scrb

It's not just clothes which requires checking in a bigger suitcase.

I pack a bunch of dried food for snacks, even a couple of bottles of vitamin water.

Then some of the other photo gear like a tripod. Once, I was forced to take the tripod out of my carryon and put it in my checked bag.

So there are some items which a security screener may not let you take on board. I had to give up a small Leatherman once too.

julia1

travelgourmet-- the wife (that's me) travels for 6 weeks at a time, involving 2 (or more) separate climates, with a single carry-on. I know that I could probably get by with two suitcases clocking in at 20kg apiece, but why?!

danon

I mentioned "kindness of strangers" because my (tall) husband has been asked numerous times (by women) to help them lift their luggage on or off the train.
It is much easier to travel with a lot of luggage if one does not take trains or public transit . Or those tiny elevators in European hotels!

To each their own!

KatGio

If you are not going to be using a lot of public transportation, it is not as imperative to pack lightly. However, I do remember our first trip to Europe which was a 17 day tour. I was so worried about taking enough "outfits" that we each took a 29" suitcase. Granted we didn't have to schlep it around, but trust me, I was so sick of that suitcase full of dirty "outfits" by the end of the tour, that I learned my lesson. Now we pack much lighter and do hand laundry which is no big deal. We look better and enjoy not having so much "stuff" to pack and repack.

travelgourmet

<i>I know that I could probably get by with two suitcases clocking in at 20kg apiece, but why?!</i>

Why not? What, really, is the benefit of packing light? Literally, it is maybe 3 minutes less lifting on the days that you travel. That is even if you are taking public transit. Why would you forgo choice and flexibility in your wardrobe to save yourself having to lift a bag a total of 5-10 feet maybe twice a week?

I just don't see the point for most travel. I mean, I have backpacked in places where you have to trek in your own water, where ounces make a huge difference, but why the fuss over wheeling a suitcase when going to Italy? I've done both, with some regularity. Those tiny elevators in Europe? Well, there is one right outside my door. Trains? I take them all the time. Even when you factor those "hassles" in, you are still talking about minute amounts of time and effort spent dealing with the suitcase. Is it really worth forgoing even that one "perfect outfit" that you might wear once? Not to me, and I think it important to point out just how little many folks "gain" from going carry-on.

yk

To each his own, travelgourmet.

I can tell you why a 19" carryon works for <u>me</u>.

1) I take public transportation from my house to the airport. This involves walking 15 minutes on sidewalks to the bus station, lifting my suitcase 3 steps onto the regular city bus (no luggage rack to store it). After I get off the bus, it's another 7-min walk to the subway station, on sidewalks that don't have ramps. From the subway station, I take the subway to the airport (that's the easy part).

2) Last Sept, we stayed at the Hilton Financial District in SF. We took BART from SFO to Montgomery Station. From the BART station, it is a 10-min walk uphill to the hotel.

3) Last October, the hotel we stayed in Brussels is a 10-min walk from Centraal Stataion. The entire route is on old cobblestoned streets. It was so difficult to pull the suitcase that I carried it half of the way.

4) In Europe, I frequently stay at guesthouse/B&Bs that have no elevator, so this involves carrying my suitcase up 2-3 flights of stairs.

I can go on and on with more personal examples, but for me, I prefer having a small suitcase which I can handle and can carry without difficulty - and to me that means walking 15-20 mins or up 2 flights of stairs.

Therese

What, really, is the benefit of dragging my entire wardrobe with me? I've got all the choice and flexibility I could possibly want (in terms of my wardrobe) and have additional choice and flexibility when it comes to my travel plans.

Flight cancelled, but there's an alternate leaving in 20 minutes that I can make but nobody else will because I'm carry-on only? Sure, and I've been in precisely that position, and felt badly for those poor souls who got to cool their heels in the Prague airport for an extra six hours, but that's the way it works.

Circuitous award ticket flight departing within 20 minutes of the direct flight, and a polite inquiry as to availability of a last minute switch to the direct flight for myself and my children? "Sorry, not possible, ma'am. Bags already loaded on the other flight." "But we're carry-on only..." "Oh? Really? Please wait in the gate area for me to call your name."

I've got lots more of these instances. If you check your bags routinely you won't be aware of the potential gain. I fly lots and every time I walk by the luggage carousel I feel happy inside.

travelgourmet

<i>I've got lots more of these instances. If you check your bags routinely you won't be aware of the potential gain. I fly lots and every time I walk by the luggage carousel I feel happy inside.</i>

I fly lots too. I logged maybe 200k miles last year and will hit 75k miles by the end of this month. I feel happy inside when I tailor my packing list for the trip that I am taking, rather than forcing every trip into a "I only carry on" standard.

annabelle2

I love these conversations! And I love the lemon & olive oil comment...fabulous.

I agree that it is entirely a personal choice, but I like to "carry it on" when possible.

A lost suitcase for almost my entire trip to Egypt years ago convinced me to carry on. The underground luggage-gone-missing labyrinth at the Cairo airport is a sight I will never forget.

I did a month in late May-early June to Italy and Spain with a carry on roller bag and a large shoulder bag. I did check the (expanding) roller bag on the trip home.

I won't bore you with my entire packing list, but my travel items included:
-pair of jeans
-pair of capris
-pair of lightweight pants
-skirt
-jean jacket
-very lightweight Gortex rain jacket
-pair of shorts for hiking
-assorted "nice" t-shirts (nothing white or pastel, but I wasn't all in black, either)
-bathing suit
-large patterned scarf that served as a beach sarong, a shawl, and a light blanket on train rides for naps
-three pairs of shoes - cute comfy sandals I could wear to dinner and still walk in, sturdier walking sandals, lightweight hiking shoes since we planned some dayhikes
-on the overnight plane I wore comfortable long 'yoga' pants and nice-looking zipped hooded sweater.

Had to check this bag for the London-Venice Easyjet flight.

We stayed one place for 7 days, so we all did laundry then. I bought a few more summer tops in Madrid, and washed things out in my hotel since it was warm and dry - the cotton pants dried overnight. I always take a few little clothes pins and an inflatable hanger with me, and use laundry soap packets (or just the hotel shampoo).

I don't smell, or look sloppy, either!
Good luck with the packing.

Therese

"I fly lots too. I logged maybe 200k miles last year and will hit 75k miles by the end of this month. I feel happy inside when I tailor my packing list for the trip that I am taking, rather than forcing every trip into a "I only carry on" standard."

In the end I think it's just whatever we're used to, and if you've been so lucky as to avoid any really hideous snafus then that's great news. I routinely return home with unworn, clean clothing and generally shop while I'm away as well. So if I have a larger bag (and I have done this on occasion) I just pack waaaay more than a single person could wear (including different ensembles for day and evening), and shop until the credit card companies consider calling an intervention.

november_moon

I agree - it is definitely a matter of personal choice and what you are used to. I am a light packer, but I am also someone that rarely uses the phrase "the perfect outfit". I like to look nice and appropriately dressed for the occasion, but I am not one to try on different outfits or spend a lot of time thinking about what to wear. As long as I've got good stuff in my suitcase that fits well and will be appropriate for where I am going and what I am doing, I am perfectly happy.

There are many women who would really wish that they had brought a particular blouse, skirt, pair of shoes and not having that item would bother them. Or they don't care for planning a wardrobe ahead of time to make sure everything goes with everything else - they are more spur of the moment, which is fine. They just pack more stuff and plan accordingly. As long as you have a good time, then I don't see a problem with either method.

Peter_S_Aus

My wife and I, nine weeks in Venice over Christmas, two suitcases at 22KG each plus a small carry on bag and a small day pack. We seemed to have enough stuff – pair of cameras, lenses, laptop computer and keyboard, water colours, tripod, lots of books, pepper grinder, and some clothes.

I think that I wore about two thirds of the clothes that I took.

LHS

I'm a recent convert to carry on, but so far only week-long trips. My H & are planning to carry on for a 2 week trip to Italy in a couple weeks, because of water bus/train/metro travel.

We have had delayed checked luggage as well, which in the Caymans reached us wet & dripping. I rather like knowing I'm the one handling my luggage.

danon

What could be more fun than buying that one "perfect outfit" in Paris !

Challiman

My two cents: I bought a new, very lightweight 22 inch roller for a trip to Rome last month. I planned all along to check the bag, as my carry on, a roller/backpack, has to carry what I would normally carry in a purse, plus a DSLR camera with extra lens and equipment, extra underwear and blouse, just in case, medications, travel documents, flashlight, a book, a shawl, and a pillow.
My main reason for the smaller, lighter suitcase was that my back has started bothering me when lifting or handling heavier bags. I found I could take enough for 8 days with no trouble at all. I had a choice with the carry on to roll it, attach it to the 22 inch, or wear it as a backpack, and I did all three at various times during the trip. I could manage those bags in every situation without asking for any help from anyone. My friend, who brought a large bag and a large carry-on, was very impressed with my arrangement and vows to do the same next year.
So, for me it wasn't a matter of checked or carry-on, it was a matter of not having muscle spasms while traveling, and the lighter bag made all the difference. I'm not sure I can take my camera equipment plus the clothes in the 22 inch bag for an international flight. As for buying toiletries and such at the destination, I'd rather take the small bottles and have them immediately when I arrive, nothing feels better than a shower and fresh clothes after flying for hours and hours. If it was a longer trip then I'd take small amounts and buy more, but I'd definitely want at least a starter set of things.

saige

There's already lots of good advice here for anyone who wants to learn to pack light and travel with carry-on only. I do that even for trips to Europe lasting 4 to 6 weeks. The big pluses to me are that my bag is never lost, I can stay in hotels without elevators, and if the escalators don't work, I can carry my bag up or down all those stairs. Truly, the more I travel, the less I want to carry.

danon

" I think it important to point out just how little many folks "gain" from going carry-on."

Not having done it yourself ,how can you point out what someone gains (or not)from traveling with carry on only?

danon

sorry, you said you have done it.
I did not see it right away.

travelgourmet

<i>As long as you have a good time, then I don't see a problem with either method.</i>

Best statement in the entire thread.

smalltowntraveler

I did not read the entire thread - but most of it. However, you have mentioned Venice and I hope someone has let you know that a rolling bag will have to be carried over the canal bridges - some just a few steps up and many more than that. They are in the process of ramping some of these for wheelchairs but most are not and you will be lifting a bag often.

have always traveled with one small bag - we went to Australia for 30 days with school size backpacks. Just wear your bulky clothes on the plane - jacket/sweater can be carried. Toiletries can be purchased at the other end. Purchases can be mailed home.

Good luck.