That’s just not my bag man!

Luggage.  What size?  Hard case or duffel?  Roller or backpack?  Lots of issues when deciding but especially when travelling for 3 months.  We know it's impossible to carry 3 months’ worth of clothes and because we will be in Southeast Asia, we know the coldest temperatures will be in North Vietnam at around 16-20C.  Also, a good portion of our transportation will be local buses and trains so our luggage will have to be as small as possible, rugged, and light.  After weighing all of the variables, we decided to bring a week’s worth of clothes, with a light jacket and a couple of pairs of footwear, namely sandals and walking shoes. So, now what…..?   

Here’s what we know about luggage. We know there are 4 basic categories of luggage: the suitcase with 4 wheels or 2 wheels, the duffle bag, the traditional backpack, and some hybrids or combinations.  The most interesting of the hybrids have 2 wheels and decent attachments to turn it into a backpack.  Some of these are well made with proper frames and padding and, because we are older travellers, this sounds like it might be a good option.  If you go with a backpack, you will be carrying your luggage at all times which might be a bit of a burden because let’s face it, it is much easier to pull a bag in airports or down most city streets.  Conversely, rollers would be a drag (literally) when encountering rough terrain, and they are generally heavier.  Decent travel bags can be pricey, so it is important to make the decision best suited to you. 

Once you have decided on the type of luggage you will carry, the question becomes size. Generally, bags are sized by volume beginning at around 40 litres which is basically carry-on size, not very big.  For me (Johanne), I want to make sure I can reasonably handle my own bag/backpack in places where I cannot roll the bag and, in those cases, easily carry it on my back. Those that know me might find this funny, I've never been known as backpack carrying/roughing it/trekking/bus riding/$20-$40 a night hotel kind of person but a girl must make do.

Seriously, Ed and I spent a lot of time discussing all of these issues. We are looking at a 40L rolling bag/backpack for me, and a 60L rolling bag/backpack for Ed.  We will split our clothes between the bags and we think, all things considered, this might be the best option.  This option leaves us with a combined 100 litres of space.  About the size of one big suitcase.  For 3 months.  Yikes!                               

Next will be the topic of packing cubes. Even though Ed calls me "the Packinator" I've never used cubes.  Are they just another item to make us buy more stuff or are they really useful?  The only way to find out is to pack the luggage with or without the cubes.  Stay tuned, more to come from "the Packinator".

~Travel like nobody's watching~