A long while ago I’d written about the Red Oxx Air Boss bag, and how I was lusting after it. I ordered their tote bag and travel basket and wrote about them, but couldn’t get myself to order the Air Boss.
I’m a bit of a luggage nut, so normally I would have popped for it easily. However, a distinct lack of travel combined with two young children at home put the damper on those kinds of purchases. Another thing that held me back was suits. I have to travel with them from time to time, I’d been brainwashed that they had to be folded up in some special apparatus made for the purpose. A suiter, or my roll aboard with the three-panel suit folding thingy. Surely just folding them up would turn them in to crepe paper, right? I’d read about the bundle method of packing, and even used it with casual clothes, but I just couldn’t accept doing it with formal wear.
Not so. On my last trip I took my roll aboard, but because I wore my blazer on the way there I took out the three-panel suit folding thingy and just had a basic suitcase. However, I ended up not wearing the blazer on the way back, so I just folded it like a shirt and stuck it in the case. Came out just fine. I became convinced that formal wear could be bundled.
Still have the kids (and love them dearly) but the travel has increased a bit so I’ve converted some little-used electronic items to new luggage – a saffron Air Boss.
Why saffron? First, I figure it is less likely to be stolen. A guy walking around an airport with a black bag is pretty invisible, but that same guy walking around with a bright yellow one is bound to get noticed. Second, sometimes, when I want to live like a civilized human being at my destination (meaning, with a pocket knife in my pocket) I will check a bag. As anyone with a small black roll-aboard knows, everyone has one. Bright yellow bags are much easier to spot at the luggage carousel.
Last but not least, if you’ve ever had that delightful conversation with those exceptionally relaxed and pleasant folks at the lost luggage counter, you’ve seen the diagram of various bags they show you to help you describe your bag so they can find it. You know, “My bag is just like bag ‘J’.” The difference between bag “J” and bags “K” and “I” is subtle changes in size and wheel placement – all bags are black. Yellow bags are a lot easier to describe, right? I mean, it’s yellow. They probably don’t even have to know what size it is or if it has wheels. Ok, maybe, just to ensure they don’t mistake it for a taxi. But I digress.
I don’t have it yet, but I’ve just gotten an email saying it’s shipped. I’m way too impatient a person to buy things by mail order, as I’m sure the overworked UPS Tracking server can attest.
I’ve got two trips coming up – one for the SCIP annual conference in New York City, which I’m really looking forward to, and another to somewhere else which I’m also looking forward to. I’ll explain more once my hosts give clearance. Anyway, it’s two opportunities to give this bag a workout, and I’m looking forward to it!
[UPDATE] It’s due on Monday, UPS says. First trip leaves 4/16, so all is well.