The sign of the cross

You don’t realize the importance of having Class A luggage until you haul your generic, mass-produced 50-pounder off the baggage carousel and come up only with the handle. Or until, when you’re trying to pass yourself off as an accomplished jetsetter, a wheel suddenly goes AWOL from the rest of your luggage. Or the zipper gets stuck in the luggage fabric. Or your suitcase’s built-in combination lock breaks down – with all your travel necessities packed inside.

Quality luggage is a necessity, not merely an accessory meant to boost your status quo, or a travel companion you should take for granted. I had to learn this the hard way. In the last two years alone, I’ve had to trash two pieces of luggage that were in various states of collapse – either the side pocket refused to zip up, the wheel was rickety, or the plastic body had collapsed and broken into tiny little pieces. The one I’m using now has its days numbered. Brandless and hastily bought a day before an impromptu three-week trip, its handle is now dangling, the material is fraying all over, and the outer body is, literally, missing more than a few screws.

Due to make another long trip that will surely see my baggage straining under the toughest long-haul flight conditions, I have decided to buy another piece of luggage before the one I have now completely collapses. This time I plan to be wiser with my purchase and not be swayed by a cheap price tag. I am setting my sights on Victorinox, a high-grade quality luggage brand made by the same company that produces the Original Swiss Army knife. Just like the multiple all-in-one knives they make, Victorinox luggage is functional, nifty, sturdy, and full of pleasant surprises.

The brand’s best and most advanced collection is the Tourbach, a set of premium travel gear made of state-of-the-art materials and incorporating technologies never before seen in the luggage industry. Using proprietary Performax fabric (ranked number one in independent testing), Tourbach achieves new levels of abrasion-, moisture- and tear-resistant protection, while the cutting-edge, eco-friendly NanoSphere finish repels almost all stain-causing liquids and solids.

The little details, such as stitching, zippers and pulls – usually the weakest links in any piece of luggage – have also been fortified. Victorinox’s Tourbach collection uses Nylbond Plus, an ultra-rugged, bonded and twisted fiber that is stronger and more resistant to water and abrasion than other threads, and zippers that utilize a heat fusion process to significantly reduce permanent zipper separation.

The tough, techno-smart outer shell, however, belies a more luxurious interior. The Tourbach collection features removable laundry bags, removable micro-silk pouches for jewelry and delicate items, and ventilated shoe compartments. Garment bags even have a special, micro-silk cufflinks pouch.

Something this luxurious usually comes with some kind of insurance, and Victorinox offers Tourbach owners the Travel Luxury Care Program (TLC), which provides coverage for damage caused by common carriers. If repairs are needed under the guarantee, Victorinox Travel Gear will provide customers with a temporary bag at no additional cost until repairs are made. This extraordinary program also features the Swiss Tracker Bag Tracking Program that should greatly cut down the red tape on lost luggage needs.

For less frequent flyers, Victorinox’s NXT 3.0 collection, though not as technologically savvy, is still a great buy. This collection equips all bags with a tough-as-nails outer shell consisting of an Ultra-D ballistic nylon, a superior material that resists abrasion, moisture and tears, and rugged DuPont Hytrel (soccer cleat material) corner guards, which safeguard the bags’ most vulnerable areas.

With the tightened security and three-hour waits in airports making you wish you could just swim your way to your destination, your luggage should at least be a small source of comfort. Victorinox makes sure not to add to traveling stress by providing all its luggage with a Geluxe comfort grip handle. This extraordinary handle is made of ultra-soft material that responds to your body heat and conforms to the shape of your hand for a more custom fit (this essentially means no more having to deal with the beginnings of palm calluses and finger cramps that usually accompany rolling a hard-handled grip around the airport). Victorinox also uses competition-grade inline skating wheels (the same wheels used on roller blades) to ensure the smoothest roll. The weight of wheeled bags has also been reduced by 10 percent without sacrificing luggage durability.

Victorinox also has bags for flight-less traveling – for those executives and yuppies who carry around a virtual office on their daily commute. The Architecture collection consists of business cases, packs and laptop cases that deftly conquer the businessperson’s daunting organization, storage and device protection challenges. Innovative, high-performance materials and ingenious functionality are integrated into every style. Padded, anti-slip shoulder straps cushion and disperse the bag’s weight. Bondtex protection material covers all magnetic closures, preventing electronic interference. Intelligent storage solutions are found throughout, such as legal- and letter-sized fan file systems, peripheral accessory pockets such as our zip-away water bottle holder, removable cell phone holders and a robust organizational panel that keeps cards, keys, computer peripherals, glasses more secure and easy to locate, even in transit.

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The Victorinox store is located on the 2/L of Podium, and is also available in Travel Club, Glorietta, SM Megamall, SM Southmall, SM North EDSA.

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