www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Unlike many of you, I do not do a lot of traveling. I typically make one trip to Costa Rica per year, and maybe two or three other trips via air during the course of a year.

My cheap suitcase finally bit the dust, and I am looking for a replacement. Here are my questions:

1. Has anyone used a rolling duffel bag instead of a stand-up suitcase? Advantages/disadvantages?

2. If you have used a rolling duffel bag, can you recommend a good make/model priced under $150.00?

3. Where do you go online to buy luggage? The number of vendors, manufacturers and models is staggering.

Thanks for your input.

_________________
Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

ebags.com is a very good site. Any type of bag you are looking for is available. I've bought several items from there with no problem.

El C,

Find what you like and then go to:

www.pricegrabber.com

Pricegrabber will give you the site with the best price with shipping and tax (if applicable) included, no hidden costs.

Good luck

Mendo

_________________
"It takes a lot of good beer to make a great wine"

I just bought a hardshell suitcase with 4 wheels and omnidirectional rolling from BJ's for $99...

Best suitcase I've ever had...


I've had several rolling duffel bags, none that I'm too thrilled with...

the 4 wheel omnidirectional thing makes traveling effortless... you don't have to deal with ANY weight, and it will still roll like the old rollables did if you need/want it to.

Just make sure you buy one that's decent. The one I got is a samsonite, and its just completed it's 9th trip, and still looks like new.

IF you insist on a rolling duffel, then I would agree with the ebags website. I've found several good deals from there.

I agree. Mine is not hard shell, but American Tourister, with "spinner" wheels. Just like all spinners, they make it so much easier. I would not own another suitcase without them.

_________________
It's not the size of the wand that put the rabbit in the hat, it's the magic in it!!!

Yeah, I just love having a spinner sit on top, and spin her right round...

oops, we're talking luggage...


yeah, I guess the statement above fits luggage as well...

Good advice, all.

Vis-a-vis eBags... not always a good price. For example, I found a High Sierra drop-bottom rolling duffle from High Sierra's ATQ series on eBags for $199.00. Same bag was on Macy's site for $125.00. Even with the shipping/handling charged by Macy's, the bag was $60.00 cheaper there than at eBags. Caveat emptor.

I'll check on other options than the rolling duffel. I like the idea of the duffel because of its easy between-trip storage. The spinner wheels sound like a great idea.

_________________
Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

El C,
For as little travel as you do I would recommend Wal-Mart or Target. If you really want to splurge catch a sale at Penney's or Sears (isn't Father's Day coming up?). They all have a nice variety and for the prices they are tough to beat. You can buy 3 or 4 for what an ebags bag will cost.

Wit

On my way home this evening I cruised MIA lower level and found Florida and LionKing in the outer curb fresh off the last plane out of SJO. Loaded up the bags and then their suitcases.

Noticed Florida's suitcase was all shrink wrapped. Looked like a suitcase with a raincoat. I guess the zippers dont work anymore so he just shrink wraps it. Only $9 per trip was reported.

He even had emoticons on the outer shrink wrap. Says it helps him find his bag on the turn style.

PV, Elroy

Good suggestion Wit, but... I am sick and tired of dropping $$ on a cheap suitcase, only to have a zipper fail...or as happened to me last year on my Labor Day trip, to have the pull handle completely self-destruct on me. I have bought "Jaguar" brand at JCPenney, and it was horrible. I have bought American Tourister at Wal*Mart, and the bag lasted four trips before the collapsible pull handle broke. What I guess I'm looking for is a bag of high enough quality that I don't have to doubt it or worry about it falling apart at the worst possible moment. No, I don't do much traveling...so the suitcases I already bought at JCP and Wally-World should not have fallen apart so quickly.

But I will head over to Wal*Mart and Penney's...both stores can be found in my small Midwestern burg.

_________________
Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

El Ciego, my homeboy...

Get your driver to take you out to Albertville and the outlet shops, there's a place in the new section called "The Luggage Factory" that has some pretty good deals. I bought my High Sierra rolling duffle there (with zippered backpack, and backpack straps for the whole thing) for about $99. They have a larger model for only a little more.

The only drawback with the rolling duffle is that it won't stand up very well in most cases. You have to lay it down, but the High Sierra's have a nice telescoping handle and are very rugged. I like them.

any major city with an army navy store or arny surplus store can hook you up cheap.used one says you are not a rookie ???? new one says new serviceman or wannabe.

_________________
When I was young I confused love and lust. Now that I am older and wiser I find it more fun to just love lust.
http://m.pimpmyspace.org/07/4/10/95266a.gif

He was talking about a rolling duffle, not an army duffle.

Having said that, my army duffle still looks brand new despite years and years of use.. maybe the mid-80's duffles were made better.. it has some kind of plasticy spray on it that repels water and seems to keep it looking pretty new.

The difference between made in China, and made in xxx (insert 1st world country)

true looking to replace that one been on alot of trips your luggage does get beat up