Luggage Weight
My wife and
I did some inquisitive shopping for a nice “tow behind” camping trailer a few
summers ago. My truck has a towing
capacity of 5,000lbs and we found several nice trailers that came in right at
that weight. Looking more closely at the
specifications, I noticed that several weights were usually listed. There was an “empty curb weight” and also a
“traveling weight” listed. A salesman
told us that the “traveling weight” included the weight of the water, (for
showers, sink washing, etc), gas for the stove and grill, and other things you
typically need when you go camping. This
brought the weight up fairly considerably.
Then I began thinking about my wife and her packing style. I knew full well that by the time she was
done loading this camper up with rugs, pots, pans, food, blankets and linens,
ice chests, and every other camping knick knack under the sun, another 1,000
pounds would have to be considered. So…
my 5,000lb towing capacity actually meant that I was shopping for a 2,500lb
trailer.
The same
thing happens when you pack for a trip.
The airline sets your capacity.
45lbs is pretty common. If you go
over your capacity, you have to pay a premium.
Just like with a camping trailer, the heavier your suitcase is when its
empty, the fewer items you can pack into it and still remain safely under your
capacity limit.
I love the
compression bags that they sell at big mega-mart stores. They are big plastic bags that you pack your
clothes into, and then you attach your vacuum cleaner hose to a nozzle on the
bag and suck the air out of it. This
compresses the bag (and your clothes) to a 1/3 the size. Many travel sites recommend this as a way to
compress and reduce the size needed for your clothes so you can pack more into
your suitcase. I have two problems with
that idea. For one; you won’t be
traveling with a vacuum cleaner, so how are you planning on packing back up to
come home? The other reason is
weight. You may have compressed your
clothes, but they weigh the same. All
you’ve done is made more room to build a much heavier (and more expensive)
suitcase.
Packing any
bag with 45lbs of stuff is lot easier than you might expect. Therefore, I tend to buy and to travel with
medium sized suitcases. Smaller
suitcases are easier to roll through the airport with, and to pack into rental
cars, and to stow out of the way in your hotel room.
I know for a
solid fact that I don’t “need” more than 45lbs of stuff with me for any amount
of time so that’s my limit. If you’re
curious about just how much weight that is, stand on your kitchen scale, read
the weight, then pick up your empty suitcase and read the weight again. Even moderate lightweight suitcases can push
into the ten pound range so be mindful that you’re now only talking about 35lbs
of stuff to take with you. Now, pack
your suitcase ? full and weigh it again.
I bet a bag of donuts that you’re already over the 22.5lb mark!
The solution
is simple; “Pack less stuff.”
Period. If you’re just a few
pounds over, you might get away with it if you are polite and your ticketing
agent is in a good mood. Still, it might
be easier to leave the hiking boots at home.
OR, just wear the hiking boots onto the plane and pack your loafers
instead. Books and other things that you
can carry with you should never be packed into the suitcase you’re going to
check. Remember; always look up the
limit of the checked bag before you start packing. Every airline is different but they always
list the limit on their website.
EXTRA: If you have questions for Ken regarding business travel,
hotels, airplanes, etc, please send him a “Tweet” on his twitter account.
You can also follow Ken on Twitter @foodbreeze!
