A "stratospheric" drop test: Samsonite drops a suitcase from a height of 40 km to test its strength
Over and over again we have written about how important it is to travel with a solid, possibly rigid suitcase, and not in [...]
Over and over again we have written about how important it is to travel with a solid suitcase, possibly rigid, and not in fabric. This is because, evidently, we do not know what can happen to our luggage after we embark it: anything can happen, such as getting caught in torrential rain or falling off the transporting vehicle; it is not the case, therefore, to travel with a soft suitcase and risk finding the delicate items inside destroyed.
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I recently stumbled upon a video posted by Samsonite, a leading U.S. manufacturer of luggage and travel accessories, That left me speechless.
In the clip, the strength of a suitcase is tested., the Proxis Global Carry-On Spinner. How? Trivially, by dropping it from a height of 130,000 feet, about 40km. Yes, that's right, you heard me right: Samsonite performed a 'drop test' with flying colors.
Let's go in order. A few months ago Samsonite and Sent Into Space - a British company that carries out commercial launches into the stratosphere - conducted an experiment to test the strength of the suitcase: the test, in order to be carried out safely, needed a suitable location, and for this the Mojave Desert, in California. The luggage-to which was attached a 360-degree video camera that documented the experiment-was launched into the stratosphere by means of a sounding balloon: once it reached an altitude of 130,000 feet, then, the sounding balloon detached and the suitcase, thanks to a small parachute, returned to Earth.
Did the suitcase pass "the ultimate drop test," as defined by Samsonite? Spoiler: yes, how well he passed it. In short, if it has withstood a fall from almost 40km, it can withstand anything. All this has, of course, a price: $400 dollars. But, perhaps, if you often travel with a suitcase full of fragile items, the game is worth the candle.
