Defeated by a tiny black Samsonite

It was never going to be easy to pack everything I needed for six weeks into a 55cm Samsonite and little backpack - and I'm super nerdy when it comes to packing. Not only do I roll everything, I then vacuum seal my clothes to squish all the air out.

But even so, there were plenty of detractors who said it couldn't be done. It kills me to admit that maybe they were right? 

It's 3.17pm and I've been defeated by a tiny black Samsonite with wheels that spin in every direction. No matter how much I wish it and will it, the darned travel hairdryer, straighteners, heels and towel won't fit.

Could I live without the hairdryer for six weeks? No. Could I live without the heels - maybe, but it's not worth the risk. I cannot and will not live without the straighteners. 

So this leaves me with the old red 65cm Samsonite. An old and slightly battered suitcase that looks so cavernous by comparison. When I dump everything into old red - there's so much superfluous space - it seems such a waste - so much air to carry around.

I'm suspicious of old red. This suitcase hasn't exactly been the 'world proof' legend the marketing hype would have you believe.

First there was the 'zipper' incident on old red's maiden voyage back in 2002. It was 7.30am and I was all packed and ready to head off on my own to London when the zipper jammed. Fortunately Cat had come over to the Willoughby flat to see me off at the  airport and carefully caressed the zipper away from the suitcase lining during a tense 15 minutes while I puffed away on my fifth cigarette of the morning. Just 24 hours later the wheels buckled at Picadilly Station and I was forced to carry old red down the stairs to the tube, straining under the weight of the backpack already strapped to my back. 

Old red has a chequered past - is it worth the risk?