When Strength And Style Matter

Once you're bound for a new adventure, the fun is in the anticipation: the exciting destination, planning an itinerary and deciding what to take along with you.

- VICKY VELOSO-BARRERA

What you decide to pack—clothes, toiletries and other travel essentials—can spell the difference between a carefree sojourn or a trip where you regret not bringing aqua shoes and even basic meds. Naturally, what you use to bring these items along matters just as much.

Your luggage contains curated pieces of your life that best express you. Accompanying you on your journeys, your luggage must protect your favorite clothes, your precious keepsakes and hard-earned purchases. In this suitcase you take what you need, hopefully leaving space for surprises. It soon becomes clear that a strong piece of luggage is of utmost importance, and because so many mementos are fragile, you need a hard case that can ensconce memories—seashells, coffee mugs—which encapsulate so much more than what they are worth. If your luggage is durable and happens to have carousel appeal, meaning that it stands out on the luggage carousel, that's even better.

The leader worldwide in travel bags, luggage and accessories that are both durable and appealing on the carousel is, hands down, Samsonite. This 115-year-old American brand has built a reputation for both style and superior technology. Strength is what defines the label Samsonite, taking its name from the Biblical character Samson. This was the guy who couldn't disentangle himself from his love life, getting into scrapes yet able to redeem himself in the end through his sheer physical strength. The Samsonite brand was so confident of its ability to withstand the most extreme of circumstances that it subjected a piece of luggage to a drop from space at 130,000 feet, as reported by