1-month of London trip in a carry-on?

Why not sent the gifts ahead of time via UPS, FedEx, or DHL? That would free up a lot of your luggage space. Couldn't be expensive if they will all fit in half your carry on. Then too, you will probably have to unwrap any gifts if TSA wants to take a look in the bag. Just a thought to "increase" the available space for clothing. TC

I agree with TC- ship the gifts. Then- plan on layers and have everything coordinate with everything else - check posts in the packing section for lots of tips and suggested lists. Also, wear your heaviest layers on the plane. You can also purchase things there.

Airlines generally allow you to have one small "personal" item like a purse, briefcase, or rucksack in addition to your main carry-on suitcase. Can you carry on some or all of your gifts in such a bag? You'd be like Santa, with gifts in a bag slung over your shoulder!

As a side note, remember not to wrap your Christmas gifts.

Oh, dear, the angst and the agony of trying to do carry-on in spite of everything.

You are going for a month with Xmas gifts. What's the obsession with checking a bag? Carry-on the essential, valuable and fragile stuff and check the rest. You are going for a month and apparently base camped with a family. Are you on one of the super economy carriers that charge for checked baggage?

Yes. Wear or carry outerwear in case checked bag is delayed.

Thanks all for the suggestions so far!

@TC: Personally I don't really feel the need to spend on just shipping a few small gifts ahead of time when I can carry them with me and not spend a penny. Thanks for the tip anyway.

@Cyn: Those are good tips, my gifts are probably small enough for me to carry around in a small rucksack. I'll also probably have to unwrap my gifts -- it's good to know they might unwrap them to see what's inside.

@emma/Edgar: I don't have a medium size luggage. It's either a huge 30" x 22" x 10" luggage or the small carry-on I have. So I would rather not lug around the huge one on the tube (I have to go all the way to east end of zone 3 so I will be changing lines at least 2-3 times). Since I was already going to use my carry-on, I don't see the point of checking it in and have the chance of getting out of the airport quicker (I still have to go through passport control - I'm not a visa-free visitor so this process will definitely take a long time). Laundry doesn't take that long to do either, doing it at least once a week is not a hassle to me.

Oh - most likely they will open anything wrapped - travelling with my mom in Sept and she had a magnet she bought that was wrapped in bubble wrap and tied in a small plastic bag - yup - it came out and was opened! I will say the lady checking it was very careful unwrapping it (my mom tied this darn tight knot in the bag!)...but to save time, best to have things out of bags/wrap, and if there is bubble wrap involved, don't have it all taped up...

Okay, because of the character limit, this will be in two posts. Sorry about that!!

We spent 32 days in England, Wales and Scotland (entire month of May into June). I wanted my wardrobe to be able to fit different occasions, venues and weather conditions. We also decided to do only carry-on luggage. I kept my colors coordinated and went with black and royal blue (black hides any stains easier!). Fabrics had to breathe, be easy to wash/dry and no-wrinkle (if possible). I wanted a clean, classic look without anything that screamed tourist or “notice-me”! My clothing took me from London museums, sightseeing and fine dining > long drives > country walking > castle-climbing > nicer restaurants > and more.

We had rain, sun and even saw snow in the Lake District. We spent a week in London at a higher-end hotel in Kensington. After leaving London, we took the train to Cardiff and then rented our car to travel throughout the entire country (east-to-west, north-to-south). Meals were in nicer restaurants, pubs and picnics. We drove and walked, did the museums and manor houses, gardens and villages.

Everything I brought lived up to my hopes and beyond. I didn’t over-pack, nor did I find the need to buy anything. I never felt underdressed. These items will be my standard for all future, longer-term travel.

For the record, I am: female, 55 years old, 5’2” & 130 lbs., travelling with my husband and our 15 year old son (they both packed for themselves and made the same positive packing choices).

The carry-on baggage is the only way to go!! We were already on our way into London while the other passengers from our flight were in the baggage pick-up area, awaiting their luggage! It was also very easy to pull as we travelled on the Tube and walked to our hotel (only a block away from the Tube station).

We packed and adjusted our suitcases multiple times prior to our trip. It really made things easier. Using our regular bathroom scale kept us way under the baggage allowance for BA.

On the plane, I wore: Comfortable blue jeans; an Eddie Bauer longsleeve, no-iron cotton shirt (which coordinated with everything I brought); an Eddie Bauer cotton, lightweight cardigan sweater in blue; merino wool socks in black and Keen slip-on clogs (black).

I used my inexpensive, 4-wheeled carry-on suitcase, packed weight = 24 lbs (with room enough for return souvenirs).

My reply, PART II

In my carry-on:
(1) Ex Offico Athena Saavy Slacks, black (I removed the drawstring and added elastic)
(1) Carhartt Ripstop Scrub Pants, black (added tighter elastic to waist and more belt loops)
(1) Black Costco Kirkland Jeans
(2) Short sleeve cotton T-shirts, black & royal
Woolrich Travel long sleeve shirt in a crinkly, no-iron fabric, white/royal/black plaid
Foxcroft Travel shirt, short sleeve, no-iron fabric, white w/royal & yellow Provence print
Black, merino wool socks (thick and worked with my shoes perfectly), 4 pairs
Cotton underwear, 4 pairs, 1 Cotton camisole, black, 2 bras
Lightweight blue cotton pullover sweater
Victorian cotton nightgown (batiste packs wonderfully flat!)
The following were packed in a vacuum bag and it really made for more room in the case:
Polar fleece vest, royal blue
Columbia water-resistant windbreaker, bright red (good for wearing in crowds!)
Eddie Bauer men’s travel vest, khaki (great for when you don't want to haul a bag, loads of pockets!)
Fingerless gloves, 1 pair
Waxed cotton baseball cap, knit cap and polar fleece headband.

Also in the carry-on:
Toiletries I didn’t want to buy overseas: toothpaste & face cream (fitted into purchased, silicone, travel-sized containers); crystal deodorant; powder, concealer & lip balm; migraine pills; antacids; glucose tablets; my one RX (and a printed copy of the RX); comb & brush, curling iron & washrag.
Extra AA batteries for my camera: NOTE: Needed waaaay more than I brought! Dh & ds both had rechargeable batteries in their cameras.

In my over-the-shoulder carry-on bag:

Cell phone (old-school, NOT an iphone!)
Cheap mp3 player & ear buds
Small Eddie Bauer travel purse, doubled as carry-on wallet (contained my DL, credit card, son’s ID, pen & note paper)
Point and shoot camera (has video capabilities, which I never even used) plus a spare SD card (I like to take pictures!)
GPS (with the SD card of Great Britain, purchased from Amazon, just prior to our trip)
Dramamine, Ginger & Sea-Bands products for nausea (happily, I didn’t need any of these!)
Passports and vital travel info (schedules, confirmations, plans, etc)
Travel books, 4 (Rick Steves’ England, Lonely Planet Great Britain, Back Roads Great Britain, Birds of Britain)
Notebook, pen & pre-addressed stickers to put on purchased postcards (didn’t want to take an address book)

We never had any difficulties going through security or customs. We followed the packing requirements to the letter and, in using the vacuum bags, everything was neat and tidy. Nobody even opened the bags.

Personally, I would never bother wrapping gifts, just to save the possibilities of having to unwrap anything.

Hope this helps!

equatorer,

if London is your end of the line, i really wouldn't worry about "waiting at baggage claim" for my luggage. I only worry when i have short connections where my luggage may not make the connection. But thats how I'm wired.

I think your luggage is on the smaller size of what is allowed for your international flight. If you want to, you can find a larger (maximum allowed) and go from there.

Also, as mentioned you can ship stuff home. Believe it or not, the UK has a postal service. you can look up rates on their Royalmail web site. Just a note, the UK isn't the lease expensive place to ship stuff from to the USA. the Royalmail also has their own version of the "Priority Mail boxes" so you dont have to hunt for any boxes to ship stuff back home.

You can also bring or buy a 2nd piece of luggage to "check in" on your way home. Usually you are allowed one free "check in" piece, but i would check with the airline you will be using. I would stuff that "check in" with all of your gifts/souvenirs. Also, you can donate/dump your clothes on your way back home to make more room for other stuff. You can also dump your consumables on your way out if you care to. It won't be a lot of space saved, but you can look at what you will have and free up.

wearing your most bulky clothes is a good way to free up space. Also, since you will be there for a long time, i would just buy most of the personal/consumables overthere. that way you can shop for those things along with your gifts and goodies to bring home at the same time.

happy trails

@Leslie: Thank you for such a detailed response and helpful tips! I know the fact that 1-month trip with just a carry on is possible because I have studied abroad for 1.5 months in Netherlands and France with just one carry-on (it was during the summer months). But I wasn't sure with London this time because it can get cold and damp, plus I'm packing a number of Christmas gifts inside.

@Ray: I see your point, but I'd rather not invest in a medium-sized carry-on and use what I have.

There is a website that will give you as much detail as you might possibly want about packing light. I did not notice that anyone else had mentioned it, but sorry if I'm repeating.
OneBag.com
A non-commercial site totally devoted to why to pack light, what to pack to go light, and how to pack it. I will simply say that I am a details freak and I was in heaven reading this website.

One month of London trip in a carry-on? Yes, absolutely.

"The dimension of my carry on is about 19" x 15" x 8".
In that I would pack:
1. Two shirts-dressy or casual, your choice.
2. Two pullover sweaters-thin wool or cotton, not bulky ski sweaters.
3. One knit long sleeved polo shirt or cotton turtleneck.
4. Two to three pair slacks.
5. Pair of good walking shoes, such as New Balance, with good support
6. Add underwear, socks and nightwear, toothbrush, and guidebook/maps, and you're done.
7. Tuck gifts NOT WRAPPED in among the layers of clothing.

Electronics can be carried in a purse or tote bag.
"I'm already considering wearing my winter coat and boots on flight to save space."--YES!

There are some great YouTube videos on how to pack a lot into a small carry-on. Many of the posters are business travelers who need suits, shoes, and lots of other clothes for long trips. Google "pack a carry on for a month" and you'll get some amazing tips and strategies for making it all fit!

As someone who has regularly traveled a wide variety of places and detests checking a bag, I certainly understand the advantage of walking off the airplane and just going. That said ...

Since London is the end of the line for you, you arent worried about making a connection and your bag being lost in the process.

I would consider mailing gifts, even now.

If you are just going to stick with hand luggage (err, carry-on), make the clothing you bring able to mix and match to get max use out of it. Sweaters that you can dress down in jeans and dress up in slacks, same for shirts, shirts that you can wear with all your trousers, etc. Wearing your winter coat is a good idea. For your toiletries, bring the bare minimum you need since you'll be here for a month. The vast majority of major brands you find Stateside, you can find here in the UK - they just take up space and weight. Also, make sure whatever top layer you have as a coat is either waterproof or at least water resistant. Winters here in the UK can be grey, cold and wet. Getting a 'disposable' 2GBP umbrella from a tourist shop once you get here might not be a bad idea.

Lots of good advice here.

I would definitely recommend picking clothes that go together in multiple ways. Pick out the clothes and then lay them out to see how they look.

I've also found that it's best to stick with polyester, nylon, silk and other thin fabrics. Avoiding cotton especially, and bulky wool. For example, you can find solid color, long-sleeve athletic tops that work like a sweater and take up about 20% of the room that a cotton or wool sweater would consume. Same for underwear. Get thin stuff and avoid cotton. For socks, I'd go with Merino wool and avoid cotton.

For England in the winter, you might be well served by a Gore-Tex parka, gloves, hat, scarf and layers of clothes under that. You can get a good used parka on eBay for about $100. They are light weight, thin, waterproof and wind proof. Much better than a bulky down coat or a thick cotton or wool overcoat.

Since you have family in England, you can also consider buying some clothes there and then leaving them for the next time you can get to London.

Have fun.