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How to Weigh Luggage Without a Scale?

by Matsue
Luggage weight is a concern for many travelers. If you don't have access to a scale, here are three ways to estimate the weight of your luggage.

How to weigh your luggage without a scale? Before you leave, make sure that you weigh your bags. The fees for oversized luggage can be costly. The most common size of checked luggage is usually 50 pounds. However, Allegiant and Spirit have 40 lb limits. Also, international airlines can restrict carry-on luggage.

If you don’t have a luggage scale, what do you do when you do? How do you weigh your bags without a scale? This post will discuss some simple steps to help you weigh luggage without a scale.


How to Weigh Luggage Without a Scale?

Here are some of the best methods to weight your luggage without a scale at home:

Compare Them to Known Weights

Although we don’t usually carry scales, we can still tell the weight and distance of our bags by looking at their feel. Since we can weigh luggage without a scale, it’s easy to get rough estimates just from how it feels. For instance, if you can balance your suitcase on one hand without too much effort, it might be around 20 pounds. On the other hand, if you lean your shoulders back on one side, it could be 50 pounds.

It’s also possible to use your child’s approximate weight is also possible to determine if your bag exceeds the allowed weight. For instance, a 7-year-old boy with an average height and health weighs around 50 pounds.

Before you start this exercise, make sure that you put your child down and record how heavy they feel. You can then estimate your bag’s weight by looking at its feel. Aside from a child, you can also use other objects that weigh around 50 pounds, such as a large bag of dog food.

If you have a 50-inch television that’s not available, you can also use this exercise to estimate the weight of your items. Since these two items weigh about 50 pounds each, your bags might not be able to pass the airlines’ weight restrictions if they feel heavier than these two items.

Utilize a DIY Lever and Fulcrum

If you can’t figure out how much weight your bag weighs without a scale in hand, you can use a homemade lever and fulcrum to measure it. This method will let you know your bag’s weight without a scale. You can also collect objects in your homes, such as open spice jars and food packages, with specific weight or kilogram information.

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Other valuable items you can use include a pair of hand weights and a barbell. Water containers are also handy as they can hold around 6 gallons of water, which weighs around 50 pounds. You can also make a lever-based fulcrum by creating something that resembles a seesaw. The object should be a round bottle or a wooden plank, which can support the weight of your bag and other household items.

First, find items that can act as measuring tins. You can use cloth bags or aluminum pie tins as long as they’re not too heavy. Secure them using a plank of wood placed on top of the fulcrum. The top bar should be at the center of the object. If you can’t make a fulcrum, you can use a raised surface, such as a water pipe, to determine the weight of your bag.

Now that you have the components of your makeshift fulcrum, it’s time to balance it. Place your bag on one side of the platform. Now, start placing various objects, such as water containers and weights, on top of one another until the lever tilts. Your friend should be able to hold the lever in place to maintain the two-distance alignment.

Go to the Nearest Local Establishments With Scale

Many establishments, such as hardware stores, health clubs, and post offices, have weighing machines that their customers can use for free. These weigh machines will give you the actual weight of your luggage.

If you’re a regular, you can use the weights in the office or store without paying. However, if you’re not a regular, you may need to talk to someone before you can use them.

If you’re a health-conscious individual, you can ask the staff of a local gym if they can use the scales to weigh your bags. However, these small scales are probably better suited for handheld applications.

Although it may be more challenging to weigh your luggage at a hardware store than at other places, it’s still worth asking if they have scales available. Some stores may even have scales outside, though this practice was more common decades ago.

Use a Bathroom Scale in Your Hotel

Before you pack that heavy suitcase into your trunk, have a measuring scale to help you weigh it. Various types of scales can help you determine how much luggage you have.

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You can usually find scales in the bathroom, whether you’re staying in a hotel room or a house. You can use the same device to determine weight loss or gain, which can be handy in an emergency.

A bathroom scale can weigh up to 400 pounds in most department stores. The weight of several suitcases would be around 300 to 400 pounds.

However, this method is not practical since the weight section of the scale is only for two human feet. A bag would block the reading window.

What to Do When Your Luggage Is Over the Limit?

You can pack these items in a carry-on, which doesn’t weigh them down. However, ensure you’re not putting too much weight on it.

If you have to pack everything, there is no choice but to keep below the weight limit. However, there are items that you can take out that are too heavy, and you don’t have to leave them behind.

While it’s great to have a few light items in your carry-on, it’s also essential to ensure that you’re not loading yourself with too much weight.

You can also pack a few items into your bag or pocket, as most airlines allow for one carry-on or personal item. You can use these items to store your phone, books, and other accessories without having to go through the effort of packing them all.

Are There Any Fees for Overweight Luggage?

If you’re planning on flying on a premium airline, you might want to avoid the fees for overweight baggage. Since these fees can be costly, weighing your bags before your flight is essential. Usually, airlines charge around $50 to $200 for each bag, but some go as high as $400.

The amount of luggage an airline will allow you to bring will depend on your class, weight, and the region where you’re going. However, most carriers won’t accept luggage over 100 pounds.


Conclusion

How to weigh luggage without a scale? Getting your bags weighed before your flight is significant, as fees for overweight luggage can range from around $200 to $500.

Having your bag weighed before will allow cash on hand, which is also beneficial if you don’t have a lot of money. If you have a spare set of scales, you can try to weigh your bag at the nearest post office, gym, hotel, or supermarket.

For future trips, I would suggest getting a cheap luggage scale. These are light and portable, and you can pack them inside a small compartment of your bag. If you plan on buying too many souvenirs or snacks on the way back, you can prevent your bag from being overweight by ensuring that the items are just right.

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