Rolling Duffel Bags

Rolling duffel bags are handy for long trips

Both the two-wheeled rolling luggage and the spinner luggage discussed above also come in bigger sizes, so you can buy larger luggage that matches your carry-on bag. Since checked luggage is handled roughly, it's a good idea to step up to the highest quality. A warranty that covers accidental damage is a big plus.

Reviews also recommend several bigger luggage pieces specifically. Based on extensive torture tests of durability, Outside magazine gives its 2008 Gear of the Year award to the rolling Eagle Creek Take 2 ORV Trunk 28 (*Est. $290). This huge rolling duffel is part of the Eagle Creek ES series that provides a "no matter what" lifetime warranty. The Take 2 ORV Trunk 28 weighs 12 pounds empty but includes over 6,000 cubic inches of space, divided into two compartments. It has wheels but also comes with a shoulder strap.

Outside magazine calls the less expensive, lighter Osprey SpaceStation 100 (*Est. $220) a "killer value." It provides 6,100 cubic inches of space in two compartments plus two side pockets and an external wet-dry pocket, but weighs only 9 pounds 11 ounces. Instead of a shoulder strap, the SpaceStation has six well-spaced grab handles. The large wheels are spaced 18 inches apart to ease maneuvering. Outside magazine doesn't mention it, but the Osprey lifetime warranty also covers accidental damage - though oddly enough, this is only for travel within the United States.

The 11.4-pound REI Tech Beast Rolling Duffel (*est. $215) is one of the top-rated bags in owner-written luggage reviews at REI.com. One reviewer there notes that its design provides the maximum space allowed by airline size restrictions for checked baggage. Owners find it well balanced (even with a smaller bag attached) and easy to use. Unlike most duffel bags, it stands upright well. It's made with ballistic nylon, a fabric noted for its tear-resistance. The less expensive REI Wheelybeast Rolling Duffel (*est. $150) also gets very good reviews from owners at REI.com, but it measures two inches larger than strict airline check-in baggage limits.