ConfusedCalifornian

Thank you for all of your replies...I've come to the conclusion since we cannot find a carry on bag that meets Alitalia's size requirements, we will check one bag and carry on backpacks with some clothes and personal items e.g. books, laptop etc. To answer Yorkshire....we will traveling to 4 different cities via train/rental car.

Sojourntraveller

People keep using some terms but not defining what they mean by them. Lightweight and overweight being the most used or mis-used. I think it would help people to understand each other if each person defined what they mean when using certain words.

To me, lightweight means at most 25 lbs. Not just under the airline limit of 45 lbs. To me, overweight therefore means anything over 25 lbs. In fact, I personally want to be under 15lbs. I actually consider anything over that heavy.

If you state what weight your bag is when saying you travel lightweight for 'x weeks with a moderate size bag' (whatever 'moderate' means),then people can compare it to their own bag weight. Otherwise, what people do is apply their OWN definition of what it means and that may be nothing like YOUR definition of what it means.

A lot of people are also talking about size in terms of inches. ie. 24" etc. Those are meaningless numbers since they represent only one dimension out of 3 and do not tell you how big a bag actually is. For me to be able to compare what size bag you use vs. myself or someone else, I need to know the VOLUME of the bag. That can be expressed in cubic inches or in litres. Here is a reasonble list of sizes for cmparison. http://theluggageprofessionals.com.au/size-guide

Looking at that list, from my perspective NO ONE using a 24" bag is using a small bag or likely to be travelling light (under 25lbs.) A bag that is approaching 75 litres in volume is huge as far as I am concerned.

I'm not trying to tell anyone what bag to use but just trying to say it would be good to have a COMMON basis of understanding when using words like 'lightweight' or 'carry-on size'. etc. The only way to have that is if you define the size (by volume) and weight specifically.

Another area of commonality is around how many sets of clothes or shoes etc. Remarks like, 'I like to dress nice in the evening' or whatever. But the remark implies others do not like to do the same or cannot do so without packing as much as you pack yourself. That is simply incorrect.

One key is to mix and match but to do that to maximum advantage it means EVERY item must go with EVERY other item. If you would never mix a green top with a blue bottom then you cannot take both green and blue items and expect to pack as few items as someone who makes sure all their items mix and match. One of the worst items to pack is a dress (men have no equivalent really). If you pack 3 dresses you have THREE items to wear. If you pack 3 tops and 3 skirts that all mix, you have NINE changes to wear. Both weigh the same and take up the same amount of space. The point being, wanting to have changes to wear does not mean you have to pack more, you have to pack smarter IF you want to pack lightweight.

To travel 'light' does not mean you are being asked to give up anything. It simply means you put weight at the top of the list of criteria when packing. You can take a 1lb. hairdryer or a 1/2 lb. hairdryer. You can take clothes that don't mix or clothes that do mix to achieve more changes.

Another lightweight travel factor most don't even consider is the weight of your bag itself. A 24" wheeled bag so many here seem to be talking about probably weighs an average of 7-9 lbs. by ITSELF. That's HEAVY. Some are available that weigh HALF as much. Why then would anyone choose to lug a heavier one? Answer, because they have never thought to do otherwise. They as often as not buy based on how it looks and if it's 'on sale'. Wrong criteria.

Being able to pack all you need in a smaller bag will obviously mean your bag will weigh even less. My usual bag for travel weighs 2.3 lbs. Many people will not consider buying a bag that weighs more than 3lbs. and that's for a 20" wheeled carry-on. What does your bag weigh? Do you know?

Travelling light means you always look for the lightest weight in whatever item it is that YOU deem necessary for you to take. That's all it takes, find the lightest.

Here is the hardest thing to try and get people to understand. There is NOTHING someone with a 24" rolling suitcase weighing 40 lbs. can do to look better or travel with less hassle and more freedom than someone with a smaller bag weighing half as much.

nukesafe

Very well put, Soujourntraveller.

Can you give brand/model names for 20-21" bags that weigh in around three pounds. My 22" feels too cumbersome to me, now, and weighs in at over six pounds. I have been looking for a new one, but the internet is very coy about actually listing the weight of luggage.

Gretchen

Well, Alitalia's carryon is not the 21" type we are mostly talking about. Their requirements are small.
SIZE AND WEIGHT


The hand baggage you bring on board with you may weigh no more than 8 kg and measure no more than 55 cm in height, 35 cm in width and 25 cm in depth – including handles, side pockets and wheels.

DH and I each check 22" bags. You could do the same.

Jean

For the metrically impaired, those Alitalia dimension limits are 21.65 inches high, 13.78 inches wide and 9.84 inches deep. And 17.64 pounds.

nytraveler

Soujourntraveler -

Sorry - not everyone travels the same way. There is no way I could fit everything that I need for a 2 week trip into a 20" bag. Not do I want to drag everything I'm taking all around the airports with me. I like checking the bag and getting rid of that stuff - and just have a small soft carry-on to deal with all through the miles of airport to the gate.

As for getting everything into a tiny bag - we go out to dinner almost every night. For a 2 week trip I will take at least 5 outfits (either dress or pants outfit) for going out to dinner, plus nicer shoes (cute medium wedgies) and a small evening purse. Plus a choice of 6/7 daytime outfits I can switch around. And I want enough fresh underthings for the trip (I do NOT do laundry on the road).

And - depending on our plans DH takes either a suit or a blazer and a couple of nice trousers - for special dinners or events (opera or ballet etc).

I'm sure you travel in a different way and what you do works for you. But that is NOT the only way to travel and checked luggage works just fine for us if it's more than 3 or 4 days.

denisea

I like Lipault luggage-very lightweight. My 22 inch bag weighs about 6 lbs empty, while many other bags the same size weighs about 10lbs empty. It is also quite roomy. Their luggage comes I lots of colors that make it easy to spot on a luggage carousel, gate check round-up or just in the overhead bin!

justineparis

nytraveler.. you take 14 panties.. lol .. sorry.. that is just funny.

justineparis

And hubby needs a couple pairs of dress trousers.. one would do.. what does he do in them that they are too dirty to wear three or four times( does he go commando?) .. lol

People who travel to ONE destination can take as much as taxi will carry.. but those who have to haul luggage on to trains every three or five days are not going to think about needing dress clothes and multiple shoes.

Gretchen

I AM metrically impaired, but I know KG, and 17# was not gonna get me there!! LOL

Sojourntraveller

I am not saying everyone has to travel lightweight. Everyone is free to do as they please. What I was saying is that it would help discussion if there was agreement on what constitutes lightweight.

It would also help people who want to travel lightweight and THINK they are with a 30lb. bag. If they realize that others are travelling with a 15lb. bag then they will know that it is possible to travel even lighter than they already are.

If there was agreement that 'lightweight' meant under 25 lbs.(my suggested upper limit) those that want to travel lightweight would know what target to aim for.

Those that want to travel carry-on only do have a target to aim for. That is the limit the airline they plan to fly with allows.

Gretchen, many airlines have a 7kg/15lb carry-on limit. Alitalia at 8kg. is not unique in any way in that regard. Many also have size limits that are similar or even smaller. There are even airlines that have a 5kg/11 lb. weight limit. Most Europeans are used to 7kg. weight limits. Weight limits for checked bags also vary by airline.

In general, North American airlines have higher weight limits and allow larger dimensions for carry-on and also for checked bags. Consequently, I think it is fair to say that most North Americans have developed different packing habits based on those higher limits.

There are a lot of people who do manage to travel with 15lbs. or less gretchen. YOU may not be able to do that but that is a choice YOU make. Don't assume others can't do so AND go out in the evening feeling they are appropriately dressed. That you don't see how to do it applies only to YOU.

Nytraveller, I check my bag because of contents restrictions. However, that has nothing to do with the size or weight of my bag. That I have to check it, doesn't mean I don't care how heavy it is. As justineparis says, if you go to one destination, weight may not bother you much but if you move from place to place it becomes increasingly important.

As for your clothing requirements, if you wish to limit yourself to trips of no more than 2 or 3 weeks that's your choice. I need the same amount for 3 days or 3 months. It would be interesting to hear what you would expect to do if you went on a trip of a month or more. Still not going to deal with laundry?

There seems to be a common thread here that suggests that someone who travels light is in some way not going to dress as well or even an implication that if they travel light, they must not CARE how they look. That is a very derogatory and insulting suggestion to be making about people. It is also totally incorrect.

What I might suggest differs is that those who travel light tend to be better at figuring out how to look good in any situation without having to carry 12 different outfits to do so.

My wife and I dine in Michelin starred restaurants often enough and have stayed in many 5 star hotels in our travels. We do so while still carrying under 15 lbs. each. Try telling me what advantage carrying more gives you because that is what you are trying to imply.

In fact, you have to imply that otherwise there is no way to justify carrying more weight. If it gives you no advantage it is rather silly to carry it don't you think? Not everyone travels the same way is true nytraveller. We all make our own choices. Some are in fact better choices than others however.

I fully support your right to choose to do as you please. That has nothing whatsoever to do with what I think of your choice however.

Gretchen

Hey, sojurn--golly gee. What news!! You da bomb letting me know that all those European airlines have these restrictions.
My comment was really to the OP's point that she couldn't meet those restrictions--so I looked them up.

Sojourntraveller

Nukesafe, Bernard Sadow is a name you may or may not be familiar with. He is a man I think has a lot to answer for. He invented wheeled luggage.

If you are old enough to remember travel before wheels, then you will know that weight was clearly understood by every traveller, to be their enemy. Before wheels, reducing weight was the number one criteria every traveller had to contend with.

Consider the problem and potential solutions. Problem: My bag is too heavy to lift. Solution one: Find ways to reduce that weight. OR post Sadow, solution two: Ignore the weight and put wheels on the bag. Which was easier for the traveller to do? Obviously, it was solution two.

But while wheels meant the traveller no longer needed a porter and could travel with more weight where wheels would allow them to go, it did nothing for them where wheels are of limited or no use. Cobbled streets, stairs, overhead storage, etc. The answer to those issues is still the same as it was back before 1970(first wheeled bag). Pack no more than you can comfortably carry.

Now I'm coming to your question nukesafe. What carry-on bag to buy that weighs under 3 lbs? The first rule for a lightweight carry-on bag is as I've talked about above, define what is lightweight. If we define it as under 3 lbs, guess what that immediately eliminates. Wheels.

I laugh when I read comments or ads that say a 'lightweight carry-on that weighs ONLY 7 lbs. There is nothing lightweight about that but you can bet it has wheels. The wheels, along with the handle and the necessary frame to support them both add weight. A LOT of weight.

So we come to rule number two for carry-on bags. You must be able to CARRY it comfortably when loaded. That means that if you want to use a truly lightweight carry-on bag it is not just the weight of the bag itself you must consider but also what goes into it.

Fortunately, some of the airlines actually provide sensible limits to help you figure out that part. Most people can manage to comfortably carry 7kg/15lbs and lift it into an overhead bin.

Now consider the limit on contents depending on the weight of your bag itself. If your bag weighs 7 lbs. you can only pack another 8 lbs. inside it. But if your bag weighs only 3 lbs. you can take 12 lbs. of 'stuff'. That's a 33% increase in 'stuff' you can carry vs. the person who has a 7lb. bag. Who's the dummy in that picture?

Once you eliminate wheels and set 15 lbs/7 kg. as your limit everything starts to fall into place. You don't need the wheels since the bag is light enough to actually carry comfortably and finding a bug under 3 lbs. is no problem.

In the last decade, there has been a new product/concept introduced tot he travel bag industry. That is the 'travelbag'. It is a cross between a backpack and a soft sided suitcase.

Backpacks were developed for wilderness backpacking but have since beenn adopted by travellers primarily budget travellers and the name 'backpacker' has changed from applying only to those who used a backpack for wilderness travel to include anyone who travels in any way using a backpack.

Backpacks are designed for wilderness travel though and not for the kind of travel the typical 'backpacker' found in cities around the world today does. As a result of that change in use, someone finally decided to design a bag specifically for their needs and they have come to be known as 'travelpacks'.

A travelpack as I said is a cross between a backpack and a soft suitcase. It has a harness like a backpack for carrying it on your back but that harness can be zippped away in a compartment and the bag then carried by a handle on the side or with a shoulder strap.

Having designed a bag better suited to urban travel than a backpack however, that did not change the tendency of people to pack too much stuff. So travel packs come in sizes large enough to carry the kitchen sink as well as small enough to fit airline carry-on size regulations.

Your question re a 3lb. or less carry-on bag can easily be answered with a travelpack. A good example would be the Osprey Porter 46. I couldn't find a photo that shows someone wearing it with the shoulder strap but you can just see in the following photo where the strap attaches to the right and left of where the guy is holding it by the side handle.
http://www.moontrail.com/details/osp...imary-haul.jpg
When carried over one shoulder like that and checking in to a hotel it looks just like any soft sided bag and raises no eyebrows where a typical backpack might.

What's more, carry-on restrictions include wheels and so what fits carry-on volume wise in a wheeled bag is less than what fits with a non-wheeled bag. At 46 litres this is generally considered the equivalent of a 20" wheeled carry-on but has more volume. It weighs 2 lbs. 7 ozs. It's one of if not the most popular carry-on sized travelpacks available but there are many others to choose from.

If you want to do some hiking while on a trip I would suggest the Osprey Farpoint 40 instead. While slightly smaller it actually weighs 7 ozs. more but that is because it has a superior backpack harness which is better suited to carrying on your back for longer periods of time. The Porter's harness is fine for most city travel but not as good if you plan on a few days in the mountains that's all.

Found a photo of the Farpoint 40 with shoulder strap.
http://img.shop.pod7kilo.cz/commodit...harcoal_05.jpg

So get one or the other, load no more than 12 lbs. into it and you can travel for as long as you want with far more comfort and on cobblestones or running to catch a bus, all over the world.

Sojourntraveller

Gretchen, you wrote, "I AM metrically impaired, but I know KG, and 17# was not gonna get me there!! LOL"

I take that to mean YOU can't meet those restrictions. Was I wrong?

nukesafe

Thank you so very much for the detailed and most helpful response to my question, Sojourntraveller!

What you say makes absolute sense. I, however am not yet willing to give up my wheels, being in my 80's. Lugging even 15 pounds on shoulder or back has become a literal PITA and is not an option for my travel style anymore.

My hope is that some manufacturer will use really lightweight space age materials and drastically cut down on the weight of the wheel/handle/frame portion of their bags. I, and I'm sure lots of others would be willing to pay big bucks for that product. Anyone know of one?

bvlenci

Almost all of my suitcases are carry-on size, even on budget airlines, but I do like to check them so that I can be free of them in the airport, especially when I have connecting flights. It also allows me to carry something liquid, or a Swiss army knife.

My favorite small suitcase is a little cube-shaped thing that has three compartments and is small enough to fit under an airline seat. I can get so much into that little suitcase that my daughter says it's like the little clown car at the circus. I often perch a little duffle bag or backpack on top of it, and that becomes my carryon bag. I always have a change of clothes in the carryon bag, or at least a top, underwear, and maybe a t-shirt that can serve at a nightshirt.

I don't do laundry on the road, except in unusual circumstances. For example, in June we went to Scotland for two weeks, and it was much warmer than expected. About half the things I brought were too heavy for the warm weather and the lighter-weight things got worn too often. I had to make an emergency trip to a laundromat.

I definitely don't bring "dressier" outfits, unless I'm invited to dinner at the embassy. I don't travel for food experiences, and don't go to restaurants that require that I get "dressed up" except when I'm at home.

Jean

nukesafe, Samsonite has some hard-sided spinner luggage that is extremely lightweight. Some are well under 5 lbs. for a so-called 20" (actual dimensions are larger). But they're expensive: $450-465. Look at the Samonsonite Black Label Cosmolite and the Firelite.

www.samsonite.com

NewbE

As long as we're discussing, I confess that the issue of dressier clothes for fancier restaurants is a poser for SO and me. I just haven't got those wrinkle proof, all purpose dresses and skirts (not to mention matching shoes!) for dressier occasions that are also wearable in the day and easy to pack, etc. SO hates to drag a jacket along. And we DO travel for food experiences!

sugarmaple

I'm late to this party, but I put almost all my clothes in my carry on, including shoes, 5 pairs, mini hairdryer, straightener. I manage to keep it to the allotted 10 kg. Also a computer bag for under my seat, and DH has a small bag he takes on board.

His clothes and coat, books, toiletries go into a checked bag, not the biggest, then we have space to bring home wine or other fluids that can't go carry-on.

I find the problem is packing for different weather. A couple of years ago we were in London during the heat wave, while it was coat and raingear weather in Amsterdam. After a couple of weeks, I do get tired of the same thing.

To get a reasonable variety while dealing with two weather systems, it's clear how good intentions to pack fewer clothes goes out the window...at least for me.

Although DH would prefer all carryon, what we do works, and it's easy enough to manage on the train, his bag can go into the larger suitcase, so we have one larger, one carryon and one computer bag.

Ackislander

I think this has evolved into a really interesting discussion mostly based on principles and use. Too bad it is piggybacking and not a thread on its own.

I don't agree with all of sojourntraveler's premises and conclusions, but he is thinking.

Many people are thinking beyond roller bags these days, and two luggage companies are fighting out the middle of the space: Tom Bihn and Redoxx. The Tom Bihn Tri-star and the Redoxx Airen Boss are very attractive and versatile bags. Their sites are full of discussions of our issues and lots of contributions from customers about how they use their bags efficiently. Most of the customers are somewhere in the middle of the backpack-hostel and the ***** hotel spectrum. They are probably a little younger than many of us, and they think about how they travel and what they need to do it.

I personally have mad envy for an Redoxx Airboss (36 liters) combined with a Tom Bihn Western Flyer (26 liters), but I haven't worked out how they would handle my CPAP and size 14 shoes, an example of "want" vs "need". I have a really good handle on packing and a great packing list that would be perfect if I could bring myself to wear something other than boxers. As it is, throwing in everything except the kitchen sink, my checked bag has never weighed more than 32 pounds, and the bag itself, a sturdy Hartmann, probably weighs ten of those, and that includes carrying a second blazer. We East Coast guys don't feel grown up without a sports jacket or two.