<p>Looking for recommendations or pros/cons of suitcase vs wheeled duffle for DS. We will be driving DS to his school- 3 hours from home. I'm leaning towards a 32-36 inch wheeld duffle, hubby thinks a suitcase is good enough.</p>
<p>I would appreciate any thoughts on either. :)</p>
<p>Things I would consider:
Will the duffel work as airplane luggage if he needed to fly? What would be easier to store? What option is he more likely to use in the future?</p>
<p>Wheeled cases/duffels are generally good if you have one - it’s hard to predict how far you may have to park from the dorm or if you will have to do a quick drop-off in a traffic lane near dorm and then park - you will have lots of stuff to move from car to dorm - so my advice is pack as compactly as possible and yes - wheels are good.</p>
<p>It’s generally a chaotic scene - lots of families unloading cars at the same time - so try to have small items packed in a box, bin or duffel - which is also helpful if it is a rainy day. And have a plan - dad pulls car up near dorm - mom and kid unload car to curb - Dad drives to parking lot and parks car and then returns to dorm, etc.</p>
<p>For packing and moving to a dorm, if you are driving, the best way to do it is to use garbage bags, and garment bags (leave everything on a hanger). Garbage bags(heavy duty) are lighter and pack better, and you could just throw them out when you are done. Label each box/bag with your kid’s name and room information. Many schools have helpers on move in day and sometimes they get boxes mixed up.</p>
<p>If you are thinking about duffel vs suitcase, I would get the best, lightest material. Every airline is capping weight at 50 lbs, not need to have the suitcase take up 10 lbs.</p>
<p>Great advice, everyone. I’m looking for all the ‘hints’ I can get at this point. Was also told to bring a hand truck or cart if you have one to get bulky items into the dorm (fridge, microwave, etc). Our school has them but it sounds like there can be quite the wait to use one. We have one around here somewhere, if it will fit in the car.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I think we will be taking 2 cars because of the fridge and microwave and printer but son has a parking garage space right across from the dorm (he’s not taking his car the first month). Might park one car there while first car is being unloaded and then go back and get that car.</p>
<p>Is arriving as early as possible better? The school tries to encourage people to come after 5pm when it’s not so busy but I know there is no way son will go for that. He’ll probably be up at the crack of dawn raring to go.</p>
<p>I’m also debating the wheeled duffel vs suitcase (also wheeled). We can get more in the duffle ( I think) but it will be more difficult to store unless we bring it back with us (which we might since we’re only 1 1/2 hrs from the college).</p>
<p>My H just put large garbage bag over her clothes right on the hangers, it was very easy to unpack. H is a great packer.</p>
<p>Just returned from California. Love the wheeled duffles. They weigh less than suitcases, so less likely to have extra weight baggage charges. :)</p>
<p>D will be flying with checked luggage. We decided to get a large duffel and a large suitcase. She can stuff the duffel into the suitcase for storage (they have a trunk room on each floor). IMO, duffels are great for things like sheets, towels, sweats, etc. Things that you don’t mind getting wrinkled. Knowing that D is unlikely to ever iron, I’m trying to get clothes all into the suitcase. And telling her to purchase a bottle of wrinkle releaser when she arrives.</p>
<p>If you’re driving, use plastic bags. The XL/XXL size giant Ziplock storage bags work great.
Fill them up, squoosh the air out of them, and zip them up. Use the White Kitchen size bags for other stuff and use permanent marker to label the outside. Leave clothes on hangers and lay them on top once everything has been packed. Pack the electronic stuff (cords/chargers/laptop/ipod) in a backpack. </p>
<p>Try not to overpack. The kids really don’t need everything right away. It’s very easy to ship a box of winter clothes and jackets to the dorm at a later date.</p>
<p>My son will need a suitcase to fly home. I bought a duffle on wheels (good quality that should withstand some airline abuse). I chose a duffle because on all sides except the bottom it collapses using minimal storage space in a dorm room. My son will have a lot of storage space for a dorm room. LOL, freshmen have much more closet space than upperclassmen at this school. There are even 2 built in drawers under the bed, so we won’t need to purchase under the bed storage containers. Some upperclassmen end up buying free standing closets at Ikea or a similar store, to add storage space.</p>
<p>Another thing to remember is that many parents plan to visit during family/parent weekends just a month later. You can always load up another trunk of things at that time. If our son decides that he wants a TV, we are going to bring it then. I am not going to buy one near his college and I know that he is not going to spend his money on one either. We do have a spare TV at home, but we are not taking it on move in day. As nysmile says, plenty of time for winter clothes/jackets later (even if you have to send it).</p>
<p>Laughing and remembering moving my S in… Quite a project… This year he just goes…</p>
<p>But one thought - make sure that the school allows you to bring your own fridge, microwave, etc. Some schools do, some don’t. Some allow it in some buildings and not others. Might save yourself a lot of packing and repacking…</p>
<p>Have Fun…</p>
<p>PS: back on subject - 1 vote (in hindsight) for heavy duty garbage bags…</p>
<p>We had the same question but soon discovered that most wheeled duffle bags are over $250 and won’t fit under a bed once they’re unpacked. So we’re using a very inexpensive, totally collapsible, large duffle bag. The trash bag idea is appealing, but in our case, the college is farther away than a car drive.</p>
<p>At the end of the year, students pack up their stuff and either bring it home or store it. Our daughter has been back east for several years and just pulls a couple of duffle bags out from under her dorm bed, packs everything up, and puts the duffles in storage. Our son will do the same. The duffle in this case is better than the trash bag, because it’s far more durable.</p>
<p>Unless the suitcase or duffle can fit under a dorm bed, we won’t consider it. There’s very little space in a dorm, and no room to store a large suitcase.</p>
<p>My son will have storage for his duffle, but you are correct about cost. The bag that I purchased retails for…drum roll…$360!! I did find it on clearance at the end of the winter for $99 (and that price was steep for me).</p>
<p>We’re a mega-travel family. We have every kind of suitcase imaginable and for your needs, I’d recommend a rolling duffel (and, per oldfort’s recommendation, garbage bags). </p>
<p>We have two rolling duffel bags, which are probably better for the purpose you describe. Both have to be checked on airlines, but collapse down. One is a High Sierra and was purchased at Macy’s on sale. The second is Ricardo and was purchased at Costco at a very good price. It is a bit smaller and is full as I ShawD is taking it on the Shawbridge et fille Northern College Tour and then she is staying to attend a 10 day summer science program at one of the universities. Both bags take several trips a year (one went to South Africa and the other to India earlier in the year).</p>
<p>We also have a very large unwheeled duffel, which is great for trips where you are only in the car. They fold flat, but require large young males to carry when fully loaded. ShawD had originally packed for this trip in that bag, but then couldn’t lift it.</p>
<p>We live 2 1/2 hours from D’s school. We used a combination of the methods other posters have recommended. Hanging clothes were packed in the SUV on their hangers, with a rubber band around the hooks and a huge garbage bag covering the bundle. Bedding and towel set were packed in a garbage bag so they could be put on the bed etc. We brought the frig and microwave so H brought his dolly. Things that were going to be put on the shelves or in/on the desk were packed in boxes that were broken down and tossed in the dumpster. Clothes for her dresser were brought in her rolling duffel, affectionately known as the body bag. This bag has accompanied her on many trips and can store 30 days worth of clothes. She can actually fit inside with a week’s worth of clothes. She folded the duffel and keeps it under her bed. She turned her nose up at any suitcase I showed her. She just wanted the body bag, which was the first piece of luggage I bought as an adult.</p>
<p>Last year, to move my freshman into his dorm while traveling by plane we bought 2 of these lightweight, durable duffel bags. [Cabela’s</a> Ripcord™ Duffel Bags](<a href=“http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0005865514251a&navCount=0&podId=0005865&parentId=cat20126&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&catalogCode=IA&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20126&cmCat=netcon&cm_ven=netcon&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=cabelas%20duffel%20bag&cm_ite=netcon&rid=2146251080&hasJS=true]Cabela’s”>http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0005865514251a&navCount=0&podId=0005865&parentId=cat20126&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&catalogCode=IA&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20126&cmCat=netcon&cm_ven=netcon&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=cabelas%20duffel%20bag&cm_ite=netcon&rid=2146251080&hasJS=true) Wow! They were terrific. Inexpensive and durable and holds a lot! They didn’t add any weight, which was helpful to keep checked bag expenses to a limit and when we got to school we could fold them up inside a suitcase and store them under his bed. I imagine they would work as well if traveling by car.</p>
<p>I love Cabela’s. I have some great toiletry bags (no idea as to how they were marketed, but they are lined with some sort of plastic) that I purchased on special from them. They were about $7 each with ton of pockets. We use them not only for toiletries, but for camera gear as well. I have not been able to match these bags anywhere for that price!!</p>
<p>It is something similar to this, and perhaps it is the same bag, although ours does not have yellow trim:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0064326518643a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntt=toiletry+bags&Ntk=Product_liberal&sort=all&Go.y=12&N=0&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&Go.x=19&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1[/url]”>http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0064326518643a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntt=toiletry+bags&Ntk=Product_liberal&sort=all&Go.y=12&N=0&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&Go.x=19&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1</a></p>
<p>^^Okay, these are much larger than the ones that we have.</p>
<p>My daughter literally travelled around the world for a semester out of one piece of luggage. A 32-inch expandable wheeled duffel that could also be strapped on her back in a pinch. I couldn’t even pick the thing up when it was full. If you are looking for a nice piece of luggage that will get years of use and be big enough for more than weekend visits, this sort of thing is a great investment:</p>
<p>[High</a> Sierra Sport Company](<a href=“http://www.hssc.com/Item?number=AT459&lang=en]High”>http://www.hssc.com/Item?number=AT459&lang=en)</p>
<p>Now, if only the Chinese customs agents hadn’t cut all the pull tabs off the zippers when the thing got lost between Buenos Aires and Beijing. Aarrgggh. Here’s a good tip. Don’t lock your checked baggage. Just let 'em dig through it without destroying the bag.</p>
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<p>When we were checking luggage in Japan this summer, they would not allow us to put locks on them (even the TSA approved locks). They did, however, let me put cable ties on them since they can be cut off. I always travel with a supply of cable ties in an outside pocket of my suitcase. It’s an easy way to secure your bag from popping open during during transit and the security folks don’t mind them since you can cut them off. I’ve watched many, many pieces of luggage come down the baggage carousel, unzipped, with personal items hanging out. I’m a little paranoid about it so I prefer to put a lock on my luggage or at least a cable tie.</p>
<p>[Color</a> Coded Cable Ties 75 Plastic Pack of 52 by Office Depot](<a href=“http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/946740/Color-Coded-Cable-Ties-75-Plastic/?cm_mmc=Mercent-_-Google-_-Networking-_-946740]Color”>http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/946740/Color-Coded-Cable-Ties-75-Plastic/?cm_mmc=Mercent-_-Google-_-Networking-_-946740)</p>
<p>Measure all these duffles and weigh them before you go to the airport with them. Five years ago D1 went on a five week trip and we got her a pretty big wheeled duffle. D2 went on a 3 week program this summer where she had to fly, and we pulled out the duffle. I checked the airline website and measured it, and found that it was too big for current regulations. She ended up with 2 wheeled suitcases instead (she was flying Southwest, so no bag fees for those).</p>
<p>We have found inexpensive duffle bags in the past at Army surplus stores.</p>