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Discussion with friends today, how much luggage do you take
Obviously this varies depending on weather, if you have kids and how many kids, and how long you are staying and if you have a washer/dryer.
For one week we usually travelwith one carry-on luggage and one large luggage (before the kids it was only two carry on) plus one smaller carry on each - DH brings his backpack, I usually bring a big tote with my camera bag shoved on top and the kids both have tiny kid suitcases. We normally stay in a timeshare so we do laundry as needed but I still bring enough closes to last the whole trip. And the last trip to Aruba I had DS' blow up toddler bed since we were sharing the suite with friends...I will never bring that damn space hog of a bed again. When we go to England for 10 days we will not have a washer/dryer and I plan on each of us bringing one small carry-on plus 2 large suitcases and DD's car seat which will be left in London b/c it will be expiring and I don't need it for the trip home...DS' booster seat which is a full back booster will be taken apart into two pieces and take up the majority of one big suitcase, if we did not need the car seats I would only bring one big suitcase.
My friend is taking the train to Disney World with her DH, 7yo, 6yo ad 16mo and is taking one large suitcase, 1 carry-one suitcase, 3 kid suitcases plus they will all have their own carry-on bags (she will likely have a tote and DH and the kids have back packs.) That is 9 or 10 total bags which seems INSANE to me but I travel more than she does so I try to pack really light. WDYD?
Re: Discussion with friends today, how much luggage do you take
For one week the kids share a medium sized suitcase and my husband and I each take a small to medium size suitcase. So we are checking in 3 (plus car seats) and the only carryon is my large tote/diaper bag that has change of clothes and necessities for the kids and we gate check the stroller. Our needs for on the plane went out the window when we had kids!!!
For road trips that are long weekends my husband and I share a small suitcase and so do the kids.
I think the only thing I'm going to add is a backpack for each kid to wear now that they are getting older they can put their own things in their bag and get what they want out as needed.
DH and I usually take one carry-on each, regardless of how long we'll be gone or where we're going. I sometimes bring a purse as my personal item also. We don't have kids so it's just the two of us, and we like packing light.
I can go about a week with a carry-on suitcase and my personal item (where I can fit toiletries, etc). If it's the summer/warm weather and my clothes are smaller, or I'm not bringing as many shoes, then I can fit more into a suitcase.
My issues with packing arise when the weather is really iffy (so you have to pack for rain, cold, warm, etc...even layering pieces take up space!) or when I'm not sure what shoes I'll need. I pack much better when I'm going someplace that I've already been because I have an idea of what I'll need and what i'll actually use. Going new places tends to throw me for a loop.
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We're not big fans of doing laundry while on vacation(or cooking for that matter) so we pack heavy. We just were in FL for 10 days and all 3 of us brought a full-sized suitcase, I carried on a diaper bag and DH brought along a duffel and a carry-on. We typically travel Delta and get free bags(DS gets a seat too so is included in the free bag deal).
Like PP said, most kids suitcases are too small - DS has a set of Mickey Mouse suitcases that are full-sized. When DS gets bigger he'll probably bring a back-pack with his toys/treats in it.
We pack stupid light for everything. I actually get annoyed if something comes home with us from vacation that wasn't worn or used. But, I am minimal like that in everyday life as well. I've used laundrymats in many a gorgeous city.
My dad told me years ago to 'pack half the stuff and take twice the money' when going away. It kind of stuck. And, it works for me.
A friend of mine who packs everything (and I mean this girl has everything at all times, it is crazy) was raised to carry what you pack. So, you want to bring 3 giant bags, that's fine, but the caveat is you carry it. I think that is a good rule.
It depends a lot on where I'm going!
If I'm headed to the US for a week, I take an expandable suitcase and one or two duffel bags. Because while I go over with a 40-lb suitcase, I'll come back with at least a 65-lb suitcase and a 25-lb duffle bag!
At the other extreme, if I'm spending a week in Europe and flying one of the LCCs, I'll have a 20-lb carryon and that's it. Because I'm cheap, and I don't want to pay more for my luggage than I did for my ticket.
On average, for a one-week, single-climate trip with no luggage fees, I'll take a 40-lb suitcase. I'd rather check my bag than haul it through airports, and when I take a week's worth of stuff, that's usually about how much it weighs at check-in. Obviously warmer trips end up lighter, and if it's something like a cruise where I need evening gowns and extra shoes, I'll end up heavier. But I almost always stay under 50 lbs (even when I'm allowed to take more).
PS - I measure by weight, because most of the time I'm flying carry-on only, the weight limit is around 20 lbs, and I hit that long before my bag is full!
The majority of our travel is on low-cost-airlines in Europe and we're budget travellers so we pretty much never check a bag. GilliC is right - it's the weight that becomes a problem first. We both have 50ltr backpacks that end up being right at the weight/size limit if we don't quite fill them and that's our limit. I rewear everything I can and we've done laundry on holidays too. We never travel for more than two weeks unless we go to the states so it's easy enough to stick to carry-on. Whatever we save in checked bag fees can be put towards the next trip!
When I go visit family in the states, I bring empty bags with me to fill with American goodies.
The only time we've checked a bag is if there's something liquid we want to bring home with us. We're thinking about checking a small bag when we go to Portugal in May since we're going for a wedding (so DH will have his kilt and I'll have a dress I don't want to crush into a backpack) and we want to bring port back with us.
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for our annual trip to mexico (beach trip) i do one small suitcase. can't do carry on b/c i have all of my snorkel gear and with my clothes it's too much for a small carry on. i do laundry in the sink and hang on a clothesline on the balcony. for my trip to italy last week i brought my rolling 21 inch and it was fine. for our 19 night trip there a few years ago i brought the same one and we just did laundry. i dont need a washer and dryer to wash underpants a few shirts and a skirt or pants. i need a sink, some soap and someplace to hang it. i pack for only a few days and then just repeat. especialyl on a trip like to mexico every year. i lay around by the pool all day (i'm not kidding. last year we went for 2 weeks and one day did a day trip) so for 13 days laying there in a bikini how much clothes do i need? lol. bring a few coordinating pieces for dinners, a few cover ups for the pool etc...
i dont have kids (thank god!) so i can't help with that part. but your friend is WAY overpacking wiht 9 pieces of luggage for the DW trip. like the 16 month old needs her own suitcase?1?! are they going to disney for 4 months? because they're packing like it.
We have two kids. For 3-4 days we generally need a medium sized bag plus two carry-ons (ours are small, like backpacks). For ever a week we need two medium sized bags. Carryons depend on the travel time and if I'm on my own or not. A long flight needs three carry ons (one bag of food and clothes -one change for each adult, two changes for kids- and medications, one of electronics - ipad, ipod, DVD player, camera, video and chargers for layovers- and toys, one for laptop and books) and a small backpack for each kid, plus a stroller and carseat.
Yes, we have seven items in the gate area. I've had a flight where we used one sticker book in 23 hours, and another nine hour where we used every single one of the more than a dozen things I'd brought and were still resorting to chocolate to keep the peace. You can't predict how bad it'll be.
We travel often with our 2 kids and I've learned that packing light is the way to go. We buy diapers, wipes, and that kind of stuff when we arrive at our destination so I only pack enough to get us through our travel day(s) and one "emergency" day (in case we get stuck in transit).
For one week, DH and I share a small duffel bag and the kids share a carry-on size roller bag. We typically check these even though they are small enough to carry-on. I carry on a backpack, which is used as our diaper bag. DH carries on a small bag which contains a change of clothes for everyone, the emergency supply of diapers, my Ergo, and our cameras and laptop. I also have a very small purse, which only holds my wallet, my phone, my iPod, and our passports and a few toiletry items like tissues and toilet seat covers (for DS when he uses public toilets).
And lastly, the items I wish we could leave behind because they are a pain to carry, two car seats and an umbrella stroller. Can't wait for the kids to be old enough to not need those!
If we're going to a beach for a week (which we normally do), H and I each have one carry on for our clothes and then we check one bag between the two of us with our dive gear and liquids.
If we are going somewhere colder, we usually each have our own carry on and checked bag.
Carry on only, even with the kids. When DH and I went to Europe for 2 weeks last spring (chilly!) we each brought a rolling carry on and a small backpack. We had room to spare. When we travel as a family (of 4), we bring the two rolling carry ons again, one backpack, my large purse, and each of the kids had their own small backpack- plus one harnessed car seat and an RSTV (travel vest- best thing ever!)
This sounds like me. Growing up (in addition to having to carry whatever I packed) I was told to pack everything I thought I needed, then take half of it out of the bag. That's probably the best packing advice I've received and can share... My husband and I usually each travel with a backpack/carry-on (depending on the type of travel) and a daypack, regardless of how long we'll be gone. We end up doing a lot of random laundry in the sink, but it's worth it to me to be able to travel so easily.