Originally Posted by
invisible
As for lightweight luggage options - look for "IT Luggage" brand with softside walls. Sometimes they have sales online on Amazon, Kohls or Walmart. You can also find them at Marshalls and Ross. I and my wife have been using them for >12 years. They look like that they will fall apart but are suprisingly durable - we changed our carry-ons only once in 12 years.
P.S. You can get
22" spinner at Walmart for $60
I'll take a look. I only see one two wheel option that's a small under-seater.
Originally Posted by
OskiBear
If you look in the Travel Products forum, there should be plenty of info/advice for the issues.
You should definitely move away from cotton clothing. When traveling, I usually bring clothing made of very light synthetic or wool material. These are generally designed for travel or exercise and dry very quickly. They can be found in t-shirts, polo shirts, underwear, and socks. Additionally, when you wash them (I just do it in the sink), make sure you wring them out in a bath towel, which will absorb most of the remaining water. It then dries very quickly (a couple of hours). As for pants, I sometimes bring jeans but don't expect to wash them and have other pants as well. I typically travel in the winter so it's not generally an issue.
I guess I'm use to cotton wearing the same t-shirts forever. I have a few poly-blend shirts but I find I sweat in them more. I'll take a look at other clothing options. Washing in sink with other materials might be a good idea. Especially with pants.
Originally Posted by
manneca
You can wear your one pair of jeans on the plane. You only need one pair.
If you want a roller bag, get one that is smaller than a US carryon roller bag. My carryon bag usually avoids the weigh in because it is tiny. And it's full of camera gear so it's way over the limit.
If you travel to Asia, there are usually tons of laundries where you can drop off your clothes and pick them up the next day. It's usually $5-10 for a load washed, dried and folded. I've also seen them in South America. If it's rainy it might be an extra day.
How long are you gone? If I'm going for a month, I pack for a week. If I'm going for a week, I pack for 3 days. If you follow the logic, I should only pack for 3 days no matter how long I'll be gone, but if its a short trip, then I don't really need to bother with laundry. Clothes can be aired and worn again. You don't have to wash clothes every time you wear them. Underwear is an exception, but that's usually light. I buy ExOfficio (though the quality has decreased in the last couple of years). It dries overnight nicely. Some hotels have free or cheap laundry. They just aren't the ones FTers frequent most of the time.
I'm of the opinion that anything that enters an airplane lav needs to be washed. I can usually smell it on my clothes. So for a long haul flight, at least two pants. I agree that jeans can generally be worn longer without washing. Underwear and socks are light so I can easily bring enough of that.
My tshirts are somewhat light but as I said, it depends. If I'm going to be sweating through the shirt every day because it's the hot summer, then I want to change shirts daily. Depending on the hotel, sometimes they are still a little damp the next morning. I've tried using the hotel hair dryer. It takes a while but sometimes I might get another day out of it.