Two Weeks In a Carry-On Bag

After my last post, I received a reply from my good friend Cheryl. She has a friend who regularly travels to exotic locations for a couple of weeks at a time, and her friend agreed to share her secrets for packing two weeks of clothing into a carry-on.

The interesting thing about this list is that it encompasses clothing for multiple occasions such as a business lunch, shopping, a board meeting, and even a visit to a tribal village! It's obviously a woman's packing list, but I'm sure my male readers can adapt it for their use:

• Black jeans (on the plane for comfort, later for hiking or outdoorsy stuff)
• Long sleeve t-shirt weight, zip-up sweater/jacket, with pockets to hold gum, room keys, etc (wear on the plane; can be crammed into a backpack, used as a tablecloth or ground cover, or to fight off air conditioning or an evening chill). Consider two or three different colors of these which can all go with (yawn) black.
• White t-shirt
• Nice(r) black pants
• Longish black skirt
• Two coordinating tops to go with black bottoms, in addition to white t-shirt above
  
• Black casual or dressy vest or jacket to go with tops and black bottoms (dressy or casual will be dictated by trip agenda)
• Dressy tennis shoes (is there such a thing??) to wear on the plane and for future hiking
• Black flats, semi-dressy
• Nice coordinating pashmina or shawl for any evening that calls for dressing up

If you manage to squeeze all of your stuff into a carry on, don't forget that your liquids and gels need to be in containers no larger than 3 oz. and they must all fit into a quart size, zip-top bag. If you have had a difficult time finding these tiny refillable containers, here is a link for an affordable little carry-on kit that includes three 3 oz. bottles, four caps (two screw-on, one atomizer, and one locking pump cap) along with a quart-size zip-top bag.

Do you have more secrets for successful packing? Please share with us at www.betterorganized.blogspot.com.

Interview on local NPR

This week, I had an opportunity to be interviewed by Odette Yousef, a reporter from my local National Public Radio affiliate, WABE. The MP3 and story can be found here. We discussed the fact that Delta has joined other airlines in charging passengers an extra fee for checking more than one bag. Starting May 1, Delta has said that passengers will have to pay $25 to check their second bag.

Here are some suggestions for smarter and more compact packing:

• Choose your travel clothing wisely, making sure that their colors coordinate so that you can create several outfits from the same pieces. This will cut down on the total amount of clothing you have to pack.
  
• Pack lighter clothing, especially fleece, that can be layered so that you can adjust easily for temperature changes. This may help you avoid packing bulkier sweaters or jackets.
  
• If you must bring a coat or jacket, carry it on the plane instead of trying to pack it into your suitcase.
• Wear your bulkiest shoes on the plane. Many guys reading this may be scratching their heads wondering why anyone would pack more than one pair of shoes. Ladies, you understand.
  
• Carry a small backpack or tote onto the plane and stock it with some of the items you may normally have packed in your larger suitcase. For example, I now regularly pack my trip's reading material, makeup, a fleece jacket, and a small purse into my backpack that is stowed under the seat in front of me. I can then use the fleece jacket as a pillow during the flight.
  
• Make sure that you limit your hand-carried liquids or gels to 3 oz. and they must fit into a one-quart ziplock bag.
• Pack clothing that is less prone to wrinkle such as the Travelers line by Chico's.
• Experience has taught me that men generally don't pack as much as women do. If you are a gal with a male traveling companion, see if you can sweet-talk him into packing some of your stuff in his bag.

With a little planning and restraint, you can limit yourself to one check-in bag and save a little dough at the airport. Maybe then you can afford one of those $20 turkey sandwiches they sell in the concourse food shops.

Airlines Discourage Carry-On Clutter

According to USA Today, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has begun a campaign dubbed SimpliFLY where they are urging some 27 million holiday travelers to clear the clutter from their carry-on luggage.

The TSA explains that a neater bag is easier to view in the x-ray machines and, therefore, less likely to be pulled aside and searched by hand. And really, who wants a TSA employee rifling through your personal stuff? (I giggle every time I think about the airport security scene in the "Austin Powers" movie.)

So, to avoid angering those in line behind you or making yourself late for your flight, here are a few tips for airport trips:

• Fold clothes neatly
  
• Create separate layers for clothes and electronics
• Coil any wires
  
• Put liquids and gels in a single one-quart, clear plastic, zip-lock bag
• Remove shoes and coat at checkpoint. (And don't leave your coat behind like my step-mom did on our trip to New Orleans. Big hassle!)
• Arrive at the airport two hours ahead of time for domestic flights and three hours for international travel.
  
• Bring a great book or magazine or just relax and people-watch while you wait for your flight. IMO, there is no better people-watching than what you find in airport terminals.
  

Got any travel tips to share? Leave a comment at www.betterorganized.blogspot.com.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!