My dear wife hates to travel. Detests everything about the whole ordeal, especially not having her things. So we got her a new bag during REI's recent sale event:
https://www.rei.com/product/118818/rei-co-op-tourwinder-rolling-luggage-28
Please do not compare your packing goals or skills to my dear wife's. She goes places where "packing" means only "deprevation" and, more likely, "depravity".
It's a bag. To carry her things. Not your things.
Who gets to lift into racks and carry it up stairs?
My wife and I both have 26" rolling (2 wheel) bags for when we are traveling with a tour operator that handles all luggage. We have not found them too large to handle. For RS tours and independent travel we do use our carry-on luggage.
If you're staying in one place when you travel and not moving around a lot, I guess it would be ok. Otherwise, traveling around to different places with something that big would make me hate to travel too.
I did a hike along the Pacific Crest Trail a couple of years ago. I am 71 and in decent shape, but didn't listen to the folks who advised me to pack lighter. At the end of the hike I weighed the backpack and was stunned to discover that it weighed 56 pounds. I carried it, but it wasn't fun.
The REI 28 incher weighs over 9 pounds by itself. Never mind cosmetics, shoes, and clothing, before you get started, the thing weighs over 9 pounds. That's a lot of weight for a bag.
When I travel, I try to keep my bag to 20 pounds; I'm not always successful, but that's my goal. 20 pounds still feels heavy but it is manageable. Everyone has his own preferences about bags, so I am not criticizing. Good luck with this big one and happy travels.
A little heavy, even for a bag that big. I've got a 28" too. And I use it. But only for our cruises or lengthier stays in one place. Have to be careful about filling it, though. It's really easy to exceed airlines max weight with those big boys. They really ought to come with a luggage scale. DH usually has to repack his - leaving out one or 2 pairs of shoes ( it's not just women who have a thing for shoes, lol).
Is it really just about the bag and being able to load up to the max? I do like the large wheels on that bag though (but, even in my 40s, I wouldn't like to travel with a bag so large and heavy unless you're really not moving much at all)
Life’s too short to spend half your holiday getting laundry done, so I don’t pack lightly.
I returned from holiday last week. My husband and I took one checked bag between us plus a piece of hand luggage each. The soft sided Samsonite checked bag has 2 wheels weighed 18 to 20 kg (just over 40lbs) and I can manage it ok. It gets dragged not carried 99% of the time. It’s really not a problem, but maybe in 20 years time.
I would make sure that when full it does not exceed airline weight limits. One gentle comment could be in regards to having to keep track of her things while traveling. Among other reasons, I have found that when I bring less, I lose less, and I do hate to lose favorite items of clothing, jewelry, etc.
EDITED TO ADD: I thought you were asking for advice. I should have read the post more carefully. I think I am understanding now that it was more of a comment. To each his own. Everyone should do what makes them happy as long as it doesn't infringe on anyone else.
If that is what makes it possible for your wife to travel then good! What other people choose to carry is entirely up to them - my ONLY issue with large bags is when people insist on using public transportation with them - I've almost missed a couple of trains because of them!!!!
She goes places where "packing" means only "deprevation" and, more
likely, "depravity".
I'm not sure what this means. Is she a war correspondent?
If this is what gets her to travel then this is such an easy fix! I have many friends who take largish suitcases and report a great trip and have the same joy I have. But I am a minimalist by nature and the only way I would feel deprived is if I could not take my hair products and skincare, I just don't feel presentable or clean without them (my own standards).
I take carry on only and I never lift my own bag, husband does that.
Wheel bag from house to car. Wheel bag to parking shuttle. Wheel bag to check in desk. Wheel bag from baggage claim to taxi. Wheel into hotel/room at hotel in Paris. Check out 2 weeks late- repeat wheel process in reverse.
No biggie.
We recently went on a tour. Our carry on luggage looked so tiny next to those huge 28" bags. Several people carried our size bag as their personal item in addition to those huge bags. It amazed me. And we sent our laundry out at hotels, easy and a small price compared to cost of trip overall.
This is the oddest post I have have ever read.......Yet, people responded???
"My dear wife hates to travel. Detests everything about the whole ordeal, especially not having her things. So we got her a new bag during REI's recent sale event:"
Why make her travel at all?
"Please do not compare your packing goals or skills to my dear wife's. She goes places where "packing" means only "deprevation" and, more likely, "depravity".
Okay, we will not compare!!!
"It's a bag. To carry her things. Not your things."
Got it. Your point being?
OK, but I fail to see the purpose of your posting if you are not looking for comments.
It does appear to be a well made, solid, and large bag. It weighs more by itself than the entire bag and contents I took on my last trip.
“My dear wife hates to travel.“
Life’s too short. I wouldn’t want to bring someone who doesn’t want to travel, and they shouldn’t be forced to come. Enjoy hobbies you both love together and do the others separately.
I'm confused about this post, too. But I can't help but wonder what places she goes that fit this statement:
She goes places where "packing" means only "deprevation" and, more likely, "depravity".
If it works for her, great! When I give advice to pack light it’s because for most people it makes things significantly easier and they see that if they think through the logistics (carrying, storing, extra charges, room size, etc). If the drawbacks don’t deter her or make her not enjoy her trip, and she handles it herself or you are fine helping then...whatever works.
Also - money helps. Taking taxis with luggage is easier than subways. I assume hiring porters is easier still. Hotels with baggage service vs. Airbnb’s on a 4th floor walk-up or an old hotel with no elevator. First class train cars often have more luggage room. Etc etc etc.
For most people there’s a place between 10lb ultralight and 30inch suitcase stuffed to the brim that is the best trade off. For me I like a carry on SIZE rolling bag but will often check it on European airlines because the weight limit is hard. I also refuse to squeeze every inch of space out of a bag because I find the re-packing when leaving each hotel much harder than packing at home with ample time to arrange things just so.
Life’s too short to spend half your holiday getting laundry done, so I don’t pack lightly.
I’m pretty sure I spend 10-15 minutes a day at most doing my laundry. Sometimes I send it out, which means 5 minutes total. Not per day, but total. I don’t spend 12 hours a day doing laundry ever. For those that don’t want to do the math - taking a whopping 15 minutes a day to do laundry is a total of 1% of the trip. (As an extreme introvert I actually welcome the respite)
As far as bogiesans wife goes - as long as she carries it! Although bags that size are a real pain in a European hotel room. You keep tripping over them. Although I expect that bogiesans wife gets the larger hotel room too??? Just guessing.
webfrey: I did a hike along the Pacific Crest Trail a couple of years ago. I am 71 and in decent shape, but didn't listen to the folks who advised me to pack lighter.
My son just finished the Mexico to Canada PCT starting the end of April and finishing in early October. He started off super light and finished a lot heavier than he started, including replacing his pack with a larger capacity pack and diverting off-track to REIs for extra gear. Light weight is a good goal but proper functional and durable gear an equally good or more important goal..
Take what makes you happy.
Light weight is a good goal but proper functional and durable gear an equally good or more important goal..
Here is a post on stupid light.
Stupid light is where you are so focused on going light that you actually hurt your trip by leaving behind items you need.
I have two family rules. (1) Everyone carries their own bag. And, (2) they must be able to carry their bag a minimum of two miles without assistance.
When I'm feeling nice, I will lift my wife's bag up into the overhead rack on an airplane. It's just because she recently had major shoulder surgery. Otherwise, she's on her own to tow her 21" ultra light 22 pound swivel rolling carry on.
I've got an idea. Try to sell her on staying home while you take the trip..
Life’s too short to spend half your holiday getting laundry done, so I don’t pack lightly.
Is that just half of your waking hours or half of each 24 hour day? In either case, I would agree. If you really spend half of your time doing laundry, then I guess you should pack heavily, but in my case, I spend a really small amount of time doing laundry. I wash a few things that I wore that day in the sink while getting ready for bed each evening, and it takes only a few minutes, total. Most of the time the wash is just soaking in the sink while I do other things - write in my journal, enter my expenses, plan for the next day, etc.
Travel is strenuous enough. I don't need to struggle with a huge suitcase, so I pack lightly.
Bogiesan, I have mixed feelings about your post. First of all, I'm glad you can convince your wife to travel even if you have to deal with a humongous suitcase. I can't get my husband to travel period; neither can our friends who want to go on a cruise. He will do a (very) occasional road trip IF he is going to see friends.
As a fairly recent convert to packing light, I just can't wrap my mind around that large of a suitcase. Even on our recent month long road trip in a 1-ton van we trimmed the suitcases down to 24", 22" and three totes. He had the larger suitcase because jeans take more room than leggings. Last year when we flew to Oregon for his class reunion and to see friends for two weeks, we had the same amount of luggage, less one tote, which was more for me than I took to Italy this May. I understand that she may not want to do without her things but maybe that's her way of saying no to traveling without hurting your feelings.
Perhaps your wife will be happy if you land one place in an apartment for an extended period of time. I have a sister in law who doesn't like to travel but religiously goes to a certain place each year for a week and half their household possessions. A stay in one place trip is better suited to someone who doesn't like to travel and who insists on taking that much luggage.
...Life’s too short to spend half your holiday getting laundry done, so I don’t pack lightly. .... Sort of like my cousin's statement, "It is uncivilized to be in the same clothes for more than eight hours." To each there own. Obviously she doesn't travel much and I can tolerate two or three hours a week having to deal with laundry. If you have to spend half your holiday during the laundry, then you are packing too much and not very efficient.
We were on a trip to Australia and New Zealand for four weeks in December. My husband and I each had a 22" wheelie bag and a backpack. There was another couple in our same group that had four 28" bags and a each had a 22" bag. I thought they were moving to Australia and New Zealand!!!
Packing is like having your supplies with you. It depends on what you need, regard as essential, or see as frivolous.. I totally take issue with her view that traveling an ordeal, taxing, stressful or you name it, certainly not in Germany, the UK, the rest of Europe or North America. That sort of view I reject, ie no such thing.
I don't expect anyone to carry my "things"...passport, luggage items, etc. Basically, I pack it, I carry it.
The converse holds true too...you want to bring it, you pack it, you carry it. The Mrs carries all her "stuff" when we travel together, no way I carry her "things," otherwise, I go solo carrying my own supplies.
That’s a great bag. I bought my daughter the 22” carry on two years ago and just purchased another 22” today for my younger daughter. Great for our 5 week trips in Europe and Japan.
Life’s too short to spend half your holiday getting laundry done, so I don’t pack lightly.
In countries where we’ve stayed in hotels the farthest I’ve ever had to walk was 3 blocks for a laundromat. I don’t spend more than 1.5 hour washing cloths every 8-10 days. That’s for a family of 4. When we stay at Airbnbs we just pop a load in whenever and it’s no time lost.
When my parents first lived in Europe in the 50’s (before they were able to move into military housing) they lived in a village and my mom washed cloths using one of those old time hand crank machines. Local women in the village still used scrub boards. I guess if you’re using a scrub board then yes it might take 1/2 your vacation to wash cloths.
It seems the point of this post was to revele in the fact op got a huge bag at a huge discount
There was no question and no request for comment.
I suspect op has fallen off his chair from laughing so hard at all the unsolicited commentary.
Winter is bleak in Boise, so any diversion is welcome, I suppose
I think the point of the OP was just to point out that there are different ways to travel and not everyone follows the ultra light packing mantra which is so popular on here.
I wonder if the OP’s wife is only a reluctant traveller when forced into carry on only?
For me, I’m just not going to do my laundry in a hotel sink or a shower unless there’s an emergency spill. I do try to leave time to do it along the way or have it sent out to be done. I have noticed that laundrettes become harder and harder to find in city centers as real estate prices increase and universities add them to student living facilities. But, that’s countered by the number of services that will pick up and drop off at your hotel. As a solo traveller, Air BNB with laundry facilities doesn’t often make sense.
I’ll say that the bag above is a bit too big even for me. It could easily fall over airline weight restrictions and every airline in the world is eager to make more money from fees.
For me, I’m just not going to do my laundry in a hotel sink or a shower unless there’s an emergency spill. I do try to leave time to do it along the way or have it sent out to be done.
My feelings exactly. I don't sink wash anything unless I'm in dire need for a clean item of underthings, which usually doesn't happen because I plan for doing laundry every so many days on my trips. Sometimes I find a laundromat, which can be fun in other countries, and other times I find a laundry service. I've always opted for those where I drop off and pick up later, have never found any that deliver with the cost being quite high.
As you want to travel with your wife, and she needs a 28" suitcase to feel comfortable traveling, then that's a pretty cheap price to pay to travel with her. Perhaps she will learn to like travel more and the suitcase will slowly shrink, maybe not.
You don't say what type of vacation you are going on. If you're not constantly changing locations or if you can use more taxis, I don't see this as a problem anyway, especially if you are willing to help with her luggage.
