Backpack or Suitcase

[StillShaving]

I almost never bring wheeled luggage into the plane cabin. Even those smaller ones can be a pain to roll down the narrow plane aisle, maneuver in a crowd of people, handle urban sidewalks etc. If I were doing mostly point A to B travel, like to visit family or go a business trip I generally bring some small "book" bag (maybe 20 liters) and check a wheeled luggage or two. When traveling for a pleasure vacation I usually bring a single travel backpack. 30 liters is best to ease movements between plane, customs, auto, train, bus, motorbike, boat, stairs, walking; but something closer to 45 liters is sometimes needed to fit enough stuff.

I found that needing to bring an extra pair of shoes is one of the biggest obstacles to making a ~30 liter bag work, but when doing one-bag travel I am usually traveling to someplace warm and only need to pack something like a pair of Tevas or Hey-Dudes. Some hand washing in the hotel sink along with laundry service can really reduce the number of items to bring. Carrying a single backpack is liberating when on the move for sightseeing as compared to pulling a bigger suitcase which eventually turns into a load of dirty clothes anyway. But doing laundry on the move does take planning; may need to be staying more than one night in the same place if sending it to some outside service (24 hour turn around), and when hand washing in the room need fabrics that will dry in time to pack in the morning.

 

[Doc4]

(I do have my worries about LOTH getting everything into her pack, she may surprise me...)

Well, I suspect that "all our stuff" will fit into "all our bags" ... so you will be getting a bigger bag.

Do you have any insights/suggestions to make an 8+ hour flight a little more pleasant?

The expensive solution is an upgrade to business class.

Failing that, just take the flight as being "the cost of doing business" and use it as a 8-hour opportunity to practice stoicism and meditation. I get the sense that you have booked flights already so ... you don't have any more chances to pick your flight times, but if you do, aim for something that will have you arriving early/mid morning. Sleep as much as you can on the flight, and then stay awake at the destination until it's evening there, and your sleep patterns will be as well adjusted for your trip as possible.

Some hand washing in the hotel sink along with laundry service can really reduce the number of items to bring.

But doing laundry on the move does take planning

It takes effort to pick the right clothes to bring. Aim for stuff that is fast-drying, and doesn't need ironing. Oh, and go for a "nondescript" look, as you will be wearing the same thing over and over again, and "unique" clothing that stands out will really stand out (not in a good way) if you are always wearing it in all the photos from a week-long trip!

 

[Doc4]

... oh, and I'd prefer backpack and/or softsided carry-on suitcase rather than a hard-shall roller.

The general philosophy being to travel light and be able to carry what I bring. A wheeled luggage is like a Dalek ... just fine in a corridor, until you get to a flight of stairs. And no help out in the wild.

If the length or purpose of the trip needs me to bring more stuff, and I need a checked bag, that one will be wheeled for ease of airport navigation, but beyond that it gets moved mostly by bus, cab, or other public transportation so I only have to haul it short distances.

I like the idea of travelling light without checked luggage, but restrictions on what can be in carry-on means I often end up having to check a bag anyhow.

 

[KW Driver]

I’ve run an Air Boss for about 20 yrs now. It’ll pack a lot if you’re not worried about wrinkles. Supremely durable too. Inflation’s been rough on pricing in between as well.

But I also still like backpacks. My 30-35(?)L is good for at least a week. the Flash 22 with a 2L camelback bladder and Sawyer in line filter, or a 1-1.5L water bottle topped Sawyer Squeeze in a side pocket is a go anywhere day pack that can count as a “personal bag” with inflight essentials that fit under a seat with thre air boss overhead easily. Gate checking the air boss doesn’t bother me and happens on smaller regionals sometimes. The green and grey thing is an inflatable pillow and I’ve got a 16L Sea to Summit day pack that packs down smaller than the pillow.

Inflight entertainment? I’ve got lots of books on an iPad, music on it and my phone too. And you can download streaming subscriptions if that’s your thing. Podcasts too. I always travel with a small power bank for my electronics. See if you can pick up some US-EU PLUG Adapters for anything you want to charge. Their prongs are different, but your stuff should be able to manage the 240v there vs our 120v, as a built in in the device. I’m sure you’ll have not great movies to watch as well. United used to have one of their chair audio channels on the ATC freq to listen to at least on a domestic flight. That entertained me once on a few hour flight. Your own 3.5mm plug headphones/ear pods wouldn’t be remiss either. That used to be the standard earphone Jack in the seats last time I checked. I haven’t ever tried to connect BT wireless to a plane.

If you’re going to do the free international drinks, hydrate as well. The cabin is pressurized to 7-8000’ generally. The food is generally oversalted so you can taste it at that altitude. So add water to your intake to feel better on the back side.

I also pack my dopp in a 1L Tom Bihn clear packing cube as my 3-1-1 bag that stays with me in the cabin. A stick, small brush, Trac II razor, 3 oz Castile soap for body, hair, laundry if I don’t like the hotel’s/host’s. Travel toothbrush, 2.7 Oz toothpaste and odds and ends all Tetris easily in a small bag.

 

[StillShaving]

I like the idea of travelling light without checked luggage, but restrictions on what can be in carry-on means I often end up having to check a bag anyhow.

Traditional shaving does take a hit when traveling light. I do bring a stubby shave stick along with a small synthetic brush but gave up on DEs or shavettes. Some airlines/countries also prohibit umbrellas, are they afraid someone will take the metal arms apart and use them as a weapon?? I am prepared to buy a cheap one if needed at the destination, but it is an item that I liked to have close at hand in my carry on.

... I always travel with a small power bank for my electronics. See if you can pick up some US-EU PLUG Adapters for anything you want to charge. Their prongs are different, but your stuff should be able to manage the 240v there vs our 120v, as a built in in the device.

One should check with their airline, but the safe bet is to bring a USB-A cable (or dongle) for charging their smartphone during the flight. I believe most airlines prohibit the use of power banks in case someone was to use a poorly constructed or damaged one which might ignite. Many USB charging warts now support USB-C on the "host" side so one might think their flight will have USB-C charging ports, or just forget that there are still a lot of USB-A charging ports inside the plane and terminal.

 

[Doc4]

I’ve run an Air Boss for about 20 yrs now. It’ll pack a lot if you’re not worried about wrinkles. Supremely durable too. Inflation’s been rough on pricing in between as well.

Red Oxx has great stuff and I love my Air Boss too. But if I were buying today, I'd probably get a Sky Train from them instead.

Just checked ... yes, inflation is nasty.

 

[BradWorld]

I travel a lot. Usually several week-long average trips per month. I often check bags because of the length of stay, plus the need to bring gear and tools. Which is nice because I can then bring a knife and razors along. But when I do carry-on for a business trip, I will bring a roller-board. Usually a high quality metal one. And a small laptop backpack for under the seat. Standard stuff. Works great.

When I travel for leisure, it’s a mixture. If I need to be mobile, and will be moving around a lot, I use a travel backpack. The wife and I both have the Osprey Travel Packs. There are men and women specific models. They have names, like Farpoint, or Fairview, or something. It’s been a while, but I think we got the 40L versions because it’s the max size for international carry-on travel. No wheels, or any other fancy additional features. Stow away straps in case we need to check for some reason. Integrated rain covers. So if im traveling light… the Osprey pack is all I will take. I fit everything in that, including my laptop and iPad. I enjoy the freedom of not having to roll anything. Having free hands. We take lots of trains, busses, and do lots of walking and hiking. And we like to move from place to place and explore. And yes, old world cities with cobbles and ancient road and sidewalks are hell on roller-board wheels, so the backpack excels there.

If we are going to one spot for a trip, or if I need a bunch of work gear I take my standard roller-board and laptop backpack setup. I can definitely carry a lot more gear and clothes that way. I can do well more than a week without a washer with this setup.

And contrary to what is posted above, we use the Osprey Travel Packs for camping all the time. They are not suitable for “backpacking” because there is no provision for carrying the tent and cooking gear. And without a hard frame skeleton, you don’t get the support to carry the weight that backpacking requires. But for any other type of camping, the Osprey Travel Packs are great. If you are car camping, tent camping where you have a short hike to lug gear, cabin or RV camping, the Osprey Travel packs are perfect. For the record we also have proper backpacking packs too… including one from Osprey. But we are discussing Travel Packs here. And the Osprey Travel Packs are amazing. My wife has literally been using hers exclusively for any travel that doesn’t require a large checked bag for years now. I still switch between the Osprey Travel Pack and a traditional roller-board.

Hope that helps.

 

[Acmemfg]

5.11 Rush....should do just about anything you need. The Rush 24 (37L) has served quite well for both domestic and overseas travel for over a decade.

 

[TheShaun]

I've traveled all over. Roll aboard and a small backpack. I also avoid low cost airlines.