I know how to pack light, but then what??
 

I’m good at packing light. Where things break down is when I’m “on the road.” Does anyone have any systems or suggestions for how to handle your luggage and its contents while on the road? I’m thinking specifically about a 12 day trip to Europe in the summer with 3-4 stops and carry-on luggage only. How do you keep your suitcase organized? How do you keep your dirty clothes separate from the clean ones? Any products that help you? Thanks for your help!

I use the laundry bag from the hotel to store dirty clothes. After about a week, I've used up everything, so I either do the laundry in the hotel or drop it off at a laundromat and pay them to do it.

I get one of those vacuum bags for my "dirty" laundry. where you squeeze out the air by rolling it. This also is good for swimwear. Keeps things sanitary and if it is week old socks mid August on a walking tour you'll be very glad you used one.

I have a friend that is way more OCD than I am (I am a little) that packs using packing cubes with each day's clothing in a small-medium packing cube instead of a cube of shirts/socks/undergarments/ect.

I recently came across a suggestion of large-sized ziploc bags (I *think* you can even buy 2-gallon bags). The person suggesting it uses it for her kids and puts one outfit in each bag. You could probably do something similar, either a bag per outfit or one bag for shirts, one for underclothes and socks, etc.

I throw a lot of stuff out. Underwear that has seen better days, socks about to get tossed, shirts that have that one little rip that drives you nuts, etc. Wear it one more time and just toss it.

For stuff I'm bringing back, I use plastic bags, the industrial ziploc type. You can get them up to 28 x 30 (which is probably way too big) from packing supply places.

Thanks, everyone. I may have to do a few dry runs of these suggestions to see how they might work for me. Keep the ideas coming!

I recently bought a couple sets of packing cubes and was amazed at how much more organized I was on a trip. Especially when carrying on, its easy to open the suitcase in the airport and quickly exchange things.

http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/m...ductid=1234135

For dirties, I usually just use plastic grocery bags and tie the handles.

Yes, packing cubes and ziplocs are good for organizing the contents of your bag. Another idea for better access and less clutter is to not layer the clothes as you normally would in a suitcase but to stack them. Imagine a bookshelf. It's much easier to pull a book out of a bookshelf than from a pile of books.

The packing cubes come in particularly handy when you use that technique. On a trip with that many stops, you are right, it makes wonderful sense to think this through in order to make it more efficient.

A normal bundle technique would be very counterproductive in this situation. But you can modify it to use a split bundle technique. That means you basically pack using a "mini-bundle" for each day. At the destination you don't need to unpack everything but only the bundles for the days you are there. This also works nicely in combination with packing cubes because the cubes can be cores for the mini-bundles. However, mini-bundles aren't so good at preventing creases and wrinkles. And it's more work to pack in the beginning. So you might want to see if it's worth the hassle.

I use simple grocery bags for my dirty laundry but the other options mentioned here work as well or better, I'm sure.

If possible, plan your packing list so that you can wash at the halfway point of your trip, say after 6 days for a 12 day trip. This way you need to bring less stuff. That means less weight and volume used but also less time spent packing and organizing. It also means the clothes won't have a full 10 days to start stinking to high heavens when the trip nears its end.

In terms of controlling the odor you can put some strips of cologne samples from magazines in the suitcase. This may even save you the weight of bringing your own cologne because your clothes will smell good instead of you. So two flies with one stone. Or you can put some laundry detergent sheets. Same effect and you don't need to bring extra powder or liquid detergent.

Good thread!

Also you may want to read the Masterthread on Packing in the Travel Products Forum.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...pack-suit.html

It contains this thread on packing:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...s-packing.html

As well as this one:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...e-packing.html

Till

Now that this has been nicely answered I wanted to ask a question that is related. When I pack I pack to unpack when I arrive at my destination. When I check-in to a hotel I go in, check the room for cleanliness and bed bugs then I unpack all my stuff into the drawers, hang my clothing and put my bag away. It just makes me feel more at home. Traveled last week with a friend and he lived out of his bag so was interesting to see how things varied for us. Magically the tie of mine he liked ended up in his bag...

Do you unpack or not? do you pack strategically for this?

Like you I always unpack. Even for an overnight stay (unless it is a tiny, v short stopover, eg airport hotel; then I put what I'll need in a cube at the top of my bag and just get that out). I find living out of the bag always ends up as a big mess and increases the likelihood of clothes getting crushed. If you unpack, your clothes can air and wrinkles have a better chance to hang out. If your packing system is well organized it doesn't take long to repack.

I travel less than many people here, just 2 trips, generally transcons or TATL/TPACs, per month on average and I am a firm believer in this method but there is a limit as to how much I have that I can throw out. ;). If I did this on every trip I would be purchasing a new wardrobe several times p.a.

I do tend to ship laundry home to make room for items acquired on trips, however. That works well.

I would see this as an opportunity rather than a burden!;)

Ja of course but I tend to LIKE the clothing I buy and keep it for a while.

That's the rub, as one is wont to say.

Of course, I do like to go shopping as well so...

Personally I agree, which is why I don't throw things out as I go either. But somehow, like you, that has no bearing on how much I acquire en route...

Which is why one of the things I request most from a concierge is a sturdy cardboard box, packing tape, and scissors.