Which is better: Hard or soft luggage for travel?
soft luggage only has three advantages
it's light
it's cheap
it can be folded up when not needed
hard luggage has the benefit of keeping you belongings from being broken (probably the biggest concern), allows for more security because they can't be slashed, are less likely to break, provide more protection from water or other liquid contaminants
the only time I'd recommend soft luggage is when you are carrying something one way
Baggage handler here. We prefer hard luggage with 4 wheels. They tend to last longer and instead of having to throw them to the other side in the plane luggage compartment, we can simply roll them.
>>1050843
I like hard-case, myself. Airport staff are nigs (whether literally or not) who WILL throw your shit and drop it like they just don't care (which they don't). Recently took a trip with Aer Lingus and I had the luck to have a seat right above the cargo loading door. I saw my hardcase suitcase (100% sure it was mine due to distinctive orange string I tie to the handle) fall off the top of an over-stacked trolley, and then watched as the fuckers threw it hard on to an empty trolley, then again as they tossed it from there to another guy who loaded it on the belt. It was cracked when I went to pick it up. Stupid Irish mother fuckers.
I guess a softcase wouldn't have cracked, but the shit inside it might have broken.
>>1050866
>baggage handler
tell me the stories of your people
what makes you think "let's rifle through this persons bag checking for contraband"
how common is theft by handlers (if this happens)
what should you not try to bring on a plane at all
what are the strangest things you've seen
>>1050871
Are you blaming us for the way the job is setup? Blame our employers instead. That is the airlines who try to cheap out on everything so that you can fly cheaper.
You would literally behave in the same way if you worked there and if you didn't and try to treat every bag like a small baby, then your back would break after a week. No one tries to destroy your stuff on purpose, but I will always value my body before your stupid shit that you don't really need. Also, try to not bring sensitive stuff that will break. If you do, put it in your hand luggage.
>>1050872
>what makes you think "let's rifle through this persons bag checking for contraband"
>how common is theft by handlers (if this happens)
I don't know about other airports but this is simply unheard of where I work. I guess we make enough money to not have to steal from our customers. There have been thefts before but they were arrested and it happened over 10 years ago. There are cameras everywhere.
>what should you not try to bring on a plane at all
You mean what not to put in your checked in luggage? Anything valuable or essential that you won't make it without during your first days at the destination. And if you have to bring liquor, do so at your own risk. Me and my colleagues have had countless of luggage with wine dripping out and stinking up the other bags as well.
>what are the strangest things you've seen
Haven't seen that crazy things compared to the stories I've heard. For instance, there was a time recently that a man was found in the belly of the plane. It was an african airline and the man who was an employee of the airport it arrived from was planning to seek asylum in the country...
Usually it's also the african carriers that have the strangest luggage. There's always someone bringing a huge flatscreen TV, bags full of fruits (bananas), fucking furniture and stuff I can't remember right now.
Soft luggage is literally the only way to go. Just sling it over your shoulder and walk into the sunset in slow motion.
>>1050882
I had money taken out of my luggage. It was just some random souvenir notes from countries I'd visited that weren't worth anything, but still.
>>1050843
>Hard or soft luggage for travel?
>>1050866
>Baggage handler here. We prefer hard luggage with 4 wheels. They tend to last longer and instead of having to throw them to the other side in the plane luggage compartment, we can simply roll them.
Puhleeze. You don't know how long they last as you're not a frequent traveler or someone who actually processes claims/management.
OP, soft-sided is the proper term. Because they are framed inside the fabric and your items do NOT get crushed, nor does it fold up like this guy claims. That'd be a gym bag. >>1050864
>it can be folded up when not needed
The reason soft-sided luggage is preferred is because it has pockets on the exterior, more internal pockets or organization that the same tier hardsided, and opens up like a fliptop lid, not a clamshell requiring more room at your destination for living out of the bag (or to have to lay it on a bed eww). 4 wheeled bags are the best, if you value your body/fatigue levels when traveling as well. For checked bags only, a hardside will have 2 advantages, flying in a climate or low-tech airport, where there is a rain and exterior terminals such as Island life, where you care about a spill of liquids in the cargo hold, or rain on your bag because handlers didn't throw a tarp over it all. Rare both of them. The last advantage is security of the bag where drugs could be placed into it by a nonemployee/someone with TSA keys, rather than theft by cutting. Could make it less a target by a slim margin, but could be something you'd want in/out certain countries. Same as bag wrapping.
But as far as durability, nope. Hardsides suffer stress at the weakest point, usually where the seam is, or pressure dents at corners. Once it's stressed/crushed or warped, it's horrible unsecure from popping open or staying locked. A soft-side has a little more give that doesn't burst the seam. Of course quality matters, but I'll take a Travelpro crew over a Tumi hardside 24/7.
>>1050886
OP said soft luggage, I thought he meant gym bags and shit like that
I stand by what I said though, hard case all the way
baggage handlers will toss bags around like foam peanuts, and baggage tampering happens regularly in hotels or when your bag is in third party transit like on trains etc
hard case luggage remains usable when damaged, but if the frame of a soft case it bent it becomes useless
also soft sided as you call them tend to pick up odours, maybe not a problem for some, but if someone is smoking wee next to your bag in a hostel that can security hastles
(this has happened to me)
>>1050890
>in a hostel
Well, this is a class of travel that has its own set of homeless style problems really. It's like trailer park life. It's not how most people travel.
It's certainly not the type who are asking questions about luggage purchases in the first place. More of a backpack situation and never a hardside kind of person. It's the opposite about hardside being usable when damaged. It's precision that makes the frames close with each other. Soft sided frames can utterly crush but the zipper will still be operational.
I'm sorry but I've had 50 bags in my lifetime, and logged miles twice a week for 2 decades. I've overstuffed bags from shopping, packed winter gear, sports gear, etc. I travel with a shitload of electronics with IT. Two of my grandparents were airline pilots, and I've owned the lived the evolution of bag types. You simply don't know what you're talking about from experience to state the opposite like you do. Cheap bags are cheap, that's about the only thing you can state with any certainty. The biggest issue going right now is getting a lightweight bag, of either type, with the durability you want at the price point you'd want. If money is no object, it's going to be soft-sided as the choice of any professional traveler.
>>1050895
I'm not knocking your /trv/ credentials, I just disagree with you
soft cases give you more flexibility and stretch, but provide less protection
they are heavier, but harder to tamper with
perhaps as you spend more, soft case bags close some of those gaps, but for me I'd rather protect my thousand dollar camera from damage even if it means the clamshell lid effect
>>1050897
>I'd rather protect my thousand dollar camera from damage
Implying most people would even check that.
>>1050903
I can only take one bag carry on, and I travel wth many things of value
and there is nothing worse than struggling through security check in's with a camera bag, lap top bag, pillow, etc etc
and I am often only allowed to take one bag in carry on, sometimes two small bags are not allowed; or they cause me trouble
I can only fit so many valuables in my carry on, at some point something needs to go in the large bags
Enjoy!
http://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2013/03/13/tomkins-samsonite-belgium-quality-test.cnn
Weightwise, the soft-side gets more interior stability than a hardside for the same weight, and since this is enemy #1 right now, the difference between a 7lb bag and a 12lb bag, they sacrfice weight on hardside durability in newer bags.
You can image search a shit ton of hardside damage pictures. They crack like an eggshell, even fiber bags, puncture holes, spinner wheels that stick out break off when trapped on conveyor belts, and take out the shell with them. The hard pullup handle area absorbs more stress than the shell, and so the shell breaks up across the top of the bag, corners and sides. You're not alone in thinking they are better, it would seem logical, but the fact is, they're not. A soft-sided bag is a hybrid really, the name should be changed.
>>1050911
What this guy said. I did some work on the baggage systems in airports in the UK, and remember baggage guys saying that the thing with hard shell bags was that when they took a hard hit from falling or whatever they tended to basically explode when a soft bag would bounce / crumple.
>>1050843
Acknowledging that there is no "one true way," I travel with big duffles. I carry lot of soft.compressible gear, which cushions the few things I carry that need cushioning. Have successfully brought back glass bottles of apple juice from Japan in there...
>>1050964
>I travel with big duffles
Great for road trips, poor for checking luggage. Congrats on not having a breakage, probably doing nonstops.
>>1050972
Nah, I just don't have that much breakable stuff in them. And they are BIG, so there is lots of padding between anything and the outside world.
>Doing nonstops
I have heard of those; must be nice...
>>1050911
I prefer soft luggage.
Its cheaper- you can often even find used luggage at thrift stores or garage sales. I don't travel enough to warrant buying new 4 wheeled bags when old 2 wheeled ones are good enough.
I like the extra pockets and exterior pockets. I like the zipper more than hinges and clasps. Because once a clasp gets too damaged, the bag can't close at all.
>>1050964
Same here. I've had my laptop for 7 years and it's been in soft checked in luggage on multiple long distance flights with multiple layovers. Still going strong, just gotta pad the shit out of it.
>>1050911
For a Rimowa to be that dented it must have been fucking run over or some shit.
I personally am a bigger fan of hardshell, mainly because I've been moving around a lot lately and can get more space out of a hardshell.
Durability wise, hardshells have stayed intact longer, BUT once they break they're out of commission, while with soft luggage you can kind of still go around with a tear or two and you're fine. Soft luggage definitely lasts longer.
If money and weight is no issue, I would personally vouch for Rimowa. Strong as fuck, classy and heavy. Cheap wise I like Ricado and Samsonite for hardshell, and Samsonite and Delsey for soft. (Delsey's hard shells break super fucking easy don't go for it.)
>>1051155
What is your opinion on the Antler Juno(hard) and Aire (Soft)?
>>1051204
Don't have any experience with either. Just from googling though, I would probably say go for the Aire. The seem to be sturdier, Juno looks like they might be one of those thin hardshells.
>>1050872
Different baggage handler here
>what makes you think "let's rifle through this persons bag checking for contraband"
We don't have the time to open your bags. TSA does all the screening for illegal shit, I don't think anyone in the airport has clearance to open your shit aside from them.
>how common is theft
Nonexistent. Airport gates have windows and 10 billion cameras, you'd probably get fired before even clocking out if you stole something. If something went missing from your bag, it 100% wasn't taken from the guys loading it on the plane. Most likely something happened inbetween you checking it in and it arriving planeside.
>what should you not bring on a plane
In terms of checked luggage, anything expensive and/or hard to replace. You can get a fragile tag on your suitcase but at the end of the day it's only a piece of paper. Like >>1050882 said, no one wants to destroy your stuff, but we have a job to do.
>what are the strangest things you've seen
I've heard stories about vibrators and dildos being found in cargo bins.
>>1050890
Where are you traveling that they smoke wee?
![49539_s_cure_spinner_55_cm_dark_blue_samsonite[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/b3P7uS9.jpg "49539_s_cure_spinner_55_cm_dark_blue_samsonite[1].jpg")
I just bought the Samsonite S'Cure Spinner 55cm.
Pretty cool for business trips or weekend getaways, if they don't allow it on the plane since I'm carrying a laptopbag (which is like a big manpurse, cough) as well I can just check it in without issues.
Opinions vary. If you're going against a strict carry on sizer hard luggage is better. Soft sided luggage can generally be opened (zipper) via a ball point pen, and cheaper luggage is easier to snag on baggage handling equipment.
Soft sided luggage generally offers slightly more storage in the same space, easier to deal with generally, and has a bit more breathing room for expansion when you're filling the bag.
My preference is for soft shell luggage, baggage handlers are the most likely people to steal shit and most US airlines don't police carry on size that closely. Europe is different.
>>1051332
>We don't have the time to open your bags. TSA does all the screening for illegal shit, I don't think anyone in the airport has clearance to open your shit aside from them.
TSA is the one that screens for all the illegal shit and is responsible for the majority of theft. With the leak of the master key 3D printer schematics the game has changed and anyone can open shit now.
>not traveling only with a carry-on
Plebs. Have fun standing next to a conveyor belt like a moron for a half an hour just to pick up your now physically compromised gear.
If you can't fit the personal items you need in a carry-on case that weighs 16lbs or less, you should add tampons and mascara to your toiletry checklist.
>>1050882
I work as a bagmonkey at a ferry terminal and agree with everything this guy said although I once took a cheapo groundsheet that had fallen through the cracks a few days prior. Probably should have handed it to lost and found but fuck it.
Stupidest shit I have seen is four car tires strapped to one of those 2-wheeled cart dollies. Thing probably weighed 70kg+.
Heavy or otherwise cumbersome bags/parcels may be subject to extra abuse partly because their nature limits careful handling but also we (I anyway) go apeshit when there are two plastic bags, a groundsheet, a tent and a bike helmet all loosely tied to the same suitcase.
Gonna throw my vote in with the softfags. Weakspots are wheels and handles - especially the retractable pull-handle.
I've never seen a soft handle similar to pic related being broken so that's my recommendation. That is, it being part of the greater structure of the bag rather than somehow tacked on.
>>1052219
I'm traveling for a day or 2 less to a small island country where I will be traveling to various destinations, though may run into many of the same people, in that time. I rate 2 checked, and a carry on. Why would I only take a carry on? Why does trv like to live like bums?
>>1052219
>STOP PACKINGWHAT I DON'T PACK!!!
Here's a reply for you, M8E
>>1052320
I don't like checked luggage because it costs extra in many domestic flights in the US often around 25$ per bag each way.
For that price, I can buy a few new clothes and things.
>>1052320
>A day or 2 less than 2 weeks
Sorry for the typo. A little inebriated off of Knob Creek small batch 100 proof bourbon
Hard. I've gone through a bunch of soft bags and they get ripped apart. My Samsonite has held up sturdy so far.
>>1052331
I have a Samsonite soft, which though it shows some wear is going strong. And is Dr. Who level "bigger on the inside"
>>1050872
Another former baggage handler/ramp rat here.
>we have no interest in going through your bag. On the rare occasion we have to we hate it. Nobody wants to look through your dirty ass clothes looking for HAZMAT if something is leaking or vibrating. It's usually done in pairs so we can laugh at your skid stained underwear or vibrator. (its mostly toothbrushes)
>We dont throw your bags too hard, but the heavier they are the more likely they are to be tossed around/dropped. Overweight bags are are more likely to get rough treatment because we dont want to hurt ourselves handling them. It's not malicious, it's just safer for us, however most of us know the exact way to drop a bag to snap a wheel off. Goodluck filing a claim with your overweight bag.
>fragile stickers/tags do get respected. As well as things like musical instruments.
>probably the best advice I can offer is to double the minimum connection time if your bag is going from one airline to another. It takes time to unload, and someone has to drive it to the other carrier, put it on their common belt, and they need enough time to sort it. I've had bags make it that shouldnt have because I hauled ass, and bags miss because I had to take a piss. We deal with hundreds a day so one here and there is just shit luck for that guy.
>wierdest thing I've seen has been organ tissue for donors/research, human remains, and animal trophies.
As far as the thread is concerned hardside is good for fragile items or unusual items, soft sided is good for mixed items, and duffle bags are best for casual clothes. Whatever you do dont buy cheap if you want it to last. I've seen enough fake designer handbags literally come apart in peoples hands spreading panties all over the ramp. (more than once)
One more thing, in the US Skycaps get shit pay to put your bag on a belt, but they make a fucking killing in tips without doing any of the real gruntwork. That's more of a personal gripe.
i always use soft samsonite luggage, the one that fits in overhead compartments on planes
even if i go travel for extended periods of time, i only pack few clothes and the toilet bag
it's all you need
if i'm in a pinch and need some clean clothes, you can always buy some small washing powder and wash your clothes in a sink and leave it to dry overnight
i find the ease of handling it and flexibility of the exterior (don't pack anything fragile in it) to be a bigger plus than anything what a hard case can offer
>>1051332
besides the occasionl story about airport employees finding the time to sift through bags and stela everything.
>>1052783
It's rare but it happens. Moral of the story is keep your valuables in your carry on. Do a property check immediately after you clear the security checkpoint, some TSA screeners have been busted for stealing shit straight from the bins.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/13/us/airport-luggage-theft/
>>1051332
>We don't have the time to open your bags. TSA does all the screening for illegal shit, I don't think anyone in the airport has clearance to open your shit aside from them.
Airlines absolutely can screen luggage. It's not just TSA. How are you a baggage handler and not know that? Airlines are far more concerned about liquids and canisters that might be under pressure and leak and/or fire risk. And, it's a huge problem to/from Caribbean and other expensive import conditions where local businesspeople will try to bring in 40 bottles of butane lighter fuel or hair spray or acetone or something beyond 1 personal use item of any of that. Luggage is packed with shopping to south america from the US too.
>>1051332
>If something went missing from your bag, it 100% wasn't taken from the guys loading it on the plane. Most likely something happened inbetween you checking it in and it arriving planeside.
They're caught all the time. Don't be stupid. It's only personal integrity that prevents theft, and almost always it's people working together in teams to cover up the theft. Airlines hire outside personnel (security) to watch bags in lockcages overnight, such that employees can't get to them offhours when there are long hours between flights that aren't paying them at that moment.
>>1052338 Im this bagfag
>>1053217
Baggage handlers do not want to go through your bags. It wastes our time and 99% of the time it's nothing more than clothing. The airline I worked for catered to high end clients to exclusive destinations, but it's still dirty laundry. If your bag is leaking or vibrating we have to inspect it. TSA doesnt give a shit about your toiletries. If it's not a bomb it's not their problem.
Your risk of theft is elevated if your bags are transferring from one airline to another. There are some places cameras don't reach.
"Expedite/Rush" bags hold the highest risk for theft by airline employees, because the chain of custody is so lax.
That being said, of my 5 years as a ramp rat the only theft case I heard of at my city was a Victoria's Secret supermodel who filed a claim for missing panties. It wasn't me, but everyone on the ramp knew who did it. He never got caught.
>>1053648
Forgot to mention, the mandatory inspection of leaking/vibrating/smelly bag rule is an FAA regulation that predates the TSA.
The TSA is concerned with counter terror and nothing else, and they arent trained to spot violations to FAA rules like airline employees are.
If anyone is going through your stuff and taking it, it's most likely the TSA if it's US domestic travel.
