Travel Goods

Welcome to Dave’s Travel Goods.

I’m Dave and I want to take the stress out of choosing travel goods by showing you the careful research I have done into today’s luggage choices.

Have you ever travelled and arrived with your luggage in pieces, damaged or even ripped exposing your personals? Yes, I have had that experience of watching my underwear going around on the luggage conveyor belt and trying to decide whether to claim it or not. Suitcases and carry on bags have come a long way since our parent’s day and I find some of the choices available today jaw dropping in their style and durability. Choosing travel goods online is easy to do from the comfort of your home and as a bulky item it can be couriered to your door.

Travel Goods

The good news:

Bags are getting increasingly lighter. In 2006, the carry-on luggage I tested weighed an average of 11 pounds. For my latest test, the average weight was 8 pounds.

Bags are roomier. Carry-on luggage has been redesigned to maximize packing space.

Handles are more durable. Nearly all handles failed my tough handle test four years ago. In this years test, just one failed.

Polycarbonate hard sided bags are new to the scene. They have a tendency to scratch, but some can be quite durable.

Travel Goods

Dave’s toughness tests consist of;

I drop the bags from three feet in the air to see how well it resisted damage.

I jerk each bag’s attached handles twice from a three-foot height to evaluate its sturdiness.

I test each bag’s fabric for water resistance to see how well it kept water out by blasting it with my high pressure water cleaning machine – this test is great fun!

I kick each case so it slides across my drive with my foot to see how easily it scratched – this one always entertains the neighbours!

What to look for when buying any travel goods

Before shopping, figure out which kind of bags will work best for your packing style. If you tend to stuff clothes in a bag, then a duffel or sports bag style is for you. If you like dividers and compartments, look at upright luggage.

When shopping for any piece of wheeled travel goods, check out the wheels. Rubber wheels are strong, absorb small bumps and can roll along a decent distance. Also check the height of the telescopic handle, a handle that only pulls up 10 cm is of no use to anyone, especially a biggish guy like me!

Consider your luggage weight. Some brands can be fairly heavy even when empty!

Consider the packing space, expandable compartments on the outside of bags are handy, but if you stuff them, the bag may be too big to fit in the overhead compartment.

Travel Goods

Check out my reviews and my list of favourite bags that survived travelling with me!           Happy travels!   Dave.