Well … personally, and I do Travel a fair bit. I always take more than I need, never use it, and always have trouble fitting it all in when I’m ready to come Home. Certainly hope you find this helpful.
Hi TillySouth. I am writing this as I suffer jet lag after returning from a six week trip to UK. My biggest lesson from my trip is that past experience is not a good guide for what will work on the next trip.
In 2010 I travelled with my wife and for part of the trip with our adult daughter to Paris, Ireland, London then Europe totalling 12 weeks. What worked on that trip for my wife and myself on that trip was one checked suitcase, one carry on bag plus hand bag for my wife and a man bag for me. The man bag for me allowed me to keep essential supplies (like medication needed during flight and book) under my seat, no need to access the overhead locker during the flight. The ‘carry on bag’ carried the remaining essentials, like laptop, medication, allowed toiletries and a change of clothes in case checked bag goes missing. The ‘carry on bag’ was carried over the shoulder. When we were travelling on land, the ‘man bag’ was used for walking about, containing a warm top, camera and a few other bits an pieces. This bag was carried across the shoulder keeping both hands free, and the bag could be moved to the front of my body in crowds for better security. The ‘carry on bag’ was used as an overnight bag if we had a single night stop, avoiding the need to open the main suitcase. The single ‘checked bag’ only worked (i.e. kept within weight) because we posted home heaps of clothes and books we bought during our travels.
For the trip we have just done to Britain (we returned literally yesterday) none of the above worked. First, I took a wheeled ‘carry on bag’, which was much easier to handle. My wife took a shoulder carried ‘carry on bag’, but found it so uncomfortable she bought a four wheel bag. I took the same ‘man bag’ as the 2010 trip, but realised when we arrived I realised it would not fit my big SLR camera, it made it too heavy as well. So, I bought a small backpack, which worked rally well. My wife also bought a backpack, larger than mine because the protected (secure) shoulder bag was too heavy and too small, and that bag worked for her. We also took the same single suitcases for 'checked bags as for 2010. However, we realised that this resulted in the bags being too heavy despite being 10-kg under the allowed weight for checked bags. Being a bit “older” the bags were difficult to lift if over 20-kg, and there is actually a bag weight cost if it is too heavy. After a bit of research, we realised there is actually not a limit on the number of ‘checked bags’, only on the total weight. So we bought a new four wheel suitcase and distributed the weight between the three ‘checked bags’ as for parities travelling together it is the net combined weight of all bags that is counted. The ‘man bag’ from 2013 actually ended up in the bin and I used my backpack in its place, it easily carried my small laptop plus all the other bits and pieces I needed to have access to.
NOTE: We flew Singapore airlines, so check your particular airline bag policy to make sure my comments apply.
I also agree with ‘liz.posmyk’ about the packing cells. It is far easier to find particular items in the cell rather than looking for them mixed up with other clothes. If you are travelling with others, make sure you have different colours so you do not get mixed up! Also, do not get large cells as they can be too bulky.
A number of web sites about packing for holidays suggest washing underwear in the hotel (motel) sink and hang it overnight to dry. In all our travels my wife and I have never used the hotel sink to wash any clothes. while we have come close to running out of essentials, we always plan ahead and allow for washing clothes either in a laundry or stay at an apartment with washing facilities (can be interesting trying to work an Italian machine in Poland).
When packing do not get to stressed about getting it precisely right, we often get it very wrong. One trip I actually posted clothes home because they were useless and just took up space. On our most recent trip we left Canberra in mid winter wearing heavy clothes and landed in London in mid summer heat, so we had to have a variety of clothes. The warm clothes were particularly useful in north Scotland and Orkneys, but shorts were needed most of the trip.
One last lesson leant at Heathrow Airport as we were waiting to leave. We all know to put lots of identification in ‘checked bags’ (PS we have, so far. not had any bag go missing). However, no-one mentions putting ID on or in carry on bags. We watched staff going through a left bag trying to identify the owner of the bag, there was not one bit of identification. ( I did wonder why they were going through the bag considering the warnings about not leaving bags unattended, and that they will be taken away and destroyed? )
Sorry if this post is a bit long winded, it might be the jet lag? Hope it helps.
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Thanks @allandorrington all very helpful!
I just returned from my own adventure myself and you’re absolutely right about each trip being different. I went over to the US and I knew I was going to be staying in a lot of different places so I did not want to take a big suitcase as I knew I’d have to haul it around. I used a carry-on size which I checked (to avoid carrying it around the airport). Inside it I used the travel packing cubes which were useful in separating items. I then had an overnight bag which was useful for separating items that I needed for overnight trips.
I also bought a duffel which folds up while I was over there (for those interested it was this one from REI - I’m a self-confessed REI obsessive) to transport home items that I had purchased, but didn’t fit in my luggage. It was the perfect size for a larger carry-on.
At the end of the year I’m going to Kenya and I’ll be using my proper backpack for that one - obviously a very different kind of adventure! I’ll also have the challenge of a winter stopover in Asia on the way home - so I’ll need to be packing for all season.
Thanks again for your tips everyone - I certainly found many of them useful (wearing your heaviest, bulkiest clothes on the plane, for example, is a top tip!).
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I agree about packing cubes. without realising it (not having heard of packing cubes before) - I have been utilising the same principle. the difference is, I have been using transparent plastic square bags (with zippers). I find it mucjh easier to identify which container I need by being able to see the contents.
And best of all, the containers are “free”. a variety of products come in these containers - allowing me to re purpose them.
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5 rules for travel, 1/ If you cannot carry your own bag, you have too much. 2/Never let someone else carry your bags, security. 3/ Border guards are God, don’t believe try to argue. 4/ Never let your passport out of your sight. 5/ Always take a plastic bag, to put your dirty underwear in. There are 5 other not as important rules, such as never carry drugs.
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One thing I do as I now age and need some prescription medication, is I carry a letter from my doctor to show the medicines I have with me are necessary and prescribed treatments, as some countries eye all medications and the people carrying them suspiciously… Oh and always carry them in their original dispensary supplied containers don’t decant them into smaller more convenient packaging such as slipping a sheath of pills in your toiletry bag.
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At a family dinner last week, just about everyone there had had their passports stolen. My sister and brother in law…whilst travelling in a first class train cabin in Switzerland. A nice enough man sat in the cabin and reached across to adjust the airconditioning and on the way, reached into my sister’s bag…he took everything! They had no money…nothing.
My brother, whilst eating in one of the Airline First class airport lounges, and other friends, whilst on a flight back from UK to Austrlia…they got off at Singapore and their passports had been stolen during the flight.
I was really surprised, as all these people have travelled extensively. My brother said he always has an extra credit card stored in a separate location.
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That’s amazing @Suzique. You’d assume that if you had a passport stolen it would be in a bustling market or on the metro from the airport to your hotel - not in the first class lounge!
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I am an avid traveller with over 38 countries visited (for pleasure) and countless domestic flights (for work). I feel that I can contribute to this stream on a number of fronts.
Packing cells are a must. I must now open another dilemma with these cells. I have packed socks & underwear in 1, shirts in another, pants/jeans in a 3rd. This is fine for a reasonable stay eg 3 days in one spot, but for work I have found packing a day of clothes in each cell is more efficient. Discuss!
As for a bag. I now have a Samsonite hardshell lightweight and could not be happier. This purchase was the result of getting a cheap hardshell and travelling from JFK to Montreal and arriving at the carousel and laughing at some poor person who was going to pick up a very distressed bag wrapped in airline gaffer tape to the extent you could hardly see the bag. Yes it was mine. I had the misfortune to have the bag inspected by security ( a little info page insde) obviously shoved stuff back in ( I was not using cells) so that the zip broke. The moral is to not go cheap.
Cross pack with your partner if you have one ( cells are great for this) and take a basic change of “smalls” in your cabin bag. We were caught out in Japan when Mr Joyce shut Qantas down and our bags did not make it out for a few days. Try getting clothes to fit a large westerner in Japanese shops when English is your fall-back to an aussie accent.
Back to the hardshell Samsonite. It has been to the high Plains of Bolivia where paving is non existant. All over Sth America, Galapagos. St Jacques (Camino trail), cobblestones of Prague and to the US where it seems that there is a sport of how far you can toss the cases ( another time and another thread) have given the bag a certain patina, but every thing works just as well as when I bought it over 5 years ago.
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@phd I have a soft shell samsonite carry-on and it is still going strong 8 or 9 years on. It’s a great size for a weekend away and hasn’t needed any repairs - I love it!
I always roll my clothes - means I can fit a lot more in a small bag, and the clothes are less likely to need ironing at the other end. It can result in a suspiciously heavy bag though, so check weight allowances before setting off with it.
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Good point @patrick.steen - CHOICE has reviewed luggage scales for anyone who needs the exact weight of their luggage to be accurate!
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I started using drawstring fabric bags as “drawers” for clothing long before packing cubes appeared. I still prefer my little bags as they are more flexible than cubes and you can choose the exact size you need. The bags function as drawers in hotels too, where often you will find just a couple of shelves. Some are small - I have several that held complimentary socks and toiletries on flights long ago that I use for bras, socks etc - and others quite large, such as one that protected a leather briefcase when I bought it, that I use for jumpers. I write on them in texta what is in them.
My suitcase of choice is a Victorinox 22" with wheels and ergonomically perfect extending handle. For short trips I just take carry on and use an old fashioned lightweight “carpetbag” style that has handles and optional shoulder strap. The beauty of that style of carry on is that it is comfortable under my feet if I have to put it under the seat in front. One thing that really annoys me though is that people who clearly have way over 7kgs are never challenged about bringing a huge hard case “carry on” plus another big bag into the cabin
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I fold and roll all clothing as it takes up less space and a rolled item is far more accessible than one that’s in multi-layered stack. I use ziplock or similar bags for electronic cords plugs etc (and carry an Aussie four-outlet power board with one overseas adaptor for easier charging)
My (lightweight) carry on bag always contains a change of clothing including underwear, my camera,small multi charger/battery, ‘emergency’ medications including some painkillers and antihistamines, and a small bag/container of toiletry items including baby wipes.
I have a flat multi pocketed over the shoulder/waist bag that contains my passport, wallet, phone, tablet etc which never leaves my body!
ALL my bags have combination locks on every pocket (even the inside pockets) and every bag contains a printed sheet with copies of all my bank cards, licence, passport, travel insurance details etc, with the emergency contact phone numbers beside them in case of theft or loss; it also includes a photo of my luggage (see next hint)
One of the most ‘valuable’ handy hints I have ever been given is to ‘label’ ALL of my bags with a large distinctive decal/silhouette to help prevent them being mistakenly picked up or stolen.(I use liquid paper/whiteout and replicate the same simple silhouette on the front and back of every bag)
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While that is great advice to keep in your carry-on under your control, or in a wallet/bum bag, or in an encrypted USB stick, what you have done for a checked bag is if one piece of your luggage is stolen you have provided the thief with quite a bit of information from using your credit cards on-line to full out identity theft. Your approach of distinctive decorations is excellent when you are at the luggage carousel before your luggage, but it is not going to help if your luggage is misrouted or your luggage beats you to the carousel in large busy airports, especially in the USA, where it can be a loooooong walk from gate to luggage; thieves know how to pick unattended baggage in a way where if caught out they let go with an “oops, not mine”.
It can be a problem to include anything more than a phone contact although many of us still put our addresses in concealed places. FWIW if a would-be thief sees your address on an external luggage tag (or finds it on the inside after stealing the luggage) he knows you “might not be home”, if that suggests what you have inadvertently done. There are rings of thieves that prey on those “not at home”.
Lastly, anyone travelling to the USA needs to only use TSA approved locks, keyed or combination. Anything else stands a very high chance of being cut open for luggage inspection.
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as well as the above, I also carry my doctors prescription
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By law all checked luggage must display your name and contact details!
Both outside and inside!
My credit card numbers are partially blacked out! And of course I only use TSA approved combination locks! And I’m not advertising that ‘nobody is at home’, because someone IS at home!!!
NOTHING is infallible, but its a bit hard for anyone to pick up my luggage ‘by mistake’ when it is marked so distinctively, and its very easily identified if anyone tries the ‘oops’ excuse!!
Would you please cite your reference for that. I could not find one.
Thieves do not wait to discuss, they “oops” and leave.
I would think that distinctive bags do make it somewhat less likely for a bag thief to take your bags from the carousel. They will want a good excuse if they are stopped or confronted, and they don’t want the real owners identifying their bags from a long way away. Overall it makes your bag less likely a target, let a thief try it out on someone else.
This also helps stops the large numbers of people who grab the wrong, but similar looking, bags. This happens a lot. I’ve done it to someone else before I realised the mistake a few minutes later and I’ve had my bag taken by someone in Perth a few years ago, they got home and realised… ops.
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No argument, noting my original statement was, “thieves know how to pick unattended baggage in a way where if caught out they let go with an “oops, not mine”.”
