Packing
 

Please post any unique ideas about saving suitcase space. Thanks.

Eagle Creek pack it system - hands down! I use both their "folders" and their "cubes." Check it out at http://www.eaglecreek.com/packing_solutions.html

The folders are especially great. Not only do they help save space, but they keep things organized.

I'm also a HUGE fan of using clear ziploc bags for toiletries etc. Prevents spills, good for going through security, and relatively cheap!

Happy packing.

pack and/or wear (older) shoes and clothes, that you will not have to pack again and bring home afterwards.

Eagle Creek Pack It systems, I know it's already been mentioned, but it's worth saying again.

I'm also starting to become a fan of those roll up bags that take out all the air and compress your stuff, but usually only do that on the way home because of the wrinkle factor (don't care if dirty clothing wrinkles or not).

Stuff your shoes with your underware and socks, wrap breakables in clothing instead of takes up too much space bubble wrap, Wear the shoes that take up the most space, get travel sizes of all the stuff you are carrying, or save your near empty toothpaste, shaving cream, etc and just use them for the trip and toss them at the hotel, no sende in carrying a full can of something across the ocean just to use it for a few days and carry home again.

Tossing stuff also gives you room for the stuff you purchase.

I don't use the Pack-It cubes because I don't want to have that weight, but I do use Zip-Loc and Space Bags. Also I take older clothes and shoes to give away along the way. (I leave them for hotel maids with a note saying that they are a gift so they aren't accused of stealing).

Try using 2 1/2 gallon zip lock bags, they work just as well as packing cubes. They can also be compressed of excess air. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

I roomed for two years with a member of the Navy ROTC - who could pack a 22" rollaboard to 100 lbs. or more - so I'd like to think I can pack with the best of them. Here's some tips I've got:

* For starters, rolling is far superior to folding - takes out a lot more air and leaves clothes less wrinkled, to boot. Lay stacks of 4-8 pieces out with the clothes you're less concerned about wrinkling on the top, those more so on the bottom. Fold in the sleeves, then roll the whole thing up as you would a sleeping bag. (I sometimes put my shoes, in a plastic bag, in the center of larger rolls.)

* For a typical duffle / rollaboard, pack in two layers - a first layer of clothes, filling in the spaces with ties, belts, etc., followed by a second layer atop it. Socks I usually pack in my shoes.

* The best things you can pack are those that take up virtually no space, but afford you a lot of flexibility. I always bring along a few of: Ziploc bags, 7- or 10-gallon garbage bags, cable ties, a couple ounces of Oxy-Clean, and a foldable poncho.

* Ditto the comments about travel-size toiletries. I can fit everything I need for a week in a small shaving kit. I also throw all my pills and medications in one small (8-ct) Aleve container - obviously, this only works if you can identify each of your various pills by sight. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

* Finally, my big two: Pack less and don't pack denim. Denim is the single most travel-hostile fabric known to man - it's heavy, bulky, and stays wet for days. You can fit three good pairs of casual pants in the space of one pair of Levi's. If you must bring them along, wear them on the plane there and back. And, regardless of the length of the trip, there's very few places on this globe that you can't get away with packing for half the length of the trip, washing and/or cleaning what you need while you're there.

I could go on, but one visit to www.onebag.com will tell anyone much more about secrets to good packing than I personally feel like typing.

Mook

One problem with packing clothes very tightly, especially if you use something like the SpaceBag (c), is that the suitcase will be extremely heavy.

For me, packing lightly is more important than packing tightly.

I work in the adventure travel industry. So I spend nearly 250 days of the year on the road in some less-than-normal conditions. At the beginning of the Soft-adventure trips I often lead, the first thing I do to prevent my clients from hauling unnesessary loads is check what they've brought and together we eliminate what isn't needed. Nothing can make a good trip miserable than having too much weight to carry about. So here are some tricks I use.

1) Bring a soft bag that has as few zippers, closures and outer straps/buckles as possible.

-Hard bags (luggage) though they protect valuables better they are much harder to transport and stow.

-Buckles and straps tend to catch on things and/or break while moving from one form of transportation to another. Mountaineering type back backs are comfortable and light but often they have many external straps and closures. For an overland trip where you're not carrying everything from your stove to survival gear all these features are not necessary. Even though it's a great solution, there is nothing worse than having to duct-tape up an expensive and otherwise perfectly good pack, and hope it stays closed untill you reach your next destination.

2) Your bag should be smallest size that will accomodate your gear. If you have more space, you're likely to use it, meaning you'll have to hoist it around with you throughout your trip.

3) Most people bring far too much with them. A good rule of thumb is to lay out all that you intend to bring and leave half of it home. Doing this you'll likely still find that you have too much. Remeber that anything truly essential can be acquired at your destination. So no worries.

That's all
See you out there

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www.liahonaquest.com
Vacations Without Limits

Travel naked.

I do a lot of leisure travel. I routinely utilize many of the suggestions posted above. Here are some more of my own:

Never pack more than you can physically carry. Period.

I agree that there are very few destinations in which denim jeans are both appropriate and convenient. As a female, I find that two pairs of khaki slacks - or khaki and casual black - work much better. They're lighter weight, and lots more versatile. Wear them with a T-shirt and comfy ankle boots to any casual event, and dress them up with a simple black blazer for dressier venues.

If my destination is a hotel or a series of hotels, I will log on to each hotel web site before my trip to verify amenities. Most all these days, even the budget hotels, will at least have shampoo, soap, and a hair dryer. I leave those things at home. If my hotel doesn't have in-room coffee and it's a short enough trip to have plenty of room in my bag, I have a plastic Betty Crocker 4-cup percolater coffeepot that I take along. In the pot I pack baggies of coffee, nondairy creamer, sugar, and a plastic spoon. I add a little plastic mug that's lightweight and unbreakable.

I usually bring home more toiletries than I take, as I collect the freebies given to me in the hotel. I then take them with me when I visit destinations that don't offer them, such as renting a condo or camping. I use them there, and don't have to worry about bringing them home. And the fancier ones, such as the Green Tea that Wyndham gives, can make nice stocking stuffers. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

When traveling internationally, I pack all black and neutral colors. Everything can be worn with everything else, mix-and-match. No worries about being accused of wearing the same outfit every day. The most amount of clothing I ever pack is about 4-5 days' worth, even if I'm going to be gone a week or more. And I pack a small but adequate bottle of Woolite. I wash everything in the bathtub or the sink and it's ready to go.

If I'm going to a destination that doesn't offer an iron and ironing board, I don't take a travel iron. I've found that a small hand steamer works much better - I can steam out wrinkles while my clothes are on the hanger, and not have to worry about scorching a dresser top or burning my clothing due to a lack of steam. And a hand steamer is a lot lighter to pack too.

I also take along magazines and paperbacks that I can leave when I'm done with them.

I always take a swimsuit. It takes up very little space and can be a godsend. Admit it - how many times have you arrived at your destination and longingly gazed at the pool or ocean but couldn't go in? It's always worth having, "just in case."

Hope these help...

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Marry me, fly for free!

No matter how many days the trip, my packing regimen follows these rules:
1. Luggage - no more than what I can handle with 2 hands, no matter the weight. One piece is a 20 in Hartmann pullalong, with one Le Sportsac collapsible bag in case I purchase too much along the way and overflow the Hartmann. I'll beg whatever to get airline to allow me to carry on these two pieces plus a shoulder bag. If not, I check the Hartmann, which would be packed with the heavier items.
2. Clothing/shoes - if old clothing is sufficient for whatever purpose the trip is, I chuck the old clothing/shoes as I go along. Plus tight packing of old clothing doesn't matter as once worn, will be chucked anyway.
If I don't chuck the clothing, and I still have too much, I mail the unessentials home by cheapest seamail method.
3. Purchases - only buy what I can use on the trip, or is compact enough to fit into my luggage. If buying more bulky stuff, only if retailer will mail it for me, and in many US cities/states, the savings on local sales tax will partly cover shipping cost.
4. I rarely bring my laptop on a trip, as it's heavy and bulky. I would use an internet cafe for email, etc., and any special files I need, I upload them to my website before the trip. If I need to update these files along the way, I would email them to myself if I cannot ftp the files to the website.
5. Money - I carry cash, and use a credit card for hotels. Overseas, paying cash, you usually get best discount when buying something. My negotiating strategy is, when I make my final offer, I just lay the cash next the item in question, and tell the retailer to select which he wants to pick up - 9 times out of 10, they will pick up the cash, and I pick up the item, even if my offer is only 30 or 40% of the original (but not inflated) price. If the retailer refuses the cash, I pick that up and leave, but you have to be prepared to forego the purchase. If you walk out, about one third of the time, the retailer calls you back.

Wouldn't have problems getting through security... http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...um/biggrin.gif

(convincing them of your sanity and/or running afoul of public indecency laws notwithstanding...)

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Leadership is not about personal privilege or power.
The duty of the leader is to serve the needs of those
who are led.
-Jan Erteszek

[This message has been edited by empedocles (edited 07-01-2003).]

When I said I utilized many of the suggestions above, it was before I realized that LastClass had posted his suggestion right before mine.

I just want to make that clarification...

http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...um/biggrin.gif


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Marry me, fly for free!

But it was so much more interesting before making the clarification http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

(Espicially from someone with a sig inviting people to marry them ... (however, I still have 2 questions about the sig ... how old are you, and are you seriously offering? http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif
))

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!

Where, oh, where did you find a dual voltage boiler stick?

Magellan's has the dual voltage boiler sticks. You still need an adapter plug for overseas travel. www.magellans.com