I tried - how much does your carry on weigh?

A correction to an above posting:

British Airways allows one carry-on and one personal item. The carry-on can be no larger than 22 x 18 x 10. The personal item no larger than 18 x 14 x 8. The only weight restriction is you have to be able to put them into the overhead compartments.

BA Hand Luggage

American Airlines allows one carry on and one personal item. However, in some European cities, you are limited to one carry on item on flights to the U.S.

I normally check in right at 18 lbs. My convertible carry-on weighs 4 lbs. - so about 14 lbs. of clothes and "stuff". I find, in a pinch, I can easily reduce it to 15 lbs.

I'm buying my wife a new roll on to reduce a few pounds.

The real trick to packing light is to avoid thinking,"How much can I pack?" Rather ask, "Is every item I pack worth lugging around?"

The biggest mistake is thinking, "I still have room for another top/pair of shoes." or "Once I fill this up, I still have my personal item."

Laura, I try to keep my rolling bag weight down, too, but quite frequently end up around 25 lbs. I am usually lucky enough to find a gentleman to help me lift it to the over head. Just don't ask the flight attendant. I understand that is on their top 10 list of things they don't appreciate.

Brad is correct -- Just in case .... will kill packing light. Marcia's bag is 18 lbs and mine is closer to 25 because I get most of the shared items and the guidebooks. Now do two things -- make an list of what you packed and on the plane home review that list to see if everything was need or could you have done without some of the items you packed.

I start out around 18 pounds and am at around 15 when I return because of the stuff I use up on the way. (No, there's no room in the budget for souvenirs.) I find it harder to keep the weight down in the winter.....

Similar to Frank, I keep a pack list on my computer desktop. Before a trip, I print it and use it as my packing checklist - which keeps me from adding a lot of unneeded extras. I can travel indefinitely on my pack list, more than 30 days isn't unusual.

I review my list right after I get home from a trip. Most of the time I find something I can weed out of the list and go a little lighter next time.

We found out the hard way that you need to check with your airline. Some international travel severely limits the weight of the carry on (as opposed to the "personal" item, like a purse or small daypack). British Airways, for example, limits you to 13.2 pounds for the carry on.

American Airlines: 40lbs limit.

Lufthansa: 8 kg (or 17 1/2 pounds) limit

http://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/Carry-on-baggage#ancAbT1

(This posting has been edited to fix some incorrect information I found on a different website.)

My carry on suitcase weighs 8 lbs empty...how do you stay below 13 lbs....thats only 5 lbs of contents!

The airlines don't care how you do it. But here's what worked for us on Lufthansa with their 8 kg limit (17.5 pds):

We transfered our heaviest items out of the rolling bag into our daypacks before we got to the check-in counter. (For some reason they don't weigh the daypacks.) Once we got past the weigh-in, we transferred the heavy items back into the rolling bag.

always under 20 lbs...i only take one pair of shoes...the ones i wear so that keeps things light...i photo/video a lot so my cameras/batteries are my only real weight...

On a related note, we once had to switch from Lufthansa to an Alitalia flight in Frankfurt headed to Rome. Alitalia announced at the gate that they were only allowing one item per person on board (not the standard one carry-on and one personal item like a purse) and that the extra piece would need to be checked. So like good Americans, we checked our two carry-on items at the gate. Then we looked around to see almost everyone else (mostly Italians, I think) just ignoring the announcement. They were then let on with their two items each.

Good for you, James, we always need a good contrarian !!! I have no idea why someone would think that packing light means that you have to travel in dirty clothes or that you don't shower -- strange. And I do go on vacation to enjoy myself and part of that enjoyment is the ease of moving with min luggage.

Note to James--in fact I shower every day AND wash my clothes out in the hotel sink every night. Combine that with a daily dose of deoderant and, well, I think I smell quite fresh, thank you.

Business class is another one of those things not in the budget. Funny, we manage to have many, many fabulous trips all while traveling in coach! Hooray!!

We definitely practice the Rick Steves way of travel. Wander the back roads carrying our own luggage with as light a load as possible. Shower daily. Hand launder clothes in bathroom sink as needed. In one of his videos Rick demonstrates his laundry method and hangs his undies up to dry in a twisty rope. Thanks for the tips, Rick! (LOL)

@ James - Since you are traveling from NYC, presumably you fly directly to your destination. We have to change planes twice, and I prefer my luggage to arrive with me. Additionally, as others have said, traveling lightly helps make it easier to get around. Unless you go to one place for your entire trip, you will have to schlep your bags, either by train, car or bus. Not to mention hauling bags up and down stairs.

FYI I shower daily, use deodorant and wear clean clothes. If I know you are sitting next to me I'll try to remember to brush my teeth too. Oh wait...that will never happen because I fly coach. The assumption that everyone who travels light is dirty and stinks is insulting.

18#. A couple of changes of clothes, a couple of books, vitamins, maybe 8 oz of things in my liquids bag, printouts for my reservations, electric toothbrush, tiny first-aid kit, sandals....

The secret to not smelling up the place is: 1) wash clothes often, and 2) wash self often. No secret really. It's just what I do at home.

Think of travel wardrobe as a uniform. Then don't bother being bored, just be glad your luggage is actually portable.

James, don't fly in Europe cuz eventually you'll be sitting next to someone who smells.....

I think it's wonderful that James only will fly business class.I also think James feels it important that we know he will only fly business!

looks like we've got another troll on our hands. Folks, don't feed the troll... Your replies are exactly the attention they crave.

"In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community ... with the primary intent of provoking other users into a desired emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion"

Why don't people just ignore this troll/kid? All he ever does is post nasty comments. He's trying to get people riled up and he has.

It must be a sad life to have to hide behind a computer and not be able to make real friends.

I think Frank II has hit the nail on the head. It must be sad to have nothing better to do in life than try to annoy people.

James, no one said there is only one way. You just don't have to be so arrogant about your way.

So let me see if I understand your concerns - everyone should pack as much as they may need for their trip so as to not have to wear a piece of clothing more than one time. I'm no rocket scientist, but maybe I can handle some basic math - 30 day trip equals 30 outfits. Better bring some extra in case I spill something on myself. Of course I need to bring my formal wear (to show how much "class" I have) to dress for dinner. How big should my bag be? How many bags should I take? Maybe you will help me lug all these bags around Europe because it would be way too much for me to carry around.

Maybe if I stay if a 5* hotel I can have them do my laundry for me. Or maybe I can bring my maid along to do it. She may enjoy doing laundry in Europe.

By the way - I have been reading this helpline for years and I do not recall ever seeing anyone say that they wash their clothes in the sink with toothpaste. Geez.........

Laura, don't worry too much about being able to lift your carry on into the overhead.

I am a quite-short female, and ALWAYS have a hard time getting my stuff in the overhead bin, less because it's heavy than because I'm so short. Usually I put my carryons under the seat in front of me (I check my 21" bag when going to Europe), but if I put it in the overhead, I either ask anyone taller than me, or someone will offer to help.

I'd like to do everything myself, but sometimes that's just not possible.