What kind of luggage is best?

There's no "right" answer to this one but our "bad luggage day" experiences have brought us to this conclusion: AVOID the temptation to buy the biggest, hunkiest monster in the bag shop - even if you are thinking of packing for two adults in the one bag. Instead, go for the smallest size in luggage that you think you can possibly squeeze your stuff into. Trust me, big bags are a pain. And go for a dark colour (shows the wear, tear and dirt less, with some easily spotted, difficult to remove, distinctive marking on it (so that it can be found in lost-luggage rooms quickly).

Give me more detail about the luggage!

Ok, below is what we are currently using for overseas trips, having tried various alternatives over the years:

* one soft-sided, wheeled suitcase each. The dimensions of our "non-European" (see below) ones are approximately 65cm (measuring along the outside edge from the floor up) x 45cm wide x 28cm deep. HOWEVER, depending on your height and how long your arms are (no, it doesn't depend on what you might want to fit in there!!!), you might need a smaller one. How will you know what size is right for you? Try the test in first our Tip below.

* one soft-sided, non-wheeled carry-on each. Ours are close to the maximum allowable size for international carry-on as possible. I keep my camera gear in a separate bag inside this one. Trev's carry-on is a bag with handles and a shoulder strap, while I have recently swapped from this style to a back-pack one, as this leaves my hands free and distributes the weight better for me. If you are going to try this, look for one where the compartments open as far as possible, rather than ones where the zips end half way down the bag (easier to see and get to things). Also look for a padded carry-handle, for those times where you have to take it off your back and carry it. Remember take care not to bop people with it when it is on your back in a confined space (buses, walking down the aisle in planes, lifts)!

* I add a shoulder-strap style handbag to that (but it is a soft fabric one which I can also stuff inside the carry-on if having two items breaks the cabin-luggage rules).

Tip: The best test (we reckon) to determine the right suitcase size is to pick the suitcase up (by the handle on the longest side), see if it clears the ground by approximately the height of a typical step, without your having to raise your arm or lean sideways. If you have to do either of those two things, get a smaller suitcase. I know I said our cases have wheels, but there will always be situations where you have to lift and carry them up or down stairs or along uneven ground. The idea is to get a size you can carry with relative comfort.

Tip: Remember that if you are hiring a car, you will want all your luggage to fit into the boot (is that the "trunk" in America?), because if you have to leave any on the back seat, you're asking to be robbed.

Tip: If your trip is going to involve a lot of train travel in Europe, then go for an even smaller suitcase if you think you can manage it. This is because you will have to lift it up over your head to put it into the luggage racks in the carriages. International carry-on size would probably be a more sensible size in these circumstances (the external dimensions of our "Europe" suitcases are 51cm x 36cm x 23cm).

Other sorts of bags - back packs, ones without wheels, hard sided ones

I don't know why, but we have just never tried back packs as our main luggage item. They look a bit of a pain to live out of - a suitcase gives you a much bigger opening to peer into. We have tried bags without wheels - used them for years. They are still a pretty good option, because they can be much lighter, for their size, than an equivalent "wheelie". If you are pretty confident that you will not have to carry them too far, they're a good option. Bit difficult to find in the shops now though!

We've also looked at trying hard-sided cases, but have not taken the plunge. They always weigh so much even when empty, that we can't imagine they would pass our "can I carry this easily" test as well as soft luggage can. The other thing we can't help noticing (but manufacturers of hard-sided cases will probably shout me down on this), is that a very high proportion of the ones we see going around on luggage carousels seem to sport luggage straps - which makes us wonder if the catches are prone to coming open. Soft-sided luggage is also a lot cheaper. We could replace it a number of times without spending as much as the cost of a hard-sided case.

What design features should we go for in a suitcase?

There are all sorts of suitcases out there that would fit the size requirements, so how do we choose a particular type?

* We pick one which is designed to expand, but be careful about this. Usually there is an extra rim of fabric hidden in the lid, accessed by a zipper. Aim for one where the expanding bit looks strong and the join in the zipper mechanism doesn't look as if it will rip apart easily - a bag is only as strong as its weakest point. Also, we always try to leave a fair bit of room (maybe 20%) in the case when we set off, so we can fit as much as possible in it on the way around, maybe even avoiding having to use the "expand" feature. One thing to remember about this though, is that other bags will be stacked on top of yours, so if it is "too" empty, the corners might collapse. Put some solid things in the corners - shoes, a novel or whatever.

* We try to avoid one with heaps of big, floppy pockets on the outside. In fact, we go for ones with relatively smooth surfaces - not too many fancy large zipper-pulls or other protruding bits hanging off. The reason is that these get caught on luggage carousels and on other structures, and can lead to rips and holes. Our current ones do have outside pockets, but they are slim ones, and the zips are almost concealed, and there is enough space for us to put a tiny lock on the zip and tuck it into an unobtrusive fold so it won't catch on things. In any event, we never put anything important in those pockets, and we don't rely on them for extra packing space - when you are looking for space, what really matters is how much you can fit in the main, inside compartment.

* We always check out the linings - both of the main inside compartment, and in particular, the lining between the outside pockets and the inside of the case. Sometimes this will be a very thin fabric - and that means that if the pocket gets torn, there's very little to protect the items in the main compartment. Our current bags have the same fabric inside the pockets, as is on the external bag itself - just as strong. Look for that.

* We tend to buy suitcases with fairly rugged-strength fabric, not the ones which advertise themselves as "featherweight" or whatever. Yes I know, every bag advertises that the fabric will more or less survive a nuclear blast even if you can practically see through the weave. Trust your own common sense - how strong does it feel, compared to others you've looked at? Bags get a lot of bad treatment once they leave your tender loving care. The small saving in weight that you gain by buying a "featherweight" bag might end up being an inconvenience if the bag is damaged half way through the trip.

* We look for a well-padded and securely attached set of carrying handles, and a strong pull-along handle, which pushes down and locks into a cavity - preferably with a zipped cover over it so there is no chance of it's "popping" out in transit and catching on things.

Carry-on luggage

Lots of people still try to bring a larger size or greater number of bags into the cabin than the airline's rules allow. I guess this is either to avoid checking luggage and having to wait for it at the carousel, or because they just did not plan properly. Hey, why not make it easy on yourself and eveyone else and just obey the rules? Who wants to be carrying several items of baggage anyway? Keep everything to a minimum and you'll avoid those sore necks, pulled shoulder muscles and hassle.

You don't really need to take a huge carry-on bag. I'd take a much smaller one if I did not have my camera equipment with me. Here's what we normally pack as carry-on:

* photography equipment - camera, storage cards (if you still use film, pack the rolls in see-through containers in a see through pouch for easy inspection), chargers, batteries.

* a small, very light (1kg) notebook computer (good for doing trip journals, sending and receiving emails, and downloading digital photos to - but you can do without one of these and save space and weight).

* something warm to put on in case the airconditioning on the plane is cold

* a change of undies and maybe outside clothes (for when they lose your suitcase)

* and any medication we might need and minimal toiletries

This load of stuff never fills our carry-on luggage - but that means we have some extra capacity to put things we might buy on the trip. In the handbag I have money (both local and a small amount of cash for each of the countries we are going to visit), credit cards, drivers licence, phone or phonecard, housekeys, a pen, a small notebook, a small torch, copy of the itinerary, passport, tickets and vouchers, tissues, lipsalve, reading and sunglasses and a novel. I keep this under the seat in front for quick access, while the carry-on bag goes in the overhead locker.

Tip: By the way, for those who might be travelling to Australia, the allowable size for domestic carry-on luggage is often smaller than is allowed on international flights, so be prepared to check your carry-on if it is over-size. I won't try to put the measurements up here, check with the particular airlines you intend to fly on. Flights in small planes to regional areas have even smaller cabin-baggage limits than those flying on major city routes.

Tip: They enforce the "no sharp items" on Australian flights too, so pack scissors or whatever in your checked baggage.

Packing - what to take

Trev would just fall over laughing if I actually pretended to give advice here. I STILL haven't got it right. I know the test, and I fail it every time. The test is: what percentage of what you took, did you actually wear? His score is usually around 95%. Mine isn't, but I have managed to travel around Europe, Asia and USA with just a carry-on size wheelie and a small backpack for 5 weeks, so I am getting better at it.

For what it is worth, here are some of the things I would recommend: