Beat airline baggage fees: how to pack 10 days of stuff in a carry on

gazroe

last year we went to Spain for a week and had 3 lots of hand luggage for the 4 of us as we had an 18 month old. we managed it by only taking what were really need not what we liked OH could only take 2 pairs of shoes! lol

SallyD

Loops23 wrote: »

I bought some being sold off from Tesco - you SIT on the bag to get all the air out, then you re-seal it whilst sat on it. Therefore no need to worry about a vacuum on the return journey! Works and absolute treat in reducing the size! And if you're searched in customs, again repack and sit on it again! Happy Holidays! :T

I saw them today in Tesco for a £1 each so am going to give them a go.

PaulOMahony

Some great ideas here

jezza2412

totallybored wrote: »

I've found it impossible to not check in a bag as its the toiletries which are an issue. It's easy to manage with a small amount of clothes if you're going somewhere hot but things like sun cream can be incredibly expensive depending on the destination. There is no point in saving £30 on not checking in a bag to then have to spend €15+ per bottle of sun cream plus mozzie repellant when you get there. You can buy them at Boots at the airport after security but if you have a connecting flight this isn't an option.

What I do is decant the sun lotion into 100ml plastic screw-top containers (available on eBay). Small plastic bottles are also available for liquids such as mouthwash.

A friend of mine wanted to bring a bottle of vodka (bought landside, not airside) so simply decanted it into 100ml bottles, brought the empty bottle along (empty bottles are permitted by security), then refilled the bottle at the other end...

rosgrech

It's all very well putting all this stuff in - but there is also the weight to consider surely? Carry-on baggage is restricted to 10kg.

OnAndUp

Can totally vouch for rolling stuff was stuck in the US once with Way too much stuff took them all out rolled them fitted them all in easily + More!

Once you do it you will be a total convert! Not sure if it makes them crease more or less though.....but who cares!!

Think the main issue is the weight limit though!

Bogof_Babe

rosgrech wrote: »

It's all very well putting all this stuff in - but there is also the weight to consider surely? Carry-on baggage is restricted to 10kg.

10kg is quite a lot really. It helps if you buy the lightest weight case or trolley bag that you can find/afford (being careful to keep it within the dimensions your airline permits). I take microfleece tops rather than heavier jumpers, and sort out my lightest weight trousers, t-shirt type tops, even socks etc. You get it down to a fine art if you do it often enough.

Wear your heaviest shoes - actually I usually struggle to pack any other shoes as they take so much space up so just take mule-type slippers for the bathroom/bedroom, but I have packed a pair of lightweight canvas "pumps" for my next trip, as it isn't good to wear the same shoes for five days running! Wear your coat or jacket to go through the departure gate even if it is the middle of summer! I also take a lightweight raincoat and will wear that over my jacket just for boarding.

A small handbag that lies flat when empty is ideal to pack in your carry-on luggage - you can take it out as soon as you've boarded (if there's room to manoeuvre!) so don't pack it too near the bottom of your case. I take in my pockets tissues, phone, lip salve (extracted from "liquids" bag after security clearance), comb and a small powder compact. They usually don't worry about carrying a book that isn't packed, so long as you put it in the tray for going through security, but if it fits in your pocket so much the better.

I've worked out how much of each of my toiletries I will need and have decanted those into small bottles - some things into tiny eye drop bottles e.g. my face cleanser is in 2x5ml bottles, which will be enough for five nights.. I buy mini hairsprays just for travelling. I begrudge the price of miniature "travel-size" aerosol deodorants, but have to fork out for these as normal sized ones exceed the 100ml per item allowance anyway. If you expect to be travelling regularly, keep this in mind throughout the year and always hang onto any small bottles etc. that might come in handy.

I take 5ml of shampoo and shower gel, as these are supplied in hotels anyway, so I only take them in case of delays at airports meaning we have to rough it somewhere! I also squeeze in one extra set of undies for the same reason.

For (part) self-catering I've got us two enamel mugs from a camping shop for cup-a-soups, two melamine plates for making sandwiches, and two melamine bowls for cereal. I stuff small items of clothing inside and around the mugs and bowls to save space.

My OH has a problem as he likes to wear polo shirts, which are quite bulky to pack, but I've bought him some "Isocool" teeshirt type tops which are very lightweight and pack to next to nothing. Also they can be rinsed through and will dry overnight. I haven't persuaded him to actually wear them yet though! :rotfl:

You can get double-layer coats that have a zip-out fleece inside, so wear one of those to travel then you have your raincoat and a spare fleece too.

Final tip - always wear (or pack) a belt even if you don't normally. It might be a life-saver if the zip on your case goes! Not necessary if you have a luggage strap of course.

shedboy94

or you could buy one of these!!!

https://www.rufusroo.com/shop/

Bogof_Babe

shedboy94 wrote: »

or you could buy one of these!!!

https://www.rufusroo.com/shop/

I've actually got us one each of those, but he won't wear his and I felt a right idiot in mine. I do take it in my case though, in case I need it coming back.

princess_fiona

I have just booked flights to Marrakesh with Thomson and thought we could just do carry on but the weight limit per item (1 item per person) is only 5kg and my case weighs half of that when empty. It seems to be just a cunning plan to get you to pay more. We did one case per couple in the end, just in case we buy something out there. We can also pack toiletries from home without having to worry about weight and wasting time shopping for toiletries when we get there. I'm going on holiday, not shopping for boring stuff.