One of the tricks I have learned for traveling is to

travel with one of those big plastic footlockers. On the airlines thay count as a single bag.

You do have to be a little careful to get one the right size. The length, width and depth dimensions have to add up to 62 inches or less. 

Contico makes one that is about 1/4 inch under the required dimensions and is pretty tough. I've had one for years.

You can fit an awful lot of stuff into one and when you get to where you are going they're fairly easy to deal with. The entire lid lifts and you can dig through it fairly easily. 

I've traveled with them for years and have three or four in the basement and they're great for visiting. You drag the whole thing in, park it somewhere and operate out of it. It makes things much easier than basic traditional luggage. 

To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY