Travel-Boutique Owner Catherine Parker's Top Five Pieces of Carry-On Luggage

Whether you’re flying off to Boca or Bali this holiday vacation, chances are you’re wondering how to cram everything you need into one (airline-acceptable) carry-on bag. As the proprietor of the eponymous travel boutique she founded in Rye in 1996, Catherine Parker is an accomplished packing pro. Here, just in time for the busiest travel season of the year, this globe-trotting traveler recommends her five favorite pieces of carry-on luggage.

1) Wayfinder 19” (The North Face) $159 Its light weight—only five pounds—makes this bag a perfect choice for a weekend adventure, Parker says, while its rugged wheels and handle make it a great value. It’s great for a quick holiday weekend, and she recommends the bag, available in black or red, as a great gift for the high-school graduate heading off to college.

2) The Portofino Wheelie (Toss) $190 Parker recommends this stylish bag for the fashionista traveler spending Christmas in Cabo or summering in Southampton. Several choices for coordinating smaller bags, including makeup cases and totes in which to tuck the latest issue of this magazine, add to its fashionable appeal, she points out.

3) International Carry-On Wide Body Spinner (Briggs & Riley) $359   Calling it “perfect for someone who has to manage holding a suitcase, a purse, and a child, or needs the ability to push her suitcase with a finger,” Parker praises this four-wheeled beauty for making travel easy. And, she notes, while new international sizing standards have made a traditional 22-inch suitcase obsolete, the width of this one allows for the same volume of clothing.

4) Fuse 20” Carry-On Computer Upright (Briggs & Riley) $389 Designed for the road warrior, Parker says, this sleek wheelie has a removable padded brief for a computer in addition to space for one’s clothing. And, she adds, Briggs & Riley’s “Simple as That” lifetime warranty is about the best in the business. “No matter whether the bag is damaged by the airlines or an under-tipped bellhop,” she says, “the manufacturer will always repair it free of charge.”

5) Wax Holdall Wheelie (Barbour) $479 From the company that has specialized in wax outerwear for over a century, this bag, Parker says, “is a must-have for the landed gentry traveler who wants his luggage to match his Beaufort jacket and wellies.”