minute Alaska cruise, I had my e-bags weekender down to 16 pounds. Even with the sternum and waist straps, my back and shoulders were unhappy. Knowing that there would be lots of walking at the airport and cruise terminal, I quickly purchased a lightweight carryon spinner for the trip and was glad I did. Currently, depending on the trip, I either use the spinner or one of my smaller backpacks. Now that I am older and supposedly wiser, I have to let common sense dictate my luggage choice rather than what I really want.

People who know my packing on the forum probably think I’m a fanatic, weighing everything to get the lightest possible load, etc. But the main reason is that I want to be able to travel as long as possible with the least stress to my body. So along with looking at which type of luggage you want for this trip, be absolutely relentless at reducing what contents you normally bring. Even packing for a Christmas Market winter trip, my 2-roller suitcase packed as I departed was just 14 pounds. (+ empty backpack). It took a few iterations to get it down to that weight, but I appreciated the effort with each move to a different city.

I've used a roller bag and a tote for 25 years. Recently I've come to realize maybe it is time to upgrade to spinner wheels. Dragging a rollaboard behind you can get very heavy and certainly wouldn't be good for that healing bone in your arm. Do you have a friend who would let you borrow their bag for the February trip to try it out before you buy? I do love my Rick Steves rollaboard though.

"For this trip, you should take a rolling carry on bag and check it with the airline. Do not even try to deal with a backpack as you might end up damaging your upper arm."

I agree with this. About 10 years ago one of our kids friends broke her humerus and I was the one who took care of her. She was a mountaineer and young, early 20's. There is no way she would have been able to use a backpack that soon after. Yes, I realize everyone is different, but this girl had everything else in her favor and would not have been able to do it.

I personal love my RS 21" rolling bag. We had a couple from years ago and one of the zippers finally just died, so I bought another several years ago. It is still my favorite bag. If pulling on the handle hurts your arm, just switch to the other hand. This bag has been to so many places and held up wonderfully. I like that it has a handle on the side and then a place to hold it on the bottom, so when lifting it you have a few options to maneuver it with two hands and not drop it.

Don’t worry about the sale. If you are not traveling soon, wait until you are completely healed. A bone fracture needs at least 8 weeks. There will be other sales and other bags. Your health is more important right now.

A roller suitcase is not a “participation trophy.” It’s just a suitcase. My family and I use several RS bags. We have other bags, also. Just get better. Have fun online surf shopping right now.

I hope you heal quickly. I’m in agreement with the others that suggest a rolling bag that you check. A bag with 4 wheels will maneuver more easily than 2 wheels and cause less stress on your body. My husband uses a RS spinner, but it was originally mine. It has been going strong for many years and we travel a lot. When he took over my spinner I bought a Travel Pro carry on that is very lightweight. I think a couple of pounds less than the RS bag. I bought it on sale at Macy’s for under $100. Macy’s often has great sales on luggage. Someone previously mentioned TJ Maxx and Ross. They have good prices and I think Marshall’s might be another good resource. Think hard about what you need for your physical health and not about whatever image you might have of the superiority of a backpack.

I am sorry to hear about your fall. This is just anecdotal - we are all built so differently - but I fell and broke my humerus on a January 31st a few years ago. I had a trip planned to Hawaii for the first week in March - so an easy travel trip. I did not have enough use of my arm at that point to put a bag in the overhead bin. It was a few months before I could lift my arm over my head like that.

I was not even driving again at the 6 week mark. I was surprised at how long the healing took.

However, pulling a roller bag STILL makes my arm hurt and sore - 6 years later. I actually find a backpack to be easier - it’s less pull on the shoulder. But I still use a roller bag - habit for me. I just want to add my feeling that the backpack requires less movement and pull on your shoulder than the roller bag - unless you only use the non-broken arm.

At any rate - be patient, do some test walks before you travel and be prepared for the backpack to cause shoulder pain. And if it does, just check your bag this one time. Even now - when I overuse the arm, it causes quite a bit of pain.

I have always had an antipathy towards backpacks. Hate it when people with giant backpacks get on crowded public transportation, and I am trying to avoid getting whacked or poked in the face as they blithely try to maneuver, forgetting they have basically a boulder extending behind them! Even as a child going to school, I always had a shoulder bag while all my classmates had backpacks. Fast forward to now (AARP came calling 14 years ago), and I still haven't changed my mind. 4-wheel carry-on roller is it for me. Currently, a Travel Pro. Small enough not to raise the ire of gate agents at Ryan Air (so far). Rick can have his backpack, but for me, the sensation of guiding the thing on a mile/+ long trek to change gates at MAD makes me want to give the inventor a lifetime engineering achievement award. Now, if someone would add an electric motor, a cushion...Don't worry, I draw the line at those!

Like NWValerie, I also broke this part of my arm (also on January 31!) and the recovery took a good six months. I had very little range of motion and could barely dress myself, let alone lift even small items anywhere near above my head. Diligent physical therapy until September eventually recovered my range of motion. Furthermore, when my doctor cleared me to return to work (not until May of that year), he wrote in his orders that I wasn’t to lift anything heavier than a coffee cup!

Perhaps you will recover faster, but the fact is that older people take much more time (my son broke his arm at age two and recovered in about 4 weeks). So, as others have suggested, try out some different baggage options to see what might work. And checking a piece of luggage might also be wise.

Are you traveling solo or with a companion? If a companion - maybe the two of you can get together and buy a larger, checked rolling suitcase. Have the buddy haul it. Then, do/buy nice things for the buddy on the trip.

It's not a sign of weakness to move to a roller. It's all about the situation. I have both an RS roller, and an RS classic backpack. I prefer the roller for short domestic trips (often checked), and the backpack for overseas trips. I like having both arms free with a backpack, and the slightly less weight and more capacity. On RS tours, I think most people prefer rollers. When the time comes, you'll know.

We were formerly all carry-on and we still love the freedom, money and time savings that provides. However, earlier this year, we came to recognize that for us, it would be better to transition to checking our bags.

We check our bags, but we have wheeled underseaters that we carryon. We pack a change of clothes and the necessities in the underseaters and easily navigate airports. We do not stress about there being room to stow the under seater on the plane and we have found security to be less chaotic with wrangling smaller bags.
When we gather our checked bags, the under seater has a trolley sleeve and it goes on top of the checked bags. We have navigated train stations in Italy with this stacked method no problem-used the escalators in Roma Termini and simply waited our turn for the one elevator in Salerno.
If the purchase of one piece of luggage could make or break a trip that you have invested so much money in, not to mention the time and anticipation, I would procure the bag.

I don’t know which milestone you’re approaching but I’m 82 and as I mark more time, my habits have changed. From using a backpack as a carry-on to getting a wheeled suitcase I’ve gone from carry-on to checking luggage. In over 20 trips to Europe, I’ve only had bags go astray twice. Once when an Alitalia gate agent wouldn’t allow a carry-on on my flight home and the bag was delivered to my home 6 days later. The other on an outbound to Venice. My flight from Palm Beach International to Atlanta was canceled because of an equipment problem. Got a later flight and instead of ATL > Venice, I was booked on an Air France flight to CDG with less than an hour to change planes in Paris. I made it, my bag didn’t. Checked into my hotel in Dorsuduro, took a walk, had a pizza and by the time I got back to my room, my bag had been delivered! Easier than dragging it thru airports and on to a vaparetto.

I don’t miss dragging a suitcase between gates at airports where it sometimes takes almost an hour to get from gate to gate. I have Rick’s Euro Flight Bag in which I pack my essentials and store it under the seat in front of me where it’s always accessible. Waiting for a bag at baggage claim and costing me 10-20 minutes? Well worth the very minor inconvenience for not feeling like a baggage handler, fighting for bin space and dragging a wheelie down an aisle. I feel that too much has been made of only going carry-on. Reliability and speed of checked bags isn’t what it was 20 years ago.

I switched from a backpack to a rollaboard years ago following a shoulder injury. Putting a backpack on and taking it off was painful at the time. I never went back to the backpack as I found I preferred the rollaboard.

I use a two-wheeled rollaboard bag (Travelpro Maxlite). The two-wheeled bags put some strain on your arm so I would only buy a two-wheeled bag if you are able to pull the bag with your ”good” arm. Otherwise a spinner might be a better choice with an injury.

I check my two-wheeled bag. It is very nice to not have to lug my larger bag through the airport and get on a plane with only my purse and a daypack. With an injured arm, it might be wise to just check your bag for this next trip regardless of what bag you go with. A wheeled bag does not imply frailty; it is practical in your situation. Checking a bag is also not a moral failing.

So sorry that you have this injury. May your recovery go well.

I'm a retired orthopedic nurse. A humerus fracture is a major injury. Both arms are used for balance. If your fractured arm isn't very close to 100% you are at greater risk of falling again. Your fractured arm will be much weaker from lack of use until you are comfortable moving it again and are okay to move it in it's regular range of motion and build up the muscles again.

Even with a roller suitcase, there will be times where you will need to lift it up- can you lift it up a few stairs with your uninjured arm (added for clarity) and walk safety up or down those stairs with a weak arm? Think very carefully if it's worth going on that trip in February.

The suitcase or backpack is just a way to store and move your packed contents.

After one backpacking trip in my early 20s I never want to use a backpack again. I'm not a large person and carrying 20lbs, maybe a bit more, was torture for me at the time, when we didn't check our backpacks at a train station for the day. Being a frequent user of the subway, I too, am irritated by backpack wearers that forget they have at least 6-10 inches projecting off of their back when they turn and move.

Thanks to Croatia half my rotator cuff in my right shoulder looks like hamburger meat. Probably no fixing it. The four wheel bag is the only option as it is most adaptable to what use of my right arm that I have to push or pull a bag. Its a rigid hard side bag which means it keeps its shape when I hoist it up into the overhead with my left arm. The four wheels mean I can pile things on top and it wont fall over.

"Am I mistaken to think of the roller as a participation trophy or accommodation/ consolation?"

With respect: Yes!

A roller bag is not a sign of defeat, and a backpack is not a sign of superiority.

No one is judging you for the way you carry your carry-on luggage. Do what makes the most sense for you, and have a wonderful trip.

And happy healing!

Avi, I had a fractured humerus two years ago when I tripped over a rock hidden by snow and fell into a snowbank (it probably looked as funny as it sounds). Luckily it was a clean break, so I didn't need surgery but I did need to take it very easy for the next 8-10 weeks. During that time I traveled to Florida and was fine, but I did not use a backpack.

After the first three months were up, I went back to bringing a backpack and I was fine. I still used my Travelpro MaxLite 5 carry-on spinner, but I carried a fairly heavy personal bag as a backpack and never had any problems.

My point is that every case is going to be different and you just have to go with your own body and how it feels. Obviously you can check with your ortho and ask about it, but you're younger than I am and I still carry backpacks as a carry-on from time to time. If it's too much, your body will let you know.

Frank (and Avi): just an FYI that the Rio bag is also available at Target with the same colors and prices. The nice thing about Target is that you get your 5% off when you pay instead of afterwards as a reward. https://www.target.com/p/u-s-traveler-rio-2pc-expandable-softside-carry-on-luggage-set/-/A-94309512

We are ages 75 and 77. We were carry on only before RS was in the travel business after a disastrous lost luggage situation flying to a cruise when our kids were tykes. Fast forward: we have great carry on bags that have never broken down. But we have! Arthritis, back problems, etc. We now routinely check bags. (Your fracture adds another dimension altogether-forget carry on until you heal!). We invested in quality bags (Brigs & Riley, TravelPro) and after many years they have held up, even when checked. We long ago gave away our rollaboards and have spinners exclusively as the shoulders and back like those better. Many cobblestones, no broken wheels. We cruise a lot now and for land based tours we travel with another tour company that handles your luggage, but has a few dress up venues so a bigger wardrobe is necessary. We’ve graduated to business class for any flight over 4 hours. This is our experience only but after a dozen RSE tours, lots of independent travel our style of travel has changed including the “carry on only” mantra. If we had not I doubt we could travel. 2026 has us on three cruises and a land based tours to France. Happy travels and get better soon!

Another vote for team rollie - in fact, a spinner. Add it to your collection of travel tools and use as needed. Based on your timing, the cast will be off, but your muscles/tendons/etc will still be rehabbing. The twisting motion to put the backpack on/off, as well as stowing it wherever you go, is not going to be kind to your arm - whether your dominant or non-dominant. (Also consider asking your orthopod whether they advise you to lift/stow a travel bag repeatedly, 2+ months after the break.) Focus on doing everything you can to maximize fun on your trip - and pain would not be a goal. Have a fab time!

I’ll be very interested to hear how badly your humerus was fractured. I badly broke my left humerus in June of 2016 the day before my 66th birthday. Surgery was done to insert a rod down the bone with screws at both ends of the bone. I needed weeks of rehab and I never got complete range of motion back but recovered enough for normal life. I was fully functional in about 2-3 months but no way could I have gotten anything in an overhead bin before then. I can’t say anything about shrugging in and out of carrying a backpack however as I’ve never used one for travel.

I’d say if you’re going to be able to travel in February no matter what bag you choose, you’re very lucky indeed.

Am I mistaken to think of the roller as a participation trophy or accommodation/ consolation?

How many times have you seen pilots and flight attendants wearing backpacks?
If the professional travelers use rolling bags I do not see that as somehow a lesser class thing.

If this is the RS bag under consideration ( https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/rolling-carry-on ) I, many years ago, looked at it favorably ( hands on inspection i the store) but eventually got a TravelPro
( very similar to this --https://www.amazon.com/Travelpro-Luggage-Platinum-Expandable-Rollaboard/dp/B01N411GI7/ref=asc_df_B01N411GI7?hvadtype=checktestBing&hvcampaign=checktestBingcampaign&th=1 )
because it was on sale for less than the RS bag.

Avi, I just wanted to say I am very sorry about your injury. I hope that your healing and rehab will go well.

thanks, everyone, for your comments. it helps me think this through.

i won't know what i am in for, recovery-wise, until i see the orthopedic specialist on monday. maybe not even then, if they order more tests, which is likely.

i looked at my flight tickets and a checked bag is included. in this situation, doing carry-on only is prolly not the right decision, even though the last time i checked a bag was in 2007.

this still leaves the question of whether i bring my trusty ebags weekender backpack or try out a roller. the $37 Amazon or Target roller makes it low stakes to give myself the option.

I notice that these low price type bags have the this-is-an-often-returned-item warning on Amazon. So my expectations are commensurately low.

thanks again for your perspectives

If you are going to give a roller bag a trial, at least give it a fair trial. If you buy some cheap thing, knowing it won’t stand up and will breakdown, then you haven’t really truly tried a roller bag. My Samsonite spinners have stood up to the best/worst that cobblestone streets have thrown at them year after year.

Checking a bag means that you may wait 20 -40 minutes at the luggage carousel. Not the end of the world! It also means that you have less to deal with in the departure airport preflight and you don’t have to join the onboard scramble for overhead bin space. Do make sure you have all documents, medicine, valuables, and one change of clothes with you in the cabin.

I notice that these low price type bags have the this-is-an-often-returned-item warning on Amazon. So my expectations are commensurately low.

Because of the way I travel, I rely on Amazon for purchases all over the world. I also notice those "often returned" warnings. But that contradicts some of the ratings that are 4.5+. (The bag I linked to had a 4.2 rating over 35,500 reviews.)

In regards to bags, quite often, people return them due to the size. They receive the bag and it is smaller than expected.

I recommended an inexpensive bag, whether you choose the one I suggested or get one from Target, is to give them a try. You may find that you prefer your backpack for now--at least after full healing. Then why invest in an expensive bag you may not use? The inexpensive ones won't last forever but it will give you an opportunity to try them out especially if temporarily medically necessary.

If you find you like the wheeled bag, then give yourself some time to shop for something you truly like.

Over my travel lifetime I've gone from large check in bag to backpack to roller to spinner. Each has its pros and cons. There is no right or wrong.

The other thing I would suggest, since you have a doctor's appointment next week, is ask him about which bag he would suggest--backpack, roller, spinner-- in regards to your injury and healing process. If he's not familiar with bags explain how each is "lugged."

It's the "getting the bag on and off your back" movements of your arms with a backpack, rather than the lifting, that I'd be worried about.

First, give yourself a month to partially heal. Then, go to a luggage store rather than online shop. Test run some things in a store to see what you can or cannot handle. Limit yourself to about 30 liters, minimalist packing if you can to reduce bulk and weight as much as possible.

Are you in a sling? Seriously, fractured humerus is really bad and requires patience.

OP there is too much missing information regarding the specifics of your injury and of related general health factors for even an orthopaedist or physio who hasn't seen you and the imaging, to give you trustable advise (nonwithstanding the ethical violation of doing so). Good thing you have decided to follow the recommendation of your healthcare provider(s).

Personally as someone with a chronic shoulder issue I have been treating with physiotherapy, I find a backpack far more comfortable than any sort of rolling case. Hoisting any kind of bag into and out of an overhead bin is about the same level of difficulty for me. Donning and doffing a backpack is not painful as long as I do it sitting. I wait for everyone to de-plane so I can take my time and do it cautiously. I also sit on the ledge of the taxi or uber boot, on the bed in the hotel, and at the airport gate. I slip my injured arm through first, then the strong arm, then stand and bend forward at the waist so the weight of the bag is against my back (not hanging from my shoulders), then cinch the straps and finally straighten up.

The final advantage of the backpack is it leaves my strong arm free to open heavy doors, hold onto railings (stairs and in the metro) and steady myself in case of a stumble. Whereas I'd need my strong arm to pilot a wheeled bag, leaving the burden of those aforementioned tasks to my injured arm.

I agree with Stan. I recently had a shoulder strain, not nearly as serious as what you're facing, and getting a jacket on & off required care. Have you tried roller bags loaded with some weight? Maybe walk around the store with it? It's not a fashion statement, and it's not forever! Go with what's comfy for you to deal with, & I hope you heal quickly!

I traveled to Peru with an REI duffel bag that holds everything for a two week trip and a lumbar backpack. The duffel was for the horse who was carrying our gear on an Andean trek. When I traveled to Germany I used an RS roller bag and a day pack that fit all the electronics plus meds and jacket. The type of trip influences which luggage I will be using. A heavy pack will never be a choice for me though since 10 lbs is my limit as I had a rotator cuff injury that periodically acts up. Also at 73 I don't mind checking a bag even if the weight is under the Lufthansa's 8kg limit (17 lbs). It's also a necessity if it contains the hiking poles which are a must for me on most trips.

Off topic: We only had luggage missing once although not from an airline mishap. It was because a luggage transport company in Germany drove off without unloading my husband's luggage at the hotel.

I am wondering what milestone birthday this is. I'm hoping it's 80, because I'm not ready to start declining. Am I in denial?

Surgery scheduled for Wednesday with one night in hospital expected ('this is not a short operation' the trauma specialist said) so I will start the new year with a substantially renovated arm.

Meanwhile, Mexican destination is in high 70s or low 80s and sunny; good dinners for U$20.

good luck and a quick recovery, avirosemail

Hope everything goes well on Wednesday and healing commences! Take care,

So sorry you need to have surgery. I’ll be thinking of you on Wednesday and sending wishes for a speedy recovery.

Avi, best of luck with the surgery! Do lay in some prepared meals for your post-op course even if you don't normally eat that way.

Your Ortho doc and your physical therapist will be good resources on your backpack vs roller bag question as you get into recovery mode.