Carryon Luggage Tips-:)

[PIERCEDRN]

I hope they don't have to change planes. I'm picturing pregnant mom pushing toddler in stroller, while dad totes the car seat along with 3 stuffed carryons and personal bags.

Yes that would be me. When you become a dad you give up the right to look laid back and stylish and revert to stubborn pack mule status.
I usually roll with 2-3 carryons strapped together a backpack and two computer bags crossed like bandoliers. At least when I walk by people tend to get out of my way when I am pulling the wide load. If I have carabiners I can strap the carryons to my belt and then push the stroller too!
BOB

 

[MrsPete]

This is very do-able. Summer before last we did a three-week drive-and-fly trip to the Western National Parks, and we had only a carry-on each. We had to tote jeans and hiking boots, and we had plenty of space -- we even had the laptop in one carry on. The only thing we did wrong was that we failed to bring sweatshirts (it was July, who knew it'd reach 50 degrees in Yellowstone?). Even with two teenaged girls, we had no problem with one carry-on each.

Last summer we did a one-week cruise (with four teenaged girls) and we had carry-ons only. Even with formal dresses, our things fit.

A 20-21" rolling carry on is pretty large when you pack it carefully.

Suggestions:

Your biggest problem is going to be toiletries. Get a pre-paid mailer box from the post office, and mail them ahead. Ziplock everything. The largest size box is around $14, and it's big enough for family-sized shampoo, etc. and sunscreens. Include some laundry detergent just in case you decide to do a load, but really you shouldn't need to do laundry unless you just want to.

You'll have three rolling carry-on suitcases . . . make sure that one of them can stack on top of one other. Dad can manage this easily enough. Let the child wear his backpack (and then hold it on his lap in the stroller). Mom can wear a backpack /tote bag and manage the stroller.

Don't forget that the financial savings is only one of the reasons NOT to check luggage. When you leave the plane with all your luggage in tow, you can head straight to the rental car . . . while the people who checked luggage must wind their way down to the bowels of the airport to wait for their luggage to show up. By the time they get their stuff, you'll already be on the highway.

Adult suitcases:
Pack two shirts for every pair of shorts. 8 days = 4 pair of shorts & 8 shirts. It isn't all that much.
Roll your clothes -- an amazing amount will fit into a small suitcase with this technique.
Minimize your shoes; choose a few pair that'll match everything. Wear your clunky tennis shoes and pack your tiny flip-flops.
Wear a jacket on the plane.

Child's suitcase:
His clothes are small, so they should fit without problem.
Diapers are more bulky, but a week's worth of toddler clothes + 2 packs of diapers should fit into a 20-21" roll-on suitcase.
Minimize toys and books. These can go into his carry-on backpack.
Again, wear a jacket on the plane.

 

[scdak]

Using just carryons can be done as many of the PP have suggested, but be careful of the weight of the bags, there are some planes that have restrictions posted on the overhead spaces limiting the weight allowed, and if its oversize or overweight it could end up being checked anyway, sometimes free but that's not a guarantee and you could still end up having to wait for it at baggage claim. It also depends on the number of persons on the flight, the fuller the flight, the stricter some airlines have to be now since so many people don't understand the concept of what a carryon size is, every 2 weeks when I fly I watch people pull duffle bags down the aisle that could hold an adult body in them, then they are upset when it doesn't fit in the overhead bin.

 

[lovewdwdvc]

Use gardengrocer or the other service that will deliver foods and sundries to your resort.

 

[lizziepooh]

Be sure to check the carry-on size limitations for whichever airline you are flying. For instance, the maximum carryon size for AirTran is 55 linear inches and Delta is only 45 inches. Although it doesn't sound like much difference, the larger suitcase does hold quite a bit more so you have to take that into consideration.

 

[MommyBell08]

Wow there are some great suggestions here! As far as diapers or wipes my son has been potty trained for quite sometime so that will not be an issue. We did pay for a ticket for him, as he will be turning three in January and our trip is in March. We will not bring a carseat for him, but will have a stroller, and I really like the idea of getting a stroller bag for extra room and packin extras. We are going to try and just do carryon so ill let you all know if this is as crazy decision as some seen to think! I think we can do it. Thanks for all the awesome help. Love the Dis.

 

[alwaysmom]

Mommybell08.......Love your baby ticker!

 

[MommyBell08]

Mommybell08.......Love your baby ticker!

Thanks!

 

[bumbershoot]

Buy bags from the ricksteves.com travel store. All of his bags are carryon size domestically and most airlines in Europe (the major ones at least). You'd be surprised (so would a lot of people who complain about large bags as carryons) how BIG a true carryon sized bag can be. Do NOT expand his bags, though, that takes them over carryon size.

Most of his bags have shoulder straps, since he requires that people on his tours be able to tote their stuff, and making things into a backpack makes it easier.

Not having rolling bags also makes it easier to NOT overpack, since you're actually carrying the thing, not just pulling it along.

Be careful with spacebags; you can fit a WHOLE lot more into a bag if it's compressed, and you'll find yourself unable to lift it.

I would absolutely be concerned about the weight of each bag. Be sure you can lift each bag a foot or two over your head unassisted and hold it there long enough to place it in the overhead compartment, and take it out again without hitting anyone (including yourself).

Absolutely. DH is still healing from a NASTY gash he got on his *leg* from a too-heavy bag a woman basically let drop from the overhead compartment. She barely even apologized, either.

We did pay for a ticket for him, as he will be turning three in January and our trip is in March.

Lap children are generally under the age of 2, so since he's already 2 you couldn't have had him as a lap child.



Now just b/c I gave ideas doesn't mean I think this is a good idea. I've toted an astonishingly large amount of stuff onto a plane (Rick Steves carryon bag, personal item sized bag, carseat, kid, kid said he'd carry his little backpack but didn't, and our coats) but I'm used to it, like to do it, and am comfortable being a gross sweaty mess LOL. Those who are more refined than I am should just check some bags!

 

[Kiwini]

We did 9 days, 8 nights last year (and will again this year) with just carryon.
- No kids, which does make it easier.
- I have a 22" rolling bag, and my wife has an 18" (though she'll be upsizing to 22" this year). Mine has a matching daypack that fastens on, so gives you an extra bag without having to have an extra bag. Just don't stuff it too full to fit into an overhead.
- We take extra shoes (last year I had mine + DW's in my larger bag - this year she's on her own!)
We usually plan on getting some of the clothes at the resort (last year I got a sweatshirt, which would have been bulky to take along).
- I pack enough underwear for the trip because it packs up better, and in case we don't get to laundry while we're there, it works out better. I can always buy an extra shirt.
- We always ship a box from the hotel the morning we leave, so we aren't as concerned about leaving extra room in our bags on the trip there.
- I bought one of the Scottevest/SeV vests yesterday - I hadn't heard about them until I went to the luggage store. I'll be trying it out in 9 days! It has 22 pockets, and the tag says "It's like a bonus carry-on" - you wear it to the airport, take it off to go through the scanner, put it back on. Any clothing with a pocket big enough for an iPad, and 21 left over is OK by me. http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/New_Travel_Vest.shtml (they make men's and women's versions).
- DW's personal item is her purse, which is a purse/backpack. Mine is a Rickshaw commuter bag http://www.rickshawbags.com/bags/commuter-bag.html for the laptop plus everything else that doesn't fit in one of my 22 pockets.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Eh, a day pack that fastens on to a suitcase can easily be considered by the airline to be a second piece of luggage, especially when everybody is trying to squeeze as much as possible into the cabin to avoid luggage fees.

While this works for the poster above and still allows him to take a personal item, it's probably best for other airline passengers to consider an attachable luggage item as a separate piece.

 

[Sagginit]

what airline are you flying? i flew spirit, they charge for carryons as well as luggage. you could have one personal item but that was about the size of a backpack. we saw a few confused people trying to bring two items, saying their backpack was a handbag, but that counts as your one with them. also they let people that pay for the carryons board first and stow their bags. they then close up the bins and leave the leftover space for those that didnt pay. check the exact measurments first to make sure you dont end up with a disaster.

to save space i bring some samples, one pouch of shampoo/conditioner is enough to last a week and i just toss at the end of the week. if you have a DDP the food will be enough, you can often get sides such as bags of fruit that you can take as a snack later in the day, so dont bother to pack a lot of snacks. some people i know also save space by bringing clothes they are ready to toss...that tee with holes you can wear as pjs and just toss at the end of the trip to make room for souvenirs.

 

[Kiwini]

Eh, a day pack that fastens on to a suitcase can easily be considered by the airline to be a second piece of luggage, especially when everybody is trying to squeeze as much as possible into the cabin to avoid luggage fees.

While this works for the poster above and still allows him to take a personal item, it's probably best for other airline passengers to consider an attachable luggage item as a separate piece.

"If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas”

 

[mtblujeans]

This thread has me thinking about trying our next Orlando trip as 'carry on only' but I can't get around the toiletry limits! I could get all of our clothes into those vacuum bags but not all the liquids.

Good luck on your efforts, MommyBell08!

 

[juliefsu]

watch Pack Like a Pro on You Tube. Amazing what he can get into a bag and shows you how to pack efficiently.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

The nice thing about carry on only is you don't have to worry about the weight of your bag.

Yes, you do. There is a weight limit for carry-on bags. I once had a carry-on bag taken from me by a ticket agent at Lufthansa at the Munich airport and was made to check it because it was too heavy.

I almost always do carry-on only, even though I have status on the airline I fly most frequently and can check 2 bags for free. No waiting at the luggage carousel and no chance that my bag will be lost.

Mine has a matching daypack that fastens on, so gives you an extra bag without having to have an extra bag. Just don't stuff it too full to fit into an overhead.

This is considered by the airlines to be two bags. Hooking one bag onto another does not make it one bag!

 

[maggiew]

I recommend bringing those Purex 3in1 laundry sheets to do laundry. You throw it in the washer as the detergent and then in the dryer as the dryer sheet. They take up like NO room and were very convenient. I'm glad I threw a few in my suitcase when we went to Disney. I ended up doing laundry when I hadn't planned on it because it rained a lot (like every day), so we changed more often than usual.

Maggie

 

[Fly4free]

We've done carryons.... here are my tips

1- wear the biggest pair of shoes on the plane, but be sure to pack a 2nd pair in your suitcase. IT IS WORTH IT.

2- plan on doing laundry at the resort. We used the laundry facilities at ASMU for the very first time last trip and it was FINE! We packed half as many clothes as we normally would have just so we COULD use the laundry (and have room for souvies!)

3- stuff underwear and socks into the little spaces in between where the roller handle is stored in the suitcase. This makes for a nice flat packing surface.

4- Remember that you can take a carry on suitcase AND a personal bag.

YES! It is very possible. It is my preference to not check bags. It has gotten a bit harder with the whole liquids restriction though. I have traveled with my kids and each one takes their own rollerboard and a backpack. In your case, DH will be pulling your 2 yr old's, and yours too? You can hang your backpacks on the stroller...just don't let it tip your little one in the stroller over.

Remember carry on bags weight limit is 40 lbs. (per the FAA). I thought the idea of an extra foldable duffle bag for the way back was a good idea.

Also you will need to give yourself a lot of extra time to clear security and manuever to your gate on time. The trade off may not be worth not checking a bag. I find even with carry on I tend to pack more than I needed. Good Luck!

 

[NotUrsula]

Whether or not carryon weight is enforced tends to depend on the airline and the market; most US domestic carriers will not weigh carryons, but some will, and if you are flying on a commuter aircraft or prop plane all bets are off.

IME, the most difficult thing to downsize into carryon, other than heavy denim, is men's cotton underclothing (well, I'm not counting full shoes; with those you just don't bring extras if you can help it.) Traditional tighty-whities and socks are both bulky and heavy. If your DH and any sons will agree to invest in some technical-fiber undies for travel, then you'll definitely have more space.

I actually don't recommend trying to go carryon-only with young kids if you can help it -- it's better to have your hands free as much as possible. Besides that, with littles it is wise to reserve your carryon space for "airport survival supplies" (including food/water) in case of airsickness and/or a long tarmac delay.

 

[princessofcandles]

- I bought one of the Scottevest/SeV vests yesterday - I hadn't heard about them until I went to the luggage store. I'll be trying it out in 9 days! It has 22 pockets, and the tag says "It's like a bonus carry-on" - you wear it to the airport, take it off to go through the scanner, put it back on. Any clothing with a pocket big enough for an iPad, and 21 left over is OK by me. .

Scottevest question. I'm not trying to scam or get away with anything. This is just a question. I understand you take the garment off at security. Do you have to take anything out of the pockets or do you just toss it in the bin? Also, when wearing at the parks to you still go through the security like with a bag or do you bypass the line? I'm just trying not to break rules.

Thanks!