You Don't Need to Fly Southwest to Retaliate-
If You Pack Smart & Aggressively Your Bags Can Fly Free on Any Airline!
There once was a time when I carried on next to nothing. I would check a bag when boarding a plane, and that bag would contain everything I was taking with me on my trip. Ah, life was great!
Sure, my bag could be lost- but the advantage was worth the risk. Strolling casually through the terminal and then on to a plane with a magazine while others toted half their belongings into the cabin and frantically searched for storage space- and I watched, and chuckled, and quietly grumbled about all of these people carrying on loads and getting their stuff in my way.
I felt like I was contributing to more pleasant travel experience by not getting in other people's way
NO MORE- You know... they say if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Well, with the popularity of fees to check bags I've decided to get aggressive with it & see how much I can carry on.
I'm NOT going to pay a fee for my bag, so here was my plan....
First, I got a new bag-
It's a beauty- 22"x14"x9" which is as large as allowed for a carry on- plus it only cost about $65 here.
So what can I fit inside? Check THIS out-
Inventory-
- 1 Pair Water Shoes
- 1 Pair Athletic Shoes
- I pair House slippers
- 6 Pair socks
- 8 Underwear (Briefs...)
- 2 Polo Shirts
- 1 Dress Shirt- button down
- 1 Pair Dress Slacks
- 4 Undershirts
- 3 T Shirts
- 1 Swimming Suit
- 2 Pairs Athletic Shorts
- 1 Do-wrap
- 1 Tank Top
- 3 Leisure Shorts
- 3 Casual Slacks
- 1 2 Piece Men's Suit
Also Pictured- These are the comfortable travel clothes-
- 1 Pair Jeans
- 1 Sport Coats
- 1 Pair dress shoes
- 1 T shirt
- 1 Mock Turtle Neck
So here's how it fits...
Start with suit (I'm not really taking this suit, I'm giving this space to my wife for a few hanging things, but didn't want to get yelled at for "borrowing" her things to illustrate this...)
Then add Slacks & dress shirts, zip & fold up-
Then you end up with something like this-
Now the fun begins...
Stuff socks into shoes, fold casual slacks, stash a few T-shirts, roll up a few underwears and you have the first layer...
Then bring in another layer....
Undershirts, work-out shorts, dress shorts, strap it down & keep going...
Then add swimming suit, slippers, water shoes, more shorts, more underwear... & keep going-
Finally we're going to top it off with a couple of great looking polo shirts (available from EZTravelpad apparel & make great Christmas gifts ;))
Think you can't go on a week long vacation with just a carry on? Hey, we're not even done yet...
Remember that first photo of my new bag? Front pocket was stashing the liquid carry-on in compliance with the 3-1-1 rule laid down by TSA
Here's a link to the TSA site explaining liquid carry-on policy
Next Bag
So you know you are allowed a carry on luggage PLUS a bag (purse, briefcase, tote, etc...something that will fit under the seat in front of you)
Here's my briefcase-
Here's what fits in it- EASILY
So here's the inventory on this-
- Laptop- it's a 15" screen
- A/C Adapter
- Mouse Pad
- Wireless Mouse
- Daytimer
- Note Pad
- 5 Magazines- for staying up to date on travel
- Cell Phone
- 2 Flash Drives
- 1 Digital Camera
- Pens, Pencil, Highlighter
- Reading Glasses
- Business Cards
- Business Brochures
- Check Book
- Ethernet Cord
Back to the liquid toiletries-
If I'm going alone, I will have more than enough space for any toiletries that I will need, but my wife has WAY more hair than I do, and she uses a couple more products, so let's assume she is going also, and we put together a carry on for her...here are the products-
Inventory-
Ok, I'm not going into it, suffice to say it's extensive, and covers everything from a wine opener/bottle opener & cigar cutter to Q tips & Migraine medicine
We have a combination of medicine cabinet, beauty aides, you get the idea...
So here's what we're going to do. Put all liquids in observance of the 3-1-1 rule in clear Quart Bag-
We're going to take the clear quart bag, make-up bag, blow dryer, hair styling products, grooming tools, sundries, and place- in small tote (along with a couple of empty purses, a couple of empty fanny packs, and maybe even a couple pairs of shoes...
There may even be room for a couple bottles of water, a couple of granola bars, & a sandwich if you pack it correctly
What Could Be Wrong With This Picture?
So I have a carry-on, plus a bag (laptop briefcase) and my wife has a carry-on plus a bag (tote)
As airline bag fees continue to rise, more and more people are going to take this approach, and there will not be adequate space- so you'd better be in line early if you're on my flight!
Hoping this helps someone save some money- and wishing everyone safe holiday travels- from yoiur friends in the travel business- EZTravelpad