Anyone else pack heavier?

I don't know for sure if you're in the majority or minority on this, but just from past observation I'd lean toward the minority side, that is not taking more. I've often told people something I think would never be said, that is, "next time I go to Europe I'm taking more stuff"! But the question is, what is it that you're taking now that you didn't take on previous trips, that's where the answer lies. More electronics, personal items like hair dryers, more clothes, etc. I'd take that list and really look at it and decide what is and what is not needed, I'm sure you'd be surprised what is not. Something else to consider, that is the size of you're bag, the bigger it is the more likelywe're going to put more into it, try sizing down on it.

Barry, I'm thinking about what you suggested. I think as I age I do like more comforts; i.e., headphones, neck travel pillow. These past few trips have been as guests at homes so I have packed a little extra; i.e., 2 slacks instead of 1, an extra pair of shoes (something I never do ordinarily). I have electronic 'toys' such as iPod, nook, but I don't have hairdryers, razors, etc. I wear all my clothes and more than once. My suit case is now 20" instead of 17", but Rick's carry-ons are 22" (I'm talking real measurements), So....either I am now packing more because I want more comforts or I am average as my suitcase is still small, relatively. It just strikes me that the weight is so much more than I have had in the past. So I guess I'm just working this backwards...

Maybe it's the suitcase itself! Wheels add alot of weight and some bags are very heavy, even empty.

Wray, I too think the extra weight might be in the bag. Is it a different bag than what you have used in the past? I love my roll aboard carry on but because it is built strong, it is somewhat heavy without Even being packed. I am currently shopping around for a lighter weight bag. Travelpro is looking like a front runner.

Is it a matter of the time of year you travel? It is much easier to pack light in the warmer versus the colder months.

I hear ya! Those darn electronics (AND their even heavier chargers) add up. In my later trips, I also have decided that some things are worth the slogging through Europe - those little extras that make life a bit more civilized. And all of this while still trying to carry less that weighs less LOL! And luckily for me, I have a husband to split up some of the weight - chargers, guidebooks, souvenirs, etc. I will say that (for most people traveling to Europe) my observations show that most people don't carry a 19" or 20" bag, but start with at least a 21"-22" bag (and usually soft-sided so one can really stuff/expand it - not that I know anything about that), plus an underseat-sized bag. So, I'd say that you started out much smaller than most. I DO understand your outrage at how much your bags weigh - that's as important to me as the size and number of bags because I still prefer my backpack. I don't like heavy bags :-( I'm still working on that... Now, what I'd pack for Europe (where I move around quite a bit) and what I'd pack for a car and/or airport trip to a friend's house would be different. My bags for the latter trip would be heavier, for sure. I'd splurge and bring a few more goodies. I know that many on this board pack more lightly - women included - but I'd say that you're squarely in the lighter end of the spectrum. My opinion.

I don't get to Europe as often as I wish, so I have yet to test out my theory, but next time, I'm packing way heavier! When my husband and I went to Europe, we packed so light it was an absolute joke. We had one rolling carry on and one backpack (think school bag) between the two of us. It was 5 years ago, so technology wasn't as handy or as cheap as I expect it is now, and next time, we'll definitely be taking heavier electronics, but washing in the sink did not do it for me. I never felt like I got my clothes clean. I'm planning on taking 4-5 days of clothes and stopping in laundromats. I see no reason to be that uncomfortable when I travel. I'll take only necessities, but a few more than I did last time. It just wasn't worth it to me! So, count me as one person who has said, next time, I'm packing heavier. I'm positive I'm in the minority, but I genuinely feel I underpacked last time. Some here will take issue with that, but how you pack is a personal decision.

I bring less every time, but I sympathize with feeling like things are too heavy. I just packed for a 3 week trip, leaving tomorrow, and my convertible backpack (no wheels) and day bag weigh about 28 pounds, excluding the clothes I'll be wearing. It feels like a lot! I try to evaluate everything I take out of my bag when I return and take it off the list if it wasn't used at all. Still, shoes, electronics, and toiletries all add up. To make myself feel better, I compare my packing to some friends that took a 4 week cruise to Australia/NZ. They were quite proud of themselves for packing "only" two 45 pound suitcases and a 1/2 full garment bag.

I used to use a backpack, but am trying a rolling bag (the new RS rolling backpack) this year. Last time my luggage was weighted during a trip (so it included all of my camera gear and lots of souveniers) for a flight from Italy to Ireland, it was just under 25 lbs. I bought a few more things in Ireland (okay more than a few, including a good bottle of Irish whiskey), so I'm sure it was closer to 30 when I flew home. I'm buying a bridge camera to replace my older DSLR and extra lenses, flash attachment etc. so I hope that will be almost an even trade for the extra weight of the wheels. Usually, when I go on the trip, I put everything into one bag. Coming home, I either use a daypack or shoulder bag for "extra stuff."

I'm a heavy packer, guilty as charged. No, I do not pack XXL toothpaste fearing it would run out and I couldn't buy it in Europe, but I do pack an increasing number of gadgets (and all their wiring) and as I grew past age 25-28 I became more fashion-conscious and the "you are a stranger here - nobody cares what you look" just don't cut it for me anymore. And I'm a male. So I have plenty of sympathy for women who just don't want a bland interchangeable set of clothes to wear everywhere and pack heavy as well...

My wife and I go to Europe every summer for a month and each take on RS 21" roller bag plus a smaller bag that hooks onto the roller bag. The smaller bag is full of stuff we do not want to loose to the security folks like prescriptions, cameras, etc. Inside the roller bag we each take a collapsed canvas bag that we can fill with stuff we pick up on our travels. We each take 3 sets of clothes that are quick drying, that we wash out in the sink as needed. No electronics or chargers.
It took us several years of traveling in Europe to refine our packing and we try not to take anything that we do not have to have, remembering that almost anything can be purchased in Europe.

Yep, I'm sure I do. For a start our wheeled case weighs nearly 6 kgs. empty. On our recent trip, our case weighed 27 kgs at check-in when we left. We were allowed 60 kgs between us, so I thought I did pretty well!! My carry-on bag weighed 7 kgs. Our last 3 trips to Europe have been in March/April and September/October which necessitates taking warmer clothing, coats etc. Boy we did we need every bit of it 6 weeks ago in Europe.
I'm past washing clothes every night. Whilst I'm not into wearing a different outfit every day, I do like a bit of variety. Mind you it was a challenge getting the case up the miniature spiral staircase in the B & B in Amsterdam!! As with every aspect of travel, it's down to personal choice, not what's right or wrong.

"As with every aspect of travel, it's down to personal choice, not what's right or wrong"
I agree. Last year, my wife and I took a marathon trip through Spain, France, Italy and Germany. When I left my convertible suitcase weighed 18 Lbs. I have arthritis in my lower back and a backpack is less painful than the twisting necessary to pull a rollaboard. Getting up and down steps is easier for me with the backpack. I try to pack as lightly as possible. Others, without my problems, can pack any way they choose if they have what makes the trip special for them.

In all my years of travel, I don't think I once could tell you how much my baggage weighed. I do know that the number of items I carry has declined (fewer pants, fewer shirts) but I doubt the weight has. Something new always creeps into the bag (a laptop, an extra book) to fill the void. I do find that as I get older, my desire to wash socks in the sink and my need to keep everything I've ever purchased both are gone. So I now tend to carry more disposable stuff, making the bag heavy at first and lighter as a go along. I start with a full load of socks, underwear, reading material, but I dispose of it along the way. I even tend to keep old shoes until my next trip and use them on alternate days of travel, but chuck 'em when I'm about to return home. I've never found what I've carried TO Europe to be too much, but traveling with it, or returning with it PLUS souvenirs has been the burden. So my disposal system keeps me at the same weight the whole trip even as I buy things along the way.

Had a minor panic attack this am when I weighed my 21" and it tipped the scales at 26#! My attachable under-seat bag is 14#!! How did this happen (rhetorical) - I used to travel with the proverbial toothbrush and 3 pairs of undies. However, all the books I hauled added to the overall weight - but I still carry guide books and my reference files. Dang paper weight... The netbook, the ereader, the camera and all the bells and whistles that enable them; the shoes for ageing tootsies, and then there's the cosmetic necessities so I don't get arrested for being a blight on the Italian landscape. What is of immediate concern to me right now - we leave today- is how I'm going to get these babies up the stairs to the 747 upper deck. I may expire from a heart attack en route - but at least my corpse will
be well-shod and mascara-ed.

Wray, I am with you. I'm always on the heavier side. My carry-on limit is 8 kg. I have seen people taking on what looks like much more, but I have never wanted to test it. My carry-on is usually about 6 kg. -the electronics, camera, binoculars, etc. and what I need for the first 24 hours on the ground . . . just in case. And all the toiletries I'll need for the duration. I have my own faves plus I have found that trying to shop for them in a foreign language wastes time I could be should be using to enjoy the sights. I'd rather spend 2 hours at a laundromat every 8 or 10 days than wash stuff out in the sink every night and hope it dries. So I do take a few more clothes than absolutely necessary. And I usually need one pair of dressy sandals and one pair of hiking shoes. My wheelie weighs 3.5 kg when it's empty. But I am not about to try to carry 15 kg over my shoulder. Even a backpack with much more than 8 kg is hard for me these days. It is also true that winter trips make for heavier bags. More clothes, heavier clothes, extra shoes (in case one pair get waterlogged in the rain). I had at least 5 kg more for 2 weeks in Italy this February than for 5 weeks in Southeast Asia last February.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I find some of the suggestions of the go-light folks ludicrous. Only 2 pairs of underwear? Come on! In our mid-70's, we aren't running from one destination to another; but even in my salad days, I wouldn't have sacrifriced cleanliness to "packing light." I like to be clean and look nice. I should say, however, that we manage with a 20", a 22" and 2 carry-on totes. In the end, it's a personal choice. On the electronics question, I just have to laugh. Every darn one of those things has its own charger. So, we have 2 cameras, a cell phone, and a netbook, each needing its own paraphernalia. Another advantage of checking a bag is that you can carry back some stuff you can't carry on. E.g., we were just on Capri and bought some limoncello for gifts. I like to pick up local edibles for Xmas stocking stuffers, and often they can't be carried because of liquid or gel contents. Btw, I do what some people have chided others about. I bring shoes and underwear that are on their last legs and toss them at the end of the trip.
In the end, again, it's your choice.

What I don't understand about the underwear thing is that out of everything that I pack, underwear takes up the LEAST room and isn't heavy. Why wouldn't I just pack as much as I need? It hardly takes up any space! Shoes are my downfall. I never go ANYWHERE without two pairs. With all the walking you do, I find it's essential to be able to switch every day to keep blisters from forming (even on comfy shoes), and it also gives your shoes a break to air out. Wearing one pair through a massive European trip in the summer would result in some pretty smelly shoes, I bet! And then there's the fashion issue. I'm with Andre on this one. So I usually have to have at least one more upscale shoe that I can use in the evening if we go to a nice restaurant or club. Feeling underdressed anywhere makes me feel very anxious, so it's worth the extra bit of weight for me. However now that I have a kindle my book packing weight has gone down considerably, leaving me more room for clothes and accessories!

I am going to commit heresy and admit that the Rick Steves line of luggage has a 24" model that we took on our last trip. Rick doesn't sell that size in his travel store, but I found it through another company and we love it. I got tired of looking at pictures from previous trips where I looked like a schlep. My vanity is willing to do a few more reps with weights and it really isn't that much heavier. I do recognize this means I am committed to checked baggage, but other than that it's not a problem. My husband, with xxl-size clothes and shoes is much happier with the larger size.

I don't like checking luggage since we have experienced theft from our checked bag; however, after taking a winter trip to Europe for two weeks with one carry on bag apiece, I'd still rather check one bag to carry some things I consider essential which won't all fit in the carry on. For us, liquids are still a big issue. And cold weather requires a heavier jacket and a few sweaters even though I take 3 weights of silk underwear! On that last trip I just got SOOOO tired of the same clothes. We rent an apt so we can do laundry, but still.... Unless we are doing a lot of traveling by train, we will check one bag going, and about 3 returning.
What you are taking still sounds lite to me.

After almost 10 years of using a Jansport convertible bag, my husband announced that he now wants wheels. UGH. I bought him the Eagle Creek 25" ORV wheeled trunk. I use the ORV trunk, carry on size, with hidden backpack straps. I LOVE my bag, and can pack everything I need and have room. On the other hand, my husband announced at the end of our trip to France last year he was tired of carrying this Jansport around. He needs a larger bag, his clothing is larger, his shoes bigger, and when we travel, it's an active vacation. that means we don't just take shirts and pants, but bike jerseys, bike shoes, biking short, etc. We just need more space than the usual traveler. We have our next bike trip planned for September this year, so we'll see how this new bag packs. I'm kind of happy for him, but also know that in a pinch, I can make him carry my ORV trunk on the top of his wheeled bag. We'll check his bag, the 2 bike cases and pay for one bag...I'll have to carry on my suitcase, I just don't feel like paying $70 for an extra bag. My electronics are in my smaller day bag...Nook, iphone, Ipad, camera and all the chargers...I bought a Longchamp duffle in France last year, and I LOVE It for carry on...big enough for all that stuff and extra chocolate too.

You guys need to wind up this thread on heavy packing before Lee from Denver gets back from Germany. He ain't gonna like it.

I, too, have never weighed my bags; they weigh what they weigh. I am curious, though - I'll have to do that. I have weighed many things IN my bags...Becca, you took half of what we take! Yes, take more...Judy, nearly 6kg empty?!? Are you shopping for a new bag yet ;-)? Patty - I won't tell anyone about your 24" bag. My husband also wears larger clothing and that definitely makes a difference, but he doesn't pack extra shoes so that's a big help. Ellen, you are hereby granted Special Permission to carry your extra sports clothing, since you actually use it...And 'allowing' your husband to carry your bag on top of his ('cause our guys like to do things like that for us - giggle): Extra Credit!!! (I was thinking the very same thing!) Mimi - I have thought of your post soooo many times in these two days LOL! "Dang paper weight" is right. And having been a "blight on the Italian landscape" - ROFL!!! - numerous times, I applaud your efforts to balance out my lack of success in that department. So do the Italians. Having ridden on the upper deck of a 747 - once - my experience is that you'll find a little help if needed...especially being "well-shod and mascara-ed". They really don't like the staircase too terribly clogged with corpses...;-) Karen, heard from Lee yet?!?

Karen, loved your remark about closing the thread before Lee gets back! I was thinking the same thing! Wray - to get back to your original question - I have never weighed my packed luggage or empty case but I pretty much pack the same list of items. What I have found the last few trips is that, the older (SIGH) I get, the heavier it feels, especially going up stairs. Could that be a portion of what you are experiecing since you feel you are packing the same way?
I loved this thread because this always has and always will be an issue. I too, never got the two pair of underwear thing - they absolutely take up the least amount of room and the wash in the sink in no way is the same as a washing machine with hot water and some bleach!!

I'm in the throws of deciding how much to pack. great thread to read. Underwear is small. I have a ton of tour books and paper plus permission slips for girl scouts maps, etc. I have a DSLR with supplies. I'd love to see Lee's packing list if anyone knows how to post the link. However, if he is the one traveling with only 2 pairs of panties, I'm agreeing panties are light and don't take up too much space. I could throw out my tennis shoes on the way home. I hope I can come close to packing as light as Wray.

Here's the link to Lee's packing list. I really don't think he'll mind me posting it. http://www.germantravel-info.com/packing.htm He's traveling around Germany right now:)

Thank you for all your wonderful responses! I loved reading your answers and I love how friendly everyone is in this thread, as admittedly, there is no right answer. I did more study in the airport. The size of my bags was average or smaller. I used every item that I brought and I work with the same packing list each time. As I can lift my own bags, I will make no adjustments. AND... I was very happy that I had a sturdy bag when I checked it on the way home, with local (UK) chutneys and honey. So, yes, I think my bag is heavier because the bag in itself is on the heavier side, and that I want more comfort these days. And, oddly enough, there was no extra time wasted because I checked my bag on the way home. The bag and I arrived simultaneously at the carousel.

I hear a lot of people making comments about all the chargers for their electronics. I think I need to point something out. Most electronics charge off of a micro-USB. All you need is an adapter plug, a dual voltage USB plug (and most are these days) and a synch cord. That is it. There is no need for all those chargers.
One caveat - the new iPads are 2A devices, so need a 2A USB plug. But the other devices can use it. So if you have a 2A USB plug and a micro USB cord you are set. Leave the other cords at home!

The weathe was so extreme on our recent trip that we almost bought thermal underwear and a wool sweater each. But once we left Scandinavia, summer appeared and we were shedding clothes. I wish that I had worried less about weight and packed a thicker sweater, and in Normandy, wish I had packed a pair of capris. It was HOT for me. Anyway, I had noticed that most people at the airports and in Europe seem to pack huge suitcases compared to us on this board. As to electronics...I so wish we had left the iPad back. Barely used it. Our iPhones did everything wanted. One kindle was enough. I'll take less electronics next time. Glad I took the flat
Iron. Couldn't get an iron one night wjere we stayed an needed to dry something and iron it a bit (jeans) worked quite well :-)

Wray - you packed light compared to me. How many days were you travelling for? I travelled to Scandanavia and Russia for only 12 days springtime yet I had a 40+ lb check in, with rubber boots and heavy jackets and wool sweaters, and something like 2 5 lb carry ons, with prescriptions and electronics and extra change of clothes. I ended up using nearly everything, since I had almost no repeats. In rainy weather, I don't like doing too many repeats. I was only able to pack light in the past (carry on only) because I was travelling with my sisters who are nearly all my size. So I borrowed their clothes. And I was only going for less than a week at the time.