Thanks for the packing ideas. I carry a little metal deal that you put in a cup of water to boil the water. Saves carrying a coffee pot. (I don't feel that heating water with a Mr. Coffee type machine is enough.) In many countries I boil all of the water I drink. Most hotel rooms now have a pot for boiling water and the basic needs for making tea and coffee.

I never carry more than I can handle completely on my own including getting on and off trains. One item that really works for me is a large tartan shawl. I use it instead of an airline blanket on flights, a way of keeping warm in chilly situations and as a swim suit cover up when need be.

Over the years I've collected some very good travel clothing. All is light in weight and can be washed out in a hotel sink. On a recent trip in Australia, it was raining so much I had a hard time getting things to dry, but my rooms did have both a hair drying and iron. I gave up on Woolite a long time ago. Prell shampoo works very well or a small cake of Ivory soap. When traveling within the U.S. I often take a Zip-Loc bag of a dry detergent such as Tide or Cheer, but I don't take that when traveling overseas. I don't want any white powder in my bag.

I am still looking for the perfect suitcase.

I can't offer marriage and free travel.

I'm confused about Eagle Creek's packing folders and cubes.... It appears to me that you are ADDING items into the bag with the folders and cubes themselves rather than lightening the load. How does this help?

Also, has anyone tried Puma's new product called 96hours? It is apparently a pre-assemebled bag of clothing and accessories for a 96 hour trip. They also have a 24 hours version. Joe Brancantelli mentioned it on his website. You can find out more at www.96hours.com. I will check it out next time I'm in New York (the only retailer in the US), but I wonder if anyone else has actually used it.

Particularly when going to Asia or South America, I hardly pack at all. Why bother, when the laundry is so cheap? For a week's trip I carry no more than three or four shirts (for different occasions) and only two pairs of khakis.

In Taiwan at least, they even give you a toothbrush, razor, contact lens solution, etc. in the room. No toiletries needed! (OK, I'm a guy http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif )

fiat_owner

**I put hotel shampoo right into the washing machines or the sink. (At home, I use shampoo toclean car grease, etc. off my habds. Cuts grease like magic so excellent for the road... and free).

**I do NOT take shamppo, conditioner or body lotion. They will always give you extra.

**I take TWO pairs of socks, etc. and rinse one out every night (gets 48 hours to dry).

**I never take denim. Much too heavy and dress pants are more "in" these days anyways..more "Euro". Plus dressing up on plnae gets me more op-upgrades, I believe.

**I take one pair of real lightweight work-out pants. Good for movies(in USA only!), gym, pj's. If they are the type with a liner, I cut the liner out.

**I take 2 T-shirts, white. They go under dress shirts. Then, they go to gym or under black sweater(cashmere.. can be casual or very dressy). Then they are pj's, then they get rinsed out.

**I take one belt. Quality, reversible: brown and black.

**I take one suit jacket that goes with everything and I wear it onto the plane over cashmere sweater, one of the t-shirts pants and dress shoes. This jacket is great with t-shirt slacks and no sweater for hipper dinner look.

**I carry over my arm raincoat or winter coat.

**I pack my sneakers. (They are my heaviest item and they are size 13 so I stuff with everything possible).

**I take 1 tie for each day.

**I wear one pr slacks on the plane and pack the other. Poly blends or wool blends that get the wrinkles out easy.

**I take pre-laundered, starched and FOLDED shirts. The fold lines look professional if they don't come out. When I get to my hotel I hang the shirt for the next day in the shower and steam it.

**With all the room I save I usually take one colored (or black) t-shirt for extra fun. Woohoo!
I am the king of packing in my organization. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...um/biggrin.gif



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Just trying to keep up with the gals in the trailer park next door.

It's not that they help lighten the load. More then help organize things and condenses things so that you can make it all fit. At the same time, helps to keep your clothing relatively wrinkle free.

Edited to add: One other thing - it's great for getting to things quickly when you need it. I always hated having to scrounge around my bag for that shirt packed at the bottom. Now I just grab the folder with my shirts.

[This message has been edited by StudentExplorer (edited 07-04-2003).]

Great ideas. My two cents worth:

A leisure traveler, for US and Europe I take only black. Black shirts, black pants, black undies. No need to separate loads of wash should you be lucky enough to have a machine, or at the very least they mix and match well. Large beautiful scarves are useful.

For Asia, light colored cotton tees, cropped pants, plan on using the very inexpensive hotel laundry. In Mexico, check the nearest one-day full service drop off and pick up laundry. Plan on buying more while there. (Wish I had 4-6 more of those wonderful rayon drawstring pants I got recently at the Bangkok weekend market.)

Never, ever, pack anything liquid in a checked bag. This includes solid deordorant and toothpaste. It WILL leak all over your clothes.

Assume there will be shampoo etc at hotel. If not, buy it locally, or you can actually do a great body and hairwashing without any soap. Do not use bar soap on hair. (One hotel in India had shampoo in a plastic McD ketchup kind of thing which "guaranteed to make your hair black and shiny." Worked fine, and amazingly I was still blonde/brown after use.)

Have tested, can do three weeks with one hard-sided carryon that fits UNDER the seat, and a lap-top type bag for books, meds and stuff. Once you can do 3 weeks, I assume it's good for a year. Wish I had time to test that theory.

I don't like the idea of disposing of your dirty stuff along the way, and am surprised it's so popular here. Pack it in, pack it out.

My mother started the family habit of leaving clothing and shoes for hotel maids when she traveled in Europe just after WWII. Hotel maids are always poorly paid. It was her way of helping them out a bit. Not that she left DIRTY clothes. She made sure they were tidy before she gave them away. She even gave away her coat and all but the clothes and shoes she needed to wear going home. (her last give aways when on the ship). I've done this all over the world.

Packing is an art. Most people have no talent for it!

Just a couple thoughts:

I surely understand the intended generousity of people who leave things for maids an others. I think it is very kind and well intentioned, certainly. I think, also, that we must be careful of cultural differences.

At the USA hotels that I have worked at (low end AND high end), no employee is allowed to take property out of the hotel, ever. Notes from guests are no proof as they can be faked, we are told. An item given to a manager is no good as it still MUST be "processed". Anything left by a guest is turned in to "lost and found" and then the employee can claim it after a certain length of time. (My current hotel: 30 days. The last hotel, a Marriott: six months.) On a rare occasion, an executive committee memeber can sign a "pass" for us to take something home. It is very hard to track someone down, get the pass and then go back and get the item. Especially after 5:00!

No housekeeper that I work with or have ever worked with would take someone's used clothing. We would smile and say, "Thank you so much!" That is polite. But we wouldn't take it home. These are very proud ladies. I sometimes shop at Goodwill where the clothes are clean and repaired. I imagine some of these ladies do, too, but most of them scrimp, save, work two jobs and shop at "new" stores, albeit Target and Old Navy.

I think that in other parts of the world, and even in certain parts of the USA (for example mom and pop motels in small towns), these clothes and other things would be greatly welcomed, especially when offered with the compassion and caring that FTers so frequently have.

FWIW, I do bring along old clothing, sometimes, but I throw them out. (These are old, holey socks, etc.) I also leave my old magazines and books in the airports and hotel lobbys.


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Just trying to keep up with the gals in the trailer park next door.

Dear GoodKarmaGuy, Your information is very helpful to me. Most of my travel is outside the US. I often talk to the head housekeeper about what I'm leaving behind. I've never been told that the items have to go to the Lost and Found. I will do more follow ups on this in future.

I also tip hotel maids. They do get to keep the money? Right?

One time in Scotland I walked into a church charity shop and gave them a heavy coat that I didn't want to haul home.

As you work for a hotel, I have a question. Why do hotels often starch the sheets? If it isn't starch, why are they often so stiff?

I have a lot of respect for people who work in hotels. Often the hours are terrible and the wages low. In South Africa most hotel workers depend on tips to survive.
that is a place where I tip the maids each day as I know they have to buy food for their families on their way home.

Long ago I worked front desk in a hotel in a small city. 11pm to 7am. I went to classes in the morning. Tried to sleep in the afternoons.

On the packing subject. Someday I will find the ideal suitcase. I have one now that is pretty close. My checked bag is a bright yellow hardsided Samsonite cheapie bag with wheels. The color stands out among all the gray and black luggage. It keeps my stuff dry in the rain. My goal is to be able to do a 3 week trip with a carry on bag only. Not there yet, but still learning how to pack after a lifetime of long distance travel.

Thanks!

OP16, thank you so much for your kind words. When I see your name I make a beeline for your posting as you always have sych helpful information!

I agree 100% that the non-USA hotels (different cultures) are much more welcoming in accepting items from guests. I have even given away food!

As to the sheets, most people do not iron their sheets at home. Most hotels, though, DO iron their sheets in a huge machine that presses them one after another. The housekeepers stand on either side and two of them feed them in and two of them catch them and fold them. Very dangerous work. The scratchiness and stiffness comes, I imagine, from cheap detergents, cheap sheets and this pressing.

As for tipping maids, I do it myself and on a regular basis. Yes, they do keep tips. If they have not been your housekeeper the whole week, don't worry as they say it all balances out. I used to tip at the end of the week but now I found that leaving an appropriate tip on the pillow every morning gets me a smile and extra towels the next day! http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif I have also started leaving a dollar on the pillow each night for the turndown maid, if they have one.

I apologize to everyone as we have now gone waaaaay off topic! http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...um/biggrin.gif


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Just trying to keep up with the gals in the trailer park next door.

Bringing things along that you can throw away will lighten the load on the return trip.
An old pair of sneakers ready for the trash work well for going to the beach.
Use travel size tubes of toothpaste or tubes that have enough left for the length of your trip.
An old pair of jeans ready for the trash can may be fine for one last day at a theme park.
These items that you only have to pack for your outbound journey will provide room in your luggage for your travel purchases to get home.
I'm sure others can think of more.

Jay

No suitcase, I have a back pack, and brief case.

Back pack has one dark cotton pants, two T shirts, one tank top, one boxer short, one gym short, one walking short, 3 soxs, one sweat shirt, one hat, in cold weather one water proof fiber coat, electric shaver, tooth brush,.06 tooth paste, 4oz skin, lotion, .04 deodarant, 4oz mouth wash, quarter oz of eye drop, sun glasses, 2oz of woolite, and one bottle of whisky at the duty free.

I wear either shorts, or pants, Tshirt, heavy cotton or light cotton shirt and water proof shoes on the plane.

In brief case, two nine oz plastic cups, gold coffee filter, dual voltage electric boiler stick, low light weight sneaker, phone convertor plug, radio shack mini phone, phone extension cord,

Joeinnewengland, I think you win!

oldpenny16, many of trips, while checking into no star hotels they have asked if the airlines lost my luggage. Traveling light, like I do has so many advantages. Like climbing those stairs in hotels in Amsterdam, walking through the long terminals, using subways and commuter trains, and of course packing and unpacking is so easy. Under 7 pounds on my back.

Joe, I have a long way to go to get to that 7 pounds, but I'm trying! At least part of my excuse is that I have to dress for business situations. I've got it down to 28 pounds now and that is a big improvement over a lot of folks. I carry no more than I can manage entirely on my own. That includes getting on and off trains and subways. I never want to be a luggage victum!