Arriving at our hotel in Crete about a month ago, the manageress said that she’d show us our room and we could deal with the luggage later. “This is my luggage.” “You travel light.”
I do travel light but I wonder if I should upgrade from a squishy shoulder bag to a solid frame case with wheels. Hefting a bag full of heavy books along interminable airport corridors is shoulder-straining so perhaps a wheelie is the answer. I remember, you won’t, a post from April 2016 mentioning Globe-Trotter luggage. If you are unfamiliar with the brand it is super-retro and bracingly expensive. I went to their shop on Albermarle Street and have nothing but praise for their sales staff. The cases are heavy, the lightest carry-on is 3.6 kg, but they look good. Heavier models are adorned with straps and, like Boot, I thought these would be useful for cleft sticks and the like. “They are really cosmetic, sir.”
Deco 20″ Trolley Case – Navy/Natural
£1,355.00
Inside there is a useful rectangular void in which to put things. I covet the green model with leather corners, circa £1,200, and for me it is usually a short step from coveting to owning. The salesman confided that the green looks especially good when it gets scuffed. So why will I never buy a Globe-Trotter? They, like Agas, are retro technology, perfect in the days of porters. First, they fail as carry-on luggage as I need pouches to take books, magazines and newspapers to plonk on my seat. I cannot open a Globe-Trotter and start unpacking with a queue of impatient passengers waiting to get past. Then, maybe more importantly, I am not strong enough to hoist the case into an overhead locker. I could buy a pre-scuffed G-T on eBay but what’s the point.
Boot purchased six hockey sticks and six polo sticks (all cloven), a tent, three months’ rations, a collapsible canoe, a jointed flagstaff and Union Jack, a hand-pump and sterilizing plant, an astrolabe, six suits of tropical linen and a sou’-wester, a camp operating table and set of surgical instruments, a portable humidor, guaranteed to preserve cigars in condition in the Red Sea, and a Christmas hamper complete with Santa Claus costume and a tripod mistletoe stand, and a a cane for whacking snakes … and at the last moment he added a coil of rope and a sheet of tin. I left Globe-Trotter empty handed.
Serendipitously I saw this rather chic piece of luggage left out free on Margravine Gardens. It is a little too large for my requirements but perfect for Robert’s tennis rackets and it will be easy to spot on the carousel.
Go for a Tumi carry-on. Pockets on the outside. 4-wheel drive. Pockets on the inside. Great for shopping weekends in NYC; great for a 3-week trip in South Africa. John has a black one; I have a rather chic navy and grey one. Bon voyage! VH
Does a suit case need to be ‘cosmetic’? I am very surprised that the author should consider choosing form over functionality.
Like the author, I am no fashionista, and travel similarly unencumbered by bulky luggage, however I do have wheels (in the form of an inexpensive small canvas wheeled cabin bag) which I would highly recommend, as modern airport terminals frequently require passengers to hike several miles to reach the departure gate.
Although I am always rather skeptical of brands which define themselves as ‘luxury’, I take exception to referring to Aga as ‘retro’ (perhaps living the urban London life has made the author a bit sniffy about these things?). Its many years service has failed to produce a poor Sunday roast, I have a constant supply of hot water and somewhere to warm my toes. Its presence in the kitchen is akin to that of a dear member of the household, and as this cold, wet Irish winter drags its heels, I feel more compelled than ever to defend it…………Aga saga….? You bet!
I’m with Hoof on this one – there is nothing retro about an Aga – cooks perfectly, looks much better than your ludicrously expensive suitcase, and keeps you warm too.
An Aga is replete with cutting edge Victorian technology. It is a cooker permanently switched on whether it’s being used or not. However, the Aga fan club like ‘em ‘cos they heat the kitchen, act as a clothes drier, get the claret up to room temperature and cats and dogs use them to toast their toes. Even HH admits to warming his cloven hoofs. They also pose some danger. I remember once hearing that a kitchen in Essex was destroyed by a faulty Aga when the owners were away – but that’s probably not true.
I agree, though, that an Aga is unlikely to be mistaken for a suitcase except after an exceptional binge but it is like a Smart ‘Phone – used mainly for purposes for which it was not originally designed.