1 piece of luggage??

[DisneyTravelDad]

We did ABD Australia which was 11 days. In addition to the one checked bag + one carry on rule, Australian airlines are also super picky about the weight of your bags. 15 pounds for carry-on (including your purse or backpack). I'm pretty sure my wife's purse weighs 15 pounds all by itself on a good day. It was TOUGH! It is doable though. You just have to pack smart. We laid out all of our clothes for each day of the trip before loading up the suitcase. It really helped to make sure we weren't taking anything that wasn't needed.

Another tip for packing that I have found to be a life saver -- pack a few outfits of everyone's clothes in different bags. It is unlikely that the airline will lose ALL of your luggage, so by mixing bags out you can prevent any single person from having a disaster from any one lost piece of luggage.

One of the hotels on the ABD Australia trip has a washer and dryer. Knowing this in advance also allows you to pack less with the plan to wash mid-trip. Know that anything you wear to the "red desert" will be red and dirty for the rest of your life. I ended up throwing away my shoes after that leg of the trip.

 

[Livelovedance]

When you say "compress" do you mean like space bags compression? This I have not heard of about the cubes.

That’s what it sounds like!

 

[Livelovedance]

We did ABD Australia which was 11 days. In addition to the one checked bag + one carry on rule, Australian airlines are also super picky about the weight of your bags. 15 pounds for carry-on (including your purse or backpack). I'm pretty sure my wife's purse weighs 15 pounds all by itself on a good day. It was TOUGH! It is doable though. You just have to pack smart. We laid out all of our clothes for each day of the trip before loading up the suitcase. It really helped to make sure we weren't taking anything that wasn't needed.

Another tip for packing that I have found to be a life saver -- pack a few outfits of everyone's clothes in different bags. It is unlikely that the airline will lose ALL of your luggage, so by mixing bags out you can prevent any single person from having a disaster from any one lost piece of luggage.

One of the hotels on the ABD Australia trip has a washer and dryer. Knowing this in advance also allows you to pack less with the plan to wash mid-trip. Know that anything you wear to the "red desert" will be red and dirty for the rest of your life. I ended up throwing away my shoes after that leg of the trip.

Great tips! I’ve never thought about the weight of the carry on before. I don’t usually pack much in a carry on, but then again, I’m usually the one with 2 pieces of luggage for myself! I’ll be sure to check and double check the airline rules before packing. Someone else also mentioned laying everything out before packing, which I don’t normally do. I pick outfits and pack as I go. I’m going to try that, I’m sure it’ll lessen the amount of items I pack!

Sharing luggage has also been a common theme. Something so simple can really make a huge difference! Depending on how the packing goes, I’ll see if I need to plan for doing laundry. Hopefully not lol.

Great note on the red desert too! I don’t know if I’ll ever make it there, but a friendly warning is always good have. I’m sure there will be people on this thread that are very thankful for that!

Thanks!

 

[aggiedog]

I've rolled my clothes for years. The nice thing about those compressible packing cubes is the clothes stay compressed. Without the cubes, you can roll them, squish them into place in the suitcase, but they will expand at least a little bit, and once the suitcase is opened and you start digging around, things get messy. These cubes keep them maximally compressed until you take them out of the suitcase, and decompressing them gives you a nice, tidy container to keep them in. I suppose people who find nice and tidy a bonus will like these more. (That's me, messiness makes me crazy.) I got lucky, I guess, as I had no idea there were packing cubes out there that didn't compress. I honestly don't see the use of those, unless maybe I could get them for free (see neat and tidy.) This set was recommended in a travel article, so I got it. I think I could use another small and midsize one but haven't looked to see if I can even buy them separately.

 

[Livelovedance]

I've rolled my clothes for years. The nice thing about those compressible packing cubes is the clothes stay compressed. Without the cubes, you can roll them, squish them into place in the suitcase, but they will expand at least a little bit, and once the suitcase is opened and you start digging around, things get messy. These cubes keep them maximally compressed until you take them out of the suitcase, and decompressing them gives you a nice, tidy container to keep them in. I suppose people who find nice and tidy a bonus will like these more. (That's me, messiness makes me crazy.) I got lucky, I guess, as I had no idea there were packing cubes out there that didn't compress. I honestly don't see the use of those, unless maybe I could get them for free (see neat and tidy.) This set was recommended in a travel article, so I got it. I think I could use another small and midsize one but haven't looked to see if I can even buy them separately.

I think the cubes will be great for consolidating items neatly in the suitcase, and the fact that they can compress will mean there’s more room! I also could see a use for regular packing cubes for the random items that you couldn’t compress, but still want to organize neatly in your suitcase. I’m probably going to try both kinds for different things.

 

[kristilew]

I am still not convinced to spend over $100 for a few cubes when I know how to pack using spacebags. I love the spacebags as I can toss them around on the bed and see what is in them. I can write on the outside of the bag the kids names (I know some color code the cubes for people). I can reuse the space bags as much as a I want, etc. I don't see how cubes "saves space" when you are not compressing the clothes inside. I know about rolling (retired Veteran, I have rolled and packed a lot). So if you are already rolling items not in space bags, and space bagging the rest... the cubes don't seem to have any advantage other than a more expensive way to organize.

When I tried spacebags, my luggage ended up heavier because I could fit so much more in. I also disliked how stiff the bags were, not conforming to the shape of my luggage. I found that after a few uses, some of the seals did not hold, causing the bags to reinflate. I had my luggage searched once when using space bags and that was a mess. But everything did get crammed back in, making me realize I probably didn’t need the compression anyway.

I like being organized with the cubes and being able to put them in hotel drawers easily. And I love being able to launder them after bringing home sweaty, dirty clothes.

I think what’s become clear with this great thread is everyone has their own preferences, and that packing light (or at least lighter) is possible with research and planning!

 

[OhanaCuz]

I am still not convinced to spend over $100 for a few cubes when I know how to pack using spacebags. I love the spacebags as I can toss them around on the bed and see what is in them. I can write on the outside of the bag the kids names (I know some color code the cubes for people). I can reuse the space bags as much as a I want, etc. I don't see how cubes "saves space" when you are not compressing the clothes inside. I know about rolling (retired Veteran, I have rolled and packed a lot). So if you are already rolling items not in space bags, and space bagging the rest... the cubes don't seem to have any advantage other than a more expensive way to organize.

I used those bags on my first ABD but I made some rookie mistakes. On the first night at the hotel before the cruise I couldn't tell which bag contained my sleepwear. Of course it wasn't in the first two I opened (and had to recompress).

 

[Rebecca White]

My family and I did the Discovery Down Under trip back in 2014. For 17 days, which was the tour plus three additional days we added on before the trip, each of us packed in one carry on per person and one backpack per person only. This was my trick:

I personally don't like packing cubes, they actually take up a lot of space compared to just the clothes themselves. Rather, I roll my clothes. This way I can tuck in things like socks and underwear into those inevitable blank spots between the clothes. Invest in quick dry/washable underwear, socks, and zipoff pants. These things can be washed in sinks or showers and dry in a few hours. Really think about what you may need. For this trip, we had no "nice" dinners, so I brought no dresses/skirts/blouses that take up extra space. I wore my hiking boots on the plane so they wouldn't take up space in my bags. I still had room to bring home the boomerang we painted in Cairns as well has some other souvenirs in the backpack I brought as my other bag. It can be done. Is it for everyone? No. But if you are looking for tips to downsize...

Also, packable fleeces and raincoats are a must. I will be leaving in two days for the Iceland ABD trip and the Copenhagen short escape, a total of 15 days abroad. My packable fleece takes up less space than a pair of pants and same thing with the raincoat. It's like a challenge for me: how little space can I take up with my clothes? Again, as a caveat, I'm a bit of a tomboy and am completely happy wearing nothing but 5 quick dry soccer jerseys for 2 weeks, but that isn't for everyone.

hope this helps you!

 

[Livelovedance]

My family and I did the Discovery Down Under trip back in 2014. For 17 days, which was the tour plus three additional days we added on before the trip, each of us packed in one carry on per person and one backpack per person only. This was my trick:

I personally don't like packing cubes, they actually take up a lot of space compared to just the clothes themselves. Rather, I roll my clothes. This way I can tuck in things like socks and underwear into those inevitable blank spots between the clothes. Invest in quick dry/washable underwear, socks, and zipoff pants. These things can be washed in sinks or showers and dry in a few hours. Really think about what you may need. For this trip, we had no "nice" dinners, so I brought no dresses/skirts/blouses that take up extra space. I wore my hiking boots on the plane so they wouldn't take up space in my bags. I still had room to bring home the boomerang we painted in Cairns as well has some other souvenirs in the backpack I brought as my other bag. It can be done. Is it for everyone? No. But if you are looking for tips to downsize...

Also, packable fleeces and raincoats are a must. I will be leaving in two days for the Iceland ABD trip and the Copenhagen short escape, a total of 15 days abroad. My packable fleece takes up less space than a pair of pants and same thing with the raincoat. It's like a challenge for me: how little space can I take up with my clothes? Again, as a caveat, I'm a bit of a tomboy and am completely happy wearing nothing but 5 quick dry soccer jerseys for 2 weeks, but that isn't for everyone.

hope this helps you!

That is very impressive! I have to do more research to figure out exactly what I'll need, but I plan to start experimenting with different strategies so (hopefully) by the time our ABD trip comes up, we'll be set! Thanks for the tips! Enjoy your Iceland and Copenhagen trip!

 

[Donalyn]

Here is another fan of packing some of everyone's clothes in each suitcase, just in case. My mom started doing this after she had a piece of luggage miss a cruise sailing and had to make due with half of her clothes (back when everyone dressed to the nines for dinner on a cruise).

DH is not a fan of this concept, but has learned to humor me, for our trips out. We lay out all of the clothes, put swimming suits and a change of clothes into everyone's carry-ons. Then I do the dividing, depending on how many checked bags (usually two bags for the four of us on domestic flights). A little bit of everything (shorts, tops, pants, shoes, underwear, etc.) for each person in each bag, but make sure it is coordinating outfits and shoes.

 

[Livelovedance]

Here is another fan of packing some of everyone's clothes in each suitcase, just in case. My mom started doing this after she had a piece of luggage miss a cruise sailing and had to make due with half of her clothes (back when everyone dressed to the nines for dinner on a cruise).

DH is not a fan of this concept, but has learned to humor me, for our trips out. We lay out all of the clothes, put swimming suits and a change of clothes into everyone's carry-ons. Then I do the dividing, depending on how many checked bags (usually two bags for the four of us on domestic flights). A little bit of everything (shorts, tops, pants, shoes, underwear, etc.) for each person in each bag, but make sure it is coordinating outfits and shoes.

It’s so interesting how many people do this! I’ve packed an extra outfit in my carryon, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten lol. It makes so much sense but for whatever reason I’ve never considered it! Thank you for the tips!

 

[Dashzap]

- travel toiletries - go-toobs are great

We love go-toobs. Easy to fill, easy to get the last drop out, easy to clean and put away for next trip.

Great tips! I’ve never thought about the weight of the carry on before.

Remember to consider the weight of the empty bag. I recently shopped for a backpack with some structure and a laptop pocket. I made a list of weights first, then tried on the bags for fit. Ended up with the Kanken 17, even though fashion bloggers say it is so dowdy that only rural, clog-wearing pottery teachers would carry one.
- LLBean Ledge 1lb. 11oz
- LLBean Quad pack 2 lb. 3 oz.
- LLBean Super Deluxe Book Pack, no laptop pocket 2 lb. 2 oz.
- LLBean Digital Organizer Pack 2 lb
- Patagonia Chacabuco 1 lb 7.8 oz
- Kanken laptop 17" 1 lb 2oz
- Landsend Everyday Backpack 1 1b 3 oz
- Jansport Big Student 1 lb 8 oz

 

[Livelovedance]

We love go-toobs. Easy to fill, easy to get the last drop out, easy to clean and put away for next trip.



Remember to consider the weight of the empty bag. I recently shopped for a backpack with some structure and a laptop pocket. I made a list of weights first, then tried on the bags for fit. Ended up with the Kanken 17, even though fashion bloggers say it is so dowdy that only rural, clog-wearing pottery teachers would carry one.
- LLBean Ledge 1lb. 11oz
- LLBean Quad pack 2 lb. 3 oz.
- LLBean Super Deluxe Book Pack, no laptop pocket 2 lb. 2 oz.
- LLBean Digital Organizer Pack 2 lb
- Patagonia Chacabuco 1 lb 7.8 oz
- Kanken laptop 17" 1 lb 2oz
- Landsend Everyday Backpack 1 1b 3 oz
- Jansport Big Student 1 lb 8 oz

Wow, thanks for the details! Do many airlines have carryon weight restrictions?

 

[Dashzap]

Do many airlines have carryon weight restrictions?

I can't carry much weight, which limits what I pack more than any restrictions.

 

[sayhello]

Wow, thanks for the details! Do many airlines have carryon weight restrictions?

Lots of non-USA airlines do.

Sayhello

 

[Livelovedance]

I can't carry much weight, which limits what I pack more than any restrictions.

Oh okay, that makes sense. Thanks!

Lots of non-USA airlines do.

Sayhello

Good to know! Thank you!

 

[OhanaCuz]

All right, packing cubes have been ordered. I'm going to try being organized.

 

[sayhello]

Good to know! Thank you!

A lot of non-USA airlines also have much stricter rules about the size of carry-ons. Their allowance for size (and weight) can be MUCH less than domestic US airlines. Make *sure* you research what the requirements are for your flight before you go!

Sayhello

 

[aggiedog]

Yes to that! My easily carry-on size luggage I use all the time in the US was no where near small enough to fit IcelandAir's requirements. All my hard worked "carry on only" plans for that trip, dashed at check in!

 

[Livelovedance]

All right, packing cubes have been ordered. I'm going to try being organized.

What kind did you decide on?? There are so many options lol. I'm going to try to pick a set to try before my next trip!