Luggage for college?

[swimmermom3]

For those of you with students who are already in college and who are out of state, what kind of luggage did they take with them?

 

Whether Sailor Dude ends up on either the east or west coasts, he'll be several hours away by plane.  What kind of luggage do college students prefer?  We figure that we'll have to send most of his possessions by UPS ahead of his arrival, but he'll still need luggage of some kind.

[8filltheheart]

I would suggest duffle bag types or collapsible in some way. Storage is an issue in most dorm rooms.

[gingersmom]

We got ours at AAA. Regular large suitcases. She only has 2 and has managed to figure out where to store. She also has a smaller carry on for short trips home.

[Shelly in VA]

I got my college kids soft-sided wheeled luggage sets that could nest inside each other empty under their dorm beds, but they also each have at least one duffle bag. So far, so good - the duffles have been good for short trips, and the soft-sided wheeled bags have flown and survived trips to Kenya, Chicago, and TN to date. They do both live driving distance to the schools, though, so the luggage isn't being used at airports all that frequently. I would definitely recommend wheeled bags, if I were to suggest one key feature!

[Dmmetler]

And I'd add-you want the kind of wheels where you can push the suitcase, not just pull it. It's SO much easier. 

[JennW in SoCal]

Yep -- wheeled duffle bags. Ds has a big one and a carry-on size from LLBean, and they have been stuffed full on many a trip over the last 4 years and, as far as I can tell, are still holding up. As others have noted -- they squish down to fit under a dorm bed or some other out of the way place.

 

And, off topic but luggage related, Southwest Airlines is your college friend.  2 pieces of free checked luggage, and the frequent flier miles stack up fairly quickly. 

 

 

[Mom22ns]

My suggestion is just to make sure the suitcases nest. Ds's set includes a wheeled duffle. Dd wanted nothing to do with duffles and got a set of 3 suitcases that nest so they just take the space of the largest and will all fit under the bed.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

We have gone through a lot of suitcases over the years.  Lots of work and vacation travel.

 

I've decided that even expensive, well made bags are going to take a beating in the baggage handling system.  We pretty much use soft sided wheeling suit cases.  We have one extremely large wheeled duffle that we bought to transport a camping backpack.  It is good, but the wheels end up at an odd angle when the bag is pulled by my tallest son.  He usually just carries it.  

 

Do make sure the bags nest.  I like bags that have wheels that swivel, because they are easier to maneuver.  I would also take a look at the front zipper compartments.  Take a small 3 ring binder or folder and test how hard it is to get it in and out.  (We had one set of bags where the zipper was a downward curve (like a smile) that was almost impossible to use.)

 

Our other favorite bag is a big military style duffle bag.  They are so light, that its almost impossible to make them go overweight.  We use them often for stuffing full of clothes and shoes.  Ours are similar to this.  http://www.amazon.com/Flyers-Large-Duffle-Army-Surplus/dp/B00M4FJBA4 The downside is that they have no wheels or straps.  The upside is that because they have no structure, there is nothing for the fabric to wear against.  Our pair have outlasted many wheeled suitcases.  (However, I have a hard time schlepping them around when they are full.  My strong son, no problem.)

 

 

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

A bag very popular among those who frequently move families internationally are the LLBean rolling duffles.  Hold lots, flatten nicely.  We often buy the Ziplock totes (square zippered pods) and use them inside suitcases to keep items together.  That could be useful to a college student so they have less sorting on arrival.  

 

Be sure you check the luggage sizes allowed by your preferred airline(s) before buying so that you don't end up with something too big.

[Sunshine State Sue]

I picked up a large red suitcase with wheels cheap at a garage sale. It fit under ds's bed, but he could have donated it if he needed to get rid of it.  He uses duffle bags when traveling to/from home now.

[Sunshine State Sue]

And, off topic but luggage related, Southwest Airlines is your college friend.  2 pieces of free checked luggage, and the frequent flier miles stack up fairly quickly. 

:iagree:

[Kareni]

We also chose nesting suitcases for my daughter. 

 

We did consider traveling to her school for the first time on Amtrak.  Their baggage allotment at that time was quite generous (I don't know if it still is); each traveler was allowed three pieces of checked luggage in addition to carryon luggage.  Since we were intending to travel in a bedroom, this would have permitted another suitcase per person.

 

Do also look into summer storage options.

 

Regards,

Kareni