Originally Posted by
MassiveD
The dividing lines on weight for the backpacking crowd were not arbitrary. They came from trying to grind out all excess weight. Then new materials and efforts were expended and SUL became possible. To base our needs on what airlines (which ones) do, is arbitrary. They keep moving the bar. Also, many people do not fly for their trips, so it is irrelevant to them. And it relieves pressure to go beyond airline established numbers once they are reached. Anyone who wants to use various levels and packing lists to prepare for a trip were they fly should have no difficulty.
Yes, the bar is moving all the time with airlines, and it does indeed depend on which ones you travel with. When I first started travelling by air, I think the upper weight limit was 32kg for most airlines. Then some went down to 23kg, and now quite a few are at 20kg.
But then, choosing 20kg, while arbitrary, is no different to the UL and SUL crowd choosing their limits, either. Someone had to decide, arbitrarily, where the cut-off points were.