I find there are two kinds of travelers... the ones with a lot of money, and the rest of us. The folks with a lot of money decide what they will take, and line up enough bags to house it all. Travel Blitz folk, who travel a bit on the cheap side, do not check luggage; so we pull out our one carry on and our one personal item, and then figure how much we can take.
As we are heading to a place that currently is snowy, and below freezing most of the day... we need to take a little bit more than usual: coats, gloves, hats, scarves, etc. To that end, I just had the anal-retentive Test pack. It was not a pretty sight! I piled up everything I thought I should take, and then started the painful task of taking away from the pile when I saw it would not all fit.
A little back-story: why we do not check luggage.
1) $$$: we do not want to pay any to check a bag. Granted, you might have an airline credit card that lets you take one bag free. I also hear some of you yelling that International flights often include a free checked bag… But what about the connecting flights you may need, if you are not departing from or arriving at a major hub?
2) Dragging too much luggage around. Folks, it is not just about dropping your bags off at your departure airport. Many times, you have to schlep your bag through security or customs if changing planes mid trip. Even your checked bags.
3) Speaking of dragging luggage around, cheap travelers often use public transport to get to the hotel… have fun with your 32 bags on the train, or getting even your one reasonable sized checked bag up that long flight of stairs in the metro station, or to you 5th floor walkup room.
4) Too often, the checked luggage does not make the full trip... I recall waiting about 2 weeks for one bag, with my medicine in it, to be delivered. While the exception rather than the rule, we now only take what we can carry on… to make sure all our stuff gets to where we are going, when we get there.
5) Finally, too many over pack. Period. You take too much. Who cares if you wear the same sweater twice? Those nice people in the place you are visiting won’t notice, or care. Admit it. You take items you never used.
So, what carryon luggage do I take?
My ‘go to bag’ fits under the seat:
1) If you do not board first, the overhead bins can fill up. I could always cram my personal item in the overhead bin, even if full. How often have I had to use the under seat space for my bag? Never, but beware of Murphy’s Law.
2) Next, our connecting flights often wind up on a regional jet, and even regular carry on will not fit… but our under seat bag will.
3) When the airline expects full overhead storage, they often start collecting bags to be checked… they will smile, and tell you it is free, but now your camera or your medicine is not within grasp… 99% of the time it makes the trip just fine, but I seem to draw the 1% lot way too often. Roller bags are the first to be collected, under seat bags are the last.
My personal item is usually a small backpack… and I mean small. Just big enough for my iPad, the inflight needs such as gum, earphones, etc., and my liquids bag (TSA Pre-check lets you out of showing liquids in the US, but not overseas…). The backpack changes roles once we arrive, as it usually will house umbrellas, water bottles, the iPad, camera, and anything else that will not fit easily in my jacket or coat. (My choice of coat has many, many pockets, both inside and outside.
For this trip, my personal item will be a small messenger bag that I can put my backpack into, and some of the overflow cold weather gear that won’t fit into the under seat bag.
Do I wish I had more space? Yes. Does experience tell me I can pack what I will need for the weeklong trip? Yes, yes it does. And my anal-retentive test pack proved it.
Verdi Under seat bag, about 15 inches wide x12 inches tall x6 inches deep
Arpenza Travel backpack, about 10 inches wide x16 inches tall x 2 inches deep
Ikea Messenger bag, about 15 inches wide x12 inches tall x 4 inches deep
