01-15-2024, 09:51 AM
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#1
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Scoring Winger
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: The Windy City
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Tips for Carry-On
I couldn't find any other thread with this info, but if i'm wrong, please point me in the wrong direction.
I put it out to the CP Brain trust who travels all the time. As someone who is starting to travel more, i'm trying to move to carry-on only. Any tips/tricks that help you with carry on for week long vacations would be appreciated. I'm also looking at getting a new suitcase and have been looking at the Briggs & Riley. Does it make that much of a difference to pay the price or are the cheaper options just as good?
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01-15-2024, 10:00 AM
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#2
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Franchise Player
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I prefer to travel only with a carry-on, but with a wife and her junk it's not possible anymore. If you go that route, obviously want to make sure your liquids and such are properly packaged and whatever items you are supposed to check, not carry with you. Because it's a carry on, I don't see the need to pay for something premium that needs a lot of protection since it's in the cabin with you. Just my opinion, but I'd rather pay more for a strong baggage that is going to be tossed in the plane's storage, then pay extra for something that can be put in an overhead bin.
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01-15-2024, 10:06 AM
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#3
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Franchise Player
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Unless you are a frequent traveler or have money to burn I wouldn't spend a lot of money on a carryon. There are lots of good options around $150 or less when on sale. The expensive stuff has better build quality/materials and warranty but that usually only becomes beneficial if you are travelling a lot.
This is usually a feature of the more expensive carry-ons but look for one with the telescoping handle rails on the exterior as that provides a flat interior and more room to pack things inside.
Last edited by calgarygeologist; 01-15-2024 at 10:08 AM.
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01-15-2024, 10:24 AM
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#4
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Franchise Player
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brocoli
I couldn't find any other thread with this info, but if i'm wrong, please point me in the wrong direction.
I put it out to the CP Brain trust who travels all the time. As someone who is starting to travel more, i'm trying to move to carry-on only. Any tips/tricks that help you with carry on for week long vacations would be appreciated. I'm also looking at getting a new suitcase and have been looking at the Briggs & Riley. Does it make that much of a difference to pay the price or are the cheaper options just as good?
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Buying a good bag that compartmentalizes well is nice. But honestly you can get around it if it doesn't have those features. Just make sure your bag is durable and maneuvers well. Don't blow crazy money on a set up.
At first, budget $20-30 a trip to replace things (ie: shavers etc.) and just consider it half the cost of the check in luggage savings. Do this for the first half a dozen trips until you get the hang of it or find alternatives that can pass through security without major headaches.
Some people swear by luggage cubes, but don't feel like you have to spend a lot because you can DIY for cheap. DIY cheaper version is just grabbing a bunch of L size freezer bags and compartmentalizing things by category (ie: under garments, medication, cables, documents etc.) so you can quickly pull things out and put things back in case of a security check and not have snags or require refolding stuff etc. Superstore also has a PC brand XL freezer bag that is bigger than the L sized can fit things up to the size of a binder with room to spare. I think L size freezer bags max out at tablet sized items, so for letter sized docs, you always have to fold. You can even buy storage bags that you can vacuum out the air, but that's overkill and pointless IMO. I always bring extra L and XL freezer bags in case a bag explodes, or I want to compartmentalize further or my travel companions need some. It's also useful for water proofing certain things internally/externally.
The liquids and gels in those freezer bags is extremely useful. Even if one explodes, then it's limited inside that bag (usually) vs ruining everything else in the bag.
Charging cables/wires etc. in a freezer bag make it so much easier for organizing, less snagging and pulling out the wrong stuff when you want one item.
Use both the carry on and personal bag allotment you have. Also add on a fanny pack to quick load all important documents at certain stages.
It's always easier to reach to a fanny pack for the travel documents/money vs spinning bags around and digging into compartments IMO. A fanny pack also allows you that extra bag and I often empty my pockets in the security line into the fanny pack and I can quick unload all my pockets into the tub and then quick grab all my pocket contents (fanny pack) and slowly rearrange them back into my pockets away from the crowded security area.
Jackets/sweaters, pay the premium and get ones that are durable and easy to compress. Down vests that you can compress to the size of a water bottle are more space efficient than certain jackets and sweaters taking 2-5x the space.
I use small carabiners or S clips on the zippers to keep the zippers from opening on their own when moving about or squashed under the seat/overhead bin. I keep a couple extras in case they break or another travel companion has a bag that keeps opening on its own. S clips are more durable than small spring carabiners in my experience. I also have 2-3 full sized carabiners that I can clip to the outside of my personal bag (backpack) that I can use to clip bigger jackets or even plastic bags (ie: duty free bags) to increase my hands free or avoid the extra things sliding all over the place. I used to keep a match boxed sized reusable bag inside that I could clip, but I never found I used it often enough for it to make sense to keep bringing. I don't always like putting what I purchased into a cramped bag in case the item is fragile, which is why having it outside is a nice option to have.
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01-15-2024, 10:26 AM
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#5
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Income Tax Central
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Carry on? Carry on? Is there going to be a party on the plane?
__________________
The Beatings Shall Continue Until Morale Improves!
This Post Has Been Distilled for the Eradication of Seemingly Incurable Sadness.
If you are flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a Fire Exit. - Mitch Hedberg
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01-15-2024, 10:53 AM
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#6
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Toronto, Ontario
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Seriously though it depends on the destination. With sun destinations I always overpack and find I use a third of what I bring. So I started doing carryons only. Most places you go will have sunscreen you can buy or shampoo you can buy so it doesn’t make sense to pay for check in.
One thing to keep in mind is you’re generally allowed a carry on and a personal item. So make your personal item count. I normally bring a duffel bag and a regular size knapsack. If you really need to bring liquids go to your local dollar store and buy a few of those containers under 75ml. You’ll be fine.
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01-15-2024, 10:56 AM
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#7
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First Line Centre
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What's the limit on liquids and rechargable batteries for carry on these days?
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01-15-2024, 11:06 AM
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#8
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SW Calgary
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Locke
Carry on? Carry on? Is there going to be a party on the plane?
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Get on the plane? #### you, I'm getting in the plane
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01-15-2024, 11:23 AM
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#9
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Calgary - Centre West
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DoubleF
Buying a good bag that compartmentalizes well is nice. But honestly you can get around it if it doesn't have those features. Just make sure your bag is durable and maneuvers well. Don't blow crazy money on a set up.
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I managed to snag the Bugatti Oslo set of 3 when it was just $499 CAD. The compartments are friggin' awesome on this thing, you have three small zipped compartments on the right-hand side (top compartment is not pictured) and a clear compartment on the left side, plus it can be fully zipped closed in case you have stuff you don't want intermingling with the other side (this is how I usually separate my clean vs dirty stuff after a trip). It's expandable, and the wheels are buttery smooth and whisper quiet. It makes my Zero Halliburton ZTex carry-on look pedestrian by comparison, and the ZH was ~$400 when I bought it brand new in 2013, though I think the ZH polycarbonate is thicker and has definitely taken its share of beatings without cracking. The cheapest you could get a carry-on size like mine is in the Birmingham for $200.
Hard-sided luggage really is the way to go IMHO.
__________________
-James
GO FLAMES GO.
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01-15-2024, 11:26 AM
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#10
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Calgary, AB
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For a bag, I bought this a few years ago and it has been great: https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/carry-on-backpack
It soft-sided and doesn't have a rigid frame, so it's easy to squeeze into the overhead. It doesn't have wheels, but it does have stowable straps that let you carry it like a backpack. I use a shoulder strap instead because I don't like it being behind me where I can't see if someone is messing with it.
What I like about this compared to a regular backpack is it lies flat and folds open like a regular suitcase. Also, it doesn't have rounded edges like backpacks, so it maximizes the interior space in the carry-on size.
It has ample pocket on the front for easy access to things you need while you're in-transit while keeping your clothes safely in the main compartment.
Not having wheels can be annoying when you're carrying it around, but it encourages you to pack light. Also, in old cities in Europe, the uneven sidewalks and cobblestones can be a hassle to navigate with wheeled luggage.
__________________
Turn up the good, turn down the suck!
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01-15-2024, 11:27 AM
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#11
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Income Tax Central
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Quote:
Originally Posted by btimbit
Get on the plane? #### you, I'm getting in the plane
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Let Evel Knievel get on the plane! Less wind in here!
__________________
The Beatings Shall Continue Until Morale Improves!
This Post Has Been Distilled for the Eradication of Seemingly Incurable Sadness.
If you are flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a Fire Exit. - Mitch Hedberg
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01-15-2024, 11:32 AM
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#12
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Barnet - North London
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Don’t go expensive with a carry on case. The key thing is to have as much space as possible in the interior with the maximum dimensions allowed by the airline.
Once you’ve got the case, to maximise what you get in it, you could vacuum pack your clothes. Doing this, maximises the amount of clothes you fit in and helps protect against creasing. You could get something like this : https://www.amazon.ca/Spacesaver-Han...1zcF9hdGY&th=1
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01-15-2024, 11:52 AM
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#14
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SW Calgary
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Locke
Let Evel Knievel get on the plane! Less wind in here!
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Non-stop flight? No, I insist that my flight stop. Preferably at an airport
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01-15-2024, 11:54 AM
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#15
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First Line Centre
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I had a Heys carry on and it had a 10-year warranty. About the 9 and a half years after purchase, I cracked the outer hard shell probably because I overstuffed it and tried to zip it up. They still honoured the warranty and gave me a brand new carry on case as a replacement.
I am not sure if Heys still have 10-year warranties, I think theirs are 5 years now. But still, they should be a good brand to consider given their great warranty program...
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01-15-2024, 12:01 PM
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#16
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Income Tax Central
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Quote:
Originally Posted by btimbit
Non-stop flight? No, I insist that my flight stop. Preferably at an airport
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Its those unscheduled cornfield and housing development stops that ruin the flow my day!
__________________
The Beatings Shall Continue Until Morale Improves!
This Post Has Been Distilled for the Eradication of Seemingly Incurable Sadness.
If you are flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a Fire Exit. - Mitch Hedberg
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01-15-2024, 02:44 PM
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#17
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Powerplay Quarterback
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brocoli
I couldn't find any other thread with this info, but if i'm wrong, please point me in the wrong direction.
I put it out to the CP Brain trust who travels all the time. As someone who is starting to travel more, i'm trying to move to carry-on only. Any tips/tricks that help you with carry on for week long vacations would be appreciated. I'm also looking at getting a new suitcase and have been looking at the Briggs & Riley. Does it make that much of a difference to pay the price or are the cheaper options just as good?
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We have had a Briggs & Riley "carry on" bag for over 10 years and it still looks new. I put "carry on" in quotes because when we first got it luggage charges weren't like they are now so we were able to use it as a carry on and didn't get any hassle. I measured it one day and it's definitely too big to fit the criteria any more, but we still use it as checked luggage because it's pretty awesome organization wise. In 2008 we went to Europe for 3 weeks using only carry on. It was a bit of a pain, but it showed you how little you really need to get by instead of packing everything "just in case". I remember buying toothpaste in the Rome airport right after we landed and we used it the whole trip. The funniest part was in Florence we washed a bunch of clothes in the sink with this travel laundry soap stuff and then hung stuff all over the room to let it dry. We came back from dinner and walking around to find all our clothes now on a drying rack in the middle of the room. My wife was mortified to see all the underwear on there! If I'd known they had a drying rack I would have asked for it. I went to apologize to the owners but they seemed like this was a regular occurrence so it was no big deal.
__________________
Sent from an adult man under a dumpster
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01-15-2024, 02:59 PM
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#18
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Toronto
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Look up 'Compression Pack' and invest in one of those - they are awesome. You'll be able to pack way more and they also keep your clothes relatively wrinkle-free.
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01-15-2024, 03:02 PM
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#19
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Van City - Main St.
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Put your carry on in the overhead compartment lengthwise.
Don't turn it sideways and take up extra space like a turd.
Don't put your jacket up there beside it taking more space.
Don't put a grocery bag of extra stuff that didn't fit in your carry on up there beside that.
If you can't conform to this list, you need to check a suitcase and stop pretending you only need a carry on.
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01-15-2024, 09:52 PM
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#20
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Franchise Player
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I have the Travelpro Maxlite 5 and have been really happy with it. When we switched to carry-on only I spent some time in airports watching what pilots/FAs used, and consistently saw that little eiffel tower logo. I figure they'd buy quality without wanting to spend $$ on branding/non-essentials. It isn't the very cheapest but isn't super expensive either.
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