Travel Packing Tips
Chapter 24
The following are travel packing tips based on experience.
I have gone to other countries for a month or more with nothing
but a carry-on bag that weighed ten pounds. In fact, my number
one travel tip is to go light whenever you can. The simplify
of traveling light makes almost any trip more enjoyable.
Unfortunately, going with only carry-on luggage is getting
more difficult due to the newest rules about what you can actually
carry on a plane. If you do want to keep it to just one bag that
goes with you on the plane, check the latest regulations and
leave behind anything that isn't allowed. It doesn't add that
much expense to a trip to just buy these things at your destination.
In fact, buying things as you go is a great way to simplify
packing. Why bring twenty things just in case you need them,
and then have to lug them around for the sake of the six you
actually use? If it is a vacation in particular, why not plan
just a little extra expense, and buy necessities as you travel?
Many have found that this is more practical and relaxing than
over-planning a trip and over-weighting the luggage.
Carry Snacks
When you aren't familiar with a town or country you are in,
you never know when you will find a place to eat. It's a good
idea to carry snacks and maybe a bottle of water. We have been
stuck for hours without food or water on long bus trips in other
countries, and have had trouble finding a restaurant when driving
some parts of the United States.
Wrinkle-Free Packing Secret
Want to avoid wrinkled clothes when you travel? One way is
to use tissue paper or plastic between pieces of clothing in
your suitcase. This allows the clothes to slide rather than rub
against each other and wrinkle. Turning suit jackets inside out
helps too.
Some Other Travel Packing Tips
- Jewelry and other valuables are usually not covered by the
luggage insurance the airline provides. Pack these items in your
carry-on bag.
- Silk shirts can be rolled carefully so they will wrinkle
less in soft-sided luggage.
- To conserve space, buy low-bulk items for travel. A down
coat, for example, will compress to a fourth of the size of other
coats, and keep you just as warm.
- Lightweight travel pants, made of soft nylon derivatives
are very light, tough, and pack small. They are often found where
they sell outdoor gear, but some styles are dressy enough for
use almost anywhere.
- To bring more in less space, set aside your thinnest socks,
lightest clothes and smallest items for travel. A small hairbrush
may work just as well as a large one, for example. You might
get to bring many more potentially useful items, and still have
a smaller bag in this way.
- If you buy a bulky gift for a family member or friend back
home, you may want to send it to them instead of carrying it
around for weeks while traveling.
- Don't overstuff your luggage. Remember that it may be opened
and inspected, and the security officials may not know how to
fit it all back in.
- Don't pack important documents, like passports and identification,
in your luggage. Carry these on your person, preferably in a
security pouch or interior pocket.
- Be careful when packing shampoo, perfume, skin cream and
other liquids. Plane cargo areas are often not pressurized fully,
so the tops can pop off of bottles and other containers. For
added safety, pack such items in a sealed zippered plastic bag.
- Carry a list of what is in your luggage, in case you need
to file a claim for lost bags.
In addition to using the travel packing tips above, have a
good packing routine. For example, start by considering every
circumstance you may be in during your trip, and making a list
of items you'll need. Then, after packing, consider each item,
and remove anything that really isn't likely to be used - especially
if it can be easily obtained at your destination.
Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember,
and remember more than I have seen. - Benjamin Disraeli
Continue with Chapter 25 here: Toothache
Relief
Note: This chapter on travel packing tips was part
of the e-book Travel Secrets. Now all chapters are free
on this site. See the homepage (the link is at the bottom of
this page) for a list of all chapters and links to them.
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