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.