Suitcase Series – Episode 5: What We're Actually Bringing to Alaska

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Packing for Alaska with five people and 18 nights on the Disney Wonder was the point where our suitcase system either worked… or completely fell apart.

Welcome back to Episode 5 of my Suitcase Series. We are almost there — Alaska and Vancouver are actually happening, and after everything I shared in Episodes 1 through 4, it's time to answer the question: what is actually making the trip?

This is the lineup. Every bag, every decision, and every backup plan. Fingers crossed Papa Bird doesn't try to sneak in one more carry-on and throw the whole thing off. 😄

The Four Large Bags

These are the workhorses of the trip — the bags carrying the bulk of five people's clothes for 18 nights with no laundry. And I know four large bags may seem like a lot, but Alaska demands a different kind of packing. Layers, coats, shoes for multiple occasions, accessories like binoculars for glacier viewing — that space is going to get used.

Arlo Skye Top-Load Expandable Trunk

Yes, the same one I nearly wrote off in Episode 3. After the trial run I came around on it — it moves better than anything else we own, the top-load design was genuinely practical in the hotels, and I ended up genuinely liking this suitcase. If I had known for certain it would fit under the Wonder's bed, I would have bought a second one for this trip.

I don't know that yet. At 14 inches deep against a possible 12-inch clearance, it's a real question. But if it doesn't fit under the bed, I can give up some closet space — a standard cruise cabin closet is large enough to tuck a suitcase into if needed. Either way, I want to see this arc through to the end. Episode 6 will finally have the answer.

👉 Arlo Skye Top-Load Expandable Trunk: https://www.arloskye.com

Samsonite Hardside Large

This one makes me a little nervous, I'll be honest. The locking mechanism is just a switch rather than a key lock, and for a zipperless bag that switch is doing a lot of work. I'm hoping it holds. Separately — if it doesn't fit under the bed closed, I can open it clamshell style and stack other smaller bags into the two open halves. Not wasted space, just a different plan.

👉 Samsonite Hardside Large: https://amzn.to/45feqUw

Samsonite Stryde 2 Glider Large

I love this suitcase. It's half garment bag and half regular storage — which sounds like a compromise but is actually the best of both worlds. I've always found 100% garment bags frustrating because they feel like a wasted check-in: you can't pack enough in them to justify the bag count. The Glider doesn't have that problem. It gives you the hanging space without sacrificing actual packing capacity.

Samsonite no longer sells this one directly, but it's still available on Amazon.

👉 Samsonite Stryde 2 Glider: https://amzn.to/4pWaYWl

Monos Hybrid Check-In Large

The Monos didn't wow me on the trial run — it moves like a typical suitcase rather than gliding the way the Arlo does. But the zipperless frame-lock closure is genuinely nice, and at 11 inches deep it's one of the safest bets we have for the Wonder's beds.

I will say — I had been testing stacking other bags inside it earlier this spring and the latch started giving me trouble, not locking and unlocking easily. It recovered later with no issues, so I'm hoping that was a fluke. I won't be latching anything inside it on this trip to avoid putting that kind of stress on the closure again.

👉 Monos Hybrid Check-In Large: https://monos.com

The Mid-Size Bags

These are the medium bags — doing specific jobs and keeping the overall system organized.

Medium Mickey and Minnie (FUL)

These two have been part of our luggage family for a while now — you can read their full history in Episode 1. The Mickey's interior divider zipper is broken, which would normally be a problem — but I'm using it exclusively for shoes on this trip, and somehow there are always a lot of them. Shoes don't need a divider. They do tend to make a bag heavy, which is exactly why giving them their own dedicated bag makes sense.

Both the Mickey and Minnie can stack inside either the Monos Large or the Samsonite Hardside Large — I just won't be latching the Monos over them after what happened this spring.

👉 Minnie Suitcase Set: https://amzn.to/4pLMEWR

👉 Mickey Suitcase Set: https://amzn.to/4tLBG5W

The Smaller Bags

Three carry-on sized bags rounding out the lineup — each with a specific job.

Minnie Carry-On

The Minnie carry-on stacks inside the Medium Minnie, which is exactly what I'm doing for the flight out. I'll pack the carry-on full inside the medium, which frees up an empty medium suitcase for the return trip. We always seem to have enough space leaving home — and then somehow it's still a scramble to fit everything on the way back. Having a dedicated empty bag waiting for souvenirs should help with that. And since it's a carry-on, I can check it separately on the way home at no additional cost.

Little Brother's Spider-Man Carry-On

Little Brother's personal carry-on for the trip. It stacks inside the Black Mickey FUL suitcase for transport. His clothes are distributed across the family's bags by destination and need — this is just his bag to manage himself, which at his age he does just fine.

Samsonite Stryde Carry-On

My smaller Stryde carry-on, which stacks neatly into the Stryde Large — that's actually part of why I love the Stryde system. It also has a built-in band that lets me stack it right on top of the large suitcase handle when we're moving through the airport, which is such a practical detail. If you want to see how the stacking works (and why the medium doesn't fit the same way), Episode 1 has the full breakdown.

What Didn't Make the Cut

One bag that's sitting this trip out: the Monos Hybrid Check-In Medium. After everything we went through in Episodes 3 and 4 — the nesting failure, the latch concerns, the Monos customer service confirming it was never designed to nest inside the Large — I just don't love it enough to make an exception. It doesn't stack neatly into anything we're bringing, and when cabin storage space is limited that matters. Maybe another trip.

The Stacking Plan

Here's how everything nests for the cruise cabin:

•      Monos Large → Mickey or Minnie medium (not latching)

•      Samsonite Hardside Large → Mickey or Minnie medium (clamshell if needed)

•      Stryde Large → Stryde carry-on

•      Medium Minnie → Small Minnie carry-on (packed full on the way there, empty for souvenirs on the way home)

•      Black Mickey → Spider-Man carry-on

•      Arlo Skye → under the bed or in the closet — Episode 6 will tell us which

The Final Bag Count

For a family of five heading to Vancouver and Alaska for 18 nights:

•      4 large checked bags

•      2 medium checked bags

•      3 carry-ons

Is it a lot? Yes. Is it the perfectly optimized system I set out to build at the start of this series? Absolutely not. But it's the best solution I could find within real-world constraints — cruise bed clearance, airline weight limits, five people, no laundry — and I know the backup plans for every bag that's a question mark.

One more episode to go. Episode 6 will tell you how all of it actually held up — through the airports, the cruise port, 14 nights on the Wonder, and the journey home. Follow my lead, or learn from my mistakes. Either way, you'll have the full picture.

After all — we're Birds of a Feather, and we travel together. 🐦✨