Really, travel light/carry on only - how on earth do you do it?!

[JohnK]

I am definitely a checked luggage person and do not see the need to attempt carry on only trips overseas.

Commuting weekly SYD-BNE I have realised just how tired one can get by carrying a ~7kg bag plus laptop bag to/from Central train station in BNE and I do not want to carry it any longer than I need to carry it. So what if the checked luggage takes another 10-15 minutes to appear on the carousel. I don't need to be anywhere in a hurry and I try not to schedule any tight connections....

 

[Keith009]

My problem is ending up with quite a bit of hand luggage despite also checking in 2-3 suitcases...:shock: I have my regular carry-on to store all my essentials (Prada calf leather messenger bag), my laptop, and a duffle bag that I use to store all the shopping that I don't want to check in (sunnies, silverware - cheap Alessi stuff at Crate&Barrel!, hair products etc) It's a bit of a hassle at the airport but all good once I get to the taxi as the cab drivers and hotel porters are usually rather helpful.

Hi all,

Slightly OT but, I have just converted from a HLO to a No Hand Luggage (NHL) person.

I have always left gear behind to fit in with the "must not check luggage" crowd but after a recent injury forced me to limit my carry on to headphones only I have decided that appart from the headphones all else gets checked.

The freedom of not lugging the carryon through security, the joy of just taking your seat for the flight and the ease of getting off has converted me.

Now some will say the extra time waiting for checked bags is wasted but IMHO the benefits outweigh the time wasting.

YMMV

ejb

 

[Maca44]

Those that feel the need to 'not' do carry only, should not do it because I think you would worry about it and it would also be inappropriate for those that do a lot of shopping whilst travelling. However, 6 months ago I was in the USA for nearly 4 weeks with carry on only, and one day with four domestic connections with two different carriers this was my best option. I have a 22" wheeled backpack and I don't know how much time I would have saved by walking from the plane direct to the next departure gate, but it would have been significant, even if you consider waiting for 30 minutes for checked luggage to arrive on the carousel. I purchase a couple of small gifts for the kids, but posted them home and the cost of that out weighed the carry on travel. I would not have even attempted such a trip with carry on only if not for the information provided by experienced travellers in this forum, but now would not travel any other way.

What I am trying to say is, horses for courses, so if you can't pack enough clothes for 3 or 4 days in a carry on (and this is easy to do), and then wash when needed you need to check your luggage. It might also help with your decision if you check your luggage on returning from a trip and see what clothes you did not wear.

 

[tuapekastar]

I guess I just travel as light as possible given the nature, duration, and destinations of the trip. If I look like I can HLO without a lot of trouble I will but if before departure, I find myself having to really cram in the HL, then I'll concede, and take checked luggage for the trip. Even in that case I would struggle to have more than 15 - 18kg (and often have less) in my checked luggage (which is only a medium sized case at best).

PS. It may be apparent from the above, but shopping is not at all high on my agenda!

 

[wijomas]

LOL Keith - just saw this thread... you really do crack me up.

I generally travel HLO. If I think I'm going to do any shopping, I'll take my expandable duffel bag that I bought in Tokyo for about A$20 It's served me well - 4 wheels, starts off as carry-on size, but expands to more than 4x it's size. Only issue I have is the wheels move a little too freely, and the lack of a fixed handle is a pain (have to drag it along by the shoulder strap).

If I buy anything more than what'll fit in there, then I buy another suitcase at the destination. I have well over 10-15 suitcases now... and that's after I got rid of quite a few :shock::mrgreen:

 

[russianrob]

One place you definitely do NOT want to waiting for a checked bag is Perth International. Even though Immigration refuse to put on enough officers, and you wait forever to have your bag molested by the handlers, it's the SINGLE Customs bottleneck that's the killer ( and they are SOOOOOO polite, not!!)
Perth Airport is a 4th world facility.

 

[Commuter]

a duffle bag that I use to store all the shopping that I don't want to check in (sunnies, silverware - cheap Alessi stuff at Crate&Barrel!, hair products etc)

Hair products? You'd better tell us the brand of hair products that you value so much that you don't want to check in (not being sarcastic - I really want to know).

Anyway, I can sympathise with not wanting to check in some of the shopping. I've just brought back some glassware and clothes back from my shopping trip in my hand luggage in case baggage handlers lost them or broke them.

 

[Keith009]

Hair products? You'd better tell us the brand of hair products that you value so much that you don't want to check in (not being sarcastic - I really want to know).

I don't check in hair product because they might spill out after baggage mis-handling. And also I keep a tub of travel sized American Crew in my regular carry on to use after showering at lounges. Same applies to bath amenities.

But to answer your question, I alternate between American Crew foaming cream, American Crew tea tree defining paste, Kevin Murphy gritty business, and Bumble and Bumble moulding paste.

 

[Commuter]

I don't check in hair product because they might spill out after baggage mis-handling. And also I keep a tub of travel sized American Crew in my regular carry on to use after showering at lounges. Same applies to bath amenities.

But to answer your question, I alternate between American Crew foaming cream, American Crew tea tree defining paste, Kevin Murphy gritty business, and Bumble and Bumble moulding paste.

Ahh, I see! I thought you had some special ultra-rare secret hair care products that you could not risk being parted from. :mrgreen:

Come to think of it, hair care products do seem to have a habit of spilling (I double ziplock bag them in my checked baggage).

 

[dajop]

You know I was just thinking about this thread, and I'm a more of a checked luggage person. Having said it can be rather liberating than doing carry on only - with a fairly small back pack (and maybe some shopping bags) that can easily mould into any space in an OH locker. I find carting round a massive carry-on is just a pain in the backside, particulary in the US where OH locker space is a premium and requires boarding at T-30 or earlier. I'm happy to just put up with the luggage wait then.

One thing I have done is trips involving both carry on and checked :shock: - Check in the huge suitcase to the base destination and leave it behind at the hotel whilst I fly somewhere else for 2 or 3 days with carry on only. Works best with work trips spanning weekends, easy to leave the luggage behind and fly off somewhere exciting for Fri/Sat nights. I guess it does cause a few issues if you are not planning on coming back.

 

[Evan]

Most allowances seems to be 7kg or 10kg. Some as low as 5kg.

Funny thing is i have only ever had mine weighed in Australia and then it was way over but they hardly raised and eye brow and waved me through.

Do people ever weigh there hang luggage and if so how heavy is it ?

 

[obrienja]

I've only ever had mine weighed in Australia and at the 4th world Perth International Airport. It seems that with BA and AA if you can lift it its carryon but I don't want to start another debate about how some of the passengers on these carriers abuse the carry-on size limits.

To answer Evan's question though my carry on are usually only about 10kg. I predominantly travel with just carry on for trips up to a month generally because it's student fieldwork and there's usually stuff like rental vans and students to organise instead of waiting around for luggage. About the only time I've had checked bags in the last year has been when I've been flying with either golf clubs or a bike.

Like most of the carry on only posters though I don't do a lot of shopping but on my most recent US trip I travelled with a half empty carry on filled of up with stuff.

 

[notzac]

Only time I've ever had my luggage weighed was flying JQ and EK (ex-NZ). I try to keep to 7 kg or under, but the laptop usually adds a few kg's.

 

[Keith009]

Just got home with 2 bursting suitcases, 1 large carrier bag which I hand carried. I started this trip with 1 almost-full suitcase.

It was a month-long trip too incorporating end of season sales AND launches of new collections around the world... I didn't need to resort to the Russian Doll approach so I think I've done rather well.

 

[whereishome]

I thought I'd share in this thread again.

I'm flying out to Japan next Friday for a few weeks and since part of HLO packing is planning, and I'm flat-chat at work all next week, I've had to do my packing and stuff this weekend.

Here's my travelling entourage - Carry on bag and a messenger bag.

Carry on contains

• 2 pairs trousers
• 1 pair shorts
• 4 shirts
• Socks & underclothes
• 1 pair slip on walking shoes
• Toiletries
• Camera chargers

Messenger bag contains

• Canon DSLR + Extra Lens
• Handycam
• PSP

One extra thing that is included in my carry on bag is my foldable "shopping" bag, which is good for checking in your overflow on the way back home.

Against a handy guidebook (which I bought when I first moved to Japan years ago, only to find it completely out of date even then!)



Expanded out into it's full size, it's about the size of a regular suitcase. I usually beg a few cardboard boxes from a store or the hotel to add some rigidity. Or if you are mainly buying books/DVDs like me then not so much an issue.

 

[straitman]

whereishome,

I have to ask but how do all your goodies come in under 7Kg per bag :?:

 

[Evan]

whereishome,

I have to ask but how do all your goodies come in under 7Kg per bag :?:

Camera is personal item, i thought 7kgs was the limit only for the main bag ?? but i would imagine it would. I had 10kgs on my trip with similar contents + a notebook and some other things like jacket so 7kgs seems possible.

 

[whereishome]

whereishome,

I have to ask but how do all your goodies come in under 7Kg per bag :?:

Well, my carry on bag is light to begin with. It's a Qantas branded bag that I got in some mall bag shop. I'm not bring jeans, or any other heavy clothing - I'm flying to Japan in summer where it's stinking hot and very humid, so all my clothes are lightweight cotton or linen. My carry on at the moment is 6kg.

I should also mention that I'm wearing over my work clothes (which are very comfortable anyways) as I'm heading straight from the office to the plan, so I'll also have a pair of black dress trousers, dress shoes and a woollen jumper so I should be set for anything I encounter, short of a black tie engagement.

My messenger bag is only 3-4kg.

I will also mention here that I've NEVER had carry on luggage weighed. I've been penalised for being 24kg when I've had a 23kg luggage allowance, but I've (on occasion) been hauling 15kg+ in my shoulder bag or backpack and never been asked to weigh it.:shock:

But perhaps my trick there is that, due to my youthful vitality, vigour and all round manliness, I don't LOOK like I'm carrying a 15kg bag over one shoulder.

Also, maybe I wasn't clear above, but the folding bag gets checked on the way back, not carried on board.

 

[Keith009]

That looks like one sexy messenger bag! Mind telling me where you got it, Porter perhaps?

 

[whereishome]

That looks like one sexy messenger bag! Mind telling me where you got it, Porter perhaps?

Indeed. A Yoshida Porter "Jam" Messenger Bag my GF gave me for my birthday a few months past. At first I wasn't too hot on the whole stonewashed PVC thing but it wears really well and is absolutely perfect for everything I throw at it.

Here's a link ????? ???????????L??????????597-07826?