In light of the troubles at T5, be honest with yourself, and us, "Do you really need to take all that stuff?"

I have got myself in to a discipline now,after many years,that I only take one hand luggage item on a trip for up to two weeks travel, if I need it I will buy it when I get there, is my moto. Have not checked a bag in in over 8 years.

Be honest now, do you really need to pack all that stuff?
I can hear families chanting but I need it for the children, really?
We would all get through airports quicker and have happier travel experiences if we all took a little less luggage.

Over to you.   

I've never had to check more then one bag, some people take the kitchen sink with them.

Me too. My last long trip was to Japan for 11 days and I got by with two carry-ons. Haven't checked a bag in years.

As a ramper at G4 I've been on the other end of this scale. Man, those LRD, SHV, and FAT flights were always heavy with heavy bags. You'd think we were carrying a brick salesman convention on those flights.

To me, nothing is more annoying than when people will bring very large carry-ons and take up the whole bin. And the people that come on after them are left scrambling to find a place for their baggage and then that only adds more time to getting off the plane as people have either a massive carry-on and it takes them time to get it down, or people have to backtrack through the plane to get their bag that was put in a bin away from their seat.

All in all you are right. Children of course is a thing, but whenever I travel just by myself (leisure or business) I try to carry as less as possible. But then again there is the liquid issue which I cannot solve when travelling for more than lets say a week.

I think the more you travel the smarter you will pack. I found myself traveling pretty regularly, I pack very efficiently now and carry on more than I ever used to.

Quoting Readytotaxi (Thread starter): "Do you really need to take all that stuff?"

You are assuming people are taking 'all that stuff.'

I'm 6'3. My shoes alone (1 extra pair, 1 pair of sneakers) take up as much space as me ex-girlfriend's clothes for a weekend (she was small). One pair of blue jeans folded takes up as much room a 4 of her pairs of pants.

Limiting the baggage by weight is already discriminatory toward larger people (and I'm not talking fat, just tall/large). Telling me to pack less is impossible on many trips.

Quoting Readytotaxi (Thread starter): We would all get through airports quicker and have happier travel experiences if we all took a little less luggage.

getting there and back is usually a very SMALL part of the family trip. not having enough clothes, having to do laundry, not having what you need, that impacts the trip to a much greater degree.

if it takes an extra hour to deal with baggage hassles, but it takes 4 hours to do the family laundry on a trip...

As a kid, we used to travel with a lot of stuff. Hard side suitcases of clothes, games to play on rainy days, books to read, toys for playing on the beach, scuba bag with gear for 4, etc. We had GREAT vacations. Waiting for luggage at the end was annoying, but not having all the things we needed would have been worse.

I would not be willing to trade those great memories in just so BA can sort out their new terminal. Sorry.

I ordinarily only take hand luggage. Indeed, my wife and I only took hand luggage, albeit rather large backpacks, on our two-month trip to Central America. It expedites and simplifys airport transition. Of course, if you're flying BA there's another obvious benefit in only taking hand luggage...  

Quoting [email protected] (Reply 7): Indeed, my wife and I only took hand luggage

You guys are young! She'll grow out of that. Trust me...  

Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 8): You guys are young! She'll grow out of that

Well, I'll be 26 in August. Not much younger than you, grandad!   How's the back, Jack?

3 large bags and 2 carry ons are not enough for me...
I don't know how you do it!

Well I prefer to pack everything in the suitcase and carry as little as possible in the cabin. Just a days clothes and necessary/valuable items. On the other hand, it proved useful to have only a small amount of carry-on luggage and nothing in a baggage hold on more than one occasion.

When travelling long haul, I use a large suitcase and a smaller backpack, Short-haul: Bigger backpack and nothing below  

[Edited 2008-04-11 10:45:27]

Quoting Putnik (Reply 11): Well I prefer to pack everything in the suitcase and carry as little as possible in the cabin. Just a days clothes and necessary/valuable items. On the other hand, it proved useful not to have only carry-on luggage and nothing in a baggage hold on more than one occasion.

I agree I normally only check one bag and take a small carry on of necessary items. If I am going on vacation I am not going to haul my luggage through the terminal,

Quoting [email protected] (Reply 9): Well, I'll be 26 in August. Not much younger than you, grandad!   How's the back, Jack?

Only a 25 year old would not think 35 is much older (26-35 doesn't mean I'm 26, it just means a.net has a stupid age category). Your hair will start falling out soon enough and your wife will want more of her "stuff" with her on trips and won't want to backpack through South America in 10 years. Have fun with that.

And my back hurts on and off. I injured it when I was about your age. Backs don't ever fully heal. So don't do anything stupid and lift something you shouldn't like I did. You'll regret it...  

Quoting Putnik (Reply 11): When travelling long haul, I use a large suitcase and a smaller backpack, Short-haul: Bigger backpack and nothing below

That's how I roll, too. On a long trip, a suitcase with wheels that you can rest your carry-on on is NOT an inconvenience. You've invested 2-3 weeks in a trip, you can invest an extra 1/2 hour to collect your luggage at customs.

On short haul, I try to fit it all in my carry on, though I also bring a soft briefcase for my computer and headphones and books. That way I can put the carry on in the over head and the small item on the floor for easy access to what I need in flight.

Backpack and my purdy neat works every time for me.

Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 13): 26-35 doesn't mean I'm 26, it just means a.net has a stupid age category

Really? You don't say!  

No one seems to have mentioned all the things that cannot be "carried on" anymore - liquids, gels, and all other matters of personal hygiene. They must all be checked, thanks to a few terrorists who won that round in the never-ending war on terror.

As a result, people must check bags. I used to be able to travel with one small suitcase and my small book bag, but that is no longer the case - my 3.5 ounces of Head & Shoulders puts me in the same category as Osama Bin Laden, so now it must be checked.

I never thought I'd say this, but Britain is worse than the U.S. when it comes to "security" measures and running a busy airport. I know I'll get flamed for this, but has there EVER been a time - even after 9/11 - when American passengers were told "sorry, no carry-ons at all onboard the plane - it all has to be checked" OR "sorry - no checked baggage will be accepted to day - either it is all in one-carry on (with no prohibited items, of course), or you're not flying today".

The only time my luggage has been overweight was coming back from Hawai'i in 2005. I had LOTS of gifts, mostly hard-cover childrens' books for my niece and nephew. My bag weight 60 pounds, so I took out 10+ pounds and carried it on with me. I managed just fine

I am quite fortunate in that I have NEVER had a problem with my luggage - and I know that is only luck. However, I like to think I pack smart AND I make sure I'm aware of how my bag is tagged. I once had to stop an AA agent from tagging my bag with a BDL tag (I was heading to BFL) in the old days before the computerized strip. I only wish I had a medium size suitcase sometimes that is in-between sizes of my very big and my very small. C'est la vie.

Quoting PanAm747 (Reply 17): No one seems to have mentioned all the things that cannot be "carried on" anymore - liquids, gels, and all other matters of personal hygiene. They must all be checked, thanks to a few terrorists who won that round in the never-ending war on terror.

Bed Bath and Beyond and other stores sell "1 liter bag kits" that have all sorts of bottles and tubs that fit in the bag and are the right size for security as well. I filled the various bottles with the various products I need from home, and now it all fits easily. And it's much easier, and cheaper (no travel size things), and you can get the exact product you need all the time, since you have a larger bottle of it at home to refill with. It came with so many different little bottles and things that I didn't use them all and leave some at home, which is good in case I lose any of the ones I am using.

So all you guys who only take hand luggage... I assume you never travel through the UK, right? Because with the one and only one hand baggage rule, where a purse or a laptop or a camera bag is considered a piece of hand luggage, it's quite difficult, I find. If I try to stuff my laptop or camera into my hand luggage, there's not that much left for the rest, specially with airlines getting stricter on size and weight of carry-ons.

Add to that the no liquids rule which applies everywhere else. Lately I've been checking in bags on trips that I would have otherwise not needed to just because of that stupid rule.

I think we are forgetting that females generally need to pack a lot more stuff than males.

-IR

Quoting PanAm747 (Reply 17): No one seems to have mentioned all the things that cannot be "carried on" anymore - liquids, gels, and all other matters of personal hygiene. They must all be checked, thanks to a few terrorists who won that round in the never-ending war on terror.

        

I don't travel light and I admit it.

On the other end of the spectrum, my security transit is brief. All I have with me are my Rx's, laptop, camera, and reading material.

It is my opinion; it is those that carry everything on board that slow things down.

The only time I had loads of stuff (2x handluggage and 2x checked luggage) was when I moved to the UK to study and then back. I always try to travel with hand luggage only for short trips unless it is for work. Then I have to check it cause of razors, shaving foams etc which are not very cheap to buy everytime I am abroad. I used to pack lots of stuff to take with me but I soon realized that I hardly wore/used half of it so I changed habits.

One Bag is a web site rich with advice on how to pack lightly. I would take it with a grain of salt (I wouldn't wear bow ties and cardigans on business trips) but I've found the sample packing lists useful for multi-city international trips.

I can generally do it with one bag, with the exception on when taking lots of gifts if going home (DEN -> SYD) for Christmas and not wanting to pay the postal service. That being said I carry medical supplies for my insulin pump so they get priority in the carry on and other stuff gets bumped to the checked luggage.

When I was young my dad was always going overseas and I don't recall him going with more than a suitcase and carryon bag (pre laptop days).

I figure the more I pack the more I end up carrying and can be a real pain with one suitcase and one carryone if you needing to carry them far.... I wouldn't want to go with two suitcases.

In YYJ a couple of months ago, we had a 95-lb. bag come down the conveyer. Huge thing, heavy, cumbersome. Thought, 'this guy's crazy, what's he got in there?'.

And then we got a call. His other bag weighed 105 lbs and he needed to transfer 5 lbs to the 95-lb. bag to make them both 100 lbs.

Plus carry-ons, this guy had about 220 pounds of luggage.   

Quoting Readytotaxi (Thread starter): We would all get through airports quicker and have happier travel experiences if we all took a little less luggage.

When i travel for leaisure I'm either going on a skiing vacation or on a climbing trip, or both. Climbing and skiing equipment is both heavy and expensive, not to mention some of it is bulky. I would have to be a very rich man to employ your "if I need it I will buy it when I get there" motto.
On the other hand, I carry almost nothing on board because nothing annoys me more than people who bring luggage on board. It sounds like you fall under that category. You my friend, are part of the problem, not the solution. It's because of people like you that people like me have to be subkect to constand delays  

I have always said that if I were ever FAA commissioner, my first act would to be all wheeled luggage from being carried onto planes.

Even when we travel with the rugrat, all we carry onto the plane is my soft messenger bag, which has plenty of room for my laptop, our IPods, books, magazines and a couple bottles, diapers and toys for his amusement.

The only time I check more than one bag is when I'm traveling with my skis.

Even on flights where your carry-on might not fit in the overhead, you can probably still check it at the gate. At least that way you are headed in the right direction -- lighter and smaller bags. BTW, mine fits in just about any overhead, but I might check it at the gate/stairs for smaller regional jets.

Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 6): Limiting the baggage by weight is already discriminatory toward larger people (and I'm not talking fat, just tall/large). Telling me to pack less is impossible on many trips.

I fully agree with Ikramerica. I'm 6'2 with size 12/13 feet, so unless I only want to wear 1 pair of shoes on holiday, i'm going to have limited space and a heavier bag. Same with jeans/pants/shorts etc. Doesnt take much to fill a bag with only a couple of outfits.

Luckily my last couple of overseas trips have been on airlines that tend to be pretty lenient with overweight bags. And its usually only the inbound sector where my bag is overweight.

JQ has recently introduced a 'JetSaver Light' fare. Its $10 cheaper than their next cheapest fare but you can only use it if you are taking carry on luggage only. Surprisingly they have increased the weight limit to 10kg for customers wishing to use this fare.

I have never gone away with carry on only, its just impossible. I just wish the checked in limit could be increased a bit, to say 25kg.

I have to say, I check ATLEAST one bag. Although, most of my trips are to places where the weather can change at the drop of a hat, and well...you gotta be prepared. I am also 6'2, and 13 shoes...I have the same problem, no way will my extra pair of shoes, along with clothes fit into a carry-on.

I also have to say, that these people whose only luggage is carry-on is bullsh***. I think airlines need to make a rule, that if you have a "suitcase" and you aren't checking it in, you shouldn't be able to board the flight. In the "new aviation world" where airlines are trying to turn planes as quick as possible, and you have people holding up everyone trying to jam their "suitcase" into an overhead bin.....it's not working.

I was recently on a DL flight, from ANC-SLC. This lady had a huge bulky carry-on. She was right in the middle of the aircraft, I'm thinking around row 28? (757-200) Her carry-on did not fit in the overhead. We were already running late as it was(and most of us had a tight connection in SLC headed to ATL) and this lady proceeds to "unpack" her suitcase, remove a couple things, and re-pack it so it fit! She took up a good 3-5 minutes on this process.

I wanted to choke her!

  

Quoting Wilkes (Reply 27):

I just noticed that I completely butchered this post. Checked for spelling but not grammar.

Should read: "...first act would be to ban all wheeled luggage..."

Quoting Wilkes (Reply 27): I have always said that if I were ever FAA commissioner, my first act would to be all wheeled luggage from being carried onto planes.

As long as they correctly fit overhead (straight in), wheeled bags have the advantage that they don't smack every person seated at the aisle. My 21" rollaboard goes in straight and takes up no more room than a medium size duffel.

Quoting AS777 (Reply 30): I also have to say, that these people whose only luggage is carry-on is bullsh***.

Would it make you happier if I checked an empty suitcase?  

I have to say that airlines' not taking any responsibility for checked bags is bullsh***. Let me lock my bag, only open it in my presence, compensate me for things that are broken because of mishandling or stolen, and reliably deliver it on time and I'll check bags.

Airlines have become moving companies. I can't believe the kinds of things I see checked in.

I'm 6'4" and err, comfortably built, so my clothes and size 12 shoes are large. That being said though, even on a long trip (3 weeks+) I only take a small carry on and a medium sized roller suitcase. No trolleys, no hassle. For the life of me I don't know why people have so much baggage. On weekends away it's a small carry on.

That being said on the rare occasions when I have had women travelling with us, I don't help. Why should I? I have a bad back and I am damned if I am going to risk it when my <20kg bag is easy to manoeuvre and wheel about. Also taxis etc are a pain if you have too much luggage. I reckon it puts more strain on your holiday having to lug all this nonsense around.

For stays of more than 1 week, I usually check 2 medium-sized suitcases: One with clothes and the other one with shoes / computer equipment / toiletries / and the likes. Into the cabin I take a single shoulder bag in LETTER-size only. I even somtimes refrainfrom bringing a jacket or similar into the cabin in order to have less itmes to take care of.

Quoting B752OS (Reply 3): To me, nothing is more annoying than when people will bring very large carry-ons and take up the whole bin. And the people that come on after them are left scrambling to find a place for their baggage and then that only adds more time to getting off the plane as people have either a massive carry-on and it takes them time to get it down, or people have to backtrack through the plane to get their bag that was put in a bin away from their seat.

Repeated experience for last couple days on WN and CO: Pax enters a/c with large carry-on. Stuffs it into the very first available overhead bin around row #10, proceeds down the aisle to assigned seat (CO) in row 25.
IIRC, there was a rule (or was is just an agreement ?) a decade ago, that pax might only use the overhead bins +/
1 row of the assigned seat. Makes sense IMO.

Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 6): I'm 6'3. My shoes alone (1 extra pair, 1 pair of sneakers) take up as much space as me ex-girlfriend's clothes for a weekend (she was small). One pair of blue jeans folded takes up as much room a 4 of her pairs of pants.

  

Quoting Putnik (Reply 11): Well I prefer to pack everything in the suitcase and carry as little as possible in the cabin. Just a days clothes and necessary/valuable items.

  

Quoting Readytotaxi (Thread starter): I have got myself in to a discipline now,after many years,that I only take one hand luggage item on a trip for up to two weeks travel, if I need it I will buy it when I get there, is my moto. Have not checked a bag in in over 8 years.

Have you ever considered that there is not enough overhead storage capacity on most flights in the U.S. using mainline-a/c once they have a loadfactor of around 70% or higher ?
With your suggestion, the situation would only get worse.

Quoting IRelayer (Reply 20): I think we are forgetting that females generally need to pack a lot more stuff than males.

Oooh, I must be female then ... 
When staying in a hotel for vacation for a fortnight, I think there is nothing more annoying if one has exactly 2 button-down shirts to wear for dinner, making alternating use of them. Packing light is one thing, apperaing to others to be either cheap (= not being able to buy more than 2 shirts) or unwilling to purchase more clothes is not my thing.

Quoting Wilkes (Reply 31): Quoting Wilkes (Reply 27):I just noticed that I completely butchered this post. Checked for spelling but not grammar.Should read: "...first act would be to ban all wheeled luggage..."

Never mind, at least I got the point.

Quoting Readytotaxi (Thread starter): I only take one hand luggage item on a trip for up to two weeks travel, if I need it I will buy it when I get there, is my moto.

So, when you buy new clothes at your destination, do you dispose-off either the old or the new clothes before taking the return flight ? The sum of clothes should not be able to fit into your carry-on then ...

Or are you not talking about clothes, but toiletries and the likes ? These articles I too often purchase at a destination in order to not carry them along ...
-HT

To be honest, unless time is an issue I am always happy to check in one bag as it means I do not have to lug it around the airport, now that is what creates stress for me. My wash bag (full of liquids) goes in with any shoes I may need and the majority of what ever clothes I need (for a trip under 7 days my suitcase rarely weighs more then 10kgs, and then I have a small rolly cabin back with a few shirts and underwear incase my suitcase gets delayed and a few small toilettries in the plastic bag, oh and whatever I need for the flight which usually isnt more then a mag and my ipod.

But thats just me, I prefer the convenience of not having to worry about lugging bags around, id rather have someone else look after it (or not as is usually the case with my airline...lol).

But I do agree with the sentiment of the post, people really do pack WAY too much with them. Heck when I started flying I was very much guilty of it, I didnt know how to pack a suitcase for the life of me, I just took everything!!! But my airline has a funny almost "take what you like" attitude to cabin baggage and it really annoys me when I see one person take up an entire locker that is meant to accommodate the bags of at least 4 people!!!

It does sound like we have a lot of Frank Lloyd Wright sympathizers here. He was a short, ornery fellow who felt that tall people were a waste of resources and he practiced what he preached. He built buildings with 6' ceilings in places just to piss us tallies off. He'd also put in 6' doors. I've been to some of those buildings. It is annoying to say the least. Talk about a Napoleon complex. Of course now, modern building codes don't allow for that sort of stupidity/discrimination. But luggage weight rules sure do.

It honestly isn't trivial how much heavier and how much more space larger clothes take up. Clothes grow by squared and cubed factors when applied to taller/larger people. The weight of shoes can be quite different between a size 7 and a size 12 (but the cost to produce is about the same). I can save space by shoving underwear and socks into the shoes (and help hold their shape) but I can't save weight that way. And buying shoes when I get there? It's both expensive and wasteful.

So on trips where I am restricted on baggage, I have to consciously make a decision that everything I pack must go with one pair of black shoes which I'll wear, while smaller people? They can have a pair of brown in their luggage without any penalty.

Then of course we have to deal with armrests that are too low to rest on without slouching for long flights. And people wonder why we have bad backs at age 35...  

Can someone explain to me what self need is fulfilled by being able to brag how little one has to pack for a trip?

sure, I can pack a lot less. I don't need everything I bring. Then again, I don't need to be able to sleep at night. I don't need to actually look presentable at my meetings, I don't need to not smell and not offend all the people I sit around all day. But it is very nice to. I suppose there is some ego boost to being able to rough it and survive. But I am not here to survive - I am here to conduct business or here to enjoy myself. I often deal with those traveling techs who bring one shirt and one pair of pants to survive a week. Let's be honest about that - is that really a good presentation of yourself?

The luggage issue comes down to making choices. If you want to be on and off the plane quickly - splurge for upper class. I don't think it is right for anyone to ask others to give up their choices simply so that they can get a cheaper ticket. I don;t care what other people put in the overhead bins - I have my laptop case, I make sure it fits up there and has room and I make sure I am at the gate early enough to get room. What other people want to cram in there bothers me not. I am not particularly attached to whose suitcase sits above me or in which row they are sitting.

As an aside, airlines offer increased personal room in upper classes. Why do they not offer increased interior storage as an incentive?

Quoting Cloudboy (Reply 38): As an aside, airlines offer increased personal room in upper classes. Why do they not offer increased interior storage as an incentive?

a) I have not seen a lack of overhead storage capacity in longhaul Business Class or US-domestic First Class.
b) Wasn't it the IL-86 that in SU-service had a rack to hang one's coat to after boarding via the internal stairs before reaching the main cabin deck ?
c) Any additional space that would be offered in the main cabin (and that is not above seats) would mean that seats have to be removed = hurting the (potential) revenue from a flight.

Quoting Cloudboy (Reply 38): sure, I can pack a lot less. I don't need everything I bring. Then again, I don't need to be able to sleep at night. I don't need to actually look presentable at my meetings, I don't need to not smell and not offend all the people I sit around all day. But it is very nice to. I suppose there is some ego boost to being able to rough it and survive. But I am not here to survive - I am here to conduct business or here to enjoy myself. I often deal with those traveling techs who bring one shirt and one pair of pants to survive a week. Let's be honest about that - is that really a good presentation of yourself?

Just my view of things.
-HT

Quoting Cloudboy (Reply 38): I often deal with those traveling techs who bring one shirt and one pair of pants to survive a week. Let's be honest about that - is that really a good presentation of yourself?

Yep, the stinky, wrinkled people who wear sandals, shorts and casual shirts everywhere because that's all they brought. As I said above, that's great when you are young, but as you get older, most people don't want that anymore, and it doesn't fly in a lot of social situations. Some people like to travel to experience fine things.

As for how "your dad used to travel with so little" it's because he was on BUSINESS and his expenses were being paid and that included hotel laundry services. I know that's how my dad did it. As long as he had enough clothes for 3 days, he was set, as they would always be cleaned within a day. That meant 2 suits, one sport jacket he would wear on the plane, two pairs of shoes, 4 shirts, one pair of casual pants he'd wear on the plane, and some underwear and socks. That's how he could spend 3 or 4 weeks in Singapore with one suit bag carry on and one roller carry on + briefcase (back when they allowed that much in cabin). He'd occasionally buy a new shirt or pair of pants if something bad happened on the trip, or some swim trunks if he had some free time to use them, but otherwise, he could get away with that traveling method because it wasn't his money he was spending at the hotel.

When I go for long trips I go for like 2 months at at time. And while I can wash my clothes it is still necessary to bring more clothes than like 3 different shirts. It's annoying, really, because I have 1 big bag and it is usually overweight. I also prefer to check in things rather than bringing it on board (because a lot of stuff you can't even bring with you anymore).

Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 40): As for how "your dad used to travel with so little" it's because he was on BUSINESS and his expenses were being paid and that included hotel laundry services.

Indeed.

A lot of expense departments (at least, ones I've run into) have been disallowing hotel laundry expense. I saw this starting a few years ago, and right now I can't think of any of my ex-customers who allow it. (My current employer doesn't either.) Laundry services can be remarkably expensive over the course of a week.

I check one bag, even for relatively short trips. I can't fit running shoes and dress shoes and clothing into a decent sized carryon (meaning, one that fits under the seat); and I refuse to be one of those people who slow down boarding by trying to find a spot for their monster rollaboard. Plus I prefer to not deal with it -- just check the darn thing and then I don't worry about it. For multi-week trips I usually pack a week's worth and find a local laundromat, do the laundry myself over the weekend.

Quoting Readytotaxi (Thread starter): I have got myself in to a discipline now,after many years,that I only take one hand luggage item on a trip for up to two weeks travel, if I need it I will buy it when I get there, is my moto. Have not checked a bag in in over 8 years.

I do that as well, but it gets to be a real killer on your back if you're doing a lot of walking or city sightseeing. Mine reached 11.2kg, although to be fair a lot of that is camera gear and I also had my laptop with me this time, all somehow rammed into my not so large rucksack. The main reason this time was to avoid stupidly costly fees from the European LCCs for checking in a bag, I think it saved something like €50 from the six carriers I flew, other times though it's nice to not have to wait around for your luggage to come through the carousel.


Dan  

Quoting CLE757 (Reply 1):

You know, that has really happened. When i was flying out of Frankfurt one time, I saw someone check in a box containing a sink. Weird!

Quoting BOSSAN (Reply 23): One Bag is a web site rich with advice on how to pack lightly. I would take it with a grain of salt (I wouldn't wear bow ties and cardigans on business trips) but I've found the sample packing lists useful for multi-city international trips.

OneBag is an interesting site, but I'd up that salt dose to an entire shaker. I tried following the philosophy on a trip to the UK and Spain last summer - I bought the little packets of Woolite and the clothes line that works without clothespins, the whole lot. And I wound up having to buy four shirts, two pairs of shorts, some socks, and some underwear - and a suitcase. And that was with paying GBP 8 to get a load of laundry done.

The basic problem with the whole concept is that unless you have tons of patience or are someplace very, very sunny, washing clothes out in the sink just doesn't work that well. Everything takes bloody forever to dry - even the light "travel" socks I bought wouldn't dry out overnight - and if you're hopping from place to place that just doesn't work. And sometimes you just don't have access to laundry machines or a launderette.

On top of that, when traveling in some parts of the world...the UK, for example...a lot of times you'll be in a hotel room with a sink that your two hands barely fit in AND a shower, no tub. You can't even fit a t-shirt in the sink, much less a fracking pair of khakis or jeans.

For longer trips, unless your trip is so long that you can budget in laundry time, or you're staying at hostels (or extended stay hotels) where you can rely on having access to a washer and dryer at certain intervals, it just doesn't work.

I have made a conscious effort to cut back on my packing, true - for shorter trips, I just take a rollaboard when I can. And on longer trips I can get away with just one checked bag, where in the past I've usually had two for anything over a week. But even for shorter trips, if I'm going to someplace where I want to be at least a little fashionable (which is where multiple pairs of shoes come in, which kills "onebag" off once and for all) or have to deal with multiple climates like I did on a 5-day trip last weekend (Tampa Bay = 80s, Atlantic City = 50s), I don't hesitate to pack what I want and check a bag.

And I do think Mister Onebag overemphasizes the danger of lost luggage...I've flown a lot over the years, and can count the number of times I've ever been separated from my bags on the fingers of one hand. In all of those cases I was reunited with my beloved luggage within 24 hours. And, I hate to say it, but all of one of those cases were on TWA, and they're gone now. Of course, I haven't flown BA since 2003...

All that said, though, the sample pack lists are useful to create your own from - I have a basic one I keep in Excel and just update the "clothes" section as needed for trip length, multiple climates, etc.

Quoting AS777 (Reply 30): I think airlines need to make a rule, that if you have a "suitcase" and you aren't checking it in, you shouldn't be able to board the flight.

Well, until British Airways realizes that delivering the bloody bags is actually part of the airline business   , if you can fit everything in a reasonably sized carry-on, you should be able to carry it on.

Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 40): Yep, the stinky, wrinkled people who wear sandals, shorts and casual shirts everywhere because that's all they brought.

        
How very, very true...

Nope, I had a small suitcase on wheels and my backpack. That's it.
Leaving the laptop at home was such a great idea, I don't know why I haven't done it before.

On short 2 or 3 day trips I try to keep it as a small roller no more than 10kilos and take it as hand luggage. When I go to see friends and familiy I just cant do without my checked allowance as often I have lots of gifts etc....

Last time I came back from Greece I had two suitcases weighing over 45 kilos , full of my favourite Greek products and also gifts that were given to me. When I got to the USA to shop I also have the same.

I have my laptop bag, the roll-a-board (nearly empty) as carry-on.

Check-in luggage? Usually my small suitcase (enough space for clothes to last me for up to 10 days) inside a large roller case. Why one inside the other? I usually get souvenirs, gifts, samples, etc. which also need to fit. Sometimes, I return with two checked bags, sometimes with one only. Depends on how busy the trip.

I'm planning a USA visit, part of my trip will be spent inside the Banana Republic Store on West Michigan Ave (Chicago). Time permitting, might even head up to Wisconsin for the outlet malls. Gotta love the strong Aussie $$. And since I have elite FF membership, I choose to use my 40kg (two bag) limit.

However, I do dream about travelling with just carry-on, but that has become very elusive thanks to the 100ml liquid rule. Try buying shaving foam or hair gel in small containers. Impossible!

NG1Fan

Quoting NG1Fan (Reply 48): However, I do dream about travelling with just carry-on, but that has become very elusive thanks to the 100ml liquid rule. Try buying shaving foam or hair gel in small containers. Impossible!

Here in the States we can get shaving foam in little containers with no problem - you can get the regular foam or the Gillette gel. If you don't have it in Oz, hit up any large drugstore (Walgreens, CVS) or Target while you're over here & stock up. As for hair gel, just get a little container and you're set - Nalgene makes some really nice travel containers, I use these and have never had a leak.

Unfortunately, there's a few things that you can't repackage yourself, and are hard or impossible to find in legal containers.

Biggest problem for me is deodorant - in the summer I prefer a spray-on (Florida in summer = you need some on your back if you sweat like I do), and I have yet to find a 3-oz one. And supposedly Gillette makes a little version of the clear gel, but I can't find it anywhere, all I can find in a carry-on legal size is the chalky white stuff.

Tip for contact wearers - hit up your optometrist for samples. The only brand I can find in legal containers in the US is Bausch & Lomb, which my optometrist thinks is rubbish. When I told him it's the only brand I can find in carry-on size, he gave me four 2-oz bottles of the Alcon Opti-Free - Alcon doesn't market the 2-oz bottle, but they include it in the little "you just got contacts" kits they give out to optometrists.