Tips for Carry-On

[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?

[Huntingwhale]

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.

[calgarygeologist]

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.

[DoubleF]

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?

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.

[Locke]

Carry on? Carry on? Is there going to be a party on the plane?

[bluejays]

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.

[lazypucker]

What's the limit on liquids and rechargable batteries for carry on these days?

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Locke

Carry on? Carry on? Is there going to be a party on the plane?

Get on the plane? #### you, I'm getting in the plane

[TorqueDog]

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.

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.

[getbak]

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.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Get on the plane? #### you, I'm getting in the plane

Let Evel Knievel get on the plane! Less wind in here!

[Barnet Flame]

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

[Cappy]

Couple of points:

1. check the dimensions. More and more people are using carry-on and i have found the airlines are starting to get stricter on their dimension limits. Make sure it can work on both large planes and regional flights if that is an issue.

2. Compression straps. These are super helpful when trying to cram in more close. Most bags have these.

3. Pack light and wear big clothes on plane. This goes without saying but i mess it up all the time still. The amount of clothes you will wear on any vacation is less than you will pack. Also, try to wear pants/sweater/ your big coat on the plane to save space. Bulkiest shoes? wear 'em on the plane.

4. Don't pack outfits; go basic. You aren't an influencer. Pick basic clothes that can work with everything in your bag. Be prepared to wear something more than once and make sure you can mix and match. Do you need nice clothes for fancy dinners? go with a pair of pants, one shirt, and an unstructured jacket or sweater. Can wear multiple times.

5. Travel sized toiletries; place them in your personal item in a plastic bag. Save time. Also, every place on the planet has stores where you can buy toiletries. Don't sweat it.

Beach vacations are easy. Less clothing all around, and in reality, unless you are doing a ton of strenuous activities, you are wearing clothes multiple days.

Colder weather vacations are harder, but can be done. Prioritize layers over chunky clothing.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Locke

Let Evel Knievel get on the plane! Less wind in here!

Non-stop flight? No, I insist that my flight stop. Preferably at an airport

[lazypucker]

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...

[Locke]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Non-stop flight? No, I insist that my flight stop. Preferably at an airport

Its those unscheduled cornfield and housing development stops that ruin the flow my day!

[darockwilder]

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?

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.

[activeStick]

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.

[Winsor_Pilates]

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.

[bizaro86]

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.