<p>S. said he will need some sort of bag/luggage for college in the fall. His birthday is coming up so we bought him a large (29" long) duffel bag. Now that it's out of the box, it looks sort of gigantic... </p>
<p>Am now wondering where he'll have room to keep it. It's somewhat bulky. He's going to school about 6 hours aways, which means he might take a car, train, bus, or plane. Surprisingly, the bag is within the Amtrak carry-on size limit.</p>
<p>Am starting to think a smaller bag might be smarter. What do your children find most useful?</p>
<p>Well, I have a lot of huge bags. I put my bed on risers (not lofted, just a couple feet between ground and bed), to accomodate large luggage. My roommates and I share the storage space.</p>
<p>he-he. To move onto the campus for the first time, my eldest 2 fit right in when they brought lots of stuff in using clear plastic garbage bags. We did drive in for the first-time arrival.
(Clear, so they don't mistakenly get thrown away before fully unpacked).</p>
<p>Keep your duffel. It might end up being the laundry bag that comes home during vacations. I saw it all too often, but pretended it was contaminated and refused to touch it. They actually did all their backed-up laundry in our home themselves. It just got so busy at exam time that with vacation looming, they started to back-it-up and wait for home. They said the hardest part was getting quarters on campus, so we began to visit the bank (with their money) and change a a $10 bill for quarters to send back to campus, along with THEIR cleanly folded-up clothes...in the same duffel.</p>
<p>If you're thinking of returning it, first check with the college. Some have year-long dorm storage for kids' suitcases, exactly for these oversized items.</p>
<p>If he's going to fly, check with the airlines to see if he'll be paying an oversize surcharge every time he checks the bag onto a flight. We had to return the first suitcase we bought for our daughter for that reason.</p>
<p>Our S used an oversize duffel - similar to yours - for initial trip to school and trip home each year. Flattens down significantly and goes under the bed while at school. (He can also keep a few little used items in there).</p>
<p>It is very handy for transporting odd-sized and shaped stuff: for instance, he took 2 stereo speakers in there along with tee-shirts, shorts, socks etc. to cushion them.</p>
<p>I think it's a wise choice. You do have to weigh and measure to make sure you stay within the 50-lb. and overall dimension limits once it's full, but I don't think you'll have a problem.</p>
<p>I recommend a second small duffel in addition - which he will use coming home for vacations, going on short trips with friends etc. Boys (at least many/most including mine) don't carry much on most trips. But the big duffel (if it doesn't have wheels, I'd exchange it for one that does) is a good choice, imho.</p>
<p>I think this one is probably more heavy duty (and less compressable) than I'd expected. But yes, it could be put under a bed -- I'd forgotten about risers.
If he ever got a ride home from us or a classmate, the trash bag idea sounds good too. We have a small duffel he can use for shorter trips.
I can't remember what I used in college - it was too long ago! I do remember the teeny rooms, though.
Thanks</p>
<p>My school is only 3 1/2 hours from home, so I had 2 large duffle bags and a backpack for clothes, some plastic bags that we had around the house for bedding and such, and then I put school and dorm supplies into large shopping bags from American Eagle, or JC Penny's or whereever. I liked using the shopping bags because they were free, easy to pack and unpack, and then when I got to school I could either toss the bags or shove them and the other bags into one of the duffles to keep for moving out. </p>
<p>Don't use Space Bags. Think about it, they are more trouble then they are worth, especially when your kid is running around like a chicken with their head cut off, trying to get all the packing done at 2am when you're set to leave at 8am. Save money, skip the hassel.</p>
<p>For child going to school on an opposite coast: 1 large duffle with wheels and 1 carry on with wheels. Both have been used when child has come home for vacation (didn't really need the larger one for the shorter vacation...but it seems laundry couldn't get done before child came home for vacation) Carry on with wheels is nice because laptop can rest on it and laptop gets heavy when there is a long walk in airport, or a long wait in an airport. Carry on with wheel also has configuration for a dress or suit...which we hope child will need when interviewing for jobs in a couple of years!</p>
<p>Plus... 1 relatively inexpensive very large duffle (sold at camp supply stores or army navy stores) that can be folded and stored under bed --- used for odd size stuff and "extras" at the beginning of the year and end of the year.</p>
<p>Luggage needs are probably different for students who know they will drive/be driven back and forth to school. Heavy duty Large garbage bags will probably work just fine!</p>
<p>This is true. I was able to do the shopping bags because my school isn't far enough from home to even bother taking a train, and definately not a plane.</p>
<p>Compressible duffle bags are the best for travel and storage.</p>
<p>The worst was the art portfolio my d needed cause she was an art major. If she flew, there was a surcharge. If we sent it UPS, it still cost a fortune to mail.</p>
<p>I actually have a 36" duffle bag on wheels. I have not been hassled about it by airlines. If I think I may be bringing back more stuff, I pack another bag in the duffle.
S has used the duffle for moving, packing in not only clothes, shoes, but bedding as well.</p>
<p>I think any big luggage is fine for move in (with wheels is good because some of those dorms are a hike!) -- but when he just comes home for break he probably doesn't need anything more than a backpack. </p>
<p>After a couple of really bad airline check-through experiences (at holiday time of course) my son just brings home the bare minimum (carry-on) and uses stuff he has at home. Books, his lap top, and a couple of articles of clothing and that's about it.</p>
<p>When traveling to campus by car at the beginning of the year or returning home at the end of the year, it makes sense to not even try to pack most of the clothing in suitcases. Just hang everything on hangers in the closet, remove it from the closet in bunches (hangers and all), and throw it on the back seat. </p>
<p>A suitcase or other bag is mainly for coming home for vacations.</p>
<p>Thanks, everybody--
There seems to be a need for large and small bags, as well as those trash bags. S. is the antithesis of a clothes-horse, so doesn't have a lot to begin with. I do remember the "treat" of being able to do laundry in the comfort of home after a semester away at school, though!</p>
<p>our son bought an army surplus duggle bag which works just fine though I doubt that it could be used for air travel since it does not tightly close with a hook and clasp.</p>
<p>Yes. Duffle bags. They can be squashed and stashed when not in use. I suggest a second, smaller duffle to be used if he comes home for breaks. We drove our son to school, so we didn't need luggage for that. (Though we did use a few suitcases because it was conveneint; they came back home with us.) S uses two medium sized duffles for travels during the schhol year. One for short trips, both for coming home for winter break--but he could have made do with one, because much of what he brought home never left the bag.</p>
<p>Our kid on opposite coast...with her, she has two suitcases, a rolling duffle, and a regular rolling bag. She uses the rolling duffle for breaks. She'll use both to bring home whatever she brings home for the summer. DS closer to home has a rolling carryon bag and a rolling duffle. He uses the rolling duffle most of the time (it holds more laundry than the little carryon) but uses the carryon bag for short trips on planes (doesn't happen often, but does happen). The rolling duffle was a HS graduation gift from a friend and DS LOVES it.</p>