Yes, it's that time again. Time to travel, sure, but also time to obsess about what I'm going to bring and how to fit it all in my carry-on. Why carry-on? Because carry-on is the single easiest thing you can do to make your trip go smoothly. No concerns about your luggage going missing, no problems using the cheapest possible public transportation to get where you need to go, and no issues adjusting to last minute changes in your itinerary.

As the title suggests, this thread will be the 8th packing thread that I've posted here at Fodor's. Here's a link to the last one, that also includes links to the previous six:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35146022

Before we get started, I'll point out that not everybody enjoys this sort of thread, and if you count yourself among them then feel free to ignore it and all of its advice. If you do find the topic interesting then do please chime in, as I've gotten all sorts of great trips from other travellers along the way. In fact, I'm going to be taking advantage of a couple of them this time around.

Hi Therese, I might have read all your "What to Wear" posts. They are so very helpful. I wanted to say: Thanks! I look forward to you adding to this thread.

Thanks, SUMMAGOLD.

So first things first: where am I going? Well, as it turns out the first stop on this trip is in Europe, but I continue on to Asia and Latin America. Yep, it's around the world, and the entire trip is via SkyTeam member airlines, booked using Delta SkyMiles. So I'm going to be logging some serious BIS time over the three week period of this trip, and all of it unfortunately in coach. The most direct flights possible, though, so there is some good news.

The first flight is from Atlanta to Paris, on Delta.

The second flight is from Paris to Tokyo, on Air France.

The third flight requires a several hour layover in Los Angeles, with the first leg from Tokyo to LA on Northwest, and the second leg from LA to Mexico City on AeroMexico.

Anybody care to bet money that all of these airlines have the same carry-on policies? Or even similar carry-on policies?

I'd bet money that not a single carry-on policy is identical among those airlines So you will need to pack according to the most restrictive policy of the bunch?

Yes, more or less. The most restrictive comes at the end of the trip, AeroMexico. So I could initially pack more of something that I'm going to consume along the way, like toiletries, and get more once I arrive there. I'm not sure how much overlap there is between U.S. and Mexican brands, but I'm guessing quite a bit. It definitely won't break the bank to buy soap etc. there, and I'm guessing I'll need sunscreen in any case (and there's not much point in schlepping it with me to Paris and Tokyo, where I most definitely won't be needing anything more than my usual SPF 15 moisturizer).

I have read your posting three times and I am at a loss as to what you want? It is not unusual for people to only take carry on luggage. I have done it for years. Being nice, , what your point?

This thread isn't a query, rogeruktm, it's a story.

You're right, all sorts of people travel carry-on only all the time, and it's not the least bit exceptional. But there are also lots of people out there who don't travel carry-on but would like to, and this (and the previous seven threads) addresses some of their concerns.

The questions that this thread answers come up quite frequently here. If you've got some suggestions to make along the way please feel free to share. If you are, as your name, suggests actually male then some of the things discussed here will make absolutely no sense whatsoever to you. Flat irons for hair? Wet vs dry mascara? Big questions for the high maintenance types like me, not so much for many travellers.

I really wanted to travel "carry on only" (inspired by many Fodorites!) and your previous posts really helped me figure out what to take, what I could really live without, and what I should purchase once I got to my destination. Thank you so much!

On our two week trip to Italy, my husband and I did great with just carry on baggage. Used a 19" Heys x-case and loved it (one leg was on City Jet and their restrictions were tighter than Delta's).

Used the washer/dryer in the apartment we rented a few times, and used the laundry service at the B&B twice - so no issues with clothing. Took just enough shower gel and body lotion to get through the first day - then purchased these items locally, used them during the two weeks and tossed out what was left when we departed for the airport to return home.

Managed just fine with the blow dryers provided at both the apartment and B&B. And also did just fine without the straightening iron for my hair.

And it was so much easier getting around with just a rollaboard and a messenger bag. I'm not sure I could have managed getting a large suitcase onto the Alilaguna in Venice!

And we barely made the City Jet flight - the AF rep at the counter told us that if we had checked baggage we were too late to board! But we didn't! So she got us onto the flight! YAY!!!

Thank you again for all your packing tips!

I now understand. I use a gym bag that holds 13 #'s. Nothing more! Can't think of why I would need more. Most often my host ask if I need anything washed. Last year in Whitstable my host put me in a ground floor room as she said American always over pack...she was delighted to see my small bag. Offered to do a batch. When I returned later my shirt and t-shirt, socks and short all were neatly laid out on the dresser. Came home with clean stuff for a change.

"And it was so much easier getting around with just a rollaboard and a messenger bag. I'm not sure I could have managed getting a large suitcase onto the Alilaguna in Venice!"

Perfect example of the convenience of small bags (whether checked for a flight or not).

"And we barely made the City Jet flight - the AF rep at the counter told us that if we had checked baggage we were too late to board! But we didn't! So she got us onto the flight! YAY!!!"

And an even better example of how packing carry-on only keeps you from being hindered by scheduling problems.

Very funny about the B&B owner assuming you'd have enormous suitcases that couldn't be lugged up the stairs, rogeruktm. If your loaded gym bag weighs 13 lbs then you're taking just almost as much as I do, as my rolling bag weighs a bit over 6 lbs empty. Again, I'm guessing that you're a guy, as most women would rather roll 20 lbs than carry 13 lbs. It doesn't sound like much, but when you've got the upper body strength of marshmallow and 2 km to walk it seems like a lot.

Therese,

I haven't had the pleasure of reading your other packing posts but wanted to chime in and say that I have been a "carry-on convert" for the last 4 years.

4 years ago a tight connection in Philadelphia for a flight to Rome prompted me to learn to pack light, especially since when I landed in Rome I was heading out on a 4 hour drive to Tuscany and didn't relish the thought of lost luggage!

Since then I've traveled to Ireland (for 2 weeks), Central Europe (for a month), Turkey (for 2.5 weeks) and France (for 3 weeks)all with just my 19" roll-aboard and a backpack style bag...I LOVE it...it really is a liberating feeling not to have to be bogged down with too much luggage...and as I always say...people use soap and shampoo all over the world, and some of my most memorable travel experiences was finding laundry detergent or a laundromat!

So, how much have I got to work with this time around?

Northwest turns out to be the easiest this time, as there's no weight restriction whatsoever:

"Northwest allows you to carry one piece of baggage on board the aircraft plus a purse or briefcase or laptop computer or small backpack. The carry-on baggage must be of a size and shape to allow for storage in overhead compartments or underneath the seat in front of you.

Dimensions:

Cannot exceed 45 linear inches (9 inches by 14 inches by 22 inches)"

Delta's the next easiest, as only the carry-on is subject to being weighed, and at 40 lbs that's one incredibly heavy carry-on. They also mention a few items that are "free", like books and food and a bag of duty free:

"Carry-on Baggage

All Delta passengers are allowed one carry-on bag and one personal item that meet the criteria below.

Size and Weight Restrictions

If your carry-on bag doesn't meet these size and weight restrictions it must be checked, and all checked baggage rules will apply. Your bag must:

Weigh less than 40 pounds (18 kg).
Not exceed 45 inches (length + width + height).
Fit easily in our SizeCheck® unit (approximately 22"x14"x9&quot.
Fit in an overhead bin or underneath the seat in front of you.

Personal Items

You're allowed one personal item from this sample list:

Purses, briefcases, camera cases, and diaper bags
Laptop computers (can’t be checked and must be carried on)
Items of a similar or smaller size to those above

Other Carry-on Items Allowed

You may also bring these items onboard. They do not count toward your personal item.

Food items for immediate consumption
Assistive devices such as wheelchairs or crutches
One box or bag of duty free merchandise
A coat, jacket, or umbrella"

Air France permits a personal item in addition to your carry-on, but the two items are sujbect to being weighed together:

"1 piece of baggage (measuring a maxi of 55 cm, 35 cm, 25 cm *) including a garment bag
+ 1 accessory (examples: handbag, laptop computer, camera, etc.)
weighing a total of 12 kg."

And finally we come to AeroMexico:

"One piece of carry-on baggage is permitted on all flights besides briefcases, handbags and laptop computer, provided the external surface area does not exceed 1.15 m (45 inches) and together does not weigh more than 10 kilos (22 lbs)."

Careful reading reveals some issues, mostly having to do with the use of English. "Surface area" is not measured in linear inches (or linear anything else), but we know what they mean. And does the "together" in the last sentence mean that the total carry-on weight, including the personal item, is limited to 22 lbs? I'm thinking that it does.

On the other hand, it's AeroMexico. Do I seriously think they're going to give my bag a second look, much less weigh it?

Therese, yes a guy, an old one. 69 and the bag gets heavy even if only 13 pounds. Perhaps I can do without socks?

Therese, love to read a new thread from your travels! It is great to follow the process of your thinking and planning for a trip.

rogeruktm, I will be interested to find out how much (little?) 13 pounds looks like. It is the personal goal for my bag for my next UK trip, in April.

Hmm, not sure that I'd go entirely without socks, rogeruktm, but you could always look into microfiber types. I often pack for my husband, and am amazed at the space his underwear and socks occupy, as well as the weight (as they're typically cotton, pretty much the heaviest option).

Just count yourself lucky to belong to the half of the population that doesn't wear make-up or spend time doodling around with their hair.

As for what 13 lbs looks like, scotlib, it's actually just about what usually fits into a typical rolling carry-on if you're not including really heavy stuff like books or liquids. So if you use a really light-weight bag (fabric, without wheels), you'll make your limit without too much effort.

And finally, LowCountryIslander, my husband had a similar epiphany the day he walked right past baggage claim at Heathrow. He later described it to me as "euphoric."

Figured I'd get the real scoop on AeroMexico's carry-on policy by going to the Spanish version of the web site. I do not, for the record, speak Spanish, but I do speak French and Italian, and can read Spanish without any significant difficulty.

So, here goes:

"Se aceptará como parte de la franquicia además del portafolio o bolsa de mano o computadora portátil (LAPTOP), UNA (1) PIEZA DE MANO POR PASAJERO cuyas dimensiones lineales no excedan de 1.15 metros (45 pulgadas) y un peso máximo de 10 kg. (22 lb) A fin de ser alojados en los compartimentos superiores o bajo el asiento del pasajero."

Translation:

In addition to a briefcase, purse, or laptop computer, one (1) piece of hand luggage per passenger, total linear dimension not to exceed 1.15 meters (45 inches) and weight not to exceed 10 kg (22 lb). The item must within the overhead compartments or below the passenger seat.

So this version suggests that the personal item's weight does not need to fit within the 10 kg weight.

I'm at long last a convert to carry-on only whenever possible. I finished a 9-week European trip the first of October--it was so liberating to have one bag which could be carried on. I would never have tried it without reading some of the posts on Fodor.

That said, we knew at the outset we would have to check the bags for our intra-Europe Flybe and Ryanair flights which have miniscule overhead compartments. It turned out to be no big issue as we departed and arrived at fairly small airports--our bags were on the single conveyor belt before we arrived in the baggage hall.

Also, my bag could be expanded by 3" which was great for when I wanted to pack my coat or extra books.

I'll be interested in what AeroMexico tells you in LA--worse case they have you check it at the gate I suppose.

I only had to pack for summer/early autumn temps--am not sure I'd be as creative with major climate changes--that's when layering techniques would really come in to play.

About toiletries--while I hope some relief of current restrictions is coming, will you have to comply with the 3oz x 3 items restriction on all flights?

That was hard for me but I ended up carrying three 3-oz bottles of favorite shampoo and DH carried 2 bottles of conditioner and one of moisturizer. We took a chance on toothpaste which no one questioned--I'm still not sure whether or not it's considered a liquid!

Have a great time!

See above for a bit more info about the AeroMexico requirements, cathinjoetown. And look back at the Part 7 thread for my Ryanair flight preparations. I absolutely, positively wasn't going to check my bag, and I didn't. I looked a little puffy, it's true, but I didn't check a bag.

Toothpaste is definitely considered a liquid/gel, but there seems to be less and less scrutiny of items that aren't very threatening. One of my kids packed a half empty regular size tube of toothpaste on our recent trip to Texas, and TSA didn't even blink. In fact, they didn't even make us take our 1 qt ziplock baggies out of our carry-ons, a bit of surprise since we were flying out of a small airport, San Antonio. Atlanta stopped asking to look at your ziploc about 10 minutes after the rules went into effect, but smaller airports still tend to go through the motions.

T.,

It is highly variable--I had a very good pair of tiny nail scissors (1/4" blades) taken away in Bergerac, FR, which had made it through I don't know how many security checks before.

You are a true zealot to comply with Ryanair--I possibly (just) could do it for a short trip. I'll check your previous thread.

Time for a shout-out to fellow Fodorites crckwc1 and Challiman for mentioning the following company:

http://www.scottevest.com/

For Christmas I've asked for the Women's Travel Vest. Challiman got the Women's Essential Jacket and reviewed it for us, and I'm hoping to do the same for the vest.

So as to make sure that I do, in fact, get this item for Christmas (as my trip starts on Jan 1), I've just ordered it from Magellan. Why from Magellan rather than Scottevest? Because Magellan is a merchant at Delta's SkyMiles Shopping partner, so I'll earn 300 miles (plus 100 miles from my Delta-branded AmEx) for the purchase.

Merry Christmas to me. ;-)