Crew luggage ??

[sidesaddle]

I'm looking to replace my Travelpro flight crew3 roller board. It has through lasted 10 years of regional, major airline, and now corporate flying all over the globe. But alas, I fear the time has come to play "taps".

I'm curious about the Purdy Neat Stuff Stealth line. It's pricey but I wonder if anybody has any good, bad, or ugly experience with these bags. Are they worth the extra $$$? (about $320) I can get another Travel pro for less than half ($140) but I need something that can hold up. Suggestions are welcome...

Thanks

 

[DUBLINFLYER]

travel bag

Go to Costco and buy one of there roller bags and when it breaks down bring it back and get a new one free(keep the receipt). My wife has being this for the past four years. The wheels usually give out first, but she has had handle and clip on failures too.

 

[Booker]

My experience with my PNT 23" Stealth NG: After five years and seven months of a guesstimated 18 days per month non-commuting use, I've lost one zipper pull, I have two zippers that are a little hard to move due to having been pinched, and I've replaced the wheels and bearings. Otherwise it's just fine. YMMV of course, but the only thing in my life that's been more reliable is my pet rock.

 

[WalterSobchak]

I'm curious about the Purdy Neat Stuff Stealth line. It's pricey but I wonder if anybody has any good, bad, or ugly experience with these bags. Are they worth the extra $$$? (about $320) I can get another Travel pro for less than half ($140) but I need something that can hold up. Suggestions are welcome...

Thanks

The former ramp rat in me can't say enough good things about the Stealth. From the standpoint of someone who saw tons of different kinds of bags get destroyed by normal use, I have to say that those suckers are pretty damn close to indestructible...and the components are almost all replaceable. Good quality zippers and solid framing...those are key if your bag winds up down in the pit. Worth the money, in my opinion.

The PNT Stealth NG 22" owner in me concurs with the statement above. I likely travel more than some crews (OK, maybe an exaggeration, but I do get around a helluva lot more than the average DXer). I've put mine through the ringer since I bought it and she holds up nicely to everything I throw at her.

Besides, since I don't carry around a flight bag, the metal kickplate gives me a nice place to put my In-N-Out Burger sticker (that one's just for you, Rez).

 

[Herkdrv]

Stongbags are awesome! Great product.

 

[nonstop]

Go to Costco and buy one of there roller bags and when it breaks down bring it back and get a new one free(keep the receipt). My wife has being this for the past four years. The wheels usually give out first, but she has had handle and clip on failures too.

I would not recommend this. The wheels do go first. I was extremely careful with mine, carried it outside if the ground was wet or covered with salt and I was averaging 3-4 returns a year. The wheels give no warning and just start making a really loud squeaking sound, extremely annoying especially if it starts on day 1 of a 4 day. The wheels are not replaceable otherwise it might not be a bad deal. Not worth the money saved for the inconvenience.

My first Travelpro lasted me 7 years, I averaged about one handle replacement a year. One break down a year was still too much, but it was tolerable.

This last purchase I researched all conceivable bags (again) and finally broke down and spent 275 on a Luggage Works. Not the greatest design and it's heavy, but hopefully the wheels and the handle will hold up.

 

[Jabwmu]

I wouldn't recommend it either. I've had mine since 2006 while doing a double leg commute (mostly regionals - plane checked). Every zipper except the main compartment zipper broke. Also, I bought the metal version and it is very heavy when fully loaded. Last complaint is the corner plates that hold the metal frame together became very loose as most of the screws came out or loose.

I've talked to many who have great experiences with this bag. Maybe I got a lemon. A good thing about it is all the different pockets and sizes of pockets. Also, you can order a handle cover with your name on it. For me the wheels have been excellent. To me the price hasn't been worth it though.

Fixing can be cheap. I had all the zippers replaced, screws re-attached and my handle adjusted for about $25 bucks this past March.

 

[waka]

PNS all the way. It is the tank of luggage!

 

[SteelerMan]

Stongbags are awesome! Great product.

Strongbags are not awesome, in fact they really are not the bag for the airline commuter as they don't fit in most overhead bins unless you put them in sideways, not what the last person getting on an airplane wants. Have had most of the zipper pulls fall off within the first two months of use, it just doesn't compare to the PNS.

 

[IBNAV8R]

Got mine at the Samsonite outlet. With Airline discount it was about $80. Lasts about 3 years with commute. Looked at the Stealth line. Nice but much higher weight than the others. Owners said they sent it back about annually and it cost them about $100 each time

 

[ces152]

Get the PNS bag I have had mine for 6 years and just replaced the wheels for the first time, that was with commuting.

Order from the Outer Marker Crew Shop. I think I paid $269 for mine their. www.outermarker.com Dennis will ship it for free and probably put your name on the handle or at least send you a couple custom crew tags.

 

[sweptback]

If you get the Stealth bag, it has a 3 year warranty. Do what I did, at the 2 yr 9 mo point, sent it back in for refurbishment. They replaced everything that could have been replaced on it for free. It was like I got a whole new bag in return.

 

[gutshotdraw]

Thirteen years and counting on the Purdy Neat international bag. The screw in the old handle kept backing out: replaced with new style handle, no charge. Air France baggage monkeys tore a side pocket: repaired, no charge. Dropped the bag by accident from the baggage door of a G-IV to the ramp (about a 6 foot drop): scratched the paint on the frame. Wheels and zippers: still rolls without a squeak and the zippers still close without a problem. Heavy? Yes. Worth every penny? Oh very yes.

 

[Chubaka]

My Samsonite hardside has been holding up well for 2 years now. It comes with locks for those pesky thieves in hotels. It comes with a loop hook for adding a flight case, but I took the travelpro hook and paid a alteration shop $3.00 to sew them together. Many discounts out there, and it sells for under $200. Works well.

 

[iaflyer]

I have a TravelPro that I've had for maybe 5 years - works great. A few part replacements but other than that, great.

But - one thing about the PurtyNeat bags that I've seen is they are well balanced. It's something about their design that makes it very easy to pull even when loaded with a flight bag and the handle is better than the TravelPro.

I'd go around the crew room and "test pull" some bags and see what you like and how heavy they are.

 

[sidesaddle]

mucho grasias

I appreciate the good input. I think I will go drag a couple of these around the store.

 

[dispatchguy]

I bought a Purdy neat bag at the end of Sept 01 at the AA Flight Academy in DFW.

I commute weekly, so my bag gets use and abuse almost weekly.

I still have it; yeah, a few zipper pulls are gone, the frame has been beat to hell and back from sadistic rampers the world over, the paint is scratched off, but the integrity of the compartment is still intact - the side pockets are all still there; no rolling issues whatsoever.

Cant say it enough - get a Purdy Neat. Yeah, its heavy, BUT, its nearly indestructible. There is a reason you see guys industry-wide pulling them through airports.

For those of us who are old enough to remember the old Samonite commercials with the Gorillas throwing their old bags around - I would like to see it remade with a PNT bag.

I paid around 250-275 back in 2001 for mine; money VERY well spent. Mine has given me 8-1/2 good years so far, and its not even ready for a refurb.

 

[NuGuy]

Heyas,

Had my PNT since 98. Still going strong. Sent it back for refurb once (new wheels/handle/zippers) at the six year point, which was $90.

After 10 years, I finally wore through the striker plate, which they replaced while I waited at the Stopover Store in MSP for about $20.

I clean the wheels once a year, and that's about it.

Well worth the $$.

Nu

 

[Jet_Dreamer]

the stealth bags also fits in crj overheads as long as it is not overly stuffed.

 

[AC560]

Set of 3 Tumi bags which I have had for 12yrs that average 100-175K miles per year (including a lot of flying in/out of crap hole Chinese airports). I had to replace the rivets on one handle but otherwise same wheels, nylon, etc. Slightly pricey but probably the best luggage I have ever had, very little fraying looks almost new.