Still obsessing over carry-ons

TSA doesn't limit carry on luggage. If you can carry it, they'll screen it. That said, less is easier for everyone. Bon voyage.

I don't think you need the picnic supplies!

Hey, don't forget there's two of us -- we're carrying almost 80 pounds of crap between us!!! And we've actually whittled it down from where we started so we're feelin' pretty good right now!

As far as TSA weighing anything that comes their way, we were in the airport a few years ago, maybe Atlanta, and watched them pull a young woman out of line before she actually got up close to the xray machines. Her 3 pieces -- the tiniest little roll-aboard you've ever seen, a petite make-up case and a small clutch hardly bigger than a large wallet took up less volume than my big 'ol purse did, yet they made her cram her clutch inside her suitcase before she could proceed.

Flying business class on most airlines you are allowed more luggage than ecomony.

There is much more storage space in business than in economy, more under the seat, and usually more overhead, plus the attendents will help to find space for you.

If you are flying business class, look for the special priority line at the airport to check in. YOu should be allowed to pass through security this way, and of course board the plane through a reserved line ahead of economy class. (depends on the airline - if they allow you to use the priority line. Ask the TSA attendant, show them your ticket and they will let you know if you can bypass the regular line to security)

All this being said, you sure are making it a pain for yourself with all these pieces. You should try to limit yourself so you keep things secure. I'd hate to have to worry about everything I'm carrying- can't you put your purse into your tote?

Just a suggestion, but maybe you could photocopy what you needed out of your guidebooks and maybe just take one. That way you could free up more space and lighten your load.

39.6#!!!

Sounds like she needs to photocopy more than just her guidebooks. Maybe she should photocopy her picnic supplies and some of her clothes, too.

Good question Faith.
last year when I was leaving Cleveland, the guy before the security gate told me that I was allowed only 2 pieces of luggage. I wonder if they actually ask taht question just the couch passangers. Once you have a business class ticket, maybe they won't ask you that ????
Why don't call Air France ans see what they say.
I agree , you don't need picnic supplies. Also why "many" guide books?
To pack light, I make copies of the portions in the guide books I actually need. Guide books have a lot of "crap" in them, like too many restaurants listed, or sightseeings I am not interested in. I take the maps with me all the time, and if I need a subway map, if the book doesn't have the detachable kind, I printed out from the web.

TSA isn't responsible for weighing anything or determining how many items you can have. That is all under the control of the airline. I agree with the others, though, that you are taking way too much. I photocopy only the pages I need from my guidebooks, along with maps, itinerary, etc., and assemble them into a folder There is no reason that you would need "picnic supplies". You're not going into the wilderness where nothing is available. You can buy what you need there.

TSA is constantly changing their rules.

If you're taking so much stuff, why don't you just check a couple of bags and make your life easier. It's apparent that "packing light" isn't really important so why try to carry everything on.

Oh wait, TSA just changed rules again.

If Paris is your only destination, then I can see taking more but it would make sense to check bags. If you are going to travel around Europe you will be VERY unahappy with that much stuff.

Oops, there goes TSA again, another rule change.

Heed some of the earlier advice about books and picnic supplies and you'll probably lose at least 10 pounds.

TSA is at it again...I never thought they'd change that rule.

Are you sure you're not packing with the "what if" syndrome? Many people do that. I fly business class all the time. Just because you're "allowed" to take more doesn't mean you have to.

Re: Picnic Supplies

Instant coffee packets, tea bags, sugar in a small plastic container-- slightly less than 1 pound

2 sets small plastic plates, utensils, napkins, wet wipes, cork screw, zip locks -- 1.5 pounds

Stash of granola bars for emergencies -- .5 pounds

So 3 pounds here -- yes all expendable or obtainable upon arrival. Truth be told the plates are more well travelled than they are well used, and looks like we'll have rain for at least the first several days in Brussels. Wet picnics are no fun!

Re: Guidebooks

Taking Rick's Paris, Amsterdam/Bruges/Brussels, France and French Phrase book. These add up to just over 3 pounds. Only book I could handily rip apart would be the France book, approximately right in half to save 1/2 pound. But I'm more inclined to leave it intact.

All those picnic supplies can be bought in Europe. Have fun going into a local market and find them. Europeans drink tea and coffee and use sugar. They have disposable plates, napkins, etc.

Hw heavy are your pieces of luggage empty? I'm guessing you don't want to do any laundry while there?

And since you mentioned Brussels, I can guess you'll be traveling around Europe. Lugging all of that....

I'm not judging, you do what makes you happy. But speaking from experience, you might want to lighten your laod.

I just reduced a poind by tasking out 1/2 of my RS book chapters im not using (and 1 Rough Guide ). If its a chapter here and there you dont need - leave it whole - but if you only need 1/2 - take an exacto and fold and cut. You can then leave that behind as you go too.

Picknic - com'on now - taking sugar packets with you? thats a bit extrem. A bag or tea or two and some "coffee" is fine - but sugar is a bit nuts :) - shed another lb and pick up a packet at the airport coffee stand once youre through! Also - im not sure its wise carrying around any sort of white substances... but thats just me. (i will have an airebone pack tho!

For first/biz that allow 2-carryon - that still wont include the personal-purse/laptop/small-bag etc. So if you can get down to a small day-pack/purse to carry your heavy books (which they wont weigh) then your two carry-ons will be weighed and pass the test at the counter. TSA wont weigh them - just examine & by that time youre one your way to gates!

We plan on doing laundry twice. First week is split between hotels in Brussels and Amsterdam, then we're in a timeshare for a week in Vincennes (about 20 minutes by Metro from the heart of Paris) and then another time share week in Normandy. And yes, I am carrying probably a pound in laundry detergent packets!

One roll-aboard and the small backpack are from Rick, so I'm sure they're as light as they can be. The other roll-aboard and tote seem to be a reasonable weight empty.

I don't think I'm out of line (much) on the clothes I'm packing -- 2 pair casual pants and 4 tops, 1 pair somewhat dressy pants and two dressy tops & jacket. Then 9 sets of undies (I know, I know, but don't want to fuss with hand laundry and don't want to be trapped having to do laundry on the 7th day) and a sleep shirt. Also an extra pair of shoes, slippers & a scarf. My jacket & sweater will be on my back. Guess it was not a good thing that I still had room in my suitcase when all this was packed!

Faith, you can buy laundry detergent there! I bought a small box and split up what was left after the first laundromat run into ziploc bags and we each carried one.
Also do you have a plan for when the "gate" in London says you can only have 2 items, just because he's in a bad mood?
You could consider taking just 1 pair casual and 1 pair dressy pants, 3 casual tops and 1 dressy top, after all would it be that terrible if you purchased something there?!!!!!
If you really, really want all those clothes, then take them but more than likely, next time you won't! (Been there, done that!)
What it all comes down to is....Enjoy!

OK! The laundry soap and picnic items and half of the France book are out, as is one dressy top. Instant coffee and granola bar security blankets stay in. Leaning toward removing an extra casual top. I really am packing light -- first trip to London four years ago involved two full sized suitcases, one roll-aboard, two totes and a purse! Combine that with a compact car, another couple with the same packing habits and an eight hour drive from London to Ayreshire, Scotland and I kept my chiropractor in Mercedes payments for months! Thank you all for your input!

Each year my wife and I travel and we take less and less. This year our carry-on is it, one for each of us. Photo copying most info, one map and very limited clothes. Everything else is being bought over there, if we really need it. It is part of experiencing the culture.Pack light as possible!

Hi Faith: Not judging, just trying to lighten your load, if that's what you want to do. I'm still trying to figure out where most of the weight in your carry -on might be coming from. Are you carrying a lot of toiletries and things like that?

Sigh. We're back up to around 80 pounds (including my purse stuffed in the tote bag). Yes, we do carry a certain amount of toiletries. Yesterday I off-loaded tiny shampoos, conditioner, soap and lotion figuring since the first week is in hotels we'll collect those items there before we move on to the two timeshare weeks (where only soap is provided). The picnic stuff, foldable rain coats and laundry stuff came out too. This amounted to about 8 pounds. Then the pint sized laptop and the camera stuff and travel document satchel went in and five pounds came back. The plan is to remove the purse and the travel documents when we arrive in line to check in this evening so that we're not tipping the scales, and then to put those items back in the tote so we have fewer things to keep track of through the TSA line.

BTW, the best gadget we've ever bought is the Travelon luggage scale. You set it to zero and hook it on the suitcase handle and lift and it displays the weight for you.

The first thing we're going to do when we get back home is to weight all the luggage empty, just to see if the non-Rick suitcase weighs appreciably more than the Rick suitcase, and to see how the tote bag compares to Rick's medium sized backpack. If either of the non-Rick items seem out of line we'll replace them. I'm also going to make a list of anything we found we didn't use and throw that in the suitcase to remind me when we go to pack for two weeks in Quebec and Montreal this July.

Faith your packing list doesn 't sound heavy,, but 80 pounds sounds heavy,, are you smuggling bricks!?LOL

Your bags must be heavier then you think.
I can't imagine trying to lug around 40 pounds each,, yikes.
I don't think it is your clothes though.

Hooray, another traveller who takes a picnic set. Just bowl and plate, camping cutlery set. practically no weight. I think with the 'I am allowed to take this amount of luggage' rule, you tend to actually TAKE that. Whittle it down because when you get off the plane, it's yours to drag/carry. I read once - set out all you need to take, then put back half of that. Photocopy relevant bits of the guide books to discard as no longer needed. Remember you will be returning with momentos of you trip. Enjoy.

Whilst I know you can buy things over there if you still want to take your picnic items, some suggestions are: Collect sugar sachets before you go or maybe put your sugar in a plastic bag /ziplock (maybe two to be safe, rather than a rigid shape container. Take a few plastic disposable plates/bowls - as you use them you can either rinse them off or throw them away. Also a couple of sets of disposable cutlery - same deal. I look at it this way. . . Whilst you can buy these things in Europe you usually end up buying more than you can use, and hey you'll still be carrying it! Also it's probably more expensive because of your dollar. (just on a bright note for us Aussies our dollar is almost equal value to yours! - LOL). Take small packets of tissues - nose wiping, do instead of serviettes and emergency toilet paper for places that don't have any.I think it sounds like you have heavy bags.

Wow, 80 lbs seems like a lot! The two of us went to Europe for 1 year and our luggage weighed much less. The heaviest items were our cameras, laptop and 6 Rick Steves books. True we didn't take picnic supplies, only a pocket knife and some extra baggies and bought everything else there: paper towels etc.
We use a Rick Steves roll bag and a Rick Steves convertible bag and carried on 1 small bag with the cameras, 6 month supply of pills and our books for the plane, my purse and the laptop. If you are renting a car after you arrive, consider buying all your picnic supplies after you pick it up. We have never heard of a traveler say "boy next time I am bring more stuff! Always people vow to travel lighter. Paula

Faith my picnic set is a plastic fork and a swiss army knife I buy on arrival. We spread out a napkin and make sandwiches, eat fruit and chocolate and have something to drink (corkscrew in the swiss army knife).

When I buy luggage, I compare weight. I also pack only light things. My load for a month of travel is about twenty pounds (convertible carry-on), a little more in winter. My wife uses a roll-on. It's about 5 pounds more than mine empty, but her clothes are smaller than mine.

It's good you are packing early. It gives you a chance to evaluate what you have and how to reduce it. Did you pack any outfits that can only be worn one way? Bring fewer clothes that can mix and match to lighten your load.

Whoa I'm glad i read this. I'm leaving for Spain next week and have to decide between two suitcases. I just ran and weighed them and found that empty they weight 10 and 12lbs. Now I'm going to see if i can stuff everything into the lighter one. The problem with me is always book weight. I'm going to be in as remote area and a few novels are a necessity. The jeans are not going to make the cut and i'll have to cut back on shoes.

If you run into a bag limitation problem I just stuff my purse into my carry - on and hopefully sail through. I've yet to see an airline enforce the two bag rule and considering those packed overheads i wish they would.

I hope Faith comes back to check this thread when she gets home - I'll be real curious as to her "after" comments...

Faith - Please do reply when you come back. Did your luggage weigh in as heavy as you thought? I took way more than you listed in my 11# bag and it was well under 25#....