One 22" bag for 8 nights? Part 1

My first overseas business trip of 2008 is coming up quickly, and I will spend eight nights trekking between Tel Aviv, Moscow, and Paris. My journey begins with a leg through the ridiculousness that is the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. The brand new, state of the art baggage handling system has been an utter failure, leading to missing or delayed bags, cancelled flights and an apology by British Airways chief executive, Willie Walsh.

Missing or delayed luggage is extra stress that I simply do not need, so I've decided to travel with only carry-on luggage. This decision resulted in about $225 spent in "packing essentials" in the past two days.

So what did I buy, and what should you consider before attepting to travel only with carry on luggage?

My first stop was the Container Store, where I picked up a laundry bag for $5 that compacts into a very tiny bag. So much for the cutesy ones from my previous post - I'm aiming for super-practical now. Since my old luggage tag got ripped off my bag during my last trip, I bought a new pink "privacy tag". I also bought two small Nalgene flip-top bottles, which will be used on a future voyage involving checked luggage since they're 4oz each.





Next stop: Brett's Luggage & Gifts. Brett's is online at http://www.suitcase.com/. My old carry-on doesn't have the space needed for cramming all my essentials for eight days, and technically it belongs to my parents. The saleswoman hooked me up with a Pathfinder 22" expandable Avenger XLite in a cool shade of spruce (not the color below), which I'll be able to spot on the conveyor belt. While I was there, I picked up a new inflatable neck pillow from Eagle Creek, fleece-covered and hopefully less likely to deflate than previous pillows I've owned.


The next problem I had to solve was what to do with my laptop. I have a laptop backpack I use daily that fits my computer as well as my gym clothes, but makes me look less like an international businesswoman and more like a college kid. My rolling laptop bag is too big to put under the seat on the plane, so it wouldn't be allowed. At my local TJ Maxx, I found this Wenger "Rhea" computer tote that seems like it will hold all my stuff. I may look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame by the end of my trip, but at least I'll still be stylish.


Now the challenge is packing for eight nights in a 22" carry-on bag and small-ish laptop tote. Is it possible? I'll find out and will let you know! If you want to carry-on, consider the following:

1) Follow the TSA's 3-1-1- rules: Liquid must be in 3oz containers, fit in a 1 quart bag, and each passenger is only allowed one 1 quart bag.

2) Check your airline's hand-baggage allowance for not only the number of bags, but the size and/or weight as well. Each airline is different. Some examples:
- British Airways now allows one carry-on piece of luggage plus one handbag, briefcase, or laptop bag.
- On this trip, I'm also flying El Al Airlines in economy class, and I'm only allowed one piece of hand-luggage with a weight limit of 17lbs. Therefore, my Pathfinder Avenger above will have to be checked in.
- Virgin Atlantic has even stricter regulations, with one carry-on not weighing more than 13lbs, and a purse that is "appropriate to normal travelling dress and is not being used as a container for the transportation of articles which could otherwise be regarded as baggage." I had no idea Richard Branson was such a particular fellow...

3) In addition to the liquid requirements, remember that items such as metal nail files, manicure scissors, and tweezers are not permitted. Buy them after you arrive, get a mani and wax before you leave, or just deal with your unibrow and hangnails for a few days.

The risk of lost luggage at Heathrow is just too high, and it gives me a good excuse to improve my packing skills. We'll see if I can do it, or if I end up saying "The hell with it all!" as I roll out my 26" piece and just throw everything in.