<p>My son is going to Spain for summer abroad from mid May until end of June. He needs a suitcase that is good (size and durability) for international travel, lightweight, and can hold about 10 days worth of clothing.He will need to be able to carry his luggage himself, possibly up a few flights of stairs. I was thinking of getting him a large wheeled Kipling duffle. Any thoughts or suggestions? He does not work out/exercise so he isn’t super strong.</p>
<p>My son has a frameless backpack with a zip on daypack. I think that’s easier if you have a lot of stairs.</p>
<p>DD bought a set of nylon duffle bags, one large one with wheels by Protege Sports in Walmart. It was very inexpensive and I was concerned that it would fall apart. She uses the bags for packing clothes and diving equipment. It has survived a number of trips abroad and on small planes and boats.</p>
<p>My DD spent a comparable time in Italy one summer and took as her luggage a LL Bean rolling duffle - medium size as I remember (works as a plane carry on). She had far less luggage than everyone else on the program and that made the traveling much easier. When you have to cart all your possessions around, less is more. From my own experience when traveling and tired I’m ready to ditch any extraneous stuff so again I recommend traveling light, particularly in the summer in warm climes. I think a backpack also works well. 10 days worth of clothing is quite a lot. You could teach him how to wash stuff by hand, roll it in a towel and hang it to dry overnight and thus get by with far fewer things. Now if he has to dress professionally every day when there this advice may be less appropriate!</p>
<p>DD did some extensive traveling in the fall with ONE High Sierra suitcase. It weighed a very small amount empty. It was a bit larger than a carryon but not as large as a regular suitcase. We got it at Macy’s…about $125 on sale. DD actually went overseas with two of these (she was gone for two years) but we brought one home with us when we visited. </p>
<p>It helped that it was a burnt orange color…easy to find on the baggage carousel.</p>
<p>They also make a light weight duffle. My kid thinks duffles are a bit ungainly to handle.</p>
<p>Make sure you know the allowed dimensions for carry-ons; Alitalia, for instance, has slightly smaller dimensions than most US airlines.</p>
<p>Our D spent 2 months in Europe last summer, and we bought this:</p>
<p>[eBags</a> Mother Lode TLS Junior 25" Wheeled Duffel - eBags.com](<a href=“http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/mother-lode-tls-junior-25-wheeled-duffel/125548?productid=1325227]eBags”>http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/mother-lode-tls-junior-25-wheeled-duffel/125548?productid=1325227)</p>
<p>They come in different sizes so you can adjust accordingly. If your son only needs 10 days of clothing, he might use the 21". Our D moved around quite a bit the first month before settling in France for the second month. She was able to handle it up and down the subway steps in Paris and all over. She also really liked all the organizational compartments. Said they came in handy with all her moving around.</p>
<p>On a second trip to Europe with a friend, she carried a backpack and thought that worked well too. This was a different situation – tons of train travel, checking in and out of hostels, and washing her clothes in sinks. Really had limited space so had to work with what she had. I wouldn’t want to do it, but she got by.</p>
<p>Our DS and DD traveled together in Europe last summer for about a month. Everything I read recommended using a wheel-less bag. They tend to weigh less than wheeled bags. Backpacks tend to be easier to get up/down stairs. They were doing the train and hostels thing and not in a single place for the entire trip. </p>
<p>DS used this:</p>
<p>[eBags</a> Weekender eTech Convertible - eBags.com](<a href=“http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/weekender-etech-convertible/15026?productid=1266982]eBags”>http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/weekender-etech-convertible/15026?productid=1266982)</p>
<p>I purchased one of those for DD also, but she simultaneously bought a similar High Sierra backpack with detachable day pack. I think it was from Overstock or someplace like that as I can’t find it online. </p>
<p>Both backpacks held up well. No complaints from my petite D or S about weight. </p>
<p>Both bags were carry-on size so no worries about luggage on planes or trains. </p>
<p>We kept the extra ebags weekender bag. Recently I took it on a week long vacation as my carry-on. On the return trip, I managed to put all of my clothes, a beach towel, and a couple pairs of shoes in it. I used the handle. Son likes to use it as a back pack. </p>
<p>Unless, as others mentioned, he needs professional attire daily, I also would suggest cutting back on the wardrobe. Undergarments (male and female) can be washed easily in a sink and tend to dry quickly. My kids also found a laundry in Rome which was quite the experience for them. 
DS took a couple of pairs of shorts and a pair of khakis, a couple of polos or short sleeve shirts, a couple of tees, a single pair of shoes in the pack (and the pair he wore) and a pair of flip flops for trips to the bathroom in the hostels. He wore a long sleeve shirt with tee and jeans on the plane plus a jacket for cooler weather.</p>
<p>I ordered this bag on the recommendation of a friend who has done quite a bit of traveling, very lightweight and size adjustable!</p>
<p>[Lightweight</a> Luggage Solutions](<a href=“UK.COM”>UK.COM)</p>
<p>If your son is planning to carry his bag on the plane, he needs to find out the dimension AND weight restrictions. Some international carriers have a 8 kilo weight limit for carry on bags. Anything heavier will need to be checked. And yes…they weigh the bags.</p>
<p>Teach your son how to handwash his clothes & dry them over the bathtub & go online & get one of those clotheslines meant for the purpose–they are on Amazon & various travel sites. Buy him some “fast-dry” wicking underwear, also online. That will lighten the clothing burden quite a bit.</p>
<p>6 years ago my husband & DD spent 2 weeks in Italy & Germany <em>including</em> a wedding (father & sister of the bride) with only a rolling carryon each & Rick Steves daypacks. This included a hike up Vesuvius in hiking boots, and nice restaurants in Germany. You <em>can</em> pack light! And yes, they had to pack a suit & a long skirt & dressy blouse!</p>
<p>Do some serious thinking about the places he will be going & decide on 2 pr pants, one for nicer things & the other for whatever level of “casual” he will be doing, 4 shirts & he washes nightly. 3 pr undie & he washes nightly–so one is on, one is drying, and one is dry from the day before. Several pr sox & he washes with his shirt & undies. A jacket (Spain tends to be hot & dry but check what is likely in the area he will be–if they get summer T storms, he needs a light jacket with hood), a light sweater for AC or cool evenings. Wear the jacket on the plane & it does not have to fit into the bag. </p>
<p>You can buy small bottles of handwash detergent (or pour some dish liquid into a 3 oz bottle) or you can stop at a store in Spain once landed & get something to wash clothes with.</p>
<p>He will have a wonderful time & he will be much happier not to lug around lots of clothes & stuff! It gets very heavy if you have to carry it everywhere. They do weigh those bags now & the wheel mechanisms tend to consume a lot of the weight allowance</p>
<p>My daughter used the Eddie Bauer nylon rolling duffels for a full year abroad in Japan. They held up well (two trips back and forth) and she is still using them.</p>
<p>yes, the large Eddie Bauer roller duffle is great. I just bought one at TJMax for $89. You may be able to find one on line. Try Amazon.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. I am looking at all your suggestions. </p>
<p>Should we get him some sort of fanny pack for his passport and wallet? Do boys/men use them?</p>
<p>Absolutely no fanny pack–that’s in open invitation to robbery. Use a waistbelt that is worn under clothing. Rick Steves makes a silk one, which is probably the most comfortable you will find.</p>