First time gate-checked for weight: my "light" tech kit was the culprit
Had my first real "manybagger reality check" this week on a domestic flight. The gate agent announced they were doing spot weight checks for carry-ons, and I figured I was fine. I travel light: one backpack as my carry-on and a small sling as my personal item. The backpack looks compact and I do not overpack clothes, so I thought I was safe.
Nope. The backpack went on the scale and it was a couple pounds over. The funny part was what made it heavy: dense tech stuff. An iPad, a small keyboard, a big charger brick, a cable pouch, headphones, and a little stand. My clothes were basically a single packing cube and a thin layer.
Cue the awkward floor repack. Luckily my sling was within the personal item size and had room. I moved the iPad and the heaviest charger into the sling, shoved the keyboard into the laptop sleeve, and suddenly the backpack passed. It worked, but it made me realize how fragile my one-bag system is if an airline actually decides to weigh you.
For people who regularly carry a tablet or laptop: how do you split weight between two bags so you can pass a random check without having to rummage publicly? Do you have a rule like "heavy stuff always lives in the personal item," or do you use a much lighter tech pouch and smaller chargers? I want to stay one-bag-ish, but I do not want to get burned again.
Also, any recommendations for a personal item sling that is comfortable when it unexpectedly becomes the heavy bag for an hour?