I wrote last week about more travelers returning to the skies and some tips to take the stress out of clearing the security check points. That prompted several questions about packing. Seems that after two years of being grounded, many of us have lost our packing skills, had an old suitcase dry rot in the attic, or simply need a refresher.
“I need a new suitcase, what should I look for?”
Personally, I love a good hard sided roller bag. Most of the time I stick with the 21” but there are a few longer trips where I will jump up to the 24”. I can’t imagine a trip where I would need, or want to maneuver the 27” roller bag.
Here are the must have items for me with the hard sided bag:
#1 – 4 spinner wheels, so I can move the bag effortlessly, in any direction. Some bags have nice roller-blade style wheels that seem to hold up a little bit better than the smaller hard plastic wheels in my experience.
#2 – A handle on the side of the bag. This makes it much easier when you are lifting the bag into an overhead bin, or simply into the trunk of a car.
#3 – An inside divider, preferably one that zips completely to separate the two sides of the bag. It’s great to help keep bulkier items from falling out of when you open the suitcase.
“Jennifer, that sounds great, but we’re planning an adventure trip where we will have strict luggage guidelines – should we still pack a hard sided roller bag?”
No, if you’re heading off to hike Machu Picchu or to the track Gorillas in Uganda a hard sided roller bag is not your best option. In that case, I would recommend a durable soft sided duffle or even a larger backpack where you will have the option to put the bag on your back rather than have it hang by your side. These soft sided bags will make packing your jeep or small plane much easier. I would also recommend the use of packing cubes especially with a soft sided bag.
“Wait, packing cubes? I thought I was supposed to roll or fold my clothes.”
There is no right or wrong way to pack your bag. This all comes down to personal preference. I’ve tried each scenario and what works best for me is a combination of packing cubes for smaller items and rolling the larger items. What have you found that works best for you? Share your tips on the Slaydon’s Travel Facebook page.
“Back to the shoes, how many can I really take?”
Of course, it’s your baggage, I can’t stop you from over packing. I can simply offer suggestions. I try my best to stick to two pairs of shoes for a trip, one pair of casual shoes that I can wear with any outfit (Usually a pair of Converse sneakers) and a pair of dressier shoes that I can wear out to dinner or on occasions where the sneakers are’t appropriate. You certainly don’t need a different pair of shoes for each outfit. One tip that you may find useful is when you start considering what to pack, pick the shoes first, then match the outfits to the shoes. This will eliminate the need for black shoes, brown shoes and navy blue shoes, especially if you limit your color palate and rely on accessories for pops of color.
“Remind me again what cross packing is, please?”
Cross packing is a great tool when you are traveling with a spouse, significant other or even a roommate. Instead of putting all of your items in one suitcase and having your travel companion fill their suitcase with only their own items, I recommend that you fill each suitcase with half of your items and half of their items. (Please don’t put all of your tops in one bag and slacks in another) Should one bag become lost or delayed you will both have access to your items in the meantime. Of course there is always the chance that both bags are delayed or lost, but that get’s back to why I try to always limit myself to carry on bags as opposed to checked bags. Obviously there are situations where that is not practical, but should both bags become lost or delayed, that’s where your travel insurance will kick in to help you get the essentials and you get to support the local economy where you’re vacationing by picking up some new items.