What Samsonite is a good model for African travel?

Any other brands?

I use have a couple Pelicans for rifles, and I have a big one that would work for luggage, but it is so damn heavy.

I have used the Samsonite F'lite GT Spinner 31 for the past few years. Mine has made over 10 trips through JNB without a single successful bag thief - that's a first. It is very light yet sturdy so you don't lose a lot of pack-able weight.

You can also add a lockable security strap for extra protection should someone try to hack off the clam locks. I am a little paranoid for a reason...

Luggage - http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ...ui_search_detailpage

Luggage Strap - http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ...ui_search_detailpage

If you are traveling on bush plane you can always pack a ballistic nylon duffel bag and leave the hard sided case at your hotel.

That was the one that I bought and took this year. I made a cable lock around it that kept it virtually impossible to get into. No problems and everything made it just fine.

The only problem was that it has so much room, it is easy to put TOO much stuff in it.

50 pounds goes quickly...

The wife and I used 26" Delsey Belfort suitcases (1 each) on our trip to Namibia this past April. We were very happy with them. We both took a carry on that had a complete change of clothes, boots, binos and other necessities in case the check in did not make it. Macy's had the best price on suitcases. We bought 2 Delseys at the price most places were selling one.

Larry

Samsonite Cruisair hardside luggage. I have been using it for years since being robbed by the luggage thieves in Vic Falls on the way back to Joburg. I would not go back to any luggage with outside zippers-period. My carry-on is a PacSafe backpack with no-split zippers and the PacSafe mesh webbing incorporated into the material to prevent cutting of the material.

The longer I'm in the business the more I think UEG may have the best answer in the Samsonite luggage. The only reason to not use it is if you are chartering on a small plane and the hardsided cases won't fit. In that case you could just pack a light duffle bag and transfer your gear to it for the flight to camp and let the charter folks hold your hardsided luggage until the trip was over. I bought some hardsided luggage in '12 (not Samsonite) and the handles and locks are ruined on it already. Buy the Samsonite and be happy.

Mark

I took the Samsonite hardside luggage with me to the Zambezi Valley in 2011 and it fit in the charter plane, along with my TuffPak. However, I was also prepared to repack my stuff in a duffle bag and leave the hardside with Julie Meredith in Harare if if would not have fit in the plane. My hardside Samsonite luggage has been with me all over the world-from cruises to sightseeing trips to hunting. Like Mark has recommended, buy the best the first time.

I am doing fine with a regular Samsonite I bought at Sears.It is not hard.I think the material is cordura or something like that.I have used it on all my hunts and vacations and have lent it to others.It is built like a tank and it is the most attractive luggage on the conveyor,IMO.Navy blue too.
Here is a model that looks a bit like mine.
Samsonite

Samsonite CruiseAir Bold is my choice as well. You can augment security with a locking strap around it if so desired but I've had no problems. I'm seriously considering Pelican luggage if it has a lifetime warranty like their cases. They do weigh a bit more than most but we usually over pack and it would force me to only take what I will use.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
I am doing fine with a regular Samsonite I bought at Sears.It is not hard.I think the material is cordura or something like that.I have used it on all my hunts and vacations and have lent it to others.It is built like a tank and it is the most attractive luggage on the conveyor,IMO.Navy blue too.
Here is a model that looks a bit like mine.
Samsonite

As more people switch to hard-sided zipperless bags, zippered bags are going to be even greater targets for baggage handlers. No bueno.

One would think with all the international media attention over baggage theft at Tambo International, that baggage theft would diminish over time. Nothing of the sort has happened. Seems it has become a moral imperative with baggage handlers; that if you are not stealing you will lose your job. Then IF you make it to your bag without having anything stolen, then your run the gauntlet of folks inside the airport who just steal your entire bag. Some are brazen enough to take them off the transfer bus as you wait to depart for your hotel.

I am not an expert on travel luggage.All I can say is that so far I am more than happy with mine.

We bought two 28 inch Samsonite S'cure spinners for our trip to Mozambique and they were great. They have a three digit TSA combo lock with three separate latches. We easily got 49 pounds into each. They are fairly light and have an indicator which turns red if the TSA lock is opened so you can tell if anyone has opened the TSA lock. We added an additional TSA combo locking strap for added security.

http://shop.samsonite.com/lugg...master=scure#start=1

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
I have used the Samsonite F'lite GT Spinner 31 for the past few years. Mine has made over 10 trips through JNB without a single successful bag thief - that's a first. It is very light yet sturdy so you don't lose a lot of pack-able weight.

You can also add a lockable security strap for extra protection should someone try to hack off the clam locks. I am a little paranoid for a reason...

Luggage - http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ...ui_search_detailpage

Luggage Strap - http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ...ui_search_detailpage

If you are traveling on bush plane you can always pack a ballistic nylon duffel bag and leave the hard sided case at your hotel.

Just used mine on a trip to Europe and Asia - very impressed.

Will be buying another bag.

Mike

I purchased a Samsonite hardsided case in 2001. I has made many trips to Africa and still looks new. Here is a photo of it on a motorcycle on the journey to camp in Cameroon in 2011:

Pelican has a new line of luggage. I have not seen it in person yet, but it might be worth a look.

50 percent of british airways flight staff where using the samsonite hardcase non zipper suitcase. I asked them and they said it was best for travel and least risk of theft. These are pros that travel for a living.

Mike

If customs or airport security etc... wants to look inside your check-in luggage they will break the lock to get inside(something that happens often when carrying ammo.).If the luggage has a zipper there is no problem with that as they will zipper it closed afterwards.I am not worried about theft as I do not carry anything that will be a hot theft item in that bag.

What are you carrying, school books???

I've had t-shirts, shoes, pants, etc stolen from my bags. Have yet to find anything that is not valuable to a Johannesburg baggage handler.

With hardside Samsonite luggage with TSA locks, TSA can get inside. With other inspectors across the world, they cannot unless you open it for them. Sure they COULD break into the luggage, but that is highly doubtful, as they have all of those softside zippered bags at their disposal to steal from and not much time. Hardside luggage with TSA locks clearly discourages thieves, believe me. Zippered luggage is a wide open invitation for theft-this from personal experience. I have not had a bag, not one, pilfered since I went to the Samsonite hardside luggage 7 years ago. And, I have traveled all over the world with Samsonite hardside luggage.

Actually TSA locks are simple to defeat.

https://www.bing.com/videos/se...B1A7B40AE&FORM=VIRE2

All you are trying to do is slow down the baggage thieves. But if you have a few moments, TSA locks can be picked without a lot of work. But today, most everyone is running around with the TSA key set for the locks so generally no one who is authorized needs to break open your bag for inspection.

The trick is a little JB Weld in the lock...

My locks are built into the hardside luggage itself by Samsonite, they are not the regular locks depicted in the video. But like I said above, anyone who wants to get into a bag bad enough could likely get into a bag. In any event, most thieves are usually looking for the quick steal-not spending time popping locks and ending up on the video cameras doing so, and that is usually the zippered soft side bags. JB Weld would not work in my instance.

Have a Question. What is the JB Weld trick for TSA locks?

It was a little tongue in cheek.

UEG is correct. If someone wants in your bag, you are SOL. The point is to make it more difficult than the bag next to yours. Sorta like when the lion is chasing everyone, you just need to be a little faster than the slowest in the group.