Comments on: Take a load off your summertime travel plans

By: Melissa

Melissa — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:17:48 +0000

Here’s a list-making idea that has always worked for me:

I organize my list: “HEAD, SHOULDERS, KNEES, TOES, EYES, EARS, MOUTH, (I don’t use nose)”.
Everything you put on or in each part gets listed under each catagory. For example, I’d put deoderant under SHOULDERS. iPod under EARS, Razor under KNEES, Makeup under eyes.

This may be too general for most, but I always forget things if I catagorize by “CLOTHING, TOILETRIES, etc…”

I dunno, it’s just how I roll!

I like the advice, particularly learning how to do the neutral wardrobe idea—I always pack way too many items of clothing, lol.

By: Angie R

Angie R — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:02:03 +0000

What a great list! Thanks for the tips and the link to the most perfect (and cute!) packing list.

By: Marc R

Marc R — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:45:32 +0000

My partner and I traveled around the world with just a day pack (25 liters for her) and slightly larger pack (35 liters for me).

http://sybarites.studioscience.....king-list/

That really taught us what we really need to get by. No clutter either.

By: Monica Ricci

Monica Ricci — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:04:44 +0000

Infmom, you can pack your undies and socks into either Ziploc baggies or wrap them in that slippery plastic that comes over your suits from the cleaners before putting them inside your shoes. :O)

Steph, let me clarify… you are allowed one carry-on and one “personal item”. My carry-on is my small rolling suitcase (usually the ZUCA Bag) and my “personal item” is a small rolling laptop briefcase. But I *also* have a purse. So that’s THREE.

The way I get it down to TWO is by bringing my SMALL purse, which stuffs inside the laptop briefcase. Voila! Now I’m in compliance with the two bag rule, even though I actually have three bags, because one bag fits inside the other.

~Monica

By: Babs

Babs — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:07:53 +0000

A couple of things I would add to the to do list.
(1) Turn off the water supply to your washing machine hoses & toilets
(2)unplug TVs & computers.

By: leslie hope

leslie hope — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:38:09 +0000

Magellan’s pack it cubes. cosmetic samples packed in the small eagle creek Pack-It Cosmo Pouch. pac safe antitheft backpack from Magellan’s–fits under most airline seats.eagle creek inflatable lumbar pillow. for a purse I use the eagle creek undercover neck pouch. It’s nice enough to wear anywhere and fits under your clothing if need be. I can carry passport, money, glasses and my digital camera in it for day tripping. Puma has a really light weight pair of running shoes. Magellan’s has a wallet for medications.

By: CrimsonCrow

CrimsonCrow — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:06:47 +0000

Jen at vickyandjen.com asked:

“Where can we get the shampoo bar?”

Check out these two spots:

http://www.jrliggett.com

and

http://www.burtsbees.com

By: Lawfrog

Lawfrog — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:54:37 +0000

I bought this toiletry organizer at The Container Store and I LOVE IT: http://tinyurl.com/2bpptd

They say it’s a weekender bag, but I’ve used it for long trips and it worked out well. I purchased some 3oz travel bottles that fit perfectly. It’s been great for me with short and long trips.

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:32:44 +0000

I’m ADD and thus a compulsive planner/doer of things that automatically idiot-proof my life.
I always keep my make-up, a round brush and a set of travel-sized toiletries in a hanging clear-front travel roll/organizer hanging from my mirror at home. That way when I need to travel, I just take it down, roll it up and go. Otherwise I’d forget everything.
Love the Fabreze idea!

By: Kris

Kris — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:48:58 +0000

I spent a three day weekend in Chicago recently with just a backpack. I was staying with friends so didn’t need to worry about toiletries or a hair dryer, but even hotels have those so I never pack them anyway. I don’t wear much makeup and it’s summer so some lip gloss is all I need as I’m fairly tanned. I packed lightweight tshirts and capris and undergarments .. and rolled them to store them. I have a wonderful full length rayon skirt that I can wear as a skirt anytime or as a strapless dress simply by pulling it up and belting it with a scarf .. that I use as a sarong when I’m swimming. I bring a pair of sandals and a pair of sneakers. I wear the sneakers on the plane. I bring old underwear and just toss it when I’m flying/traveling home. Fabreze will turn any odorous shirt into a sweet smelling one overnight. I put some in a small spray container and bring it with me. Works wonders.

By: Jack

Jack — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:28:24 +0000

infmom: I rarely travel with more than the shoes I’m wearing, but in general, my shoes don’t smell enough that I’m worried about it. I think it’s a personal preference matter.

As far as packing goes, I carry my everyday messenger bag and a backpack for most trips of a week or two. Not checking bags is such a stress reliever.

By: jen at vickyandjen.com

jen at vickyandjen.com — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:58:14 +0000

Awesome tips! Where can we get the shampoo bar? And if I ever fly again, I am checking out YAPTA.
Get more from Monica Ricci on our podcast series with her – The Big O: Organization. She is hilarious and full of great tips. Go here for our first show: http://www.vickyandjen.com/podcast_022.html and our newest release for this week (on Wednesday) will be travel – imagine that!
Happy travels,
Jen at vickyandjen.com

By: Erika

Erika — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:04:09 +0000

I can’t remember the last time I stayed in a hotel room that had a working hair dryer. Fortunately, I’m fine with air drying (most of the time).

By: infmom

infmom — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:17:25 +0000

Put undies in your shoes? YUCK! Do you really want to smell like the inside of a shoe when you reach your destination? Ew! Makes me cringe just thinking about it. I pack shoes “face to face” in plastic bags, precisely so there’s no chance my clothes will have that wonderful Essence of Shoe when I get there.

LUSH Cosmetics should be everyone’s one-stop-travel-shop if there’s a store nearby. Not only do they have things like shampoo bars, they will happily give you a sample of anything in the store, and since all their products are of the “a little goes a long way” variety, one sample bottle is plenty for most trips. I got samples of my favorite shampoo and conditioner before my last trip (about a week away from home) and still had half the container left when I got home even after showering every day.

On one of my recent trips I folded up a small fabric purse inside my Victorinox messenger bag, so when I got to my destination I could move the essentials to the small purse and didn’t have to carry the big bag with me everywhere. My most recent trip, I used the occasion of upcoming travel to justify buying a nice new purse from the Travelsmith catalog, which turned out to be a reasonable size for just about everything. I also carry a CPAP machine in its own bag, and the bag is big enough to carry reading material, papers, etc inside or in its pockets. Medical devices fly free.

By: Michael G

Michael G — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:41:35 +0000

I don’t carry a purse, okay sometimes I do carry a murse, but I love the smaller bag in a larger bag trick. I used to use a pretty large Eagle Creek backpack as my carry on, but didn’t want it taking up all of my leg room. So I’d stash another much smaller bag inside it with my airplane essentials, book, magazine, iPod, etc. and pull the small one out right before I stuffed the big one in the overhead compartment.

Also I love the Eagle Creek envelope dealies for folding and keeping shirts wrinkle free. They make them take up less space. The big plastic form makes the shirt folding go much easier. Highly recommended.

@Kristen I like that toiletries idea. That makes a lot of sense, and likely prevents a lot of soiled or even ruined clothes from oozing bottles (they can even make it past the protective ziplock at times).