Tag Archives: luggage

Weigh Your Luggage Before You Travel

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Have you noticed how airlines are cracking down on oversized (and in some countries) overweight carry-on bags & backpacks?  In Australia, you can only carry on bags up to 7 kgs.  Birders will usually be pushing these limits with camera gear, lenses, binoculars and guidebooks.  If you don’t want a nasty surprise when you check in and be forced to check your bag – and pay extra for it – you need to know the weight before you go.  This cute gadget also has a measuring tape built in!

You can also hide some extra weight in a Scottevest but they still don’t have a product that holds DSLRs and zoom lenses!

Why You Shouldn’t Check Bags, Especially In Africa

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The video I found on YouTube shows exactly how easy it is for crims to get into your checked bags, steal what they want and make your bag look like it hasn’t been touched.  His friend was robbed but you don’t have to be!

Although the man making the video recommends a hard sided bag, my solution is far simpler – don’t check any bags at all!  Use carry-on bags/backpacks such as the E-Bags Motherlode and bring a Scottevest so you can put any heavier items in the pockets if your carry-on exceeds the weight limit.  Some airports do weigh carry-ons so be prepared!

My Carry-On Bag-Backpack

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Some aspects of travel are just not as much fun as others.  The one thing I absolutely HATE is checking bags.  Some airlines will even charge a fee for this.   And then you have to wait around at the destination for it to come out of the carousel–IF it comes out of the carousel!  I just prefer to carry on my bag even if my free award ticket allows me to check a bag for free.  This is the bag my husband and I have been using for the last 2 years and we both love them!

It’s amazing how much you can pack inside one of these Motherlodes!  I can easily get my camera, lenses and usual clothing inside and have room left over for souvenirs!  They are on sale now and come in 7 colours.  I like the green one as it’s so easy to keep track of.  It really makes things easy when we are hiking on a small footpath to get to a jungle lodge.  They also have a laptop pouch in the back which is very well hidden from a potential thief as it sits between your back and the main section of the bag.  It’s very versatile and converts from a bag with a handle to a backpack.  I’ve always preferred backpacks and I don’t care if people stare at me in the lounge.  When it comes to mobility, this bag just makes it so easy to escape the airport and deal with public transport at the destination.  The dimensions (9 x 22 x 14 inches; 4.4 pounds) are designed to maximize your carry-on allowance and be as light as possible, no wheels to add weight, although they do make a similar product with wheels which you can see if you click on the link.

Since most flights also have a weight restriction with the carry-on, I use this bag in conjunction with a Scottevest and put the heavier items in the Scottevest.  Once on the plane, I can easily put the Scottevest along with it’s contents in the Motherlode.

***Please note that this link gives me a small commission at no additional cost to you.  For more information about the Scottevest, please click on the links in this post or on the right side banner ad.  I am happy to answer any questions you may have about these products as I use them in all our trips.