Buying luggage - 5 features I look for

My faithful travel-companions.

Shopping for a new suitcase means really thinking about how you pack, what you pack, and what's going to work for you when you're traveling. Whether you're traveling with kids, or solo, you will probably be looking for similar features, with some slight differences. Here are 5 features I consider when choosing a new piece of luggage.


1. Wheels
When it comes to luggage, luggage with wheels beats luggage without wheels every time in my opinion. Even small suitcases and bags can weigh a lot once they're fully loaded, and the wheels really help move them around. If you're traveling with kids, a wheeled suitcase can be very practical, especially at the airport: depending on the model and style, even a child can pull a pretty big bag if it has wheels. Also, if you can't locate a luggage cart, the wheels can really make it easier to get around with the kids until you find one.


2. Hard or soft?
If you've ever seen how suitcases are handled when they're loaded onto airplanes, you probably already know that a hard-sided suitcase can be a very good idea. However, a hard suitcase weighs more, and is often more expensive. When I travel with my kids, I have one hard-sided suitcase, and two soft bags (one of them wheeled). Anything that needs extra protection goes in the suitcase, while clothes can travel safely enough in the soft bags.


3. Durability
Luggage takes a beating if you travel by plane, that's a fact. Buy bags and suitcases that look and feel well-made: thicker fabric, good quality stitching in the seams, and strong zippers will be worth paying a bit extra for.  I swear by my old Samsonite suitcase, an Oyster that traveled with me for 25 years all over the world: it took a licking and kept on ticking. Many other brands are also great, just remember that cheap doesn't always mean cheap in the long run!


4. Color
Silly, right? And no, color is not a primary consideration when I pick a piece of luggage. However, when you're looking for your luggage on the baggage carousel at the end of a long flight, it does help if it's easy to identify and stands out from the crowd of black, and dark blue and dark green bags. Make it easier to ID any bag you get with stickers, luggage tags, and luggage straps. My kids are well-trained by now and will eagerly keep a look-out for "the green one", "the blue one", and "the other one".


5. Size
When you're traveling with kids, you obviously need decent sized luggage to fit everything you're bringing, especially if you're going on a longer holiday. However, a suitcase or bag that is TOO big isn't ideal, mainly because it is a) hard to handle, and b) will easily weigh too much for the airline. I have this problem with one of our hard-sided suitcases, and I've just learned to pack it about half full rather than stuff it to the gills.

Flying with kids - 6 tips when you're packing your bags

Packing your bags and suitcases when you're traveling with kids can be a real challenge. There just seems to be so much stuff to bring, and never really enough space. With most airlines charging fees if you bring too many pieces of luggage, and if they're over the weight-limit, there's even more pressure to bring less. Also, you might run into problems handling all that luggage at the airport, especially if you're traveling as the only adult with one or more children.

Here are my top tips for how to make things easier on yourself, and avoid potential problems.

1. Check the airline's policies
Different airlines can have different policies for how many pieces of luggage each traveler is allowed, and how much that luggage can weigh before a fee is charged. Check with your airline to make sure you know what the deal is. Special rules often apply to parents traveling with infants. If your children are paying for tickets (anytime they're over 2 years of age usually), they are allowed to bring luggage along, so that gives families a bit more luggage-space!


2. Wheeled luggage is easier to handle at airport
I love wheeled suitcases and wheeled bags of all kinds. Usually, it's not that hard to find a luggage cart at the airport, but it's just a lot easier if you at least have the option to easily move all your pieces of luggage without a cart. My son also really likes pulling a suitcase at the airport, so that's an added plus.


3. Only bring clothes you KNOW will be used
When packing for a trip, especially a longer one, it's easy to bring a lot of items "just in case". A couple of extra "fancy" outfits maybe, or that second jacket, or a couple of extra shirts. If you're packing for the whole family, all the extras add up quickly. Over the years, I've learned to be very firm: nothing gets into the suitcase unless I know the kids like to wear it. (Same rule applies to my own stuff!) Also, as long as you have access to a washing machine where you're going, you can really limit how much clothing you bring along.


4. Rent, buy, borrow
Things like a stroller, a car seat, a portable crib, and so on, can take up a lot of space and be a real bother to check at the airport. Consider the option of renting, borrowing, or even buying certain items at your destination instead. Some hotels provide stroller rentals. Car seats can often be had from car rental companies. Friends and relatives might be able to find you other items you need.


5. Tag your bags before you go to the airport
You definitely want your name and contact information on every piece of luggage you check in. I've printed out tag-inserts that include name, address, cell-phone number and email address for our luggage. Tag your bags properly before you're at the airport. Once you're there, you might not get a chance to do it, especially if you're traveling with young children that have to be closely supervised.


6. Buy a portable luggage-scale
This can save you money, and give you peace of mind. There are lots of different models and brands, and once you have one, you can pack your bags and know that you won't get stuck with additional fees. (Or at least you'll be ready for those additional fees!)

Traveling with kids: 10 things I learned on our latest trip to Sweden

1. Burger King = play areas - Our latest trip to Sweden went via Amsterdam with KLM, which meant that we spent several hours at Schiphol Airport. With about 3 hours to kill between flights, we looked for a good spot to have lunch. We found what we were looking for upstairs in the area called Schiphol Plaza where there's a Burger King as well as a cafeteria offering various kinds of food and drink.

The eating area offered a great view of the planes outside, it was close to the bathrooms, and! there was a small play area. Nothing fancy, but there were some toys and a climbing centre. We found the same thing at Gran Canaria's airport last year. My kids do love some chicken nuggets and fries (probably because they rarely get it...), they love watching the planes, and a play centre is always a good thing when they're traveling, so for us this location was a great combo.

2. Digestives are tasty - My kids found a new favorite travel snack: good ol' Original Digestive Biscuits. Now I need to find a perfectly sized container to hold a package for our next trip...

3. Tobogganing is a lot of fun - The weather was milder than normal in northern Sweden this time around, and there was less snow than we've seen on previous Christmas visits. However, there was enough for tobogganing, and that was all that mattered. There were several nice hills within easy walking distance of my parents' place in Skellefteå, and the kids really loved this outdoor activity. Living where we do just outside Vancouver means that tobogganing is not a regular winter-activity at home!

4. I need a new hard-sided suitcase - My old faithful red Samsonite bit the dust last year after 25 years of service. I do quite like the fabric bags we traveled with this time (as long as they don't hold anything breakable), and we do have another old Samsonite, a green monster that my son loves to pull, but I need something lighter that is still roomy that I can pack non-squishable items into.

5. "Is that our luggage?" is a great airport-game - You can play this game while watching the luggage being loaded onto your airplane at the gate. If your bag is black, it will be very challenging. I'm thinking my next new piece of luggage will be a funky bright color.

6. Serving the kids' meals first should be the law - KLM treated us well on this trip. I especially liked how the kids' meals arrived well ahead of the regular meals. This meant my husband and I could help the children with their meals without juggling our own trays at the same time.

7. Someone always needs the bathroom when the food has just been served - I joke about this, but it's the truth. It seems anytime I travel by plane and there are meal trays on all the tray-tables, that's when one of my kids really, really needs to go to the bathroom. Stacking trays, juggling trays, putting trays on the floor... as long as I can keep my balance it's usually ok. I might have also forced a stewardess to take away some trays before she was really ready to do so, but I did apologize and I was desperate.

8. Hail is bad - The 15 minute hail storm we experienced in Amsterdam made us 4 hours late. It had never really occurred to me that even a brief hail-storm might make it necessary to de-ice the plane, or that it would take so long to get that done in Amsterdam.

9. I love my new Kindle - Reading books to the kids at the gate was a lot easier with my Kindle rather than a stack of books in the hand-luggage. Yay for e-readers and tablets! Now, if only airports would be more generous with the free wi-fi... Schiphol offers 1 hour free wi-fi, but at Arlanda Airport you have to pay. I wish more airports would follow the example of my home airport, Vancouver International, and offer free wi-fi.

10. Antibacterial wipes and litterless juiceboxes are still my two must-haves - One day I guess my kids will do OK drinking from regular plastic cups on board, without either spilling or dumping the contents, or wanting to put their apple juice aside for later while they play with their stuffed animals on the tray table (not a good idea). For now however, I'm quite happy to pour their drinks into litterless juiceboxes. And constant wipe-downs with antibacterial wipes make me feel at least a little better about traveling during flu-season. (The wipes work wonders on tray tables too.)

Flying with kids: 7 holiday-travel tips

 The holiday season can be stressful for many reasons, and flying with (or without!) kids during the holidays can also be more stressful than it is at other times. You might be dealing with weather-related delays, and the crush of of travelers going through airports can bring longer lineups everywhere.

Unexpected delays (and even cancellations, in a worst case scenario) can happen no matter how prepared you are, but if you are a little more prepared, the unexpected might be a little easier to deal with. Here are some of my tips for handling air-travel during the holiday season:

1. Bring some extra supplies in your hand luggage
Just in case you end up being delayed, it is a good idea to bring some extra supplies along. Definitely bring extra diapers and formula if you're traveling with a baby, and bring some extra snacks for older kids.

2. Pack your luggage with mishaps in mind
Hopefully all your luggage will be on the luggage carousel when you arrive at your destination, but sometimes, it won't be. Often, luggage is delayed rather than lost, but even that can be a hassle. Pack some of everyone's things into each suitcase you're bringing, just in case some of your luggage doesn't make it. That way, everyone will at least have something to wear when you arrive!

3. Check your flight status before you leave for the airport
Flight delays happen all the time, but if you're traveling in the snowy season, they can be especially bad. Check online or call before you head out, just to make sure that things look OK.

4. Don't wrap the gifts
Wrapping the gifts you're bringing with you, will only increase the time it takes you to get through security, if your belongings are searched. It's a lot easier to just wrap everything when you arrive at your destination!

5. Arrive at the airport early
This is a good strategy any time you're traveling with kids, but especially during the holidays. I know my own kids do not respond well to stress, and neither do I. More time means you don't have to manically hustle everyone through the airport, and you won't have to panic too much if the lineups are long. It also means you won't have to stress out if the kids need an extra bathroom visit, or diaper change. If you're lucky and everything goes quickly and smoothly, you can always relax inside security with a snack or coffee, or find the airport's play area (hopefully they have one!), and spend some time there.

6. Bring some festive snacks & books
To make your travel-time seem a little more festive, pack some holiday treats you know your kids like in your hand luggage: little candy canes maybe, or gingerbread cookies. Bring some holiday books too. For example, at Christmas-time it could be How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Polar Express, or freak them out with an illustrated version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol for the Kindle. Holiday-themed coloring books can also be fun.

7. Pack a snuggly blanket
If you do end up stuck at an airport, it might help make things easier on your kids if they have a warm blanket to snuggle up in. Light-weight fleece blankets can be smooshed into your carry-on and brought along for those kinds of emergencies.