Travelling light? Carry-on baggage: overseas travel

[shootingstar]

The last time included hiking shoes and clothes for 3 days of hiking. That was a miracle.

Not sure how much you had to haul around, but is one of the reasons why I have never done hiking/skiing and camping beyond long day hike trips.

I'm not terribly keen to carry alot of weight on my back. I just don't enjoy the hike when I'm reminded of weight on me that I could remove.

[Pax]

OakLeaf - I travel super light, and I don't smell.

I've been traveling my whole life and have figured out what works for me. I don't mind doing hand laundry, and I don't dress up, so packing is relatively simple.

The exception to my "travel light" preference is when I'm taking a scuba trip, that requires a gear bag in addition to my carry on.

[Norse]

OakLeaf - I travel super light, and I don't smell.

I've been traveling my whole life and have figured out what works for me. I don't mind doing hand laundry, and I don't dress up, so packing is relatively simple.

The exception to my "travel light" preference is when I'm taking a scuba trip, that requires a gear bag in addition to my carry on.

+1. DP and I travel a lot and have mastered the art of traveling light, w/out stinking. The only time we check a bag is if we have to bring gear. Otherwise, 2 pairs of shoes (Tevas and comfy but nice-looking clogs) and a few interchangeable outfits that are mostly designed for travel and are quick-drying. We don't mind hand washing and have startled hotel maids on more than one occassion with our drying laundry hanging from everything, including the chandeliers.

[TsPoet]

I think it comes down to wool
I will wear a wool shirt more than once - and it doesn't smell. I will not wear a cotton shirt more than once, because it does smell (I'm a stinky person).
I also hate carry ons, though - My blood boils everytime I fly and I see people with 2 Large carry ons - pushing the rules so now I have to get hit in the head with their cr*p. Pet peave rant over
I purposefully bought an wonderful carry on bag that was an 1" smaller than the requirements and love it.
However, for a Euro trip, I'd carry a duffle, not a rolling bag.
But, I think Oak hit the nail on the head - how much do you care about what you look like? What is the purpose of your trip? I carry more for business travel, in fact I carry extra because I absolutely must change into casual cloths as soon as I'm out of the meeting.
I also love my vibrams - I used to carry jogging-type shoes, boots, and slippers. I don't need boots anymore, minimalist almost always works.
Edit to say - I'm a shutter bug with way too much camera equipment - I carry as much camera equipment as I do cloths - so I often check the cloths and carry a backpack with camera gear.

[Pax]

+1. DP and I travel a lot and have mastered the art of traveling light, w/out stinking. The only time we check a bag is if we have to bring gear. Otherwise, 2 pairs of shoes (Tevas and comfy but nice-looking clogs) and a few interchangeable outfits that are mostly designed for travel and are quick-drying. We don't mind hand washing and have startled hotel maids on more than one occassion with our drying laundry hanging from everything, including the chandeliers.

LOL! I've gotten some strange looks from the TSA because I travel with an 8' piece of thin rope in my carry on, it's my clothesline but they seem to think it has sinister implications.

[OakLeaf]

have startled hotel maids on more than one occassion with our drying laundry hanging from everything, including the chandeliers.

We had one hotel stop replenishing our shampoo (which is our preferred travel laundry detergent). We had to buy some of the real stuff.

[shootingstar]

I just spent 4 weeks over seas with just carry on..... I do it because I prefer to travel by train and foot, and often go to out of the way places, where a lot of baggage is a serious burden.

The wardrobe I took was relatively casual, easy to move in, but still nice enough to go out in. It was cold where we went, so I took a lot of wool and cashmere which packs well. I took thick wool tights, skirts and wore a pair of Keens that had a very good walking sole, but a fancy enough upper to look fine dressed nicer. I found a packing method online that allowed me to pack 8 sweaters (4 turtle necks and 4 cardigans) 2 base layers, 4 skirts, 4 pairs of tights, a pair of insulated tights, and all my undergear in one carry-on. My outerwear stayed on me - waterproof/windproof jacket, gloves, scarf hat.

Impressive if it's all in a carry-on. Must enough easy-care, etc. styles. I try to wear something heavier/bulkier getting onto the plane.

[lph]

It all depends. I could go on a 3 week trip on my own carrying less than I do for an overnight business stay. I used to have a mania about packing light, carry-over from my serious hiking days. I still want to pack light if I'm going to be moving around a lot lugging my own stuff. But if I'm going by taxi and bus straight to a hotel and back-to-back meetings it really makes no difference at all (and impresses no-one) if I have one piece of luggage instead of two, and with two I have the space to pack running shoes, casual clothes so I don't have to wear the hoity toity ones ALL day, soft slippers ditto, a book or two to read, all the stuff that makes a trip just that more comfortable. And a lot of my business trips the most important thing I pack is tall rubber boots...