The Great Suitcase Spiral: Overthinking My Way Into CAT Deployment Prep


 The Great Suitcase Spiral: Overthinking My Way Into CAT Deployment Prep

Before getting hired as a catastrophe auto adjuster, I thought the hard part would be learning the software or studying car damage estimates. I was wrong.

The hardest part—so far—has been choosing a suitcase.

Yes, a suitcase. One single piece of luggage has consumed an embarrassing amount of my time, brain power, and internet bandwidth. If you're preparing for a CAT deployment, or any life that requires constant travel, you might be nodding already. Because this isn't just about luggage. It's about control, comfort, and the illusion that the right suitcase will somehow make all the unknowns feel manageable.

The Spiral Begins

At first, I thought: I'll just grab something with wheels. That led to: Well, it should be durable. Maybe hard shell? No, wait—soft shell has more give. Then I stumbled into the rabbit hole of suitcase reviews, YouTube videos of travel influencers packing for Bali, and Reddit debates over spinner vs. roller wheels.

Hours later, I knew more about zippers, telescopic handles, and polycarbonate than I ever thought possible.

What I'm Actually Looking For

CAT deployment travel isn't typical travel. You're not rolling your bag through a polished airport and checking into a hotel with mood lighting. You're driving also—possibly across the country—with everything you need to live and work in a disaster zone. Your bag has to hold up in dirt lots, motel parking lots, and weather that doesn’t care if your bag is “weather-resistant.”

So what I really needed was:

  • Durability: A bag that won’t fall apart after being tossed in and out of the trunk 50 times.

  • Ease of Access: Something that opens wide and stays open while I dig for socks in a parking lot.

  • Flexibility: Enough room for work clothes, casual clothes, rain gear, and maybe some comfort items—like coffee or a pillowcase from home.

  • Portability: Wheels that roll over rough terrain without jamming and a handle that won’t collapse under pressure.

Soft Shell vs. Hard Shell

This debate nearly broke me. Hard shells look sleek and professional, but they scuff fast and don’t flex. Soft shells have exterior pockets and a bit of forgiveness when you inevitably overpack—but are they tough enough? Plus soft shells can pick up liquids and bedbugs..


Spoiler alert... I plan to steal my daughters extra suitcase and will revisit this topic at a later time.


In the End, It’s Just a Bag

Here’s what I realized after way too much agonizing: the suitcase won’t change the chaos. The storm is still coming. The deployment will still be hard. There’s no bag on Earth that can pack certainty, predictability, or rest into it.

But having a good one helps. It won’t solve everything, but it gives you one less thing to fight with on the road.

So if you're prepping for CAT deployment and overthinking your luggage too, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Just remember: choose something strong, spacious, and simple. Then pack it with grit. Because that’s the one thing no suitcase can hold for you.

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