I am really not cut out for traveling like an executive. All I did to it was 1)drag it over cracked sidewalks in Jersey City 2) Ditto Barcelona 3) Drag it up and down subway stairs. I didn't know that was verboten. What's the point of the damn bag if you can't drag it on the stairs?
Since the Romans first paved roads, it has been acknowleged that wheels are generally better off on flat surfaces. If you want to go "off-roading" you need something designed for that.
I guess some people are meant for wheelie bags and some aren't. I'm a little disappointed that you couldn't adapt! ;)
The problem is Travelpro, not wheelieness. I've done horrors far worse with the Delsey. The only thing that hurts that brand is baggage-handling thieves and forklifts...
Oh, sometimes the wheels get roughed by, say, poorly maintained Soviet-bloc pavement. But she rolls ever onward...
Poor Marie. Write a nasty letter and demand a refund! AAx.
Ouch. Are you the hulk? I've had no troubles with mine. But then, you are *used* to traveling rough. Seems self fulfilling, though. You hated it immediately. As they say, you get what you give.
Was it operator error or manufactured poorly? We'll find out tomorrow. There's no repair or sales for Travelpro here, but my pal Jeff looked up a luggage repair place in his Barcelona guidebook, so I'll either get this one fixed or buy a new one if they sneer and say it would cost more to repair than to replace.
Oh, and I hated my Eagle Creek pack from Day One too. It has these zip-away straps for when you fly, but the damn thing won't zip once it's full, and it is sideways loading, which I discovered is useless in a backpack (must be top loading for better squashability). But that didn't stop me from learning to appreciate it, or Eagle Creek from sending me replacement parts. So luggage-hatred can be tempered if respect is earned.
I do still love my first pack, a Gregory, and I still have it but it's too small for long-term expeditions. Roberta used it to go sea kayaking off Belize last year and it was just the right size for that.
Hmmm. I just had a thought: were you lifting and lowering by the expandable-handle?
I roll with the long one, then loft with the smaller, sturdier ones.
At a party this weekend, some journalists cornered me, demanding tips on packing.
"I'm really bad at it," I protested. "Ask Rick Steves. He cares. He really does."
"But you're a travel writer too!"
"That says NOTHING about my sense of ergonomics," I replied. "Some people live for luggage, like that character in Joe Versus the Volcano. I'm not one of them."
So take my advice with a grain of salt, OK? Aside from the Delsey and the inflatable neck pillow, I don't know squat besides "roll, not fold." Ax.
It's becoming increasingly clear to me that I'm a contrarian packer. I don't roll at all. I fold or roll into packing cubes or vacuum bags. I also carry jeans (gasp)and refuse to wear "travel clothes," a money belt, or anything with elastic around the waist. And yeah, I dragged the damn thing by the long handle, which is the whole problem. But honestly, what IS the point of a bag that is so heavy you can't get it up or down stairs without help from strangers? Not okay. Not the way I do things. I'm switching out, doing something totally different, I think. I have a week to work it out.
Maybe I should have a luggage smackdown with Rick Steves. Bring him on.
9 comments:
I am really not cut out for traveling like an executive. All I did to it was 1)drag it over cracked sidewalks in Jersey City 2) Ditto Barcelona 3) Drag it up and down subway stairs. I didn't know that was verboten. What's the point of the damn bag if you can't drag it on the stairs?
Most places on earth are not covered with stairs.
Since the Romans first paved roads, it has been acknowleged that wheels are generally better off on flat surfaces. If you want to go "off-roading" you need something designed for that.
I guess some people are meant for wheelie bags and some aren't. I'm a little disappointed that you couldn't adapt! ;)
Now go drink some sangria for me!
The problem is Travelpro, not wheelieness. I've done horrors far worse with the Delsey. The only thing that hurts that brand is baggage-handling thieves and forklifts...
Oh, sometimes the wheels get roughed by, say, poorly maintained Soviet-bloc pavement. But she rolls ever onward...
Poor Marie. Write a nasty letter and demand a refund! AAx.
Ouch. Are you the hulk? I've had no troubles with mine. But then, you are *used* to traveling rough. Seems self fulfilling, though. You hated it immediately. As they say, you get what you give.
Sorry you wasted yer money!
Was it operator error or manufactured poorly? We'll find out tomorrow. There's no repair or sales for Travelpro here, but my pal Jeff looked up a luggage repair place in his Barcelona guidebook, so I'll either get this one fixed or buy a new one if they sneer and say it would cost more to repair than to replace.
Oh, and I hated my Eagle Creek pack from Day One too. It has these zip-away straps for when you fly, but the damn thing won't zip once it's full, and it is sideways loading, which I discovered is useless in a backpack (must be top loading for better squashability). But that didn't stop me from learning to appreciate it, or Eagle Creek from sending me replacement parts. So luggage-hatred can be tempered if respect is earned.
I do still love my first pack, a Gregory, and I still have it but it's too small for long-term expeditions. Roberta used it to go sea kayaking off Belize last year and it was just the right size for that.
Hmmm. I just had a thought: were you lifting and lowering by the expandable-handle?
I roll with the long one, then loft with the smaller, sturdier ones.
At a party this weekend, some journalists cornered me, demanding tips on packing.
"I'm really bad at it," I protested. "Ask Rick Steves. He cares. He really does."
"But you're a travel writer too!"
"That says NOTHING about my sense of ergonomics," I replied. "Some people live for luggage, like that character in Joe Versus the Volcano. I'm not one of them."
So take my advice with a grain of salt, OK? Aside from the Delsey and the inflatable neck pillow, I don't know squat besides "roll, not fold." Ax.
It's becoming increasingly clear to me that I'm a contrarian packer. I don't roll at all. I fold or roll into packing cubes or vacuum bags. I also carry jeans (gasp)and refuse to wear "travel clothes," a money belt, or anything with elastic around the waist. And yeah, I dragged the damn thing by the long handle, which is the whole problem. But honestly, what IS the point of a bag that is so heavy you can't get it up or down stairs without help from strangers? Not okay. Not the way I do things. I'm switching out, doing something totally different, I think. I have a week to work it out.
Maybe I should have a luggage smackdown with Rick Steves. Bring him on.
What about some pod-bag configuration? Like a duffel that nests inside a larger unit – riding together through the airport, but dividable for stairs?
I'm outta tricks now. Time for the steel-cage death match with Rick.
Pull his hair for me. Something has to wipe that Elmer Fudd grin off his face ... Ax.
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