Luggage recomendations!

Sorry for reviving this topic, but do any of you have leather bags? I'm eyeing some from Von Baer and wanted to find out first if leather is good for travel. Or it's not worth it, and I should get regular ones.

 

i use a leather flight bag, it doesnt get treated well but stands up to it all

 

Yup, I still have an old clam shell Samsonite that I bought some time in the mid 90's. Still my absolute favourite of all my cases. It's a bit heavier than the modern stuff, but damn it takes a beating.

We travel very frequently, as often as monthly some years, and we have a plethora of bags.

All our bags are Samsonite (though we've had a few others), and generally pretty happy with them. We have a wide variety, including a carry on sized soft roller back that can double as a backpack, and we literally just got back from 18 days in South Africa where the Mrs. and I just used one of these and our carry on back packs each. The 55cm Roader is probably the closest current model I can find. We are in the US a lot though, and outlet stores are a dime a dozen over there, and we often find Samsonite bags for half (or less) the US retail price, which is ridiculously cheep by Aussie standards. These are quite light, and we can carry them on if we want to (and so long as we're under the weight limits), yet we still managed to come back from 18 days in Sth Africa with a bunch of souvenirs, including paintings, a stone chess board, and a bunch of carvings.


Honestly, though, apart from weight, the old blue tank I have is better in ever way than any of the current bags we have. If you can find a used one online, it'll be cheap (like $50) and will probably last another 30 years.

This Reddit link is what it looks like, and I have no idea what the model name is. It was also available as a spinner (in fact, same bag chassis, just wheels attached to the front mounting points instead of a stand rest). Absolute beast, and I'd buy 5 more if I could find them.

Now, having said that, if you're not likely to be doing lots of travelling, I'd just see if Aldi are selling luggage any time soon, as you won't really see much return on investment.


Edit - Blargh - fooled by the grave dig...


Anyways,

When I was a kid, my dad had a bunch of leather suitcases, they survived multiple Euro trips, and were well mad and very resilient. They were also bloody heavy, and the design in those days meant no wheels, so you have to properly carry them - which is even more of a testament to durability, as they were constant dragged, dropped and thrown around.

Keep in mind, we're talking late 70's/early 80's made stuff.


Z...

 

That's the thing with the more robust material, weight. The modern "plastic" whatever-it-is is much lighter than leather.

 

Though not as protective, and the zippers tend to be a weak point. It's kinda why I am such a huge fan of the 1990's Samsonite clamshell I have. I can use it as a chair with no problem if I am in a particularly long queue at check-in, can drop it down a set of stairs, and I've never had anything in it break. I just love it, the only thing I'd have done, had I known how much I'll love it, is also buy a spinner version.

The leather ones we had would have actually been rather nice had they been designed with wheels, though, to be honest.


EDIT - Samsonite F'lite! That's the one, finally found it. Seen them being sold for between $24 and $70 in Singapore - may have to sort one out when I pass through next.
Z...