So they say man’s best friend is a dog, and diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but why hasn’t anyone given any love to a traveler’s best friend? We often get asked for travel luggage recommendations, so today on the blog each Adventure Club member is giving full disclosure on their respective love affairs with the one thing our wanderlusting selves cannot live without: our carry-ons.
All four of us have distinct travel habits and packing antics, so whether it’s durability, style, size, or practicality you crave in an overhead compartment-dwelling companion, here are four options that are bound to suit(case) 😉 your needs:
First of all, here is what we’re working with:
@CobraEscobar: Victorinox Spectra US Carry-On Hardside. (The link isn’t the exact one because they have now moved onto the 2.0 version but that just means that it’s even better which I didn’t think was possible…!)
@DiegosDaughter: Delsey Chatelet Hard +21’’ 4 wheel carry on spinner
@Jilianicoleg: Traveler’s Choice Sedona 21” Expandable Spinner Luggage TC8000 💁🏽
@LauritaCambios: Traveler’s Choice Sedona 21” Expandable Spinner Luggage TC8000 💁🏼
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My one favorite attribute of my carry-on is:
@CobraEscobar: The amazing dual-caster wheels. Incredibly stable and no matter how heavy it is you can almost push along with one finger. You’ll spin circles around your fellow travelers.
@DiegosDaughter: The built-in lock and its appearance: equal parts sophisticated and old-school (I’m a sucker for anything trimmed in leather).
@Jilianicoleg: My favorite attributes about my current companion are its color (bright yellow!) and hard outer shell (making it an excellent foot rest to prop up on while waiting in the airport to board flights). If it’s stolen by gate agents and checked, there’s no need to wrestle my way to the front of the baggage claim carousel or tippy-toe dance to catch a glimpse of it coming around, this yellow beauty can be spotted all the way from the back, where my eyes still work (and I’ll be patiently charging my phone on the only outlet available).
@LauritaCambios: I can drop it down an airport escalator and it won’t even dent (I’ve– inadvertently– field tested this 😂 ) so, durability for the win. It’s also super light weight and the price point was legit!
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I love my carry-on, but I sure do wish it had…
@CobraEscobar: A small outer pocket to store things such as a passport, earbuds, etc. The things everyone wants at hand.
@DiegosDaughter: More room on the inside. It’s designed to fit overhead compartments of European carriers (which are slightly smaller than those in US carriers). Also I wish it had an interior pocket that wasn’t see-through mesh. I’m getting tired of giving TSA screening personnel free viewings of my unmentionables.
@Jilianicoleg: A built-in USB battery charger and port. Wrestling with aggressive travel bots for charging towers (or luggage claim) at MIA is…Not. My. Thing.
@LauritaCambios: An easier functioning zipper (the zipper tab fell off!). Also, I wish it wasn’t black, it’s hard to find at times since many people have black luggage…and black is not the color of my heart 🙅🏼 🖤 so I don’t feel like it represents me well.
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How long have my carry-on and I been together?
@CobraEscobar: This beauty has been rolling with me since 2012 and has flown on 100+ flights That’s over 5 years and going strong…Almost twice as long as any relationship I’ve had so far with a man. :p
@DiegosDaughter: Almost a year now. No engagement rings in sight yet, but we did meet each other’s parents recently.
@Jilianicoleg: Relationship Status: It’s complicated. So far it’s been a short-term commitment but with potential for growth (we’re still in the witty text banter phase).
@LauritaCambios: Four years – as long as I’ve been in lovely Miami!
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What is the furthest destination you’ve taken your carry-on?
@CobraEscobar: Dubai, UAE
@DiegosDaughter: El Calafate in Argentina’s Patagonia.
@Jilianicoleg: Either Galápagos Islands or the Netherlands… but we’re about to take our first trip together to Thailand in just a few months.
@LauritaCambios: I haven’t touched another suitcase since purchasing it…so it goes with me everywhere! Furthest we’ve taken our relationship? I’d say Italy.
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If my carry-on could speak it would say…
@CobraEscobar: “Ashley is very protective of my well being. She puts up a fight if asked to check me in due to a full flight and will pick me up if the road looks too rough so my wheels last as long as possible! She’s a great travel companion.”
@DiegosDaughter: “I feel bloated.”
@Jilianicoleg: “Jillian is a creature of habit, regardless of our future destination, her common stowaways tend to include workout clothes, tennis shoes, as well as one of her favorite bikinis … because she JUST never knows.”
@LauritaCambios: “Those hiking boots of yours are ugly AF– if you hang them on me one more time I’m going to roll away from you and you’ll never see me again! Otherwise, thanks for taking care of me, and for being small. Small clothes don’t stuff me too much.”
Chasing Runways 