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The Most Important Question of the Decade


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My wife just hit me with something that I just don't know how to deal with it.  I didn't think I'd have to deal with this for at least another year or so.  I am at a cross roads and I don't think I can handle the old bag anymore.  I've been think of getting a new one but it's cheaper to keep the old bag.  So I'm asking for your help, any and all comments are welcome and please be candid with your suggestions, answers, criticisms, I'm a big boy and can take it.

My wife want to buy new luggage.  I've told her the old bags are just fine, at least until our next cruise in Jan 2024.  So, my question is:  Hard side or soft?  Which is the most durable.  I like soft sided but I've never had the hard sided ones.  She wants hard, imagine that.  

 

Besides the B.S. innuendo, this is really a serious question.

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6 hours ago, Moby Dick said:

I am at a cross roads and I don't think I can handle the old bag anymore.  I've been think of getting a new one 

 

Besides the B.S. innuendo, this is really a serious question.

I guess it depends how much you love the "old bag" 

 

6 hours ago, Moby Dick said:

but it's cheaper to keep the old bag.   

 

Besides the B.S. innuendo, this is really a serious question.

Definitely cheaper to keep the older model....getting a newer model will cost you as it won't be just a standard bag it will come with lots of extra costs you may not have considered!

 

6 hours ago, Moby Dick said:

 

I like soft sided but I've never had the hard sided ones.   

Besides the B.S. innuendo, this is really a serious question.

Difficult one this! Soft sided ones are obviously more likely to let us down as they are more fragile 

Where as the hard sided while more robust come with other issues for a more senior person.

You could keep the older soft one and your wife could look into getting a new hard one to cater for her needs. 

Theres always young men at the airports/cruise terminals who would assist in helping her with it. 

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Not sure there really is much of a difference between soft side and hard side luggage.  The bigger decision for me has to do with the wheels.  Pushing, pulling or rolling the luggage around is much easier with the newer style 360 wheels that roll around any which way you want them to.  Oh…and the weight of the empty luggage!  The lighter it is empty…the more “stuff” I can fill it with before hitting the 50lb mark!!  
Who  knew there was so much to consider when thinking about trading in older baggage for newer ones??

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All joking aside, if you fly to your cruises and believe in complying with airline regulations, you'll choose the suitcases with dimensions that don't exceed published limits.  Some of the soft bags have so many pockets that you overfill them and exceed airline size limits (not to mention the risk of exceeding the weight limit).  We prefer the hard-shell luggage, and I measure the suitcase carefully (some can expand a bit).  Watch those international flights for your carry-ons, too.  If the size limits are ever enforced, there will be a lot more bags paying freight to ride in the cargo hold.

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We switched to hard side bags from Away Luggage a couple years ago. 
We love them, 4 wheel 360 degree design, good locks, and best of all LIFETIME warranty. 
We have used the warranty once for a broken interior zipper, and it could not have gone smoother. Called them and described the issue; 2 days later a new bag was on the porch, put the old bag in the shipping box, and Fed Ex came and picked it up. 

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We have both, our larger bags are soft but the smaller ones are hard sided (Amazon Basics, surprisingly hearty). DD has the large Amazon suitcase, and it holds quite a bit.

For me the wheels are the thing. I like the 360° wheels are important for getting around. Hard vs soft- well we drive more than we fly these days so I don't know that it matters (though I think the hard sided would float if dropped in the water)

 

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6 hours ago, Ray said:

I guess it depends how much you love the "old bag" 

 

Definitely cheaper to keep the older model....getting a newer model will cost you as it won't be just a standard bag it will come with lots of extra costs you may not have considered!

 

Difficult one this! Soft sided ones are obviously more likely to let us down as they are more fragile 

Where as the hard sided while more robust come with other issues for a more senior person.

You could keep the older soft one and your wife could look into getting a new hard one to cater for her needs. 

Theres always young men at the airports/cruise terminals who would assist in helping her with it. 

You bring up some very interesting considerations to ponder over.  I will consult with my wife and see, hard or soft, it's up to her.  Maybe my Dr., can help with this issue.

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1 hour ago, TXcruzer said:

We switched to hard side bags from Away Luggage a couple years ago. 
We love them, 4 wheel 360 degree design, good locks, and best of all LIFETIME warranty. 
We have used the warranty once for a broken interior zipper, and it could not have gone smoother. Called them and described the issue; 2 days later a new bag was on the porch, put the old bag in the shipping box, and Fed Ex came and picked it up. 

+1 on the Away bags.  Got "The Large Flex" and "The Carry-On with Pocket" and love them both for all of the reasons @TXCruiser stated.  I've never had to use the warranty, but it's nice to know I have it if I need it!

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1 hour ago, VeronicaS1970 said:

We have both, our larger bags are soft but the smaller ones are hard sided (Amazon Basics, surprisingly hearty). DD has the large Amazon suitcase, and it holds quite a bit.

For me the wheels are the thing. I like the 360° wheels are important for getting around. Hard vs soft- well we drive more than we fly these days so I don't know that it matters (though I think the hard sided would float if dropped in the water)

 

Amazon is where we are looking.  I hate giving any money to Bozo Bazos but it is so easy, competitively priced, and easy to return if need be (we are prime).  

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Well, I guess my wife is going to have to wait on getting her hard ............................sided luggage for a while.  We decided that we need a new mattress more than luggage.  So, I ordered (from Amazon, damnit) a hybrid mattress (inner spring with cooling gel topper).  Our current one is fully memory foam.  Where we lie looks like the Grand Canyon X2 now and it is less than a year old.  I like it but my wife wakes up almost unable to walk for several minutes.  So, we'll see how the new one does.  The best sleep system we ever had was a Sleep # bed, duel control.  But, they have really priced themselves out of my comfort zone.  Having said that, if this one isn't comfy for both of us, I'll go ahead and spring (get it) for a new Sleep # as it is getting expensive trying out several different mattresses.  

Marian, will just have to wait for Christmas, 2023 to get her hard sided luggage.  Well, that's if the supply chain allows it.

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19 minutes ago, Moby Dick said:

Well, I guess my wife is going to have to wait on getting her hard ............................sided luggage for a while.  We decided that we need a new mattress more than luggage.  So, I ordered (from Amazon, damnit) a hybrid mattress (inner spring with cooling gel topper).  Our current one is fully memory foam.  Where we lie looks like the Grand Canyon X2 now and it is less than a year old.  I like it but my wife wakes up almost unable to walk for several minutes.  So, we'll see how the new one does.  The best sleep system we ever had was a Sleep # bed, duel control.  But, they have really priced themselves out of my comfort zone.  Having said that, if this one isn't comfy for both of us, I'll go ahead and spring (get it) for a new Sleep # as it is getting expensive trying out several different mattresses.  

Marian, will just have to wait for Christmas, 2023 to get her hard sided luggage.  Well, that's if the supply chain allows it.

We just did the mattress thing too.  I hate shopping for a mattress.  They are so flippin' expensive and every store has their own brand so it's next to impossible to compare.  We, too, had an old (maybe the original ??) full foam Tempurpedic and it weighed 3 tons.  Even from the beginning I could never even lift the corners to make the bed.  Dan always had to do the fitted sheet...then I could do the rest.  I warned the store manager (where we finally bought our replacement) that he had better send at least 3 big men to pick up the old mattress...it's THAT heavy...but of course, he didn't.  You should have seen those 2 poor guys trying to wrestle that hippo out of the house.  I felt very bad for them.  The new mattress is heavenly....but then, they always are...for a while.  We have friends who bought one of the hybrid mattresses and they love it.  We went with full latex (it's not heavy at all, surprisingly) this time but there is a fluffy topper so it's really like floating on a cloud.  I had never heard of the brand before but so far.....

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You call this the question of the decade? 

I mean, what about things like "Why does Scotland have a Unicorn as part of its' national symbol?" 

"Why is New Zealand's 90 Mile Beach only 55 miles long?" 

"Why do you have to have matching luggage? Can't you each get whatever you want?" 

Enquiring minds want to know… 

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22 minutes ago, Lugnut said:

You call this the question of the decade? 

I mean, what about things like "Why does Scotland have a Unicorn as part of its' national symbol?" 

 

The Unicorn was a myth started in the East a very long time ago ( BC ) the western world believed this creature to actually exist despite having never seen it.

In the 1500s King James II of Scotland was fascinatined by the idea of the Unicorn and decided to put it onto the National Flag. 

 

 

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Seriously...

We've had just about every sort of luggage over the years...

The important thing used to be "durability"...but no longer...

For us, the most important thing about ANY luggage is WEIGHT.  With airlines allowing only 50 pounds and charging for additional pieces...and with us taking longer and longer trips...plus other considerations--like fitting our luggage into the trunks of Ubers and taxis...and schlepping it around airports and towns...It becomes very important that you can get more stuff in less space with less weight.  If your luggage weighs 20 pounds, it only leaves you with room for 30 pounds of clothes and other stuff.  If it weighs 8 pounds, you have space for 42 pounds of clothing and stuff...and it takes the same effort to lift or roll it.

To that end, I have a very large soft side piece that weighs only 8 pounds--30 inch by Skyway...

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My wife loves her 30 inch HYBRID rolling duffel by FUL...She did have an airline break the wheel on one...and the company replaced the entire suitcase free of charge!  Hybrid means the bottom is a hard-shell Polycarbonate, the top parts are soft nylon...and it has lots of compartments so my wife can organize better...and still it is extremely lightweight.

2547745?wid=1200&hei=1200&op_sharpen=1

 

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4 hours ago, Moby Dick said:

Well, I guess my wife is going to have to wait on getting her hard ............................sided luggage for a while.  We decided that we need a new mattress more than luggage.  So, I ordered (from Amazon, damnit) a hybrid mattress (inner spring with cooling gel topper).  Our current one is fully memory foam.  Where we lie looks like the Grand Canyon X2 now and it is less than a year old.  I like it but my wife wakes up almost unable to walk for several minutes.  So, we'll see how the new one does.  The best sleep system we ever had was a Sleep # bed, duel control.  But, they have really priced themselves out of my comfort zone.  Having said that, if this one isn't comfy for both of us, I'll go ahead and spring (get it) for a new Sleep # as it is getting expensive trying out several different mattresses.  

Marian, will just have to wait for Christmas, 2023 to get her hard sided luggage.  Well, that's if the supply chain allows it.

I hope the new mattress works out. I recall you like the expensive suites when you sail, the expensive bed-something you use almost every night, is likely worth every penny, as much as the suites you enjoy.

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We switched to hard side a few years ago and have been happy. The material is still not as light as soft but that is the trade off I think. My wife has a set Tumi Tegra Lite 2 and she loves them. I have seen a few votes for Away but we chose Monos for me and my daughter. Away and Monos both give you a great “100 day trial period”. We put both to the test. We landed on Monos. We just liked the wheels and the handles better on the Monos. However, they were both great and I can say without a doubt, Away took the “tried” bags back no questions asked and the refund was quick and easy. Their customer service is amazing. We did keep one Away carry-on bag for my daughter for her local dance team travel. It was that great. I’d recommend giving them both a shot. Tumi is Tumi, extremely nice…with the price tag to go with the label, lol but both Away and Monos are worth the test drive. 

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You may be right, it could just be personal preference. Wheels and handles are what matter most to me. I’ve thrown a few wheels over the years, never a good time. Zipper quality is also something I look at. Never had my zipper bust and my unmentionables scattered to the wind on the ramp and I don’t want to start now, lol. 

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1 hour ago, Pattycruise said:

I hope the new mattress works out. I recall you like the expensive suites when you sail, the expensive bed-something you use almost every night, is likely worth every penny, as much as the suites you enjoy.

Foooooooor suuuuuure

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41 minutes ago, Sea Squirrel said:

You may be right, it could just be personal preference. Wheels and handles are what matter most to me. I’ve thrown a few wheels over the years, never a good time. Zipper quality is also something I look at. Never had my zipper bust and my unmentionables scattered to the wind on the ramp and I don’t want to start now, lol. 

I haven't had the zipper problem, YET!  It's just a matter of time.

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7 hours ago, TXcruzer said:

We switched to hard side bags from Away Luggage a couple years ago. 
We love them, 4 wheel 360 degree design, good locks, and best of all LIFETIME warranty. 
We have used the warranty once for a broken interior zipper, and it could not have gone smoother. Called them and described the issue; 2 days later a new bag was on the porch, put the old bag in the shipping box, and Fed Ex came and picked it up. 

Very good info.  

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3 hours ago, Lugnut said:

You call this the question of the decade? Well, ahhhh, yaaaaa.  It is to me.  Your not married to my wife!

I mean, what about things like "Why does Scotland have a Unicorn as part of its' national symbol?" Why do bypasses go through the city?  

"Why is New Zealand's 90 Mile Beach only 55 miles long?" Metrics.  That's the best I can do!

"Why do you have to have matching luggage? Can't you each get whatever you want?"  See my first response above 

Enquiring minds want to know… 

 

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2 hours ago, bobroo said:

Pelican cases used as luggage for the win. They cost just about the same as luggage but are built to withstand the abuse of porters, bus drivers, bellhops, and ramp rats.

 And, they will be the last time you buy luggage—ever. 

Never heard of them.  I'll have to research them.  Thanks

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1 hour ago, Sea Squirrel said:

We switched to hard side a few years ago and have been happy. The material is still not as light as soft but that is the trade off I think. My wife has a set Tumi Tegra Lite 2 and she loves them. I have seen a few votes for Away but we chose Monos for me and my daughter. Away and Monos both give you a great “100 day trial period”. We put both to the test. We landed on Monos. We just liked the wheels and the handles better on the Monos. However, they were both great and I can say without a doubt, Away took the “tried” bags back no questions asked and the refund was quick and easy. Their customer service is amazing. We did keep one Away carry-on bag for my daughter for her local dance team travel. It was that great. I’d recommend giving them both a shot. Tumi is Tumi, extremely nice…with the price tag to go with the label, lol but both Away and Monos are worth the test drive. 

I honestly would prefer to use my original Army issue duffle bag.  Load it up, throw it on my back like a backpack, and I'm on my way.  My original was issued to me over 50 years ago and it looks almost like new, just a little faded.  Man, I could stuff that thing like a Christmas Turkey.  

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1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

I honestly haven't seen any benefit to the hard shell ones. Just seems like a different style.

Well, my only argument with my wife about this is that there is a lot more give with soft sided.  It's kinda like Jello, there's always room for (one) more.  

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....they just don't last long....or at least look good while they last long.  You either spend a fortune and accept they will be handled with the upmost disregard for appearnce and longevity.....or buy sets that you don't get attached to and treat them as disposable.  My wife....she has learned to appreciate the short lived life of a hard shell pieces that reach its decorative life....and gives her another opportunity to pledge her love for Amazon.

Decorative Hard Shell.....disposable.  You are only one flight away from someone trashing very expensive luggage.

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From an old Tom Hanks movie:

I do not think you need the size or massive construction of those steamer trunks in that movie (or even pelican cases which I use every day) but there are some items on our luggage that we do look for. We have found that the wheels need to roll and swivel easily and the wife's newest case has double tires at each wheel location that roll easily upright or leaned. It is a name brand item that was on sale at a local big box store. We wanted to try out the way they moved, opened and other features so we shopped there. We have used soft and hard sided cases and found it generally a personal preference, ours are hard sided. Other than that, look and search you can never satisfy every detail so pick the ones you feel the strongest toward and make sure you check those off.

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