I'm a little paranoid of the airlines losing my luggage so my carry on is sometimes heavier than my luggage. I take all my valuables including my teddy bear, phone cables and laptop cables and adapters and all my electronics as well as a kit that will keep me going for a day or two. As I am a writer, I carry my manuscripts too which can get heavy. It does help because I don't need to unpack until later on as I have everything i need in my carry on so I can relax more.
That's great. I likewise do the same and it's not just because I don't want to lose sight of my valuable. Rather, I'm usually on a tight budget when I go on a trip so I don't check in any luggage. I simply ensure all my stuff fits into a backpack and a carry-on luggage less than 12 kilograms. Check-in payments kind of disturb me in addition to not feeling secure whenever you part with your things.
