Duffle v Spinner as "Carry On"

[zen]

Now a lot of thought needs to be given to the luggage when traveling on planes. Airlines can attempt to get you on dimensions of your carry on (the bag that you can carry with you to the plane) and on the weight (and dimensions at times) of your checked/hold luggage. For carry ons, different airlines can have different dimension (and even weight) requirements. Usually, the "safe" dimensions of a carry on are 21-22" length, 13-15" width, & 8-9" depth. 

 

Here we will focus on two types of carry on luggages -> the duffle and the spinner suitcase (the bag with wheels at the 4 edges. The wheels can be 4 (1 at each corner) or 8 (two at each corner) ... There can be roller boards (2 wheels at the back) duffles and suitcases as well but we will skip those as they can be seen as relatively more similar. 

 

Below are the pros of each, assuming similar sizes:

 

• Duffle - relatively more space as it does not account for wheels, which can add 1-2" to a spinner, lightweight, and can be squeezed into most bins depending on how much you pack. 
• Spinner - easy to roll at the airports and hotels. Can be hardside or softside depending on your preference. 

 

Duffle or Spinner, which one do you prefer as a carry on?

[bharathh]

If it's mostly clothes duffel - else spinner

[coffee_rules]

 

[zen]

40 minutes ago, coffee_rules said:

 

 

I would not recommend such smart bags unless the purchaser knows what he/she is getting into. Usually, such bags can have service issues and annoyances (including losing interior space due to rarely useful technology) which need to be well researched (including scam specs where the battery could run out in no time rendering most smart features useless). Such startups can go bust (or the buyer could get scammed where the bag may never be delivered). 

 

 

Edited August 30, 2022 by zen

[coffee_rules]

On Topic, prefer spinner , can’t carry a bag for long. If they ask me to check-in the carry-on at the gate, will willfully do it. 

[BacktoCricaddict]

19 minutes ago, coffee_rules said:

On Topic, prefer spinner , can’t carry a bag for long. If they ask me to check-in the carry-on at the gate, will willfully do it. 

 

This.  A million times, this.  Even this atheist will be sitting at the gate praying that they ask for bags for free check in.

 

I hate flying with a passion.  My dream is to fly alone from USA to India just wearing capri pants (to keep passport conveniently), a t-shirt, and socks.  No belt. No jacket. No backpack.

[zen]

1 hour ago, coffee_rules said:

If they ask me to check-in the carry-on at the gate, will willfully do it. 

 

40 minutes ago, BacktoCricaddict said:

This.  A million times, this.  Even this atheist will be sitting at the gate praying that they ask for bags for free check in.

 

Usually, not a good practise to check in a carry on unless you have already checked in a bag (so you have to pick up your luggage anyways at the carousel) and/or your bag is not that expensive (usually, carry on are relatively expensive. Many even use LVMH, Gucci, etc.) 

 

If you are only traveling with a carry on, you want to get moving once you land (and of course, cuts down on a step of not dropping your bag when you board the plane). 

[BacktoCricaddict]

20 minutes ago, zen said:

 

 

Usually, not a good practise to check in a carry on unless you have already checked in a bag (so you have to pick up your luggage anyways at the carousel) and/or your bag is not that expensive (usually, carry on are relatively expensive. Many even use LVMH, Gucci, etc.) 

 

 

Yeah ... that's never a problem for me. I bought mine at Dinsha and Company in Pune 20 years ago.  Still going strong.  Cheaf, besht and sushtainabal.

[zen]

I feel that if the trip is less than 2 weeks (unless going to a place w/ extremely hot weather), there is no need to take in a checked luggage. One can get by with a carry on & a personal item. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[zen]

Just came back from a busy 2 week trip to Europe. Used all kinds of carry-on bags including an expendable roller bag, 2 spinners, & 2 duffles. Each type of bag had its pros including working well with other bags. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[maniac]

Prefer duffel for local traveling.

 

prefer spinner for long/ international travel

[sandeep]

On 9/15/2022 at 9:28 AM, zen said:

Just came back from a busy 2 week trip to Europe. Used all kinds of carry-on bags including an expendable roller bag, 2 spinners, & 2 duffles. Each type of bag had its pros including working well with other bags. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

indirect flex about Euro travel duly noted.   Where did you go?

[zen]

12 minutes ago, sandeep said:

indirect flex about Euro travel duly noted.   Where did you go?

 

France - Paris (usual), French Riviera (Nice, Eze Village, & Monaco), & French Alps (Annecy, one of the most beautiful old towns aka Venice of Alps, & Chamonix Mont Blanc, Mont Blanc is the highest peak in Europe), & Switzerland - Geneva, Bern (for the bears), & Interlaken. 

 

So did a bit of everything from cities, towns, beaches, lakes, & mountains. 

 

PS stayed at Paris, Nice, Geneva, & Chamonix Mont Blanc. 

 

Edited September 17, 2022 by zen

[sandeep]

Chamonix is a very pretty town. I remember taking a goofy picture with my friends by that statue at the square. 

[zen]

2 minutes ago, sandeep said:

Chamonix is a very pretty town. I remember taking a goofy picture with my friends by that statue at the square. 

 

Did you go up to the Aiguille du Midi, that is an experience in itself? 

 

[sandeep]

6 hours ago, zen said:

 

Did you go up to the Aiguille du Midi, that is an experience in itself? 

 

Unfortunately not - we were in town for a very short window, and I was in a group where I didn't set the agenda.  Will do it when I'm there next, with my daughter.  Funny we're talking about this as I'm planning a short 3 day stopover in Zurich/Chur....

[zen]

48 minutes ago, sandeep said:

Unfortunately not - we were in town for a very short window, and I was in a group where I didn't set the agenda.  Will do it when I'm there next, with my daughter.  Funny we're talking about this as I'm planning a short 3 day stopover in Zurich/Chur....

If you are planning a stopover in Zurich, you have the option to go to Interlaken and then to Jungfraujoch - Link … There is Piz Gloria out there as well where “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” was shot (my vacations tend to be like going to Bond films like locations with an adventure theme to them). 
 

There is nothing much to do in Zurich relatively speaking so better to go to Interlaken straightaway (Zurich to be mainly used for flying in and out of Switzerland).

 

Despite going to Interlaken area, I did not go to Jungfraujoch as I was already doing Mont Blanc. 
 

If you want to go to Chamonix from Zurich, the best bet is to rent a car as you can go there quickly (3-4 hrs drive). Even though Swiss rail network is efficient, it would take a lot more time to go to Chamonix from Zurich (You would need to change the train at Geneva or Annemasse, which is in France but considered a part of the Greater Geneva Area) … To do Chamonix (and Annecy), the better way is to fly into Geneva (if that can be the stopover option).

 

Edited September 17, 2022 by zen

[sandeep]

15 hours ago, zen said:

If you are planning a stopover in Zurich, you have the option to go to Interlaken and then to Jungfraujoch - Link … There is Piz Gloria out there as well where “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” was shot (my vacations tend to be like going to Bond films like locations with an adventure theme to them). 
 

There is nothing much to do in Zurich relatively speaking so better to go to Interlaken straightaway (Zurich to be mainly used for flying in and out of Switzerland).

 

Despite going to Interlaken area, I did not go to Jungfraujoch as I was already doing Mont Blanc. 
 

If you want to go to Chamonix from Zurich, the best bet is to rent a car as you can go there quickly (3-4 hrs drive). Even though Swiss rail network is efficient, it would take a lot more time to go to Chamonix from Zurich (You would need to change the train at Geneva or Annemasse, which is in France but considered a part of the Greater Geneva Area) … To do Chamonix (and Annecy), the better way is to fly into Geneva (if that can be the stopover option).

 

I don't want to include Bernese Oberland on this short stop - have been there and for going again, would want to go in the summer months to Grindelwald etc.  This trip's objective is primarily to introduce my daughter to Switzerland, and have her experience the Bernina Express, over the Alps to Italy and back.  Did that with Wifey enroute to Lake Como on the so-called 'baby moon' trip, so would be nice do it again with my daughter, even if in winter.  Zurich for all its 'boring' cityness, is very convenient in terms of location and a 'base'. I would be an hour and change away from a couple of alternative day trips weather permitting to Basel, Bern, Vaduz, Lucerne etc. I might consider staying somewhere along the Zurich-Chur train line, but most probably will end up with a ZRH hotel anyway, let's see.  

 

 

[zen]

50 minutes ago, sandeep said:

I don't want to include Bernese Oberland on this short stop - have been there and for going again, would want to go in the summer months to Grindelwald etc.  This trip's objective is primarily to introduce my daughter to Switzerland, and have her experience the Bernina Express, over the Alps to Italy and back.  Did that with Wifey enroute to Lake Como on the so-called 'baby moon' trip, so would be nice do it again with my daughter, even if in winter.  Zurich for all its 'boring' cityness, is very convenient in terms of location and a 'base'. I would be an hour and change away from a couple of alternative day trips weather permitting to Basel, Bern, Vaduz, Lucerne etc. I might consider staying somewhere along the Zurich-Chur train line, but most probably will end up with a ZRH hotel anyway, let's see.  

 

 

That train can be taken from Chur iirc. 
 

I would not suggest Basel as it is again more of a regular (by Swiss standards) town/city (more for business, trade fairs, museums, etc.). Luzern can be nice if mostly walking around the lake area and visiting Mt. Pilatus. But it will form a triangle with Zurich & Chur. 
 

If there for 3 days, probably more efficient to stay in the Chur area, do Vaduz, etc., and return to Zurich (or Luzern as you can easily go to airport from Luzern too via train in around an hour) for the flight unless there are some plans for Zurich (otherwise you are adding 2-3 hours of daily travel time to keep Zurich as a base). 

I thought you would be going in fall. But appears as if it is in winter (Nov-Dec).

 

 

Edited September 18, 2022 by zen

[sandeep]

27 minutes ago, zen said:

That train can be taken from Chur iirc. 
 

I would not suggest Basel as it is again more of a regular (by Swiss standards) town/city (more for business, trade fairs, museums, etc.). Luzern can be nice if mostly walking around the lake area and visiting Mt. Pilatus. But it will form a triangle with Zurich & Chur. 
 

If there for 3 days, probably more efficient to stay in the Chur area, do Vaduz, etc., and return to Zurich (or Luzern as you can easily go to airport from Luzern too via train) for the flight unless there are some plans for Zurich.

I thought you would be going in fall. But appears as if it is in winter (Nov-Dec).

 

 

February actually, thats why the limited agenda.  Briefly thought of staying in Lucerne - don't want to stay in Chur if I can help it, but the Bernina Express is the main part of the plan, and to get to Chur before 8:30 from Lucerne would be too hectic.  That's why looking for alternatives to Zurich/Chur for places to stay, but on the train line.  Basel would be instead of Vaduz, because my daughter may find it interesting to be at a tri-junction of France, Germany and Switzerland, but unlikely that I'll go there this time around.  Plan A is really Bernina, and then rest of the time will be flexible - either Vaduz, or Lucerne, or whatever.  Just an easy paced exploration of whatever seems convenient and 'fun' with the weather in mind.  If the mood strikes, maybe we'll go sledding or something.  Let's see.