Carry-on - Regardless

Sounds like you figured out the almost impossible. I took a 21" carry on last month to Italy and France. It was heavy, but each time that I had to place it in the overhead, I was lucky enough to have a man passing by to lift it. Probably just doing it to get me out of the aisle. But it was nice to walk right out of the airport and no worry of lost luggage since I had 3 connections.

That is my problem scatcat, I could pack everything in a carryon but I am not able to lift to the overhead bin, sigh. Consequently one checked bag and a carryon (which fits under the seat ahead of me) works best in my situation. But I agree, not having to worry and wait for a checkin piece of luggage would be fabulous.

I'll just ask this question here...am going to Dublin next week and wanted only carry-on, but see that Aer Lingus is only allowing 13 lbs.for a carry on bag. Is that right and do they enforce it? Thanks for any help...

How did you do it?

I'm going to Germany/Austria/Sud Tirol on Sunday for 4 weeks...and I'm not flying but I'm going by car. But we have all the babys stuff and I need summer stuff, winter stuff (for up the alps), formal/very dressy stuff, traditional stuff (dirndl), hiking stuff, running stuff. I don't know how I'm going to fit everything, plus hubbies stuff, plus all the babies gear into the car. I can usually travel very light but this time I just don't know how I'll do it!

My normal carry-on weighs about 20 lbs and I find I can easily lift it over my head. My main problem is being so short, I can't reach the overhead in most jumbos. I step up on my seat and can get it into the bin no prob -- but the minute I step up, about 6 or 8 people (men and women BTW) come running to my aid. I have less problem getting it down out of the overhead since I can pull the handle and then balance it on the way down.

llamalady: Congratulations!!

LoveItaly: You'll learn all the tricks next week

lvillinois: Unfortunately, AerLingas is pretty strict about the weight of cabin bags.

Lawchick: The drindl is the killer But for formal - think separates. A long skirt or evening pants and then fab, dressy tops. And for the Alps - you really don't need heavy clothing. Layering lighter garments and maybe taking some silk long underwear would cut down on the volume.

~22-24lbs is pretty much the limit for me in terms of lifting the suitcase overhead or carrying it up 2 flights of stairs.

I wonder how much scatcat's luggage weighed?

Do you know the temperatures at 2,000 or 3,000 meters up the alps?...I don't think silk underpants and a few t shirts is going to cut it....brrrrrr

Evening pants? I don't know what they are but anyway I have to go to a ball, so my husband will be the only one wearing any kind of trousers.

I need a big people carrier bus thang. The car with boot and baby and hiking and balls and the like will prove somewhat difficult me thinks.

I didn't weigh it, but I imagine it weighed more than 20 lbs. I didn't have trouble carrying it up steps, just getting it overhead.

I did not say silk underpants nor skimpy t-shirts. Silk long underwear is quite warm. And yes I know about cold temps a mere 2000-3000 meters up. Here in CA we have mountains just as high and just as cold.

I have been to a FORMAL event (in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen) - long white gloves and the whole nine yards - out of my 21 inch carry on. As long a a true ball gown is not required - a long skirt and killer top is easily packed in a small or small-ish suitcase.

"I have been to a FORMAL event (in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen) - long white gloves and the whole nine yards - out of my 21 inch carry on. As long a a true ball gown is not required - a long skirt and killer top is easily packed in a small or small-ish suitcase."

anisj - you are my new hero.

I'm impressed by your packing, llamalady. Have a great trip!

Anselm

My 20" weighs 25# and the bag 9#.
I weight-train three times a week
so I will be able to lift both easily. I think.

But my packing is a snap this time -
no big cities, no Michelin *ed restos and no winter gear. And
most certainly no baby! lol!

I liken the machinations I went through in order to get all the clothes and shoes in 20" to doing
a senior sudoku and Rubik's cube
at the same time. Quite challenging
but still a game....

Thanks, AA - I may even write a trip
report on the Allier - I'm sure not
too many have been forthcoming!

janisj- I know you are the packing guru in these parts...what clothing can I expect to bring and be under 6-7 lbs.?

llamalady-what does your suitcase weigh empty? Mine is a 22" and weighs in at 7 lbs. Maybe I should try a lighter suitcase...

You guys are killing me. I go away for a weekend and can't fit everything in a 21" suitcase! Can you just see me in October, packing for 10 days in Rome and Paris?!

Well, of course, it's much easier to pack women's clothes in a 21" than men's clothes in the same size suitcase. DH's clothes (shirts, pants, as well as underwear) are at least 2-3x size of mine. And forget about him bringing an extra pair of shoes! Those shoes will just take up 1/2 of the suitcase.

Being a nice wife, I usually offer some space in my suitcase for him.

In return, I take advantage of his 1-qt ziploc bag. He usually has just 3-3 bottles, so I fill his bag (as well as mine) FULL to the point of bursting.

Ivill: In order to give you my suitcase weight I'd have to unpack -
and THAT ain't happenin'! But it's
a Delsey "featherlight" or some such; I think it's about 7 pounds.

I used to have a hard-sided Delsey 19" that weighed 5 lbs. but it ended
up w/a big crack - probably from the
overload of shoes! I've also used a
3 1/2lb. backpack because my Dh is
a Believer - I had a religious experience when I threw the damned
thing in the garbage!

We're flying BA b.c. and the upper
weight allowance is 51 lbs. - and
you must be able to hoist the bag
yourself. It helps that I'm tall.

I am quite amazed at the amount of
clothing I managed to shoehorn into
this little case - not to mention the books and incidentals. It can
be done!

lvillinois, you can cut a lot of weight if you bring a suitcase without wheels. I'd imagine that you could carry 13 pounds without having to drag it?

lllady- OMG! I would never want you to unpack!!I know what a relief it is to have those clothing decisions done and packed. But I can get the weight since you gave me the brand...thanks!

BA allows 51lbs! Carry on? That would certainly make packing a little easier..American allows 40 and I thought that was a lot! We are flying AA in Sept for a multi country trip so at least I will have more weight to work with...

Noe-yes I can carry 13 but I was trying to make next week's trip a dry run for Sept's. I am going to look around for a lighter bag without wheels..

51 lbs is for checked baggage on BA I believe. They are more worried about dimensions that weight for carry on - how on earth could you pack 51 lbs of stuff in a legal carry on? They can be strict on the dimensions though! Even all my camera stuff with huge lenses doesn't come near that weight.
My carry on is always my camera gear so I have to check a bag no matter what.
But I don't mind doing that, nor waiting for the bag when I arrive. After 10 hours on a plane an extra wait for the bag is no problem and often the bags are on the carousel by the time I clear Immigration in the US!

I really thought that was for checked, but OP had mentioned carry on so that's where I got confused.

One of the most liberating things I have done was not bring my Nikon and lenses with me on a trip, only my point and shoot digital. The pics were still wonderful, especially the landscapes and it was nice to not have to carry it, I probably took more pics because it was easier to just pull it out and snap away.

I still love my Nikon but it was a different experience...

I take exception to the comment that it is harder for men to pack small. . I have stated this in the past, but I take only a maximum of 13 #'s in my gym bag. I am now 69 years old and not as strong as I once was and I think all people should pack what they can handle as far as lifting and carrying. I do not want to rely on someone else to do it for me. Granted, I think it is far easier for a male to pack just the basics and cope with less clothing. I have had really good luck in getting things washed, free, at B&B's.

Hetismij: I just rechecked the BA website for hand baggage (carry-on):

- 22X17.5X9.85" (56X45X25) including
wheels, pockets and handles.

- in addition one laptop sized bag,
handbag or purse.

- a 23kg (51 pounds) maximum bag
weight applies and you must be
able to lift the bag into the
overhead lockers in the aircraft
cabin unaided.

In order to make the legal dimensions I can't fill the outside
pockets. And I may have to glue the
flaps down (kidding). And all the
inserts are stripped out of the inside leaving a shell with a zippered liner at the bottom.


ivillinois and summer: here's a list
of what's possible:

- sandals & ballet flats, guidebooks
sm. binocs, dictionary - all under
the zip. liner.
- swimsuit/cover-up
- lottsa scarves & pashmina
- usual undies in zip bag
- ditto socks, sockettes
- black short sleeved blouse
- white "
- white and black camisole
- white Tee
- black silk dressy Tee
- Khaki & white striped 3/4 sleeve T
- black fine linen tunic - dressy
- black evening sweater
- tan ankle-length capris
- khaki cuffed capris
- off-white/khaki striped cropped
- black polished cotton dressy pants
- black knee-length cotton straight
skirt
- rainjacket w/hood - gee, black!

- smallish Mandarina Duck purse

I'll spare you the additional boredom of my handbag except to say
I leave all 'good' jewelry at home
and take silver bangles and small &
large silver hoops.

Anyone still awake? Janis?

llamalady, do you have any full length slacks (thinking of those 3 climate changes)? I saw 2 capris and a cropped (I assume slacks) and a dressy pair. Or are you wearing full length on the plane? Ditto for a cardigan/light jacket.

Hi Noe: Yes, I'll wear (what are the
odds) black cotton pants, a bk/wh
striped 3/4 sleeve Tee and a lightweight bk. cashmere cardigan.
And Keen leather walking sandals b/c
they weight a ton and don't 'fold
down'. I'm just taking the one rain
jacket - I can layer T's with the
cardigan for warmth. I 'may' add
a lt.wt.down vest but I'd have to
wear it - that suitcase is FULL!

The cropped pants I'm taking would be fine in cool/wet weather.

The 3 climates are a bit of an exaggeration - we're on the Atlantic
coast for 2 weeks and in the hills
behind Carrara then we end up on the
Cote d'Azur - so I'm thinking, rain,
wind, hot. But who knows.

BA used to have a very strict limit for cabin baggage - 6 kilos. But a couple of years ago they eliminated that limit and now it is basically what ever - up to 23 kilo/51 lbs. Few if any carry-on sized bags will weigh anywhere near 51 lbs.

llama- Thanks for the list,I will use it as a jumping off point to develop my own.

Can I ask, why do airlines care how much the carryon weighs? If it isn't carried on it will be put in baggage hold. Trains don't have a limit, right? (Not that I would ever have 51 lbs with me!)

They don't want super-heavy carry-ons falling on people's heads, and they want people to be able to maneuver their carry-ons. So weight limits make sense.

I can manage carry-on only without difficulty and am tall enough that I have no problem getting it up in the bins, but I still prefer checking the luggage. The reason I do carry-on is when I think there's a reasonable chance I might want to stand by for a different flight, and/or I have complicated flight arrangements.

I believe the overhead bins have a limit as to how much it can hold without falling onto the pax heads mid-flight!

I'm surprised BA allows a carry-on weighing 51lb! You can fit a child in there!

I can't imagine pax bringing a 51lb carryon with them on the plane, then expect the FAs (or other chivalrous pax) to help lift it into the overhead bin. One can easily hurt themselves with such weight!

Just came back from Italy for 10 days.

Did everything in a carry on. Wife had an even smaller carry one with lots of empty room to bring stuff back.

Worked perfectly - Could have had the same bag for a month.

I you are smug now, you will be hysterical when you see couples getting off the plane with sets of 4 matching suitcases - and hunched over backs - all for a one week trip.

Congratulations and enjoy your trip.

llamalady I hadn't seen the weight limit for carry-on. It is the same as for a checked bag. It seems downright dangerous to allow such a heavy bag in the overhead lockers to be honest - they can come open in turbulence for instance and imagine getting that weight fall on you!

I agree, once you do carry on you probably won't ever go back. We did carryon only for a 3 week winter trip to Scotland, London and France.

Last month even our 16 yr old DD managed to do just a small carryon for a weekend away to go to prom. Yes, her gown was in there with everything else and she managed. That is the true test...if a teenage girlie girl can do it then anyone can

Yes, I see the weight limit makes sense...trains don't have one though, right? Of course, I can't imagine bringing 50lbs of stuff anywhere, nor would I want to try.

schmave717--please enlighten us! What did your wife bring and how did it work? We are doing a similar trip in Sept...I guess I should ask for your packing list to help out my DH, who tends to throw whatever is within reach into the bag and zip it shut!

In trains, you can store luggage at the end of each car. This is not possible in planes.

hetismij - on the upper deck in BA
business class they have storage bins on the floor - so, hopefully,
no Henny Penny catastrophies; mind
you, I could easily trip over the
bins!

But I agree, unless you're taking
coals to Newcastle I really don't
know what you could pack that would
get up to 51 lbs....and wouldn't the
wheels fall off (the luggage - or
p'haps the plane).

The BA weight limit is for checked baggage. They don't weigh the carry-on, but the bag should fit in their carry-on guide. Unless you're carrying rocks, I don't see how a bag that is 22 x 17.5 x 9.85in could weight 51 pounds.

DCJones: if you go on the BA website
under Hand Baggage you will see that
the allowance for carry-on hand baggage is indeed fifty-one pounds.

I wouldn't lie. LOL!

But not to worry. Unless one is carrying an anvil or gold bullion, there is no way a 21" suitcase will weigh more than about 25 lbs - and usually less.

My 21" suitcase often weighs in the 30-34 pound range. The wheels of course add a good bit of weight. Also, I have to carry extra shoes because of my terrible feet. And guide books and papers add a lot of weight, and I usually bring a few. My family LOVES bookstores, so coming back we usually have heavier suitcases than going over. Now, although we travel fairly compact, we usually check the 21" suitcases and just have a smaller carry on.

"Just came back from Italy for 10 days.'
ditto
and ditto on carry ons only!

When traveling alone I will not carry what I cannot lift without counting on "the kindness of strangers".
A soft bag without wheels packs more and wights much less.

True. My 21" is usually heavier on the way back because I do tend to buy a few books on my trip (eg official guides, museum/gallery guides). I wish I could just leave my guidebooks abroad at the end of my trip, but I'm emotionally attached to my guidebooks. Also, sometimes I just borrow guidebooks from my local library so I HAVE to carry them back home.

Sometimes I bring old clothes on my trip and just toss them after wearing them. That makes space for anything I purchase during the trip. But of course, clothes weigh much less than books.

I should find out how much my rollaboard weighs when it's empty. REI has a sale now and they have a 21" rollaboard/backpack combo which weighs 7lb4oz when empty. Seems to be the lightest 21" they sell.

> it's much easier to pack women's clothes in a 21" than men's clothes in the same size suitcase. DH's clothes (shirts, pants, as well as underwear) are at least 2-3x size of mine...<

On behalf of my sex/gender, I rise to respectfully demur.

For a 3-week trip I pack:

2 pair trousers - 50/50 poly-cotton
2 dress shirts
2 polo shirts
3 pr undershorts
3 pr socks
1 pr shoes
1 toilet kit
1 pr glasses
1 travel umbrella
Travel guides, maps, itinerary
Camera and associated gear
3 cartons cigarettes
Bubble wrap
Mesh bag for grocery/souvenir shopping

This all fits in 1 carryon and a tote bag.

I wear,
1 pr trousers
1 pr shoes
1 pr undershorts
1 pr socks
1 sweater
1 sports jacket (tie in pocket)
1 hat
1 belt
1 pr glasses

I wash my socks and underwear as we go along.

No problem.

OH CRAP!!!!! Just bought new all luggage including a carry on bag and we are flying Aer Lingus.. Well, we are seniors and Im sure some good soul will help put it above..but..and a big BUT I spotted a bag on rollers that supposedly fits UNDER the seat with a handle...and Ill use that instead of a handbag. the problem is that we are going on a two week cruise (no washing machine on ship) and a pre-cruise stay in Barcelona.. I did buy two outfits that can be folded and squashed together and are lightweight. As somebody has said.. they havent figured out how to weigh the clothes your wearing.. I truly am going to try to cut down..The other problem is that Im not a petite and my clothes take a bit more room..lol,, Guess formal nights will be black, separates as soebody said with killer tops..now I need to find a another killer top..lol

we tend to ditch guide books on the way back and on more than one occasion
'old" shoes.
If you wash a few thing ,buy an extra item (if you really need it) at your destination ( an umbrella is only 5 euros), it is very easy to travel light even for men - Ira is right!
After years of lugging too much luggage what a relief it was to finally see the light.

We bring a lightweight nylon duffle bag with us - empty on the way over, we fold it into the suitcase. Then as we travel and accumulate things, we fill it (mostly with clothing) and clip it to the front of the suitcase and roll the luggage along. Works great. On some trips I've also brought an empty cardboard tube, which fits diagonally inside my 21" bag. This has come in quite handy including for any posters or art prints that we might buy. I have also wrapped fragile items in socks and put them in the tube. Another thing I've done at times is to bring a sturdy small cardboard box - packed with clean clothing on the way over in my suitcase, and available for fragile items on the way back.

Oh, and on the way back I check both the suitcase and the nylon duffle. Most fragile things get carried on with me.

Thank you for confirming it can be done! We are planning on bringing only carry-on luggage for our 8 week summer vacation in Europe. Like you, my entire wardrobe is black and khaki, and I plan to wear my long pants and sweater on the plane. I plan to wash undies in the sink and other clothes as needed. If need be, we can supplement our wardrobes over there (I pack a "Baggallini" bag in every suitcase - it is a duffel bag that folds up to nothing and zips around itself into a compact pouch. It is wonderful for extra purchases, dirty clothes, etc. .. And it can be checked at the end of the trip. ) Like lvillinois, I am leaving my big camera with extra lenses at home and am bringing my point and shoot. Now I have to decide if I am going to bring my laptop . . . . I change my mind every other day. I'm not worried about it getting stolen - I am worried about the extra 7 lbs!

I've got the same plan, Attymom -
and the same duffel bag!

We have a washer/dryer in three of
the places we're staying so I'll be
able to keep up appearances - and,
there is the shopping aspect to
consider she said with a smile.

llamalady, I am all about the shopping aspect!! We have rented 3 apartments (Paris, London and Edinburgh) which have a washer and dryer, but that is the last 3 weeks of our trip - we may be quite smelly by then! I am hoping some of our hotels offer a laundry service - there is only so much you can do with Febreeze and Downy wrinkle release!

on longer trips I have sometimes taken a very small, light iron.
Comes in very handy.

After making approx. 20 trips over to Europe from the US, this will be my very first trip with only a carryon and a backpack.

I must say I was very impressed with myself on being able to do this. It is a 4 week trip Budapest, Krakow, Vienna, and London.

Most of the pants/shorts are kahki in color. Most shirts will be discarded along the way since they are "older" shirts, as well as socks and undies. I have invested in packing cubes, did a trial pack and half of my carryone suitcase is still empty. I also purchased the Jansport Euro Sac converts from suitcase style to shoulder bag to back pack. I am not very tall, only 5'2" and converted it to the backpack mode, it felt great. After the last trip we (DH, DD, self) took we each had 2 suitcases filled to max. That was 6 bags, I promised DH no more sherpa-ing. He was greatful when the new bags arrived from Campmor.

Yes, I find it hard to beleive that I am only taking 1 extra pair of shoes. I recall one trip I took with my sister 1 whole suitcase was dedicated to shoes only. I am proud of myself for the change. I have also eliminated liquid shampoo from my packing list. I discovered a wonderful store www.Lush.com that carries bar shampoo and conditioner. Takes a little getting used to, but I even used it at home now. I figure if I just pack enough $$$ whatever I did not pack, can be purchased along the way.

It will be interesting to see what I will miss.