charmed

I just returned from a 6 day trip with no less than 5 family dinners. And for 4 of those dinners, the dress code changed while we were there. My poor husband insisted on having a designated outfit for each evening before we left. I packed multiple options for myself, because, as mother of the bride I figured this time I deserved it. So though I was comfortable in a casual dress and sandals, he was wearing his nice slacks, French cuff shirt, suspenders, and black dress shoes, trying to dress is down by leaving the tie and jacket in the room.

Some trips I can pack light. But most of the time I do want my tennis shoes in case there is a tennis facility and golf shoes in case I'm free for golf one afternoon and running shoes in case neither of those opportunities comes up. All those activities require specific clothing. Throw in a cocktail party and a coat and I'm pretty much out of the roller board size for packing.

I do have adult children who can pack quite light to visit. Love the opportunity to do laundry. And also borrow my clothes. I figure if you are borrowing clothes or showing up dressed inappropriately for the occasion you failed at packing light.

mandolino

me neither, but I do understand not to argue with her about it.

On a cheap holiday flight, we might take one checked bag between us. In SAS, One World, or KLM, I get a free checked bag whatever fare I'm on.

sandy_lyles_bagpipes

It's not a badge of honor, it's just personal preference.

I'm not yet at your level of travel, but I do around 8 airline trips per year, for a total of ~50 nights in hotels or other lodging. I travel up to two weeks at a time with a 40L backpack and nothing else, regardless of weather or number of destinations within the trip. The only item I typically need that I don't bring with me (due to TSA) is sunscreen, so I just buy that while traveling as-needed.

With the backpack, I don't worry about overhead space, because it can fit under a seat if-needed, but I always DO find overhead space, since it's pretty small and gate agents never prompt me to gate-check a backpack.

Not checking bags saves, I'd say, around 20 minutes per check-in, and 20 minutes per arrival. That time adds up significantly. It also saves somewhere between $0 and $35 per one-way flight path by not paying checked bag fees.

Lastly, it just makes the day-to-day itinerary planning much easier. Not having to worry about checking a suitcase with a hotel valet, being totally nimble at all times (because I have everything on me), etc. That's why I pack this way.

Artpen100

I try to pack light, but to me that means taking what you need, not taking one thing more, and getting things that are ultralight. Most of my travel is for work. I need suits, clean shirts, more than one pair of shoes and so on. But I figure out what I need and don't take anything "just in case". I have a very light laptop, ultralight suitcases in three sizes, one international charger with USB plugs that I can use anywhere, an ultralight canvas bag (and if I need it, a black parachute fabric briefcase) for carryon,a plastic dopp kit with the minimum of what I need and in small sizes, and a light travel raincoat that I take only if rain is predicted. If I can get what I need for a trip in a carryon suitcase, I use that, and if I can't, I use the size I need, and check it if necessary. If I am carrying documents to a meeting, I have them in electronic format on my laptop, not on paper.

What I can't understand are people who take everything but the kitchen sink, and have suitcases that weight a ton before you even put anything in them.

ysolde

I travel several times a year. My longest yearly trip is about one month around Europe, with my husband. When traveling Europe, we have to manage our suitcases on and off trains, which me in a wheelchair. This is not the easiest thing in the world to do, and it requires packing smart.

I pack (relatively) light for the trip, having long ago learned that the clothes I wear for a week to ten days will serve me for a month. My second bag is a large Le Pliage, cavernous and light (a second Le Pliage is kept folded in my suitcase on the way over to Europe, and filled with anything we purchase on the flight back). I also bring my handbag. Since we fly business class, bringing these three pieces in cabin is not an issue. It is not a matter of obsession but of necessity.

I send clothes out to be laundered/dry cleaned in hotels as needed, and unmentionables I wash out in the sink at night.

Badenoch

There is a silly snobbery about "packing light." The type of people who sniff and declare "Well, personally I NEVER check bags...."

I pack what I need for the trip depending on location, circumstances and requirements while away. If I can get by with carry on then great. If not I'm happy to check a bag and don't regard it as a mark of personal shame for doing so.

kb9522

For me it's an issue of principle. I hate that I get paid for hours where I'm not actually working (i.e. travel - door-to-door). The sooner I can get to work, the better.

I don't go out of my way to pack ridiculously light... but I pack only what I need and it always fits into a standard carry-on size. I'm one of the first off the plane, proceed immediately to the rental shuttle, jump in the car and I'm off to work.

bstv69

I understand why one would want to pack light especially if there is a lot of connections but I much prefer to pack light and throw it into a hardshell bag and not have to worry about it until i get to my final destination. Having to fight over overhead space or keep a bag next to you on all your connections is just cumbersome. I keep my electronics in a small backpack and then meet my luggage when im finally where i need to be.
I do think that the onebag crew has some useful advice like packing cubes and tips and tricks but I agree they take it to the extreme where I do not see how travel can be enjoyable for them.
I do live by one rule though, if you cant carry it dont bring it, even though i end up carrying my girlfriends stuff anyways so clearly doesnt work out too well for me haha

derelict

For me it depends on what my trip entails. For trips where I am in a different city every day (usually meaning one flight per day or almost that much) I try to pack light so I can carry on only. If I am going to be in only one or two locations for the entire trip, then I do not need to travel as spartan. I actually prefer to check in my luggage so I don't have to wheel it around the airport, but when your day starts at 8am and you don't land at your next destination until after 10pm, I would rather not wait for my bag then...

Shombolar

It seems pretty elementary — if you're going to Chicago for a week of business in the middle of winter, you're likely going to check a bag. If you're going to visit family in Florida for the weekend, a carry-on likely will do.

I understand "packing light," but it means different things under different circumstances.

Duke787

I completely understand both sides of this argument.

When I was a consultant traveling 40-45 weeks a year, a carry-on was essential. I still remember when I first started fresh out of school and was heading to my first project. I was ORD based and of course had no status so bins were completely full on the Monday morning business traveler flight so I had to check my bag at the gate. We get to MCI and my new project manager (who was ex-JFK) was lets just say not very pleased that we had to spend 20-30 minutes waiting for my bag to come out. She actually emailed corporate travel that day and had them give me one of their comp statuses from corporate travel spend (which was a nice way to start my travel career and quickly became 1K going forward).

What I came to realize is at projects where we rented a car, the ability to get straight off the plane and on the road ASAP was highly valued (time is money after all). More importantly, I found that getting off the plane and getting to the rental car agency more quickly ensured first pick of the cars in the National Exec aisle before the rest of the plane got there to snag the good cars (again peak Monday morning business traveler hours this makes a difference between spending your week stuck in some Chevy Impala or in new car).

On the flip side when traveling for leisure, I love not having to drag my suitcase around, especially if layovers and long international flights are involved. I pack a change of clothes, meds, and toothbrush in my backpack in case bag gets delayed, drop the big bag off at check-in, and then don't have to worry about it again until I land at my final destination.

bj27

I agree whole-heartedly with your assessment.

I fly a lot of transcons weekly, and the last thing I want to do is wait at the destination for my bag to come out. I've learned you can have a priority bag but the time it takes to come out is still not definitive. Additionally, I fly between locations not served by a non-stop, so missing a connection can happen and I would rather not be without my things if I have to overnight.

Over the course of a year, 20 minutes on each side of a week (assuming 52 weeks of travel) waiting for a bag equates to nearly 34 hours spent waiting for a bag.

I also am not subject to the "bag drop off cutoff" timeline.

But then for leisure travel, I'm not in so much of a rush so I can wait for a bag.

kochleffel

On a recent trip to London, fairly light packing saved me from that. I had intended to check a bag, but a traffic mess in a place where there is never any traffic delayed me, and I arrived at the airport in time for boarding but too late to check a bag.

Because the bag I intended to check was small enough to be a carry-on, I just took it to the plane and then checked it at the gateway airport. The reason for checking it was a long layover, so there was time for that, and my first flight was on a small turboprop with valet-checking, so I didn't actually have to stow it in the cabin.

bj27

Yep. This may be poor practice but I fly a lot of ex-YYZ on Delta who has a 1-hour pre-departure bag dropoff cutoff time. Many times I show up past the 1-hour cutoff time since the YYZ T3 Pre-clearance gates are such a unpleasant place to wait.

Also on TPAC/TATL flights I just pack a carry-on normally since I know all my clothes/toiletries are with me and I can freshen up/change on the flight or in some lounge with showers. I hate having to discern which toiletries/clothes are in which bag.

Fleck

I ran into a gang off monobaggers hanging around baggage claim at EWR. Relentless bunch of self-righteous bullies. I was heckled and spat on!

"Multi-bag Scum!"
"Get packing cubes, Freak!"
"Look everyone, it's the King of Persia!"
"Well, well, well, lookie what we have here? A 30" Rimowa. What you got in there, Boy?"