India, May 16 -- I have always had a slightly complicated relationship with suitcases. And number 14 already had me feeling skeptical about being surprised at this point. Was there anything new left to discover? I was clearly not anticipating what followed.

Some suitcases are wonderfully light until an airline handler handles them a little too firmly and you lose a wheel or all four (It has happened to me before!). Others are so heavy when empty that they eat into your baggage allowance before you have packed your first pair of socks.

This set changed my thinking. I travelled with the Swiss Military Lithane Cabin and Medium suitcases on a fairly punishing route. Bhopal to Delhi, Delhi to Singapore, onto a cruise, and then through hotels...