Seniors Site

Your Guide to Your Perfect Suitcase!

When you travel a lot, you know how important a reliable suitcase is. Double that if you are a senior nursing a bad hip from all those sitting you’ve been doing during the trip, then you are suddenly thrown upright, expected to walk briskly and standing like a man fresh out from a human evolution chart. A perfect suitcase will help you manage hip ache, walking briskly and upright and best of all, WITH your stuff just right alongside with you.
Of course, anything that could weigh you down is out of the question. That includes big carryalls, backpacks and duffels. These are only for the young ones, those who are capable of lugging around bags with ease and confidence however if you are already past 70, better not to risk it.
· Choose one with wheels. Sturdy, good wheels. In all honesty, I’ve had embarrassing trolley bags experiences: wheels come popping out of their shells while navigating a very polished airport floor, or that one time a wheel got stuck sideway and it wouldn’t swivel so I ended up half dragging the suitcase allthroughout the trip. The reason? It is because I bought cheaper brands instead of investing on a good, well-known but expensive brand. In the end, I shelled out double – almost triple – the amount I should have if I bought the expensive one in the first place. The reason why they are expensive is that their trolleys are well-thought of and designed to last a lifetime. There’s a little engineering in these suitecases that’s why they cost more. Go for four wheels instead of two and look for inline skate wheels – the ones found in a rollerblades? – for better rotation.
· Durability – wheeled and unwheeled. For seniors who are fierce followers of unwheeled bags – some of my friends claim that it is sooo inconvenient to “drag” trolley bags and they are more comfortable bringing unwheeled to trips with them – make sure that the material of the bag is sturdy and won’t easily rip especially around the zipper area where the pressure is concentrated the most. Go for Ballistic and Cordura nylons since they are the most durable and lightweight these days.
· Waterproof. You just don’t know what kind of mishaps you’ll meet along the way so better comeprepared. It is not unusual for the weather to suddenly decide on a downpour in the middle of summer just to get you and your stuff wet and sorry. Check your suitcases if they are weatherproof, or at the very least, waterproof – it should be indicated in its tag. Your suitcase could be waterproof ONLY in the inside which is okay too.
· Lightweight and compact. If your suitcase feels like it is the one dragging you then it’s time to dump it. Your suitcase should be able to fit in a small space as much as possible and should be really comfortable rolling around with.
· Warranty. One thing you should really check when buying a suitcase is the warranty it comes with. Lifetime warranties are okay and it should include “transport damage” since this is where real action happens.