How often are you checking in bags at the airport?

I haven't packed or even bought a backpack yet but when I purchased my tickets on Aer Lingus from Dublin to Paris, I decided to pay 15 euro extra for checking in my bag, guessing that I would be over the 40 pound limit and perhaps dimension wise for the backpack.

When you all travel on airplanes, do you find yourself checking in your bags quite a bit, especially on smaller planes? Those costs can add up.

Never.

I think you'll find most experienced travelers will give you the same answer. Everything you will ever need for any length of travel should fit in a carry-on bag.

Visit onebag.com for a great resource on how to accomplish this.

Check out this for Aer Lingus carry on specs:

# The maximum dimensions for a cabin bag are 56cms x 45cms x 25cms or 22in x 18in x 10in.

# Baggage must weigh under 10 kgs/22lbs (or 7kgs/15lbs for Aer Lingus Regional flights) and be small enough to fit in overhead bins or under your seat.

Seems to small and too little. I'm backpacking RTW and I don't think I can fit those specs.

Size-wise I find people can usually make it if they're brutal enough in removing things from their packing list. Weight-wise those flights are pretty hard. I've found that they generally don't weigh the bags, especially if they look small enough to be an obvious carry-on. Also, you can cheat somewhat by putting things that are small but heavy in your jacket pockets.

- Mike

K2 wrote:Check out this for Aer Lingus carry on specs:

# The maximum dimensions for a cabin bag are 22in x 18in x 10in.

# Baggage must weigh under 10 kgs/22lbs (or 7kgs/15lbs for Aer Lingus Regional flights) and be small enough to fit in overhead bins or under your seat.

Seems to small and too little. I'm backpacking RTW and I don't think I can fit those specs.

Those specs are above average; the restrictions for most airlines are 21x14x9 inches and many budget airlines are even more strict.

Here is what I took on my last three month trip:



This bag is 21x14x9 and weighs 10 kg, and I plan to take much less on longer future trips.



Here is my personal packing list for a trip of any length to any climate. There are many other packing lists online; here's one from a couple that has been traveling around the world for 15 months.

I would again suggest you check out onebag.com. You've said you bought Rough Guide's First-Time Around the World, right? Look at the section on packing. It'll tell you the same thing I'm telling you now. You can also do a search on YouTube for "packing light" for a bunch of how-to videos.

If you want, feel free to list here everything you think you'll need, and we'll let you know what you actually need to get you down to size. I assure you, you don't want to be carrying a 40+ lb bag around the world. You'll hate yourself within the first week.

Thank you for the advice. I will look at the section you speak of in Rough Guide as well as the other resources. Will update later.

Many years ago, my wife and I flew to Branson, MO for a week. We checked our bags and in Little Rock (we wanted to drive through a national forest) my bag arrived and hers didn't. Since then, if I can't carry it on, I don't go.

Well as I hate doing laundry + like to take my Swiss Army knife & a knife, fork & spoon travel set I have no choice but to check a bag.

What about toiletries? Here in the US, you can't really carry on toiletries, razors, and stuff.

I always check my bag. I keep a change of clothes in carry-on just in case, but I always check my bag. (Yes, it is small enough to carry on if I wanted.)

I view bag checks like valet service. I don't have to find a way to jam it into overhead space and it's almost always waiting for me when I arrive. I don't have to roll it wildly thru airports trying to make connections. And if the bag misses the flight, the airline delivers it to me.

Of course, there is that danger...I remember the one time my bags toured the south pacific without me. There I was in Tahiti, fortunately a place where one needs few clothes. My bag on the other hand went from Los Angeles to Sydney then over to New Zealand and then back to Sydney and finally to Tahiti just in time to miss me and finally to Bora Bora where I was. Oh well. Still, one can't get too attached to material things after all. Live in the moment! Check your bag!

When flying from Europe, you can't even carry on shampoo, soap, toothpaste etc. unless they're in really small containers. So unless you want to buy all of those at your destination, you really have no choice to check some luggage, no matter if you're travelling light or not. Last time I checked in a small backpack and took a shoulder bag as carry-on. If I were travelling within Europe (but in that case I usually don't fly), I would probably buy toiletries at my destination, but not sure if I can find shampoo that I like in Africa, plus it's always handy to have a swiss army knife if you go to more remote places.

Although you have to limit your liquids to 3oz bottles, there's no limit to how many bottles you can bring, as long as it fits in a one quart bag. So you can take a lot of liquids.

Here's one sample 3-1-1 kit.



I don't know how much stuff you need, but you should be able to fit enough in those bottles to last you for months. On my last trip I brought shampoo, conditioner, facial cleanser, toothpaste, travel wash, Febreeze, antibacterial gel, and bug spray and it lasted my entire 95 day trip with leftovers.

You can carry on razors, as long as they are in a cartridge or they're safety razors.

You can also carry flatware. The only restriction is knives must have rounded blades. Any knife you find on most dinner tables, as well as any plastic knives are allowed. I've traveled with this titanium set throughout the US and Europe.



I've also traveled with scissors and (sealed) syringes in my med kit without problems.

I would recommend you check out the TSA prohibited items list before making assumptions on what you can and can't carry on.

KathrynD wrote:I view bag checks like valet service. I don't have to find a way to jam it into overhead space and it's almost always waiting for me when I arrive. I don't have to roll it wildly thru airports trying to make connections. And if the bag misses the flight, the airline delivers it to me.

So let me get this straight. You...

1. Wait in line to check (or curbside check and tip the porter) and pay $15-25
2. Subject your bag to a baggage handler (aka "thrower")
3. Hope it doesn't get lost or damaged in transit
4. Wait in line at baggage claim

And this is supposed to be more "convenient"?

Not everyone can travel carry-on. For example, I like taking a pen-knife. I find it very handy in many cases. This must be checked.

Going RTW with only a 40 liter bag may be too restrictive for many people, though some pride themselves in how little they can bring and survive. Personally, I like having enough clothes that i don't have to wash them every night.

Nowadays, i work to travel Carry-on for shorter trips. I like having my essentials with me at all times.
I had to check my carry-on on the flight home from Florida recently. Why? I had bought a nice gift that comprised a clock in a can. It would have set off many alerts on general principle if I had tried to carry it on, and the beauty of it is that it is a clock with a tear off metal lid, like a sardine can. The point of the gift is not to have TSA people tear it apart.

So, there is no right answer, though I prefer to fly with only carry on if I can get away with it. Nowadays, it saves money and time as well.

I want to bring a swiss army knife. Dang it, this means I gotta check a bag every time?