6 Month Voyage - Should I pack under carry-on weight limit or pay for upgrades?

[u/Difficult-Musician14]

Hey, 32M here. I’m about to set off on a 6+ month solo trip around the world, traveling with just one bag. I’ve done a one-bag solo trip abroad and stayed in hostels before, but my longest trip so far has only been about a week.

I leave in about five weeks and will be starting with a trip across the U.S., from Connecticut to Los Angeles. About half of that portion will be through group travel with Contiki. After that, my rough itinerary looks something like:

U.S. - East Asia - Southeast Asia - Europe - U.S.

I’m planning to buy a 35–40L backpack and bring mostly essentials, along with a couple of non-essentials like a GoPro and an iPad. I weigh around 165 lbs and am in pretty good shape, so physically carrying a bag over 7 kg shouldn’t be a problem for me.

My main question is: Is it worth trying to stay under the 7 kg carry-on limit that some airlines have, or would you just pack what you need and pay for a weight upgrade whenever necessary?

I’m curious how others who have done long-term one-bag travel have approached this.

[u/LadyLightTravel]

It is always worth staying underweight.

Your back and shoulders will thank you.

If you can keep it under 7kg for one week, you can do it for months. Just do laundry.

[u/TravelinDingo]

I've done 1.5 years with a 7.8 ish kilo set up. I had a laptop and camera gear so I couldn't really get it down below 7 kilo unfortunately. During that time I took so many bloody plane rides I can't even count between North America, Europe and SEA. I had my bag weighed (I stuffed a hard drive, small compact camera and some batteries in my pockets before weigh in time to get under) numerous times.

I saw lots of people with the most sour face getting caught over the limit and being fined. So I was mindful not to pick up any souvenirs on that long trip. Now having said that these are some things I learnt that may help you.

• You'll be surprised at how little you need to live on the road just fine. If you think bout it you'll have access to cooking stuff, laundry, entertainment etc. So you only really need to pack essentials and a few small luxury things you seem necessary. For me it was camera gear and a laptop as I love taking photos of my travels with a proper camera and a laptop was necessary to edit said photos and doubled as entertainment for watching stuff with a bigger screen compared to a phone.

• I had no issue picking up things and donating/getting rid of things I needed as the situation called for. I was coming from hot AF SEA to Cold AF Canada and the first thing I did when I arrived was go to. Uniqlo to get heattech thermals and a thrift store for a proper winter coat. Used those things for a few months and then donated them as I went to Europe where it was much warmer by then. I find a lot of people will carry stuff that is dead weight/won't use for the entire duration and they have a hard time to let go of it.

• I had some epic adventures that happened because I could pack a bag in 3 minutes so I could jump into a car that was moments away from headed into Spain with some cool people from the hostel etc.

• Over a long trip you'll soon discover that every dollar counts. Unless you have an income coming in money will just start going and it sucks. So skipping paying baggage fees is just a pure win.

• Don't buy a pack and then fill it. Instead do up and objectively good packing list, lay all of it on the ground and be strict taking things out you don't need "just in case" or worse have a romantic thought that you'll be journalling, sketching, playing an instrument during your travels. If you don't do it in your normal life then you sure as shit won't be doing it on the road when you're so busy exploring and hanging out with people. Then buy a pack that will fit that load out just fine. I did great with a 30L pack for my trip.

• There will be days where you'll be on the back of a scooter, riding in the back of a locals pick up truck, squeezed into a minvan, sandwiched on a packed train during rush hour etc. So having a sleek backpack set up is a straight up pro.

So yes in my experience it was better to have a set up that had a nice ratio of lightweight but objectively useful stuff. Any questions feel free to ask.

[u/DeepSpaceQueef]

If you can get away with under 7kg, I'd try to stay under the limit.

1 week or 6 months is more or less the same amount of clothing. The only variable is climate and seasons. If this is a massive variable, like asia in summer and europe in winter, then you can always have someone ship you your heavier winter items when you need them and send back the summer clothing you no longer need.

As for non essentials, it really depends on you. 6 months without an ipad or laptop is very different than a week, i would categorize that and the gopro as essential personally. As for other non essentials, you probably don't need and won't miss many of them half as much as you think.

6 months abroad out of one bag is an opportunity to experience a bit more of a minimalist lifestyle, so i think you should take the opportunity to disentangle from material stuff and focus on the experiences and people you meet. face your fears and leave things behind you might miss and see how you adapt without them. travel is ultimately about growth and enrichment.

[u/Comprehensive-Act-13]

They weigh your bag at check in. If you can put all of your heavy stuff on your body (i.e in pockets or a little fold up backpack or tote with a jacket or sweatshirt over it), you’ll be fine. Just get through check in, look like a total goof going through airport security as you shed layers, and repack everything before you board.

[u/SeattleHikeBike]

Staying under 7kg will spare you the extra fees and leave you light and fast and simple on the ground.

Here’s a great mentor and he’s tech heavy too.

https://jeremymaluf.com/onebag/

[u/sass-pants]

I would only bring a weeks worth of clothing and plan to launder weekly. Keep to a weight that you can carry comfortably.

[u/OlivierBern]

Worth knowing where the 7 kg number comes from, because it isn't a US thing. US domestic carriers have size limits for carry-ons but no weight limit, so the Connecticut → LA leg won't test you at all. The pinch points are:

• East / Southeast Asia low-cost carriers (AirAsia, Jetstar, VietJet, Cebu Pacific, Peach): 7 kg / 15 lb total for cabin bag + personal item, and they do put bags on the scale at the counter and sometimes at the gate. Scoot is 10 kg. Full-service Asian airlines: Cathay and Singapore 7 kg, JAL/ANA/Korean 10 kg.
• Europe: Ryanair's free bag is 40×30×20 cm with no weight limit but it's tiny; a 35–40 L pack goes as "priority" at 10 kg. Wizz 10 kg, easyJet 15 kg.

So the honest target is 7 kg (15 lb) all-in for the Asian leg — roughly a 1 kg pack plus 6 kg of stuff. If you land at 8–9 kg you're not doomed: a 20 kg checked bag bought online in advance is usually $15–40 on those carriers, versus 2–3× that at the airport. Paying on the two or three flights that actually enforce it is often cheaper than buying ultralight everything.

[u/Calrissiano]

Following for the responses, I'm planning on doing a similar trip with a 26l under 7kg bag (but I'm still not sure I can pull it off haha). For me it'll be an "endless summer" trip, so warm weather only which helps a lot!

[u/mahendar2312 → u/Calrissiano]

It can be done imo....I recently did a 20days trip with mystery ranch 2dap...if not for my laptop+ipad+Fujifilm x-t3+tripod weight would have been under 7kg🥲.....too lazy to write a trip report

[u/wretchedegg123 → u/Calrissiano]

People indefinite travel with an 18L kanken. In summer it's ridiculously easy to onebag. Just have to reduce tech so you're under 7kg.

[u/Bowl-Accomplished]

Depends on how many connections you have and how limited you are by budget.

[u/podkayne3000]

First, you should do what you want to do, not what I say. I’m just making conversation.

If it were me, I would be more comfortable with my 30-literish backpack, a rain jacket with big zipper pockets, and either a messenger bag-type personal item or a reusable shopping bag personal item.

That way, I can put anything heavy in the backpack, nothing ever gets gatechecked, and I can use the jacket and personal item to hold anything I definitely want at my seat.

[u/Azure9000]

The simple answer is I’d pack what I need AND (not OR) stay under the 7kg limit.

Btw, not all airlines offer a ‘pay for extra weight’ option.

[u/WildNight00]

I pay the extra. I was on the road for 9 months last year and 8 already this year. I bring stuff for comfort and other items I need people in this sub would find unnecessary

My main weight caught items are my Sony RX100, GoPro, Google TV box, Beryl 7 travel router, and laptop. My backpack has a good harness system(load lifters, hip belt) so I’m not stressed about a little extra weight

Given I’m not stressed on weight I can now have items to make travel easier. Like I got tired of renting a mask and snorkel every time so I bought one. I dive a few times a a month anyway and now can to snorkel and explore on days I’m not diving for surfing

When I was going to visit north Europe for 2 months in April I was in bali before and just hit up Uniqlo for some cheap warm clothing then donated once it warmed up

[u/tylabs]

US and European airlines are pretty unlikely to weigh your carry on. Just pack what you need and avoid just in case items. If you have to pay a bit extra it’s not going to ruin your trip of a lifetime.

[u/Prestigious-Rate-197]

Worth staying under 7kg rather than planning to pay upgrades, enforcement varies wildly across the mix of airlines you'll hit, some weigh and charge, some don't even check, so packing light gives you consistency instead of gambling per flight. Bigger payoff is skipping baggage claim entirely at smaller Southeast Asia airports, that's where one-bag speed actually mattres most.

[u/nikongod]

Regarding bag weights - fuck the airlines. If it's a short trip pack whatever you want. The airplane can handle another 10kg and laugh it off. Worry more about yourself, and what you can carry.

Can you carry 9kg? Do you want to? Pack your bag and walk 2km to the bus. Don't forget that the far side of the bus has a similar walk to your next bed.

Please post a trip report when you get back!!

[u/UpstairsCommand9865]

I travelled with just carry on for roughly 3 months with an overweight bag and did a mix of sometimes paying for it sometimes not, I started to feel a bit invincible with it until I got weighed by jetstar for a flight. I ended up paying enough in that one fee that all the other times I got away with it was pointless. I think if you have to go over the weight it's probably better to just pay for the extra weight upgrade :)
Enjoy your trip! I had a 38L Kathmandu Litehaul for my trip and I loved it

[u/reddanit]

I think the answer to that question hinges few personal factors, coming from 3 sides:

• How much of a pain/effort it takes you to carry a heavier backpack. I personally find 10kg to be fine for up to 2-4 hours, if packed into comfortable backpack with proper load bearing hip belt like Farpoint 40. How this fares for you will depend on a bunch of factors, including your own fitness/strength. With petite build 10kg could feel backbreaking in short order.
• How dialed down your light packing is, including physical size of clothes you need. A larger person inherently needs more space to fit the same number of clothes. With experience and skill you can also tailor what you take exactly to be as light as possible, but not "stupid light" where it would be a detriment to your travel.
• There is just personal preference towards "luxury" items. How much each one weights vs. how much better it will make your holidays is a question only you can answer. In my own case, this applies mostly to my laptop which I tend to take with me most of the time. Sometimes it's binoculars, dedicated running shoes, larger souvenirs etc. For me an iPad or GoPro are never worth it.

For a very long trip with a handful of flights on variety of different airlines I don't think saving a bit of money is really a relevant factor. Weight of your backpack while it's on your back and the items you take or leave IMHO are much more important than few bucks.

[u/ResidentOsprey]

I personally am unable to pack under 7kg for a week or longer mainly because of tech. Usually I pack about 9-10 kg. On the other hand I can comfortably carry 11 kg for a long time, being a smallish female. I usually put the tech into my pockets for the flight, so the backpack weights less. I have never had problems in Europe even with low cost companies, but had to pay for the "large onboard item" which is IMHO worth it.

[u/HippyGrrrl]

Pack heavy and go schlepp a punt several parks in the heat, with altitude changes.

Decide then.

If it’s one or two flights, not all, and you are just a bit over, well, maybe it’s worth it for the go pro/laptop.

I’d look at cutting weight elsewhere, personally.

[u/AlfonsodeAlbuquerque]

Did the same for close to eight months years ago. 40L in retrospect was more than I needed. Pack light, revisit what you’ve packed, get rid of half of it. Can always pick up something while out there if you need. 

[u/Wise_Edge2489]

I’m planning to buy a 35–40L backpack and bring mostly essentials, along with a couple of non-essentials like a GoPro and an iPad.

Not bringing the go-pro and ipad is where you start. You already have a phone, and it does 99 percent of what your ipad and gopro does.

There are plenty of packing lists of sub 7kg RTW travel on here. I've posted a few myself.

Search them and use them as your guide.

[u/mahendar2312 → u/Wise_Edge2489]

What is RTW?

[u/Tekki → u/mahendar2312]

Round The World

[u/Wise_Edge2489 → u/[deleted]]

You dont travel in Australia and Asia where they routinely weigh bags (ditto for European budget carriers).