or
???????
Ok travelGirl, here is my advise on this one...
Packs are great for people who are moving around alot, people who may not have a bed to sleep in, who spend alot of time walking between locations, who need to be mobile in a moments notice, who don't mind wrinkles in thier clothes, who might be caught in nature, who need to carry absolutly everything with them ( even food).
SuitCases I think are for people who are going to get comfortable in one place for a bit, who have thier own room in a hotel, who have no chance of being on the street or in nature over night, who are set in stone where the are staying and where they are going, people who prefer to have cloths a little less wrinkled...
Now these are just things that I think about when making that choice between Pack or Case. I went to NYC and I brought my suitcase, because i was only in transit from Toronto to there, I was staying in one hotel, I had my own room, and I only really needed to bring clothes.
But for all my Europe trips, I brought my pack for the opposite reasons, for Australia I brought a suitcase, I had my plans pretty much set in stone, place to stay and where I was going to be and not alot of moving around from place to place...
So I guess ultimatly your mom and her husband will have to weigh the pros and cons of each, and make that choice
I hope that helps some, and if I remember correctly, there might be a Backpack/Suitcase hybrid??? I will start looking for you and see what I come up with... B)