How to fit the maximum into your carry-on baggage and not overpay for baggage

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

To travel competently with small luggage, you only need three things: knowledge of carry-on luggage allowances, a critical look at your usual luggage, and tips from a blogger and avid traveler on how to make it more compact.

When faced with offers from low-cost airlines, many travelers find themselves confused. Low-cost airline prices look very attractive, and sometimes they are the only way to make the desired trip. But at the same time, harsh conditions scare away potential tourists. And if many of us are ready to refuse food on board, then not everyone will decide to go thousands of kilometers only with hand luggage. Meanwhile, traveling with small luggage is quite possible, you just need to meet a few conditions.

We clarify the conditions of the problem

The baggage allowance must be found on the website of each specific carrier. They can vary. But in general, low-cost airlines are allowed to carry baggage weighing up to 10 kg and a maximum size of 55 × 40 × 20 cm in each dimension, respectively. For the Russian low-cost airline Pobeda, the baggage size must not exceed 165 cm in the sum of three dimensions. German low-cost airlines, as a rule, limit the weight of luggage to 8 kg.

What to pack

A small suitcase can be purchased for these needs. Manufacturers produce such models just taking into account the requirements of low-cost airlines in dimensions 55 × 40 × 20 cm. This is a very convenient and stylish option. But it must be borne in mind that a suitcase is usually somewhat heavier than a bag or backpack. In turn, a bag or backpack should be light, roomy and keep its shape well due to a fairly dense material and high-quality seams.

Avoid rigid molded bags. They are heavy and do not allow you to tamp your luggage if necessary. Also, when choosing a bag, great attention should be paid to the optimal organization of its internal space. The number of compartments and their location should suit your needs. This is very individual, depending on the things you take with you, and can either get in the way by limiting space, or create reserves due to more compact stowage of luggage.

What you can not pack and smuggle in excess of the established norm

In addition to one piece of hand luggage, you can take a handbag, a briefcase and a suitcase with you in the cabin for free, as well as a folder with documents, a tablet, a phone, a camera, an umbrella, a bouquet of flowers and outerwear. This right is reserved for the passenger in the Federal Aviation Regulations.

Let us dwell on this point in more detail. The fact is that the parameters of a handbag and a briefcase are often not fixed anywhere. Only representatives of the AK "Pobeda" name the size limit for a handbag at 75 cm in the sum of three dimensions.

It is desirable for the bag to be of a classic cut and made of leather. A fabric bag can be classified by airline employees as sports or beach bags, which is no longer included in the free baggage allowance. Do not neglect an item such as a garment bag, in which you can bring additional clothes for free.

In addition, you can carry some of the things on board in your pockets without any hindrance. "And how much can you carry in your pockets?" - you ask doubtfully. "Yes, if you set such a goal!" - will be our answer. In this case, vests and jackets, for example, the Scottevest brand, which have a huge number of internal pockets of various sizes, will be indispensable.

Maximum functionality of things

Now let's talk about how to pack compact luggage. The answer seems obvious: you only need to take the essentials. Take a critical look at your usual baggage collection list. Did everything come in handy during your trip? And was it really necessary in that amount? What you take with you and what you pay for should be as functional as possible. To do this, you need to clearly understand the purpose of the trip.

It is the tasks of the trip that determine the form of clothing, and not the usual ideas about the wardrobe. Use layering in your clothing. Then, taking some not the most voluminous things in another copy, for example, another top or skirt, you can create several images and be insured against possible weather fluctuations.

Emphasis on accessories

Remember accessories. They will help create a stylish look. Plus, you can carry most of the accessories on board the aircraft directly on your own. It can be a hat, glasses, handbag, neckerchief, belt, watch, jewelry. Then the travel wardrobe itself can be assembled from a minimum of basic things that can be easily combined with each other.

Hygienic cosmetics

As for hygienic cosmetics, how much individual and urgently needed products do you use? Is it really necessary to use them on the days of your trip? Identify inexpensive basic products that you can easily find at your nearest supermarket or even on your hotel shelf when you arrive. Make a choice in their favor. What you really need to take with you, pour into lighter plastic jars ranging from 15 to 100 ml, which can be found in many cosmetics stores.

Decorative cosmetics

Try to evaluate decorative cosmetics from the point of view of the Pareto principle: 20% of cosmetic bags give 80% of the effect of the make-up. Try to figure out these leaders and take them with you. Instead of your usual cosmetic bag, take a small and thin cosmetic bag. Quilted soft sides and rigid shape take up extra space.

First aid kit

It is a very controversial question whether it is necessary to take a first-aid kit on the road. Most of what you take will probably not be useful to you. There is probably a pharmacy in the place where you are going. If you have a chronic illness, take the medication you need. This will be less than an extra first aid kit anyway, just in case.

Gadgets and other equipment

If in matters of clothing and cosmetics, it is mostly women who have to optimize their luggage, then in terms of gadgets and other equipment, men will probably give them a head start. The desire to take all your favorite gadgets with you at once is understandable, but give yourself an honest answer to the question of how often you opened the e-book on the last trip. How badly were all those cables that you took with you needed?

Some diving gear and other equipment also add weight to the luggage. They can be rented directly on site. In this case, it makes sense to correlate the rental cost and the savings from a budget flight.

Mini version

For some essential items, you can find a smaller copy of them: a small comb, a small nail file, a compact travel umbrella, thin hair ties, a small wallet, and so on.

In conclusion, I would like to advise you to always carefully study the rules of the airline whose services you use. And when collecting luggage, follow three main principles: an individual approach to yourself and your needs, resourcefulness and functionality.