We need some new stuff

Just as the purchase of a new home often makes you look at your old furniture, taking a big trip can trigger that same urge to upgrade and replace some of your "stuff".

First up for me was the need for a new phone.  I've been rocking an iPhone 8 plus for nearly six years.  Looking back, it was a purchase before our back-to-back trips to Europe for Christmas, 2017 and our first trip to Asia in February, 2018.  It's a great phone, but after making the decision to not lug around an SLR camera, I wanted to upgrade it to an iPhone 14 Pro Max. I wanted something with a better lens for distance shooting.  Being an iPhone user since they first came out, I'm too invested in the platform to make a switch.  I went with the Pro Max for the better camera and larger screen.  

Next up:  Luggage.  I have no idea how old our current luggage is, but I'd guess at least 20 years.  As I reviewed our itinerary and realized we had 10 take-off and landings I had serious concerns about the old fabric surviving the trip.  Time for a new set.  

As strange as it may sound, I spent far more time researching luggage than I did for a new phone.  Lots of websites talk about traveling with carry-on only luggage.  And while it would be nice, the bottom line is that we're not going to be able to do that.  Our requirements are definitely influenced by the knowledge that we'll be checking bags.  Our requirements.    

Hard shell - something to protect our belongings as it is tossed in and out of planes. (10 take-offs = many baggage handler tosses).

Less than 62" - for many international airlines, baggage with a dimension of over 62"  (L+W+H) can be subject to additional fees - or on smaller planes potentially not even allowed.   

Color availability in something other than black - I want to easily be able to spot our checked baggage as it comes off the carrousel.

Dual spinner wheels - for easy movement through airports and limited chance of tipping over.

Wet Clothes storage - our plan is to take minimal clothes on our trip and to do handwashing in our hotel room.  If we have travel days and clothes not yet dry, I want to be able to separate them from our other things.

Internal mesh pockets - too many hard shells are vast open spaces only divided in two at the zipper.  I like some smaller pockets to put things I need easy access to or that are small and easily lost in a big space.

Lightweight - while I want the hard shell to protect my stuff, I don't want to waste a large part of my maximum weight limit on the case itself.

I found a set that met our needs in the Samsonite Voltage DLX.  We got a pair of two piece sets (one carry-on; one "Medium") on a 30% Labor Day sale.  We picked light blue as a color we typically don't see, which will hopefully make them easy to spot in baggage claim.

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