Shouldn't be allowed since you have 3 items. Your backup is your carry-on and your camera bag is your personal item. How about following the rules? Thats not wearable articles of clothing as you presumably don't have 8 feet. Yeah, this is my biggest pet peeve of flying because too many people due this leads to a longer than needed boarding and too many issues that can be avoided.

Why don't you put your camera and shoes in your backpack? Or get a larger backpack?

If everyone tried to get away with carrying on four items instead of two, the flight will never take off, it'll miss its allotted takeoff time.

I have little problem with the fact the OP has three items.

My problem is how much overhead space it takes up and how long it takes to store.

The ukulele could be an issue. The other item will either fit into a small space or under the seat.

What bothers me is those people who have a "carry-on" that looks the size of a full-size suitcase and then their personal item is a slightly smaller item that sits on top of their "carry-on".

Let them do what they want as long as everybody else has stored their items first and found convenient space.

Many of these people don't mind if they're stopped at the gate. Most airlines just take their item and check it onto the plane without charge. Isn't this their intention?

Since Southwest allows you to check two bags for free, I doubt avoiding a charge is the issue. But the OP does have too many items and it seems like consolidating them into a larger backpack would be the easiest fix.

I promise I'm saying this nicely: "Wearable clothing items" means they're not going to give you trouble if you carry your jacket instead of wearing it onto the plane. It doesn't mean you can take as many clothes as you like because you *could* wear them. I suggest you either take a bigger carryon suitcase or backpack, or check a bag. Or that camera doesn't look that big - will your camera bag not fit inside the backpack?

You might check with Southwest about whether they have special policies for musical instruments, just in case. I live in Nashville and see people flying with guitars and other instruments all the time, BUT they're always in cases.

You are NOT following the rules - and if the flight is full (fairly likely) they may force you to gate check your extra items.

Your ukelele is extra as is your bag of shoes. A wearable item - is a coat or jacket that you might wear onto the plane or put over your arm. You're taking the carry-on space of 2 people - do you want to pay for 2 seats?

And what will happen to the ukelele and your bag o shoes if they throw them in the hold?

I would take the ukelele (in a sturdy case) and camera bag on with you and check your bag pack and the other bag.

Otherwise this is a disaster waiting to happen.

By all means check with SWA about ukelele--My brother took violin in case on board and was ONLY allowed backpack OR Laptop in case in addition to violin.
Lady on same flight--regulation size carry on went into (overhead) and her "purse' which was quite big---attendant insisted the "purse' must fit under the seat in front of her..which it barely did..Yes the flight was full.
Funny thing about the violin case..my brother had "cushioned" the violin with 2 sweat shirts..
TSA made no comments...

When you board, put the camera bag in the paper bag. Then you have 2 items. Put the paper bag under the seat in front of you. I've seen much bigger items on SW flights.

Your biggest issue is going to be the size of your backpack plus ukelele.

"Southwest Airlines limits carryon bag dimensions to 10 x 16 x 24 inches."

With the ukelele attached, does your backpack exceed those dimensions?

As others have said, the wearable clothing refers to outer garments or something of that nature, something you may have worn to the airport but didn't need once indoors. Clearly 3 extra pairs of shoes don't fit that category.

I'm sure you can get through security with your setup, but whether you'll be allowed to board or made to gate check something is another question. You have to figure out the ukelele first and foremost because I would suspect that's something you don't want checked.

A standard Ukelele won't fit under the seat. You will have to put it in the overhead or check it. I would assume you have it in a case. If not, then it could end up damaged in the overhead.

You have three bags as you describe it now, + the ukelele. You need to check two of them.

Just start playing the Uke and singing as you board and they will probably wave you through.

Not all ukuleles are the same size. How big is yours? Is it a small soprano ukulele?

If it is, why don't you get a case for the larger uke, then "cushion" it with your shirts and underwear. Then pack your camera and your shoes in your backpack.

You also should check in as close to the 24-hour preflight check-in time as possible in order to get in the front of the line, thus assuring that you will be able to store your uke in the overhead bin. The further behind in the line you are, the more likely your extra baggage will have to be checked.

Basically you have 4 items (ukulele, backpack, camera case, shopping bag) not the 2 items allowed. Yes I think you will have a problem.

"Wearable" means you are or might wearing it on the flight, not that the items are clothes or shoes... otherwise everyone's entire wardrobe would be an exception they could drag on in addition.

TSA made no comments...

TSA doesn't care how much you bring through security - that's not their job or concern.

Don't take a chance and go with all that stuff only to be told that something (s) has to be gate checked. And don't rely on what someone tells you on the phone. The gate agent isn't going to care what "Frank the call center rep said" and you will be left holding the bag...

Or left NOT holding the bag, since they'll throw it into the hold....

Like DebitNM points out, TSA has nothing to do with it. They don't care how much stuff you have or what your arrangements are for getting it onto the plane with you. It's your own airline as you're boarding at controls this.

That's not entirely true. In some airports, the TSA will enforce the 2-item rule and ask you to check in extra bags before you go through security. Also, they sometimes have bag sizers to enforce carry-on size rules. But this is wildly inconsistent and varies by airport.

Several years ago the TSA in San Fran told us our carry-ons were too big (they were less organized and more full on our return trip) and she made us check them. But this was before they started charging for checked bags. She made us get out of the security line long before we got to scanners.

Miss-elle, if you're still reading, I think the easiest solution (unless your backpack is already the maximum size) would be to get just a slightly larger bag so you could tuck your camera and shoes into it, and have only the 2 items that wouldn't be questioned.

Southwest allows TWO bags for FREE. Sheesh. And you still want to carry-on too many items?

This is exactly why boarding planes is such a pain nowadays, although usually Southwest flights are better because of their generous check-in policy.

A paper bag filled with shoes?! OMG.

Just goes to show, people will push the limit, no matter what.

This is how some travelers travel these days:

http://archives.newyorker.com/?i=2012-04-16

thanks for the advice, i'll definitely reduce my carry-on down to just 2 items. sorry if i sound like i'm deliberately trying to break the rules, i'm just genuinely curious as its my first time traveling to US, the countries where i'm used to travel to are not as strict about their carry-on policy.

I don;t know where you are traveling that carry-on policy is ignored. In my experience, they ar much stricter in europe (both size and number) that they are in the US. I have seen lots of american tourists have to gate-check their carry-ons in Zurich - since the US carry-on size is about 2" bigger than in europe - and these were just not going to fit onto the plane.

And last time leaving from the US I saw a family, apparently returning to the middle east, with positively mountains of luggge (that cost them a huge amount in overweight) try to haul another mountain of smaller things into the plane. They didn;t get past check-in. When the agent checking in their numerous large bags saw how much was left - she tried to explain to them that all these things could NOT be checked. When they refused to present them for weighting and checking she called over a supervisor - who made each of the 4 people pick out two items of reasonable size - and then forced them to check at least a dozen more items.

I have seen that cartoon before, easy. Loved it then, love it now!!

You could probably get by with the camera, backpack, and Uke. However, you will most likely run into problems if you try all three(uke, sack of shoes, and backpack. I say just pack your shoes in regular checked suitcase. A sack of shoes is not something I would want to mess with anyway.

It always amazes me that Southwest seems to have more luggage stored overhead, even when the checked bags are free. We always fly SW, when we can. It just seems like it is the best value/service/on time for us.

If you want to board early and have access to overhead bins, Southwest has an early checkin fee of $10 that automatically checks you in before the non-payers. (Even SW with its more liberal baggage policies has got to collect a few nickels and dimes.)

It may not apply in this case, but I have to defend at least some of the people who carry on a roll-aboard and a large personal item. First, nearly every seat on domestic flights has sufficient overhead bin space for 3 regulation-sized roll-aboards except for a couple near the front with the first aid kits and stuff. (Not like we have to worry about the bins of pillows and blankets anymore. ) Middle and window seats have a reasonable amount of space under the seat, though the aisle seat is smaller. So I can't knock the person with a roll-aboard and a personal item that fits under the seat. If you know how to stick the roll-aboard in wheels first and not crossways, it just doesn't take all that long to board and stash luggage.

Too many times through the years my luggage has not arrived when I did. And DD and DH who flew a lot for business had worse trouble than I have had. If I'm flying non-stop, if I'm going to be staying a day or two in the city where my flight terminates, that's one thing. (Although it wasn't such a good plan for DH who flew to Portland for a conference but all his suits went on to Japan and took 3 days to get back, so I had to overnight him a suit and tie.) If I'm flying to Athens, picking up a car and heading immediately to Meteora and parts beyond, when do you think I'm going to see the checked bag that didn't arrive with me? How many times have you heard about people flying to take a cruise and having to sail with only the clothes on their backs? They're not going to see their bags till the end of the cruise. When the airlines can do a better job of getting luggage where it's supposed to go, when it's supposed to be there, I'll be more likely to check more. I guess it's possible that OP might need those shoes without fail and is reluctant to check, but I can't see why she'd want to have to fumble with extra items if using one larger bag would solve the problem.