Family of 4- do you check a bag or do carryons?

[pigletto]

Pack a suitcase. Also pack each person a carry-on with enough clothes for two outfits, all medications needed, chargers for cell phones, reservation info, and swimsuits.
If your bag gets delayed you have enough clothing and anything important you may need.

We're a family of four and we take 3 suitcases and carry ons. One is mostly empty but we bring souvenirs back in it.
My packing would give your dh a heart attack.

 

[vacationclub]

Hanging around at the airport to see if our bag was in the next flight, driving in the heavy rain when they closed MCO, getting sick in our hotel room half the night ( we think from the Chili's at MCO). They weren't sure when we would get our bags so we had to go out to a Target that was running in generators and taking cash only to get more clothes after the storm. We ended up getting our bags at 3 am the next morning. Kinda put a damper on the start of our vacation.

Didn't the airline say they would deliver your bag? They lost it, they are responsible to get it to you.

I can understand driving in heavy rain....but it's Central Florida....that happens almost every day in the summer.

Getting sick from Chili's had nothing to do with a Hurricane. (how ironic that I mentioned food poisoning in an early post)

You didn't take ANY clothes in your carry on?

3am the next morning? So, you were without your bag for less than a day. Did they deliver it?

All of this can happen without any hurricane, and much could be avoided by packing as if you will lose your bag for a day. And, I'm not sure that the hurricane had anything to do with the bag getting lost to begin with.

So back to your OP; checking or not checking a bag, or sending a care package ahead of time. Neither will do anything to prevent any of the things you mentioned that happened before. Just pack a bag, pay the small fee, and put important stuff inside your carry on.....just in case....you have to live without the checked bag for a while.

 

[Southernswthrt]

Quite frankly, I would tell him the same thing I would tell a child that was acting up before we left for the trip.

"Either get with the program, stop worrying about things that may never happen or stay home."

I totally agree!!! and this is why my DH stays home! Though not anal about luggage - just completely childish and stubborn about things that don't really matter and makes everyone else miserable!

I must be one of the only people who actually LIKES to check in bags! Sometimes I even throw caution to the wind and won't pack one suit of clothes in the carry on!

 

[nilseks]

We are a family of 4 and we pack light, for a few simple reasons--I don't want to lug tons of stuff around, and I don't want to pay to check bags.

For our 8 day trip last December, we had 4 carry-ons, one backpack, and my purse. The backpack and my purse each contained a quart size ziploc with our toiletry item. My boys are 8 and 11 so their clothes are getting bigger, but I still had room to get each of their clothes in their own carry-on. This is how I do it...

-We all wore our coats onto the plane. We needed a coat in case it was cool, since it was December. Obviously since you are going in a few weeks, that's one less thing you'll have to worry about.
-We all wore our gym shoes onto the plane, since those are bulkier than sandals. We each had our sandals in our own carry-on, outside pocket.
-Since we were going for 8 days, I packed five outfits for each of us. That was shorts and tees, but I also packed 2 pairs of pants for each person in case it got cold. I planned to do laundry halfway through but packed one more outfit to each beyond the halfway mark, in case the boys got an outfit really dirty, didn't have time to do laundry at the halfway point, etc. Obviously the key to that is you need access to laundry, but most places do.

Obviously you don't have to worry about cold weather so it should be even easier for you. If you're going in a few weeks it's going to be very, very hot and sticky. You won't want to be wearing tons of clothes, lol, pack the lightest clothes you have! You may want to pack a few extra shirts because it will be so damp, but summer tees and tanks take up very little room in a suitcase.

If it were me, I would easily be able to fit everything for a ten day summer trip into 4 carry-ons (knowing I would be doing laundry). Now getting home a ton of souvenirs...that's another story!

 

[MinnieLee]

We are a family of 4 and we stay 10 days. We checked 3 suitcases last year and had 2 carry on suitcases and 4 personal bags. This year we plan to check 4 bags. Of course, one carryon was for just our MNSSHP costumes.

What adorable kids!

I love that your carry on was your MNSSHP costumes not a check in bag! Can't lose those!!!

 

[Gorechick]

I pretty much decided to pack one large bag and check it and bring 2 wheeled carry- ons. One carry- on will have my kids costumes for character meals, BBB, and PL plus some surprise welcome gifts I bought ahead of time. If DH wants to stuff his duffel because he's worried then so be it. Do I need to worry about my checked bag getting rifled through? I used to lock bags but now you can't do that. It'll only have clothes and shoes but you never know.

 

[vacationclub]

Do I need to worry about my checked bag getting rifled through? I used to lock bags but now you can't do that. It'll only have clothes and shoes but you never know.

Yes, that's one more thing you need to "worry" about. The TSA has the right to open and inspect your bag. So, pack with that assumption, don't put valuables in there, just clothes and stuff most people won't bother stealing. They will leave you a note saying they were in the bag if they inspect it. I have a small collection of these I've accumulated over the years.

You can lock your bag but need a TSA lock. They have a special logo, and you can buy them at any place that sells travel supplies. TSA can open it with a special key that puts an indicator on the lock that it was opened by them until you clear it by opening with the real key. Or, just zip-tie it. If they want to get into your bag they will cut the zip-tie, but if not, your bag has one more level of security to make the potential airport baggage handler thief ignore your bag. I travel with gear in a pelican hard case. I zip-tie it. The case has all sorts of wires and funny looking metal items. Most of the time the zip-tie is still secure when I get the case.

I've heard reports of people putting TSA locks on the bags and they get to the other side and the locks are missing....more gifts at Christmas for TSA children. Happened twice to someone I know while I was travelling with him...and he lost 2 locks off the same bag (case). That's why I use zip ties.

 

[Gorechick]

I'm think I'm also going to use pack mates. The plastic bags you roll the air out of. I've read here on the boards that they not only organize and save space but TSA likes them too cause you can see there's nothing unusual in the bag.

I understand and support the need for airline safety but man, it used to be so much easier before bag checks, bag limits, and bag fees.

 

[vacationclub]

I'm think I'm also going to use pack mates. The plastic bags you roll the air out of. I've read here on the boards that they not only organize and save space but TSA likes them too cause you can see there's nothing unusual in the bag.

I've used them, and they do let you pack tighter, but you need a vacuum to suck the air out in the hotel. And, the bags are sometimes only good for one use. And, it doesn't get the weight down, just the air.

Not sure about TSA caring about their use....they have X-rays, they don't really care about a plastic bag as they can already see into your bag anyway. The fact that they are in plastic bags doesn't change the fact that you do, or do not, have anything "unusual" in your luggage. They are looking for dense metal reflections with certain shapes or characteristics, and clothing is about the least of their concerns.

I understand and support the need for airline safety but man, it used to be so much easier before bag checks, bag limits, and bag fees.

-There have always been bag checks, that's not new, at least not for many years.
-There are no bag limits, you can take as many as you want to pay for.
-Bag fees are new, but have nothing to do with the situations we're discussing in terms of losing bags, getting opened, etc. etc. That is all still the same.

 

[Svhadden]

My DH is also a Weather Channel junkie . But we're in the New Orleans area, he was born and raised here, so I sort of get it haha! We've had to evacuate days before our WDW vacay at least twice, and ridden out two tropical storms while there in the past. We're flying in toward evening, so I'm packing a change of clothes in our carryons just in case we don't get our luggage until the next day. No toiletries, just clothes for the night and next day.

As I said, I totally get the weather paranoid spouse. I travel with one, too .

 

[smitch425]

What adorable kids!

I love that your carry on was your MNSSHP costumes not a check in bag! Can't lose those!!!

Thanks.

Last year our MNSSHP was on the 3rd day of our trip. I didn't want to risk any baggage delays, so I kept them with us. We will check 4 bags this year and probably still have 2 carry ons. At least one of the carry ons will be costumes again.

 

[poppypetal]

Our plans this year are checking 2 and carrying on 2. We have to pay for luggage going, so trying to keep it minimal. Coming home we have free bags, so if we buy enough souvenirs we need an extra bag, we'll buy one while away

 

[mieuxmew]

I may be in the minority but I actually like to send a box 1 week ahead of time. We stay at Marriott vacation club so wee need a few extra items. I ship a small box with small heavy times or things we buy in bulk. A 20 pound box is about $15 ( and less on return). We get a confirmation the box arrived. Things I like to ship include shampoo, conditioner, soap, razor, shaving cream, laundry detergent, coffee, kitchen knife, sunscreen, paper plates, cups, toothbrushes, toothpaste, Splenda packets, crystal light packets, scissors, a few snack items etc. there is a FedEx/Kinkos near Downtown Disney. I just give them my Fedex account number. No TSA hassles. Less crap to deal with at the airport. Makes packing the night before much easier, as the odds and ends are already there waiting for us, as we receive a confirmation.

 

[Gorechick]

I'm planning to send out my box a week early too. Undecided if I'm sending USPS or UPS. Have to get the lowdown from my friends on the POR thread.

 

[Minnesota!]

We are a family of 4 and honestly, we COULD do the carry on only route. What prevents me from doing so is needing liquids in my bags (body spray, lotion, etc). and my DH's gigantic feet - he has a spare pair of shoes he brings with and if we put them in a carry on...there wouldn't be much room for anything else.

We do laundry 1x 1/2 way through.

Each kid has a carryon, and DH and I have 1 together. Then I have my backsack.

I would NOT be worried, as your DH is, about losing luggage or it being delayed. Just pack what you would need for the first 24 hours or so in a carryon, and check your big bag.