"Indestructible"

"They are indestructible!"  That is what the salesman told me when I chose my last suitcase for traveling Africa. I didn't believe him, but the suitcase was "for free". It happened like this. I was traveling and during my trip my previous hard case suitcase was damaged. South African Airways was very kind to replace my suitcase after the people at Frasers confirmed that it was damaged beyond repair. It actually looked like it was punctured by the forks of a 3-ton forklift. Frasers did not have the same model in stock and offered me something else in the same price range. When I worked out that I bought the previous one for much cheaper in Nairobi three years before, I gladly accepted my new "indestructable" replacement. This one was definitely a better make and looked much more indestructable than the previous one. A Samsonite hard case.

My indestructable suitcase, just as I expected when I got it two years ago, was not as indestructable as the saleman claimed. I have lost so many suitcases before, and I know exactly why. I saw with my own eyes how suitcases and bags were thrown out of a plane at some airport in Africa. When they don't have the proper conveyer belt to remove the suitcases from the plane, nothing stops them from throwing it onto the ground. And don't think a sticker saying "fragile" means much at this point. So, yet again my suitcase has gone in for repairs, broken handle. Unfortunately this time I didn't stop at the luggage services of SAA when I returned, seeing that the suitcase was not damage on SAA, so I have to pay myself. This damage happened on the private charter on my way from Angola to Congo, and they definitely don't replace suitcases.

While I was standing at Cellini, the shop where I took this one for a quote to repair, I looked at other suitcases and makes. I am still looking for that indestructable suitcase that can survive Africa. There are so many different types, makes and colours, but none of them looks sturdy enough. One would think that by now that an indestructable suitcase would be freely available. When I discussed my current suitcase with another salesman, he mentioned to me that it is probably one of the best suitcases on the market today...indestructable. I looked at him as if he was insulting me. Here I was standing with a broken version of this "indestructable suitcase" and he still wants to tell me you cannot break it? Well, at least you can replace the parts when they break he told me. I have to agree, not many suitcases have parts available for replacement. Whenever I wait for my suitcase to appear on the carousel, I always look at other suitcases, to the make and the damages they have suffered already. I have to admit, mine usually comes out much more intact than many other designs and makes. And you won't believe it, there are even people traveling with pink suitcases in Africa?

So, this is my requirements for a African-proof suitcase. First of all it needs to be able to handle rough handling. The majority of the airlines in Africa does not repair or replace suitcases like SAA does. And the facilities at airports to load and unload baggage is not as kind on your suitcases as you would like it to be. Secondly it has to be able to lock in such a way that you locks cannot be tampered with. Travel with a unlockable suitcase and be for sure that things will disappear. Make sure there are no side pockets and fancy stuff on the sides, eventually it will be ripped off. After seeing a program on TV where a woman was locked up because someone stashed drugs in her bags, I also make sure that I don't have side pockets that cannot be locked. I also prefer not to put too much contact details on my bags. It can be used for identity theft rather than to locate the rightful owner. The fact that my company's name is on the bag already had me in situations where I had to fend off over-eagerly baggage handlers that claimed they work the same company as I do. So not even that is advised. Like I have discovered just recently, it would be good if the parts could be replaced. Handles, locks, wheels, zips are all things that could brake off...and eventually they do. Unfortunalety the suitcase I have described above is usually very heavy. The suitcase can weight anything up to 7 kilograms, and when you are only allowed to take 20 kilograms on board, it means that a third of your weight is already taken up just by the suitcase itself. But it is worth leaving some items behind when you at least know that the rest of the items will arrive on the other side in one piece. (If you want to go over the top, install a satelite tracking device because nothing prevents your indestructable suitcase from disapearing somewhere along the way.) And for pink suitcases, they only stay pink until your first trip. After that you'd wish you bought a darker shade of black.

Heard a funny wise crack the other day. If they can make the black box with indestructable material, why can't they make the whole aircraft with the same material? I just wonder, can't they at least make suitcases with the same indestructable material...?