5 Important Things to Consider when Buying a Luggage

Since I started traveling, my luggages were always the softside fabric type just because they were more affordable. Haha...  About 3 years ago, I finally decided to retire my decade-old suitcases which weighed a lot even without content.  I then shifted to hard shell luggages for a change.

After having tried both hard and softside luggages for some time now,  I realized there are distinct advantages and disadvantages between the two, plus you really need to consider some important things to determine the luggage type you need.   This is something I didn't do 3 years ago - I simply zeroed in on hard shell just because I wanted something for a change.  In short, don't be like me.  Haha...

So below are some useful tips to consider when buying a luggage:

1.  Choosing between softside or hard shell luggage. 
The advantages of a hard shell luggage are:
- it offers more protection if you usually have fragile content inside
- it's generally water-proof except for the zipper area where water could seep through
- it usually doesn't have pockets; no risk exposure of strangers secretly inserting harmful items inside.  If it does have an external pocket, just make sure the pocket has 2 zippers so you can seal them with a TSA padlock.
The disadvantages:
- the size could no longer be expanded
- when opened, the luggage consumes a lot of space coz the 2 sides have to be flat on the floor (see photo below).  This is a bit of a challenge when you're booked in a small hotel room or airbnb unit.

A hard case occupies a lot of space when opened
since the 2 sides have to be flat on the floor.

Now for the softside luggage type.
The main advantages of a softside luggage are:
-  it's space-saving since the top flap can be leaned against a wall (see photo below)
-  it's usually expandable
-  there's no risk of the shell cracking coz it's made of fabric.

The disadvantages:
- it's usually water-repellant only so water could eventually seep through when it gets soaking wet
- it doesn't offer much protection if you have fragile content inside
- it usually has a lot of external pockets so there's risk exposure for strangers to secretly insert harmful objects inside.  If you do choose one with external pockets, just make sure the pockets have dual zippers so you can seal them with a TSA padlock.

Softside luggage saves space as the top flap can be leaned against the wall

2.  Know how much the luggage weighs without content.  This is very important because a lot of airlines, especially budget airlines, have limited weight allocation.  It pays to invest in a lightweight luggage so you can put more content inside.  For example, I remember my decade-old big luggage weighed about 5.5 kilos even without content. My replacement luggage weighs only about 3 kilos. That's another 2 .5 kilos worth of content you could put inside the same size of suitcase. :)

3.  Determine what luggage size you need.  Do you need to buy all sizes or do you just need one size?  If you travel a lot and in varying duration and season, then maybe you need all 3 sizes. But if you just travel occasionally, then 2 luggage sizes would do, or perhaps, even only one!:)

Here are my recommendations to help you decide:

-   Buy a large luggage if your trips are usually 1 week or longer,  or if you travel with a lot of paraphernalia regardless of the duration of the trip (aka heavy packer!), or if you love to shop.  

- Buy a medium luggage if you travel light, or if your trips are usually just 3 to 5 days, or if you usually travel via budget airlines. You could just bring a foldable bag in case you end up shopping.

- Buy a small / carry-on luggage if you usually carry heavy equipment during travels like a laptop,  DSLR, or if you simply don't want to carry heavy stuff.   

If you do buy luggages in multiple sizes, make sure the smaller one fits inside the bigger one for easier storage.  Also, if you're a serious shopper, you could put the medium luggage inside the large luggage when you fly out so that you'll have an extra luggage for your shopping. 

The challenge when you're traveling with multiple luggages though is it's difficult to commute via train or bus.  Actually if you're solo and you have 3 luggages, there's no way you could commute; you've to take a cab.   Also, if you're visiting a place with cobblestone streets, it's difficult to drag around more than 1 luggage.   So just know when you have the luxury to bring more than 1 luggage - most likely only in places where you could afford to take a cab! Wahaha.... 

A luggage inside a luggage

4.  How to choose a carry-on luggage. 

Buy a cabin luggage that has a zippered compartment where you can easily pull out your laptop, gadgets and liquids because in some airports, passengers are mandated to take take these out during x-ray screening.  Imagine, if your hand-carried luggage doesn't have a zippered compartment, you have to fully open your luggage on the floor to take them out before passing through x-ray, then fully open your luggage again to put them back after the screening.  I've witnessed a lot of unhappy faces and grumbling passengers whose carry-on luggages didn't have any easy access external pockets.  

If you're a serious shopper, buy a softside luggage instead of a hard case. Why?  It's easier to load goodies.  You can just zip open the top part and dump items in, versus a hard shell luggage where you've to fully open the luggage flat on the floor - every time you put in stuff.   

5.  Get a 4-Wheel Spinner luggage.  Yes, one that spins 360 degrees.  Other than it's generally lighter to drag around, you could easily lug it sideways along the narrow aisles of a plane. 

And ideally, select a luggage with solid wheels (no spokes). They say solid wheels are sturdier. Why? Because a wheel usually collapses when one of the spokes gives in. 

Non-spoke wheels, they say, are sturdier

A wheel usually collapses when a spoke gives in that's why solid wheels
are said to be sturdier.

Bonus tip:   How to choose a foldable travel bag to buy.  Just 4 important considerations when choosing a foldable travel bag:  

(1) It should have a sleeve so you can insert it in the luggage handle so it doesn't fall off as you lug around your suitcase.

(2) It should have 2 zippers so you can put a lock if you want to deposit it as a checked-in luggage.

(3) Choose a dark color because you'll never know what condition it would be when you retrieve it from the luggage carousel. 

(4) Select a size that suits your shopping needs.  Foldable bags come in various sizes, styles and shapes. In fact, I was so surprised to see that one of my friends has a foldable bag as big as a large luggage.  And yes, she was able to fill it up with goodies!  Haha...  :)

Choose a foldable bag with a sleeve so you could insert it in the 
luggage handle to prevent it from falling off as you move around.

That's it.  Hope you learned something.  This is actually meant as my cheat sheet so I don't forget what I need to consider the next time I replace my suitcases (though I am not sure if these would still be applicable when that time comes).  Haha... :)

Red Dot Design Museum: A Peek into the Future of Ordinary Objects

When we travel, we usually go to museums and see a glimpse of the past.  For a change, how about visiting a museum about the present – which could show us a window to the future?

Red Dot Design Museum in Singapore

There’s this museum in Singapore called the Red Dot Design Museum which houses the winning items from the Red Dot Awards.  The Red Dot Award is known for challenging designers, engineers, inventors, professionals and students when it comes to the fundamentals of product design which are then screened by an international jury.  The award originated in Germany in 1954.

It's been in existence for 60 years and yet my first exposure to Red Dot Awards was just a couple of years back when I bought an Ozaki iPad case which had a sticker that says “Red Dot Design Awardee”.  Aesthetically, Ozaki iPad cases are really nice - great colors and the cover has debossed (opposite of embossed) iconic images from popular cities and countries around the world.  But the main reason why I like Ozaki cases is because it could hold your iPad in a portrait and landscape orientation with great stability. 

Ozaki iPad case

But visiting the Red Dot Museum was super fascinating.  Apparently, the Red Dot Awards cover a whole slew of categories – not just gadgets and accessories, but as well as appliances, packaging, vehicles, fixtures, bags, furniture, name it.

Here are some of the items which piqued my curiosity:

This is not your ordinary Foosball.

It's a Foosball that is made entirely from carton!

Utensils made in the shape of tree twigs to evoke the feeling of naturalism.

Can you guess what these are?  They are flower-shaped hand showers.

Nubone Supplements

Don’t the food look yummy?  They are actually pet supplements!  Haha….  The packaging is plastic-free, recyclable and the design immediately communicates what the flavour is to the buyer – whether it’s beef, chicken, veggies or salmon.  Lucky pets!  Haha…

Missing you Honey Bee Hand Cream by Etude

The packaging is in the shape of bees because they were made for a campaign for the protection of bees.  The materials used for the containers and outer box were made from recyclable/recycled materials and using soy-based ink.

Vaccum-sealed burlap envelope for rice.  The sender’s name reflects the Taiwanese rice producer.   And notice the stamp - it's the photo of a ricefield.   The packaging could easily be used for gift-giving too.  How unique for a rice packaging.

Wall made from PET bottles

PET bottles could be recycled but they could also be used as instant building materials for temporary housing or small-scale structures.

Close up shot of the wall of PET bottles

This is a centralized digital dashboard so you'll know the status of all your electrical appliances and be able to control the settings.   Imagine, years from now, this could be our standard electrical dashboard at home. :)

Hexskin

This is a bandage with healing properties that dissolves in your skin.  The concept sounds so futuristic to me like it were from a sci-fi movie.  But guess what?  The technology is already here.

An alphabet-based watch.  Press a button when you want to know the time and the letters would light up on what time is it.

A 3D decorative fabric.  See the 3D cubes?

Hygrometer for Plants

Just stick it directly into the pot and you’ll know when to water the plant depending on the color of the hygrometer.

Puzzle Ring

This is a jewelry and game rolled into one.  Every time you put it on or take it off, you have to put together the 8 pieces.  The last piece you put on is the locking mechanism to make sure the ring doesn’t fall apart while it’s worn.

The Red Dot museum has also a store which sells some of the past Red Dot Awardees.   Here are some:

Senz S Umbrellas

These are wind-proof umbrellas.  They have a demo video to show windproof they are.  :)

Beautifully-designed necklaces.  They have wooden brooches and enamel cufflinks too.

And if you like papercraft, you might like these.  They are called Architectural Model Accessories.  The item is just like the size of a bookmark or greeting card.

With it, you could create a miniature Christmas setting like this -

They also have an autumn setting -

Super nice!

Anyway, if things like these fascinate you as much as it fascinates me, you might want to visit the Red Dot Design Museum in Singapore.  Remember, today's unique inventions could be tomorrow's ordinary objects. :) 

5 Travel Tips when visiting HongKong

A couple of weekends ago, I traveled with college friends to Singapore and Malaysia but since we flew via Cathay Pacific, we stayed in Hongkong overnight before heading back to Manila. 

We only had less than 36 hours in Hongkong but going over what we did, it looks like more than 2 days! Haha...

Sharing with you some tips, discoveries and learnings from my recent trip:

1.  When you realize you lost something, don't easily give up.  Ask for help.

When we arrived at the HK airport, we bought some pasalubong since we weren't sure if we'll have enough time on our way back.  I particularly had to buy something at Pages for my nieces.

Anyway,  when we were already onboard the Airport Express train, my friend realized her bag of Godiva chocolates was missing.  It was more than USD100 worth of chocolates and it would be such a waste of money if we don't at least try to recover them.

So when we got off the train, we proceeded to the customer service counter and explained that my friend may have accidentally left a paper bag at the airport ticket counter.  The attendants then contacted the ticket counter and guess what?  They found the paper bag! Yay!  Thank you for honest people at the HK airport. :)

2.  When you go on a food trip, research or ask someone living there what their favorite restaurants are so you don't end up in touristy places.

Usually, when I travel, I just eat whichever resto is near when I get hungry! Haha... But since my friend researched online and also asked her HK-based brother for some recos, our meals were well-planned.  Here are the restaurants we tried:

Minh & Kok is a Vietnamese Restaurant in the Causeway Bay area.  We tried the pomelo salad, sate and noodle soup.

Vietnamese noodle soup is one of my all-time favorite comfort food.   After waiting for the lost package and checking in at our hotel, it was just what we needed for our very late lunch at past 3pm! :)

Simply Life is a French inspired cafe at the IFC mall.  You have an option to dine at the cafe or the restaurant.  In the cafe, you can choose from the salads and sandwiches and in the restaurant, they have ala carte and set lunches.

Since we were in a rush, we opted to grab salad and sandwiches from the cafe.   I love this beet and green apple salad we got. Yum!

Angelina Cafe is located inside Lane Crawford in IFC Mall.  Angelina's originated in Paris (near the Louvre) and it has been baking and serving coffee and tea for over a century (it started in 1903)! :)

Angelina's Mont Blanc

We tried two of their pastries but this is what I loved - called the Mont Blanc.  It's Angelina's most popular dessert.  Its description says "meringue, light whipped cream, chestnut cream vermicelli".  Super yum! One of the best-tasting desserts I've ever tasted.  It's super rich - so it's better shared.

Be warned though - a cup of tea at Angelina's costs HKD60 or about Php380, and this small serving of Mont Blanc is HKD90 or about Php500+.

Muji Cafe - this wasn't part of the reco places but we stumbled upon it while inside a Muji store and thought it would be a good break to rest our tired feet. Haha...

The cafe serves meals but since we had lunch already, we opted for a Green Tea cheesecake. Yum! 

Mott 32 is a fine dining restaurant at the basement of the Standard Chartered Bank Building in Central Hongkong.  Fine dining in HK?  It wasn't really on my list because it's going to ruin my budget! Haha... But lucky us, my friend's brother treated us out for dinner.

Since it's fine dining and we were just being treated out, no food pics. :)  Here's the only pic I was able to take and there's not even a trace that it's a restaurant.  Haha...

I researched online and Mott 32 is named after the first Chinese convenience store in New York City  located at #32 Mott Street which was established by some Hong Kong migrants.  

Mott 32's chef came from a Michelin-star Chinese Restaurant which means the food is certified uber delicious.  We tried the xiao long bao, barbecued Iberico pork, string bean dish and Peking Duck.   All yum!

Based on Asia Tatler, a sumptuous dinner for 2 with cocktails at Mott 32 costs around HKD1,600 or about Php9,200!  Whoa...  I would have ended up washing the dishes if I were presented with the bill for 4 pax. Haha...

3. If you have limited time, do purposeful shopping.  

My friend and I have different interests and tastes so we had to split when it came to shopping to maximize our time.  Our only common interest is Ikea! Haha...

 I used to frequent HK (for work) years ago.  I only realized I super missed Hong Kong once I set foot on Causeway Bay.  Haha....  

Check out Times Square - 

and its gigantic Big Hero 6 Christmas display - which reminds me I haven't watched the movie yet. :(

Can you guess what time is it here?  It's past 10pm but with all the lights and billboards, it feels like it's day time!

Christmas is everywhere.  Check out the giant Snowglobe display at the Hysan Place.

Anyway, going back to shopping, just in case you end up buying a lot, you can opt to ship them via LBC at the World-Wide Plaza (near IFC Mall).

I didn't shop a lot but my friend did so she had to ship some of her stuff.  I think a box like this costs about Php3,000+ to ship to Manila.  The staff said delivery usually takes 2 weeks but with the Christmas season, delays are expected.

The building where LBC is located (World-Wide Plaza) is a haven for Pinoys.  Check out the chichirya being sold  in some of the stalls!:)

4.  If your flight is in the late afternoon or evening, do Airport express check-in, so you can have more time to go around.

You could also opt to leave your luggage in the hotel concierge but airport express check-in is so much better since you don't have to worry about your luggage and you're able to secure your boarding pass already (just make sure to check your boarding gate once you get to the airport).

After the express check-in, you could easily go to the IFC Mall.

Or explore nearby places.  In our case, we quickly visited the ongoing Pradasphere exhibit.  Beautiful exhibit even if I don't own any Prada item. Haha...

5.  Be armed with a book (and lots of patience) just in case your flight gets delayed.  

Our original flight was at 8pm which got moved to 10pm, but we only finally boarded past 11pm.

If you have something productive to do, it helps you keep your mind busy and prevents you from being swayed by the negative emotions of angry passengers. :)

That was our HK trip in < 36 hours.  :)