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  What Should I Pack and Where Do I Find It?

                                  How to Pack Light but with all the Essentials! 

Vacation planning might actually be fun without this menacing question hanging over our heads!   Especially in light of heavier (i.e.: much lighter) luggage weight restrictions (50 lbs. per bag to most destinations) and most airlines now charging for the first and/or second checked bag, the pressure is on to pack lighter, smarter and more efficient.

Unfortunately, depending on your destination, there are still many things you just can’t do without!  So goes the dilemma… be comfortable, look great, and don’t deal with too much luggage!

Fortunately, with the Internet, it is becoming increasingly easier to stay on top of airline luggage and carry-on restrictions, find travel convenience items, destination appropriate clothing, and the newest cool stuff to make travel more comfortable and enjoyable.  You can do it all from home without spending hours traipsing around town fruitlessly searching for these items which seem to be hard to find in retail stores; you truly do have it all at your fingertips!  The only catch is you need to start planning a bit ahead of time to avoid over-night shipping charges and possible out-of stocks on needed items.

Don’t have extra money for travel convenience products?  It’s easier if you buy a few items per trip or maybe even a few items in-between trips so you don’t strain your budget when you want to save it for the destination itself.

I confess to being somewhat of a travel gadget junkie.   I’m all for convenience and saving space while maintaining comfort.  I have searched retails stores and the internet in my quest for packing light without “doing without”.  

That’s only part of the problem of course.  The biggest issue is what and how much clothing to take.  Before each big trip I usually empty my closet all over the room trying to figure out what to mix and match, what will wrinkle the least and still go with that sweater I really want to take or the shoes that will be most comfortable for touring.  Sound familiar?  (Okay, of course I’m talking to women)…here are a few pointers for decision making and packing.

1.  Get climate information on your destination for the month of your travel.   This is a start to get you thinking in the right direction.   What is the average day time (max) temperature inFiji during the month of January?  Will I need a heavy coat for an Alaskan cruise in July?   How many days of rain doesHonolulu average during the month of May?  Here’s a link to a good world-wide reference for this information:

http://www.climate-zone.com

Five days ahead of your departure day, you’ll want to start monitoring the weather forecast to get an even better idea of what you can actually expect during your trip.  I’ve found the best and most accurate weather forecasting for U.S.destinations is the National Weather Service http://www.noaa.gov.  For international weather forecasts try http://www.cnn.com/weather. 

2.   Decide what types of clothing you will need.    Will you be biking throughFrance, cruising to theMediterranean or attending company meetings and dinners?    In other words, how much of your trip will be spent in casual clothing, how much in business attire and how often will you be dressing up for a nice dinner, show or other more formal affair?  (Click here for advice on cruise wear ……***)

3.  Match up the climate with your activity schedule and figure out what you’ll need in the way of outerwear (raincoat, lightweight jacket, heavy coat, sweater, sweatshirt, umbrella, sandals, hiking boots, dress shoes, etc.)  Then figure out how light or heavy your next layer should be.  You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again…the best way to travel is to layer, layer, layer.   Too warm, no problem, take off the sweater.  Too cold, no problem put on the sweater.  Simple concept. ;-)   Sweaters or sweatshirts are great because you can tie them around your waist if you get too warm and they are out of the way.

4.  Mix and Match Casuals with Business or Dressy if possible.   A casual blazer or a cardigan can sometimes get by on a day tour as well as a dressy occasion.  (For example, combine them with jeans for the tour and slacks or skirt for a nice dinner or show.)   Travel Smith sells an essential “little black travel dress” that you can find at http://www.TravelSmith com.  It’s a wrinkle resistant item that looks great dressed up or down for just about any occasion.  By the way, wrinkle-proof and wrinkle-resistant are two different things.   If you are serious about not dealing with wrinkles, look for wrinkle-proof.  Wrinkle-resistant clothing will wrinkle, just not as easily or as much as some fabrics.

5. Stick with one color scheme.   You may be stuck on a particular outfit that you really want to take, but if you can’t put together other outfits with the same shoes, blazer, sweater, etc. then forget it and stick to outfits that will go with the same shoes and mix and match better.   What about that really great looking winter sweater that is so bulky that it takes up a quarter of your suitcase?  Lose it, you can’t afford to take up that much space. If you must take it, wear it on the plane, and it had better go with both of your pants and all of your shirts!

6.  Take more tops than bottoms, especially in the summer.   Pants take up more room and don’t get as dirty or smelly as tops do.  In general, stay away from white, which will get dirty too easily.  Khaki works great for a light color and blue jeans always work.   Take lightweight tops in summer and winter (breathable fabrics for summer and lightweight wool for winter).  You can always layer for warmth.    If you take light enough tops, you may be able to pack more and wash less while on your trip.   Take a little powder laundry detergent in a snack sized zip lock bag so you can wash in your sink if need be.   You can buy travel sized detergent at Magellans.com, as well as wrinkle remover, stain remover pen, portable clothesline, and other garment care travel items.

You can find a great selection of wrinkle resistant and travel functional clothing at Magellan’s and Exefficio.com and ProTravelGear.com (for men),

7. Choose shoes carefully.   I have a hard time with this one as my feet are at their worst while touring.   My feet hate museums as they can’t handle standing in one place for too long at a time.   I’ve found that during a trip of heavy touring, it helps to change my shoes every day.  That is hard on the luggage space, so I make sure they are good ones and try to go with just two, plus another pair of lightweight shoes for dressier occasions.   In the summer, I’ll usually take a good pair of walking sandals and a pair of good walking shoes (of the sneaker variety).   Even if your feet are more tolerant than mine, they will love you if you put them in something sturdy and supportive.  You’ll be less fatigued after a day of touring as well.   Shoes are not the place to skimp while putting together your travel wardrobe.   This is one item that you should try to buy in person and not on-line as they need to fit well.  Don’t buy them too small or too large.  Snug in the heel but roomy in the toes should work great.  Arch supports are essential, but they need to fit your arch in the right place.   The soul should be stiff and not bend too easily. 

When you try them on in the store, walk around for awhile before purchasing.  Make sure you can return them if you don’t wear them outside and then wear them around the house while you are cleaning or something.   Many times you can’t tell how they are going to work out until you have actually been on them for most of a day. Brands to look for in a sturdy but attractive walking shoe:   Naot, Ecco and Mephisto are my favorites.   Dansko and Birkenstock are great for standing but not as well suited for a lot of walking.   Some people likeClarks, but I’ve found them to be lacking in arch support.   Walking shoes of the sneaker variety are plentiful.  Prices range greatly.  Pick one in the mid to upper price range.  There is a pretty big difference in support and your feet will be grateful!

8.  Spandex Rules!   My favorite skirts to pack are made of 92% polyester and 8% spandex.  They are lightweight, hang beautifully and most importantly, they never wrinkle!  I could wad them up into a ball, throw them in my suitcase and they would unpack just as beautifully as if they were hung in the closet.   They virtually cannot wrinkle, which makes them the perfect travel skirt!   I’ve purchased them very inexpensively at Ross, TJ Maxx and Nordstrom Rack.   You can also find a variety or wrinkle resistant clothing for travel at Magellan’s.

9.  Spray bottle for wrinkles.  Cotton blends are much easier to care for than 100% cotton, but if you are a purest and want to make sure you can get the wrinkles out even without access to an iron, take a small spray bottle.   When you don’t have access to an iron or steamer during your travels, fill the spray bottle with water, lay your garment on the bed, spray the wrinkles, smooth with a wash cloth and hang to dry.   Works great, is quick and is much lighter than carrying a travel iron in your bag.  You can use it on cotton blends and some other fabrics as well.   It doesn’t work well with 100% polyester.   There are also formulas that you can buy to spray wrinkles out at Magellan’s http://www.magellans.com.  Note that irons are a fire hazard on a cruise ship and you are not allowed to bring one.  Some ships have passenger laundry facilities that include ironing facilities.

10.   Travel Mirrors.    For women like me with diminishing close up vision, I’ve come across a couple of slim and efficient magnified travel mirrors.   One is 5x magnification, about 8 inches in diameter and has suction cups on the back so you can stick it on any mirror.   (This is great for me as I have a hard time putting on my make-up with one hand while holding a magnified mirror in the other.)   I found it at Bed, Bath & Beyond for about $10.00.  I searched for it on their website, but didn’t see it there.  Check your local store.     

I found another really innovative lighted travel mirror in the Improvements Catalog online.   This one costs more but the lighted feature really enhances the vision.  It is about 5 inches in diameter and is attached with one of those gooseneck coils that wraps around the base for flat storage and packing, but can rise up to 16 inches in height for use.   It’s perfect for sitting on the desk in your hotel room and is as convenient as the large desktop version you might have at home.  A lighted ring circles the mirror for even lighting.  Two double AA batteries required.   It was around $30.

11. Blow dryers, Curler sets, Curling and Flattening irons all come in travel sizes with dual voltage.   There is almost never a need to take a voltage converter when traveling overseas for personal appliances anymore.   You can easily get hair appliances as well as electric razors with dual voltage.  You’ll still need an adapter to get the right kind of prongs for the outlet, but those are small and inexpensive.   You can find adaptors for your destination as well as a variety of travel sized hair appliances at Magellan’s.  http://www.magellans.com.  Magellan’s is a great on line travel resource.  It’s a one-stop shopping place for all kinds of traveling gadgets and gizmos to improve your travel experience.

12.  Other Travel Convenience Items.   Here are a few things that you might find useful:

Door stoppers, door alarms, personal alarms, pill boxes, travel size toiletries, book lights, luggage locks, luggage straps, seat back covers, phones, ld plans,  compression stockings.  All can be found on the travel products websites.

13.  Guide Books and Maps.  Browse your local bookstore for a guide book that will fit nicely in your day bag as well as give you good information.  You may need to spend an hour or so looking carefully through the available options in order to get the right one for you.   If you want good ideas for hotels and restaurants, make sure those sections are plentiful.   Most of that you can also find on line, but it's still a good idea to get recommendations from a good travel guide.  Some books have in-depth information on sights and attractions, even suggesting itineraries for the number of days you have to spend in the destination.   Others have nice pictures which might help you to decide what you want to see in person.  Sometimes the ones with nice pictures don't have as detailed of information so decide what's more important to you.   If you can't find what you are looking for in the store, try online.  Barnes and Noble carries many more books online than in the the stores. 

It's quite essential to get the maps before you arrive at your destination, especially if you will be renting a car.  If you'll be doing a lot of driving around, from one city to another, get a good state or country map.  If you will be getting around the city on your own, try to get a map either online or at the bookstore.  If the city is heavily visited by tourists, many times you can find tourist maps on line that show the most popular tourist attractions.  Do a search for "tourist mapsRome" and you'll find several options. 

14.  Health.  A healthy trip is a happy trip.   Don't forget your medications and bring prescriptions in their original bottles. 

15.  Safety.  Always be aware of your surroundings.   Tourist destinations are prime venues for pick-pockets to work in every day.    Leave valuable jewelry at home.  Even wedding rings should be taken off in some places (Rio, for example).  Men should never keep a wallet in their back pants pocket (Magellan’s has a couple of nice front pocket wallets and women should carry an over the shoulder bag.  Magellan’s has a nice variety of travel bags, some with wire in the strap that can’t be cut.  They have several pockets so you can find things easily.  Check them out here.