When I travel alone, it's carry-on only. I'm really small and can't manage a big bag on my own and going to places where I would have to rely on bellmen, porters, etcetera, would really inflate the cost of the trip -- so I just pack a small bag and a purse. Women's clothes, intimates and delicate tops anyway, should be handwashed, so the cost of washing them out and hanging them out is nil for me. A tip -- any cheap shampoo works about the same as Woollite and should be safe against the skin.

My husband is not a fan of efficient packing and believes that more is more, although he has occasionally traveled with just a carry-on in special situations. When we travel together, he is going to check a bag, so I might as well pack a little more and check a bag also. Of course, when I checked a bag in December, the airline promptly lost it.