Hi,
I had wight of hand luggage checked at KLM, Virgin, Ryan Air and Wizzair recently. Here is what I do:
1) Use a Gura Gear Kiboko bag to keep weight down
2) I use a Domke Photo Togs west, the Macbook 13.3" I carry fits nice in one of the inner pockets
3) All stuff that is not critical goes into checked bag, including tripod
Best regards
Erik