With growing worries around lost luggage, many people are turning to travelling with carry-on only. But how do you squeeze it all in? Photo / 123rf
With growing worries around lost luggage, many people are turning to travelling with carry-on only. But how do you squeeze it all in? Photo / 123rf
Ewan McDonald answers Herald readers’ travel queries and questions.
Q. We’re about to take off on a four-week overseas holiday but we’re worried about the horror stories of so much checked luggage getting lost these days. Could the two of us survive with a carry-on bag apiece?
A. You’re not alone. In the New York Times last week David Mack wrote, “None of us fully trust the airlines to get our bags to our destination. One 2013 survey found just 19 per cent of passengers travelled exclusively with carry-on; by last year, a separate survey found this group had climbed to 41 per cent.”
In May the aviation data company SITA reported a rate of 19.3 mishandled bags per 1000 international travellers and predicted the industry won’t return to pre-Covid levels of service until next year.
Gabby Beckford has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers for her Packs Light posts. Her philosophy, in brief: they sell underpants everywhere so why are you packing extras?
Beckford urged any followers travelling to Europe in the northern summer to leave half their suitcase empty and pack NZ$500 in spending money to take advantage of shopping opportunities there.
So, you’d come home with more than you left with? I offer two options: buying cheap stuff that’ll last four weeks and you can donate to the local charity store, or going to the market/ Red Shed equivalent, buying a cheap suitcase, checking it in at the airport and crossing your fingers.
Travelling light, the first thing you should pack is your etiquette. Check the airline’s website for their size and weight limits and prohibited carry-on items, especially toiletries, devices and medication.
There are a couple of ways to make international travel more breezy. Photo / Unsplash
Make sure you can lift and lower your own bag, and consider other passengers who also have rights to the overhead locker. Stick to a soft bag rather than a hard case – it’ll have more push and shove-ability when you’re cramming it into a tight space.
Chances are you’ll have to open your bag for security officers at some point. Save time and stress by keeping sensitive items like liquids, gels and electronics at the top of your bag where they’re easy to reach. Keep devices charged: you may be required to turn them on at a checkpoint before you board.
You never know when you’ll need your medication so you should always take it in your carry-on. It should be kept in its original packaging with a doctor’s certificate noting your condition and needs. You’ll be permitted a reasonable supply but it’s a good idea to check with the airline well before take-off, and security officers in some jurisdictions can appear unnecessarily suspicious: ‘fraid you’ll just have to go with that flow.
What to pack and what to leave behind? I’m with Gabby Beckford, and not just as regards underpants. They sell socks and shoes and T-shirts and toothpaste and shampoo in a lot of foreign parts these days.
The Kiwi liking for casual dress really pays off here. Most of us can get by with the clothes and shoes we’ll wear on the plane, plus a couple of changes. Choose clothes that take up little space and plan to layer up to match the weather and temperature – think, short-sleeve shirt under a long-sleeve top and a lightweight rain jacket rather than a top and a thick jersey and a full-on raincoat.
Pack light, choose clothes that take up little space. Photo / 123rf
Get used to wearing clothing more than once (no one knows you, or cares). You’ll quickly learn that public laundries are really good places to meet locals / find cafes / check in with your preferred social media / get ideas from other travellers.
There are other benefits to travelling without too much baggage - both literally and philosophically.
When you arrive, you won’t be queueing and jostling at the carousel. You’ll move through crowded airports and transport hubs at a clip, wheeling or backpacking your life for the next month in a compact and lightweight bag.
You’ll be able to get into or around towns using cheaper public transport – bus or metro – rather than a more expensive cab or Uber. That’s a real bonus when crossing a major city to get from your hotel to the railway station or airport for the next leg of your trip.
Philosophically, when you’re not sweating – literally – about lugging huge, heavy bags over cobblestones or along sidewalks, tipping bellboys and porters, you’ll find you’ve more time to settle into and enjoy your surroundings.
And in answer to your original question, can you survive four weeks with carry-on? My record is 5kg for a six-week tramping trip, and that included the sleeping bag.
Do you have a question for our First Timer’sGuide expert? Email travel@nzherald.co.nz with ‘First-timer’ in the subject line.
