Luggage is now much more than simply a functional container to carry things when we travel – it’s a reflection of our lifestyles, and even our individual style.
As long as humans have been travelling, we have been lugging our belongings along with us. But beyond the individual, luggage carries in its design evolution an intrinsic social history of human movement.
Some of the earliest luggage recorded was created in Palestine, where wheeled containers were used to carry weaponry during the Crusades. These days, we get in trouble with transport security for carrying anything that even resembles a weapon (which in most instances will probably turn out to be a selfie stick. Arguably just as torturous, for non-users).
As a nation, Australians have always been faced with long distances when it comes to traversing the globe – or even our own vast landscape – however, we now travel more than ever. Modern transport and more affordable air travel have made it easier for us to just pick up our bag and go.
But it certainly hasn’t always been that easy for the intrepid traveller, as we reflect back over the evolution of luggage in Australia with Paklite’s Brand Manager, Pam Weston.
From Sea to Air, Trunks to Cases
During the 1800s, global travellers needed their luggage to be strong enough to suit the modes of transport of the era, and so the earliest cases from the 1870s resembled shipping trunks, which were made out of wood and leather on an iron base.
The best trunks were waterproofed with canvas or tree sap, to avoid spoilage from the wet conditions of leaky steam ships.
Designed to be strong and stackable to load into the cargo hold, they stayed exceptionally popular until the 1920s.
However strong as they were, they were heavy and cumbersome to carry, and the heavy cloth used in the fashion of the day added to their weight. Generally this wasn’t a problem for the elite, who had the luxury of servants to carry their trunks for them, plus extra cases for specific items like hatboxes.
But with the rise of mass travel came the need for more practicality, and eventually the trunk and various extra pieces began to give way to new luggage forms.
The 20th century saw lighter construction in the form of suitcases, which initially were only for suits, but soon evolved to hold more than just clothes, including personal items like cameras, cigars, and vanity cases.
The evolution of transport – and the huge rise of air travel between the 1960s and 70s – again affected a change in luggage design. Airlines began dictating dimensions of cabin bags and weight limits, and in more recent times, events like September 11 have forever changed security measures with the introduction of TSA-approved locks.
Today, travellers desire features such as easy access to their personal technology, in addition to style and quality materials. Weston says, “At Paklite we continually improve upon designs with Australians’ needs in mind, but the top considerations still remain: we like our luggage to be durable, yet lightweight.”
Australian Firsts
Australia’s local history with luggage is a proud one. The first soft side luggage collection was introduced by Paklite in 1967, six years after founder Felix Vogelnest began manufacturing out of his garage in Sydney in 1961. Vogelnest was an avid traveller himself, with an ability to foresee trends to introduce to the Australian market.
In 1967 the International collection was released by Paklite and came in red, tan, olive and cream – popular colours of the time. It was made from Bontex, with a gold aluminium hinged frame (Australia’s first) with toggle locks and gold lining. A luxurious collection, it also included a Hat Box and Vanity Bag.
Paklite introduced the first case with wheels into the Australian market in 1979, which proved to be as successful here as the rest of the world. Paklite was also an innovator in the use of nylon as a soft case material, which went on to be used by other brands around the globe.
Freewheeling
The design evolution with the biggest impact was unequivocally the uptake of wheeled luggage, which enabled cases to be larger and for travellers to pull their cases some distance in comfort.
Weston says, “The first designs in Australia from Paklite featured four wheels with a dog strap – which worked well until you were faced with a corner or uneven surface, when the bag might typically tip over.
“Next came upright trolley cases, which revolutionised the styling of cases, with their pull-up trolley handle, and again Paklite was the first company to introduce these to Australia. Travellers take-up was almost instantaneous for cases with recessed corner wheels, until more recently when four spinner wheels have become the most efficient and popular choice for travellers.”
Lightening Up
A key feature in the evolution of modern luggage has been weight, or lightness. Luggage originally had frames with locks – zippers were not trusted initially, but their introduction made luggage much lighter.
Weston says, “Paklite and other brands have been on a mission to make cases as light as possible so that travellers can maximise their weight allowance: lightweight with strength is always the goal.”
Over time, materials used to make suitcases have gone from wicker and stretched leather with frames, to nylon soft cases and polycarbonate hard cases. There is a lightweight luggage option for every type of traveller today. Whether travel is a business trip, backpacking adventure, or family holiday – there is a bag to suit.
Aussie Style Icons
One of the most popular Aussie-made lines of luggage was the Million Miler, an iconic Paklite collection made from an industrial nylon. The tagline for the Million Miler was “light as a feather, tougher than leather” which pervaded the psyche of Aussie travel consumers of the time.
Weston says, “After experimenting with different materials for Million Miler, Paklite sourced an industrial nylon from an Australian manufacturer that was used on Sydney’s train seats. There were 12 versions which covered 20 years, and the luggage lived up to the Million Miler name and tag line. It was such a popular line that even now, from time to time, luggage stores get enquiries about the Million Miler from people who remember it.”
Another popular style in Australia was the Paklite Tramps collection, which was the first expandable trolley case in the Australian market. Aussies embraced the casual look of the Tramps and its expandable function, giving them up to 20 percent more space.
Weston says that our luggage needs in Australia have evolved to a point where luggage sets have become more simplified and streamlined. “Luggage sets used to comprise wetpacks or toiletry bag, and carry-on bags or duffle bags, but now, most companies only have trolley cases in their collections.”
Security Factors
In addition to September 11 and the introduction of TSA locks to allow security searches, the Schapelle Corby case was another event that impacted Australians when it came to travelling – we suddenly wanted to lock every pocket on our bags.
“Travellers wanted all external compartments lockable, not only to prevent thieves from taking from the bag, but also to prevent someone putting something illegal inside their bag. Bags with external pockets became unpopular for some time after Schapelle Corby’s arrest,” explains Weston.
The Future
“Materials and components used in luggage will continue to get lighter and stronger. Soft-side luggage is much more labour intensive to manufacture, due to the amount of sewing involved – so quality hard-side cases will continue to become the most affordable and popular,” says Weston.
Black as a colour has been popular in the last 20 years but now brighter colours are also selling well, as people like to have more fun with their luggage and reflect their personal style.
“As a brand, Paklite has a proud heritage, which echoes our nation’s ongoing affinity for travel. No doubt we will see further innovations in luggage design come out of Australia in the future.”
This article is brought to by Paklite