Luggage: questions and Band 8 answers

It really depends on the length of the trip, to be honest. If I'm just going away for a weekend, I'll stick to a sturdy rucksack. But for longer holidays abroad, like when I went to Portugal last summer, I always take a medium-sized wheeled suitcase because it's so much easier to wheel around airports.

I definitely prefer travelling light. Packing too much just creates unnecessary hassle, especially when dragging bags onto trains or buses. I usually try to squeeze everything into cabin baggage, so I don't have to queue at the luggage carousel after a flight.

Luckily, I've never had my bags go missing permanently, though my suitcase was delayed once on a flight to Edinburgh. It didn't turn up until the next morning, which was a bit stressful because my warm clothes were inside, but the airline delivered it straight to my hotel.

Yes, absolutely. I'm a bit obsessive about it, actually. I always make a checklist on my mobile phone a few days in advance and tick off items as I put them in. It saves me from that awful sinking feeling of forgetting my passport or phone charger.

Durability is the main thing for me. I look for hard-shell cases with smooth, multi-directional wheels and strong zips, because airport baggage handlers can be quite rough. A built-in lock is also a huge bonus so I know my belongings are relatively secure.