Tauck duffel - use or pack
Just got our Tauck duffels and they’re great! But also quite large and heavy 1 lb, 14 oz. I had planned on traveling carry-on only but Tauck indicates that these bags are to go INSIDE our luggage until Machu Picchu. What’s the rationale for not using this as our flight personal item?
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When are you going to Peru and the Galapagos? We are going on 19 May and we are so looking forward to this tour. Mike Henderson has a fabulous video and I would recommend that you watch it. It is fascinating!
https://www.mikeandjudytravel.com.
Noreen
I'm trying to remember, but I think the issue was that the Hiram Bingham train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes didn't have room for all our baggage so we left our big bags in Cusco and only took the Tauck bag to Machu Picchu. Tauck took care of the bags and they were in our hotel room when we came back to Cusco. I don't know why I didn't note the use of that bag in our blog, but I didn't.
Also, I'm afraid I didn't do a video, but did do a blog of text and photos of our trip - https://www.mikeandjudytravel.com/2021-1Galapagos-01.htm
Unless there is a security reason, I don't know why you couldn't use it as your luggage. On the K&T trip we brought ours as our second carryon in business class and used it the whole time.
Also add a colored ribbon to yours to find it easier amongst the pile of them for the trip.
Loved your blog, @MikeHenderson. You answered a lot of my questions, and got me extra excited about the adventure. I was surprised to see people wearing sneakers at Machu Picchu. Tauck is recommending we wear hiking shoes.
We bought the Eagle Creek duffel (same one Tauck used) for our first Galapagos trip on the “Xpedition”. We have used those duffels as some of our primary luggage for fifteen years. There is no reason not to do so if you please.
We are also on the May 20 trip and look forward to meeting you. Unfortunately, if you check with Tauck they will tell you our specific departure does not require the use of the Tauck travel bags because we are not staying the one night in the hotel near Machu Picchu. When I spoke to Tauck they told me to leave the bags home and consider them a souvenir. I am personally very disappointed that we are missing the experience of staying adjacent to the site but I am certainly very excited about this trip!
On my recent Japan trip, we had 2 hotels with one night stays, where the main bag was forwarded to the next multi-day hotel. They didn't supply duffels, but I have one from a previous trip. However, I used a small (made to fit under the seat on planes) suitcase with wheels. Much easier than a duffel to lug around..
We’re on the May 12th trip and have just been debating this very question. We have overnight layovers coming and going so are leaning toward using one of the duffels as an airline carryon. I do have concern about the weight and ease of carrying. I think we’ll do a test pack in the next few days to try it out.
I also prefer not to hand carry anything heavy through the airports. At times I feel I’m walking for miles inside airports. I use a 15” Samsonite 4 wheel spinner and it’s plenty spacious for all the items I need. That’s my one item; my other item is a backpack. Depending where I’m headed to; a backpack or a Longchamp tote.
I used my duffel as a carryon and regretted having to carry it.
If you are not traveling solo, you don’t need to ‘carry’ the duffel. One person uses a roll aboard carry on which is used as a ‘cart’ for the duffel. You check the other duffel and another small suitcase. You pack everything you ‘need’ in the carry on roll aboard and the carry on duffel. Bingo … you are covered. They can lose your checked luggage and your trip will not be affected.
This is the way we do all of our travels … Tauck or non Tauck. We always have a Tauck duffel and a roll aboard with us on the airplane, and two back packs. The liquids and unimportant stuff is in the checked luggage.