When you pack for a trip do you pack lightly, thinking that if you forget something you can pick it up along the way? Or do you pack everything but the kitchen sink? I'm bad I'm afraid, I want to travel lightly, I want our bags light enough for us to handle. I want very few bags to deal with.We had so many one year that we accidentally left one on the luggage carousel and it took forever for Mac to get permission to go back in and find it. I don't want that to happen again. I also don't want my carry-on to be so heavy that it takes 2 people to lift it into the overhead.
I try to pack lightly, but then I worry, do I have enough of this, should I have 1 more of those, can I live without that---probably not. So that in the end I usually have 2 of everything,
It doesn't matter if it's an overseas trip or a drive down into Florida. For years we've packed a pretty good-sized 220volt fan every time we went to England, we always found our rooms stuffy without it. Imagine how big a suitcase that took.
I carry enough pharmaceuticals to open my own drug store, a lot are prescription and not an option, but others are just things I think I might need.
Should I take a hair dryer and even if the hotel provides one I still need a curling iron. The list goes on and on.
Mac is in charge of paperwork and I know he has duplicates and in some cases triplicates of everything. Copies of tickets, trip vouchers, passports. Numbers to call in case of emergencies, for lost or stolen credit cards, local telephone numbers.
I sometimes think that less planning and less logistics went into planning D-Day than for one of our trips. And this is for a fairly short trip.
The planning for the big one is massive!
I tend on the whole to take more than I need, but am getting much better at packing less. I never take a hairdryer anymore, and hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteWhen we go to Paris we take two tiny carryon cases, and it surprising just how little you can actually get away with.
I have learned to pack light, all my trips to Japan has taught me well. Plus must always have a washer/dryer. I always take a nightlight and a small fan.
ReplyDeleteOne case is used for all my gifts to family and friends, then on the way home it is filled with stuff I bought.
cheers, parsnip and thehamish
We generally pack lightly and then fill the suitcase to the limit with gifts on the way back. We do going over the top with paperwork, taking copies of everything.
ReplyDeleteIt can be a problem as I've experienced the same thing. But, I recently bought a full size luggage bag that weighs under 6 pounds; I can fill it to the brim and its still not overweight. Before you go, it's good idea check the airline's rules for carry on baggage. Some airlines have added weight limits in addition to size limits. I wish you well, Pat xx
ReplyDeleteI know that problem. There is always the weather problem, will it be hot or cold, probably both. Then the medication. Yes, we need more of that as we get older. Hair dryer. My experience, if I don't pack it, the dryer in the hotel is so bad that I wish I had, so I have a very small but powerful travel dryer in the meantime.
ReplyDeleteSo, happy packing and have a good trip.
Marianne from
Let's Read
I have learned to pack light. When I travel I have a travel backpack that gets checked and a day pack I carry on and count as a purse since it slides under the seat in front of me. I also have one of those bags that folds up on itself to use for anything I have purchased on the trip (in my case it's usually yarn, so it is lightweight and easy to pack), and I take that as my carry-on bag on the return trip.
ReplyDeleteI am a light packer. We just got back from a ten day trip (5 of us), having two bags between us. We still have some unused items. x
ReplyDeleteNot having a car, and not being able to carry all that I'd need for any overnight trip, the result for me is that I stay home... :)
ReplyDeleteI always take far too much, although I try really hard not to. I also like to leave lots of room for shopping, especially in the US!
ReplyDeleteI like to travel light although I'm always tempted to add stuff at the last minute - which I rarely use. Most hotels would normally have a fan, I think, but if the weather is hot that's exactly when you'd need it and when they would run out!
ReplyDeleteI travel light - Juliette is like you and takes everything but the kitchen sink:)
ReplyDeleteI travel light - Juliette is like you and takes everything but the kitchen sink:)
ReplyDelete