Baggage Claim

Having traveled about the country quite a bit, I’ve realized the value in having just the right piece of baggage for the trip. 

A plain, black carry-on is fine, but once you’re standing at a crowded baggage carousel, you’ll soon realize how many other passengers have baggage that looks just like yours. Once your plain, black piece of baggage is lost, you’ll feel like a dolt telling the airline rep to be on the lookout for a plain, black piece of luggage. 

I used to tie a red bandana to the bottom of mine in order to identify it. That was always a great idea. I could easily spot my bag as it inched its way around to me. Finally the bandana became tattered and barely red at all from all the traveling about. 

I get a chuckle when I see these expensive sets of luggage on display at nice department stores like Macy’s. Here are these gorgeous, color-coordinated, designer sets in maroon and moss-colored paisley print. Sure, that piece would look lovely rolling through the terminal, but that bag is going to be shoved along dirty conveyor belts, dropped onto muddy tarmacs, and crammed into cargo holds along with other nasty pieces of god-knows-what.   

One trip across the Midwest on a snowy night and you’ll find yourself dragging a five-hundred dollar, muddied-up piece of paisley crap through a terminal in Des Moines. 

I took this video at O’Hare on Christmas day after watching pieces of luggage smash into each other and drop to the tarmac. Keep this video in mind when packing that bottle of expensive olive oil you’re bringing as a gift. 

One can practically hear expensive Christmas gifts being smashed to pieces. 

So, after many years of traveling, I’ve come across the perfect piece of luggage. It’s a carry-on piece that comes in hard plastic (can be wiped clean), it comes in black, blue, or brown (I chose blue because I like blue and it’s easy to identify. Isn’t it pretty?

And here’s the best part: It also has a garment bag inside. Wow! Large enough to accommodate a 42-long suit with nary a wrinkle:

I’ve traveled with it and it fits perfectly into the overhead compartment. 

You can order it here at Amazon. Trust me. It’s a great piece of traveling equipment. 

Leave that designer, paisley stuff on display at Macy’s -- where it belongs.