- Planes, trains, taxis and ferry-boats
Reviewer: Rick from St. Louis, Missouri - 07/29/2005 23:06:13
My wife and I just returned from an almost 4 week trip in Europe. We both had the new High Sierra 26 inch Wheeled Back-Pack. This was a self planned trip and we moved every 3 days or less. We started in London then took the "chunnel" to Paris. Then down to Nice by train and off to Sorrento also by train. Then train again to Bari (Italy) then on to Patras by ferry. A bus to Delphi and another to Piraeus. Back on a ferry first to Naxos and then Santorine. A plane to Germany then back on the trains--then home to the USA.

As you can see lots of travel. My wife and I are 50+ and although I backpacked Europe in my youth, my wife traveled with her family but is more used to having a porter move her stuff. Initially my wife saw no need for the wheels or straps (she never did put it on her back) but after getting on and off all these different vehicles (without the porter) she said these bags were great! Actually she said I was right, but I didn't think anyone would believe that.

Although we rarley took the removable backpacks off as we had other bags for day trips I found them easy to remove and put back on and it came in handy when one had to throw the bags in the upper rack of a train as they would fit without the pack. Besides for expected scrapes and scratches the bags came through without failure and we were rough on them, my wife would bounce her's down steps without mercy. I could easily have taken the smaller size as I had more clothes than I needed for the trip. My wife was at first shocked, "just this tiny bag for a month" but with our carry-ons we did fine. My bag is on it's way back to the Mid-East with my mother for a 10 day tour, I expect she will be pleased. I don't have another bag to compare it to but I was very impressed-not a rip or failure of any kind, these bags seem to be very well designed and made for rough travel.