Carry-on Weight Limit

First tip is to use as light a bag as possible - no wheels for sure. Most wheeled bags weigh 7-11 lb - not much left for stuff.

As long as you can wash clothes as you go, 5 weeks is no different than 1 week.

Leave heavy things like hair dryers and curling irons at home.

You might want to plan on buying some things over there to save weight on the way over.

Carry your camera in your pocket to save weight. If your airline lets you take a purse, make that your daypack and put some of your heavier thing in it to save weight in you carry-on.

I went to the Air Transat website and could not find information on their weight limits for carryon. 5kg is really light. Most major airlines are at about 8kg. Just follow the advice above and don't take a roller bag that will exceed the limit.

However, you are on a double-edged sword IMO. In order to travel light, you would put more in your checked luggage. That solves the Air Transat problem but it may come back to bite you on RyanAir which likes to charge 10Euro a kilo for overweight checked luggage. CLICK HERE to see the baggage rules for RyanAir. Pack light.

Air Transat will definitely weigh your bag...every time I've tried with a carry-on, they weigh it. I can't understand it, since that means more luggage in the hold...much more expensive for them. You'll probably be out of luck with Ryanair too, since not many airports in Britain have yet adopted the new two-bag carry-on rule, and your daypack will count as one. You may have to just bite the bullet and accept that, on this trip, your luggage is going to have to be checked. However, as Larry says, pack lite anyway, and plan to do some washing. Make a list of what you think you need, then cut it in half! :)

wear a jacket with big pockets, and maybe 2 sets of shirt/underwear/socks and stuff those pockets with camera, books etc. If you really dont want to check anything, or else - check the heavier stuff - but keep on spare set of closets and your necessities in the backpack carry on!

For Air Transat weight allowance : http://www.airtransat.ca/en/4_6_1.asp (towards the middle of the page)

Ryanair has an allowance of 10 kg (which is also the Air Transat for flights outside of UK...).

I think I'll pack like if I was carrying on but check my bag for the flight to London. Then, I'll carry-on for the Ryanair flight and I'll check my bag on the way back home.

I'll be doing plenty of rail travel also so it's always better with lighter bags. But I still don't get why they only allow 5 kg. That's really not a lot.

Air Transat's website has a page about baggage at www.airtransat.ca/en/4_6_1.asp. It indicates that on flights to and from the US "and" (I think that should be "or") the UK, carry-on baggage in economy class is indeed limited to 5kg. The site also indicates that cameras, laptops, and purses are allowed as additional items "except on flights departing from the UK". I think that last restriction was mandated by the UK airports and has since been lifted.

Why not check the bag flying over and then go carry on from there? I did that when I flew a carrier that had the same 5gg weight limit.

You might be able to get over with 11 pounds, but your really limiting yourself to purchases and things to come back.

Ryanair checked baggage allowance is 15 KG, if you go over it is expensive. Cabin allowance is 10Kg.

Unless you go Club Class on Air Transat, they are very tight on your carry-on weight and size. I have had my carry-on weighed everytime and they will make you check the bag if it is over.

Like others have said, wear your overcoat and fill your pockets with the heavy stuff!