carry on only
 

How many of you guys are using the carry on luggage ONLY philosophy advocated by Rick Steves and other world travelers? I see many seasoned travelers swearing off checking in luggage. While I see the benefits i've never actually traveled with carry on only on trips of a week or longer...few days is fine but anything more than that I carry a larger pack that needs to be checked in.

For my next 12 day trip to Europe i'm thinking of going carry on only. Infact I am thinking of making a permanent switch to carry on only for most trip unless I absolutely have to cart something big like my scuba gear on a dedicated scuba trip.

I do carry on only, nothing to do with Rick Steves more to do with the airlines having lost my bags more than once.

I have a 21" rollaboard and a backpack. I use a small crossbody purse that fits in my backpack.

I have done long Europe trips that way, off on an 8 day Mexican adventure tomorrow. Was just laughing at the empty space in my bags.

95% of the time, I fly with only a carry-on, and a personal item. It helps that I live in San Diego, and generally don't fly to places that require winter clothing.

I do carry on only regardless of weather or trip duration. I only check bags when I'm moving or something is not allowed do go on board.

It has not been an issue for me. I don't care about Rick Steves but I hate waiting for bags and wouldn't want to risk having stuff delayed or stole.

I usually travel with a carry-on bag and a small personal item (smaller than what would be allowed). I've done this to Europe in both summer and winter. The key to the Rick Steves approach, which I largely follow, is to do sink laundry every day, or nearly (perhaps not on the night before you pack up and leave for the next destination).

That means that the amount of clothing you need is the same for any trip of three days or longer unless there's a change of seasons, and maybe even then. My last summer trip to Europe included an excursion to high altitude and I still managed to get everything into an ebags Weekender and an Eagle Creek guide bag.

With one exception. With a sport jacket included, the Weekender was too thick for an airline sizer, so I carried the jacket over my arm on air-travel days. On train-travel days I could fit it into the Weekender.

I used to if I wasn't carrying scuba gear or other large items but these days I'm too frequently flying in countries or on airlines that have strict weight limits on carry on. Back in the old NW days I used to get 2 weeks worth of stuff in my 21" roller, so it would fit anyone's sizer including HK Airport's, but it'd also be about 40lbs, well over the 7 or 8 kg most airlines I fly these days allow. I'll still do it when flying the likes of UA, NH, or OZ but tougher on many others.

To me, it seems to go in stages.

Beginning travellers check bags and get frustrated with the hassle.

More seasoned travellers figure out how to pack a ton of stuff in carry-ons. But they run "close to the edge" as far as size limits. They get to argue with GAs and FAs and they get to lug heavy bags through airports during connections. Those guys feel that they have "figured it out".

Long time seasoned travellers realize that in the grand scheme of things, when you're on a 12 hour flight waiting an extra 15 minutes for your bags is meaningless. Less hassle boarding, finding storage, disembarking, connecting through airports, TSA, etc.

I don't know who Rick Steves is but I passed through his stage a long time ago. I've got over 3 million BIS miles, 95% of it international, across 5 continents and 50 or 60 countries, been doing it for 30 years so I'll go ahead and call myself a seasoned world traveller. Unless it's a one day trip, I *always* check a bag or two.

I dunno, my bags are well under the weight limits and fit in sizers no problem. I just worked out that most trips involved bringing unworn stuff home. I do not shop abroad, nothing I need.

I guess some carry on folk stuff their bags full, I just do not find the need.

I've never had a bag lost and only once had it delayed. For me "carry-on-only" is a way to force myself to pack light. Not the other way around. Not having to stand around like a chump waiting for the luggage to come out is a side benefit. The main benefit is being able to put my world on my back and walk off without any constraints free to go where I want when I want.

Having large suitcases is a hassle not just at the baggage carousel but also when trying to take public transit or schedule things before or after hotel check-in or check-out. And unless you're carrying sporting equipment or other special cases they're really just unnecessary. You're dealing with the hassle for your entire trip just in case there's that one moment when boots would be better than shoes or wearing the same sweater for two days would look gauche. You realize after a few trips that you're worrying for nothing and you can live on a lot less than you realized.

Fwiw I usually can't get down to a single bag. I usually have a backpack and a rollaboard. I could fit everything in a bag that goes on my shoulder but it's just uncomfortably heavy and then I often wish I had a small backpack anyways for side trips. I also often check the rollaboard on the return trip either because I'm bringing back bottles of alcohol or other heavy gifts or because I have a long layover and plan to lounge hop or even leave the airport.

A big factor in whether to check is how much time there's going to be for customs and baggage claim before your connecting flight.

Carry-on only, regardless of trip length. A Red Oxx Air Boss and a laptop bag. Coming up on the end of a trip to Penang, Thailand, Hong Kong and Beijing and I've got everything I need in those two bags, with space left over.

My first business trip was to India for six weeks with a large team from the US, all of us just out of college. Most of them carried on a laptop bag and a small suitcase and checked at least one more bag. One guy checked an entire suitcase of shoes.

"You guys realize we can expense laundry, right?"

One guy—whose suitcase could've swallowed mine three times over—was absolutely positive that he was only charged an oversized bag fee on the return journey because the airline was racist. We were flying Lufthansa and he was as blonde-haired-blue-eyed as is possible.

In North America/Europe most travelers assume that weight/size of carry-on is not a determining factor. As a result way more options exist to rely only on carry-on solution.

Whole different situation is in the rest of the world and especially when budget airlines are involved. Here in south-east asia airlines do both weight your carry-on and fit it in their sizers, which BTW is smaller than sizers I've seen in US.

So, there is quite a difference when one can have 20kg bag in the carry on (US) vs 7kg (in Asia). However, despite this fact, I've managed on all my business trips regardless of the length (3-30 days) have carry-on only.

Yes, it does involve max 3-4 set of clothing/underwear which are washed in sink (according to the travel policy, cleaning fees are expendable only when trip is more than 10 business days), but I do not mind - I was doing my own laundry since I was 12 (thank you mom!)

I haven't checked a bag since 2000. My carryon is an older 22".

Generally yes, with obvious exceptions:
1 - When I have to take customer stuff.
2 - When I have to wear uniform clothes, so two sets of clothes are required.
3 - Deployment to harsh conditions, like Alaska.

Otherwise, a weeklong instructing trip (so no wearing the same set of clothes twice) with two laptops and an iPad, all went in a 22x14x9 carryon and an underseat laptop bag.

Carry on only, since Northwest lost my bag out in a middle of a thunderstorm. Flying out of my little outstation, we have many delays and misconnects. By traveling only carryon, it's easier to be protected on another flight, or same day change/ standby on a later flight.

Have gone on ski trips to New Zealand and Europe this way. It's like backpacking; one learns what's important and what's not. I'm not too worried if I forget to pack anything, you can always find a substitute at your destination.

I love my Redoxx Skytrain.