Drop Baggage Duffel Baggage Experience

[mapstangelo]

Ok so in an effort to pack DD and DS clothes in one piece of luggage, I went out and purchased a 30" drop bottom duffel tonight. It looks HUGE like it can hold lots of stuff including souveniers coming home. I'll be repacking it shortly. Have you used them - how was your experience?

Thanks!

Michelle

 

[klmall]

My experience with duffel bags of this type has been that it is easy to overpack and push up the weight. So watch if you are flying and check the airline weight/size maximums. If it has large straps on top check to see if they can be secured so they won't catch on conveyor belts etc. And if there are outside pockets I like to pack non-essential items like paperbacks in them. I do love them otherwise.

 

[mom2aredhead]

My experience with duffel bags of this type has been that it is easy to overpack and push up the weight. So watch if you are flying and check the airline weight/size maximums.

Ditto

I have one and probably could have packed all 3 of us in it, but we needed to bring 2 bags so neither one would be over the weight. But because the duffel was not "full", things kind of slid around in the bag and the clothes were pretty wrinkled (no I did not pack in ziploc bags - too much work!) I really wasn't thrilled with it.

Next time I think we'll be OK because we're going in Dec, so presumably I'll have a few more sweatshirts/bulky items to take up the space so I'll give the bag another try. If we go during spring/summer time again, I'm going to TRY to go with 1 carry on and 1 tote type bag for each of us.

 

[theparsons]

A packing tip.....if you find that your luggage (be it suitcase or duffel) is not quite full enough and things might slip and slide and get wrinkled.....take along your bed pillow. It can be squished down on the way home to make room for purchases....it weighs next to nothing....and it gives you a little of home's comfort. My DH travels a lot and hates hotel pillows so he started this, but I found it was great even for me who isn't picky about pillows....because it can expand or squish to fit the leftover room. On the one occasion that we bought so much stuff on vacation that both pillows wouldn't fit no matter how hard we squished....I removed my pillow case and left the pillow at the hotel. Mind you it was a $5-6 pillow, not one of those down pillows that cost more than the bed, lol.

Make it a Disney pillowcase and you've got some extra magic in your suitcase!

Ooops..forgot to add....the pillow is also wonderful cushion for any semi-fragile items....tuck them inside the pillow case. Obviously really fragile stuff would be better carried on the plane, not checked

 

[mom2aredhead]

A packing tip.....if you find that your luggage (be it suitcase or duffel) is not quite full enough and things might slip and slide and get wrinkled.....take along your bed pillow. It can be squished down on the way home to make room for purchases....it weighs next to nothing....and it gives you a little of home's comfort. My DH travels a lot and hates hotel pillows so he started this, but I found it was great even for me who isn't picky about pillows....because it can expand or squish to fit the leftover room. On the one occasion that we bought so much stuff on vacation that both pillows wouldn't fit no matter how hard we squished....I removed my pillow case and left the pillow at the hotel. Mind you it was a $5-6 pillow, not one of those down pillows that cost more than the bed, lol.

Make it a Disney pillowcase and you've got some extra magic in your suitcase!

What a great idea! It never occurred to me to do this, but I bet my son would like to have his pillow from home.

 

[mapstangelo]

Thanks for your responses - It worked great fit all the kids clothes, medicines etc in one bag and it's under the 50lb max for our airlines luggage requirements.

Wish us luck we leave tomorrow AM. Can't wait!