November 13, 2009

The Society of American Travel Writers polled their members to come up with top 10 tips on how to reduce the weight of your luggage when travelling.

“It’s always been desirable to travel light, but never more so than today, when many airlines are imposing surcharges on bags and on luggage that weighs more than 50 pounds,” states SATW president Bea Broda.

As a first step, she suggests travellers lay out everything they want to pack. “People tend to take too much. Before you pack anything in a bag, look at everything you are thinking of taking and ask yourself, ‘Do I really need to bring this?’”

If the item passes the first test, here are more recommendations travel writers suggest to cut down on weight:

Wear Heavy In-Flight Clothing
Wear your coat and heaviest pair of shoes on the plane and always get by with just two pairs of shoes.

Lightweight Luggage
Buy new lightweight luggage. Many older bags are very heavy by themselves. Advancements in plastics and materials have led to durable, strong bags that weigh a fraction of their older counterparts.

Utilize Carry-On Bag
Pack all heavy items in a carry-on bag, including cameras, books, reading materials and even shoes. Also, bring a change of clothes and any medications needed, just in case luggage is lost.

Take Small Bottles
Take only small bottles of shampoo and toiletries or buy them when you get to your destination. Remember the 3-1-1 for carry-on bags: 3.4-ounce bottles or less (by volume) must fit in a 1-quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag and only one bag per passenger can be placed in screening bin. The one-quart bag per person limits the total number of 3.4-ounce liquid volume bottles each traveler can bring.

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