Packing for Ease of Travel

This piece of luggage is called The Ghost Cruiser from REI. It's the luggage I took to Ireland and Scotland last fall (those posts were interrupted on this blog, by me during a blogging lapse). It weighs only 5 pounds empty and is a 27 inch rolling...duffel of sorts.

Trying to show the two openings here.  It's main compartment and a smaller top zip compartment.  It has a good study handle, and stand which keeps it upright nicely.

Empty insides show you two side pockets that zip that are good for a pair of shoes, or misc under things.  I am able to put a sandal and a dress shoe(flats) in each pocket.  I find not putting the pair together is helpful.  The sandals obviously are smaller and compact better than a dress flat, so one of each works well.  I've also been able to put panties, and footies in each of those compartments along with the shoes.  Additionally a top flat pocket with zip works well for file folders, rain gear, or jacket you want to have quick access to; as well as a dress you might not want to scrunch.

All of that packed nicely in above suitcase for a recent 2 week trip to Park City, Utah.  Notice 4 packing cubes, Zip lock bag of coffee, zip lock bag of yarn, ditty bag (red), zip lock bag of cooking spices (which I don't take on tours like Ireland, but do when we go to a timeshare vacation).  A few misc items like a hat, umbrella, and rain coat folded in a zip lock bag, and a Martini shaker (also not something I take on tour, lol).

Please notice the green cube, 2nd from the right.  It's the largest of the 4 you see and it contained 2 flare skirts, 2 dresses with flare skirts, 7 sleeves dress tops, 1 t-shirt, 1 bra and a handful of panties and footies.

Now I can't recommend this luggage, because they no longer make it, but they do have some that are similar.  REI (an outdoor store with excellent equipment fully guaranteed).  We've belonged to the co-op for years.  So even though you might blink at the cost of their equipment, it's very high quality that they stand behind....and as a member, you get annual dividends.  

I like a suitcase I can lift.  It's not possible to worry about weight with this suitcase.  You can't put 50 pounds in it.  I'm sorry it's no longer made, because both hubby and I have been very pleased with our purchase.

I plan to to use this suitcase again later this year when we go touring again in Europe, this time Italy.

**I highly recommend using packing cubs.  Different colors is helpful too.  Perhaps I'll go into more detail on that in a different post.  

***I should also mention all the above weighted 39 pounds...well beneath the 50 pound limit, which includes several things I purchased while there, including an extra pair of shoes.

Luggage Important in Your Travels.

 Luggage comes in every size, shape and color these days.  What do you pick?  In our younger years we'd buy the set of 3 or 5 pieces with everything matching because it was "cheaper".  Over night car travel was then the bulk of our travels and so the cheap multi-sized pieces worked.  But, not for long...the type of travel you do really dictates the type of luggage you should tote.  When you fly you are restricted to the number of pieces you can carry, as well as the weight.....unless you're ok paying an arm and a leg for more.  How long are you going?  Are you checking or carrying on?  AND if you're carrying on, can you actually lift your suitcase over your head to put in the overhead compartments?  The above Helium Sky Delsey) is a large check type bag we purchased for our daughter for her birthday.  It's light weight, something under 10 pounds.  Far lighter empty then our older style multi-piece luggage sets.  Luggage was heavier because weight didn't used to be an issue.  It is now.  Zippers and frames get broken with lots of use and being tossed around by the airlines.

This is the carry on she choose.  It's a Delsey, but not the same line, and does't match.  She choose it because it only weights 6.8 pounds empty.  Huge consideration when you're traveling alone and need to be able to lift it yourself to place in the overhead.  Notice both suitcases have the 2 outside pockets with separate zippered compartments.  Another important consideration.  Though the new molded plastic...cool designs are easier to see on the conveyor built after your flight, they do not have any outside storage.  Outside storage is a good place to place wet items to keep them separate from your regular luggage, papers you need to keep flat, items you need to be able to reach quickly (probably a bit more of concern with a carry on).

 Out with the old and in with the new.  The black on the left was my large check back, also a Helium, purchased at AAA a good number of years ago.  Notice it also has the 2 outside pockets.  Over the years the flippers on several of the zippers have gone by the wayside, and most recently the outside frame has snapped completely.  I wondered why it was getting hard to line up properly to zip, to pull the handle in and out etc, when hubby spotted the snapped frame.  I've replaced it with the newest model of the same series a Delsey Helium Breeze.  While not quite as light as the  large suitcase Darling Daughter choose, it has a few items that fit my personal travel needs and weights 11.3 pounds empty.  Many we looked at were considerably heavier (particularly the cheaper suitcases).

 This gizmo tells you if you bag is over 50 pounds........very important feature, as the bulk of our travel is by plane.  While we can and do weight suitcases at home after their packed, not easy to do on the return trip often.  You rarely pack the same on the return trip with consideration for dirty items, and souvenirs you've picked up along the way etc.

 This outside zippered area is something I've not seen before.

It has a sleeves that can be snapped across the bottom of the suitcase to separate items you might not want mixed with your regular clothing......perhaps dirty shoes?  Maybe you need to be able to reach items quickly without messing with your whole packed bag?  You can pull those items out while your suitcase is still zippered shut.  Looks like a neat option that could be quite useful.

 For items (good clothes) you don't want wrinkled, this has the pretty traditional mess unit in the lid of the suitcase; but it also has a 3rd zipper

 that allows you to open up the whole thing for larger items (suits or dresses).  So you have 3 areas there to work with.  Once opened this area is about an inch thick.

Another consideration is the newer design of 4 wheels vs the more traditional design of old black suitcase of 2 wheels.  With 4 wheels you have added stability, maneuverability and you can walk it beside you vs pulling it behind you.........easier on the arms, less physical.

Consider more then cost when you purchase luggage.  Think about how you travel, what type of clothing you pack, what are you packing/travel needs.  Young strong people probably are less concerned with weight of the suitcase or easy of toting it.

I choose red this time, hoping the dirt won't be too much a factor.  My hope is being able to spot it easier on the conveyor belt.  I've added 2 different colored luggage tags...again to help differentiate my suitcase from someone else's; plus if one falls off........I have a back up.  I will also add a colorful strap and or bow of brightly colored yarn.  Anything you can do to spot your suitcase as "different" is of value.

**Sorry folks, it's been a good long while since I've posted here, life got busy.  Hope my regular readers are still with me.  Also having issues with the template and will be needing to make changes again with it it.**

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.

How to Safely Pack Wine and More

When we travel, here there and everywhere......Domestically or Internationally. We always pack kitchen essentials to aid us. This small Bread Dipping Seasoning pack is just the thing. We have larger ones at home, and have been (until this new find), packing those. We like to cook in a good number of our meals. This seasoning pack has 4 different blends, all good for seasoning your olive oil for dipping bread, or adding to pasta (always a favorite meal for us). I also think you could use this to flavor meat for the grill (beef, pork and chicken). The Flavors in this blend are: Sicilian Blen, Tuscany Blend, Parmesan Blend, Rosa Maria. 4 Flavors, 4 separate shaker areas, and the whole thing only weights .60 oz....perfect even when flying vs traveling by car.
Wine carriers a MUST in our travels. These come packaged 3 in a container, we recently purchased 2 packs. We've used these in the past with wonderful success.

1. They are easy to use, slid the bottle in and Zip it shut
2. Since it seals well, should there be a breakage the wine would be contained
3. They are well padded inside, but better then bubble wrap it's a super absorbent cushy fabric....which not only protects the bottle against breakage; but offers back up protection to minimize liquid.
4. They mold nicely and can easily be worked into your luggage.

One bottle of wine typically weights somewhere between 3-4 pounds, depending on how thick the glass bottle is. It's a good idea to weight what you're taking, as they all won't be the same. There are different limits of what you can take Internationally, depending on where you're going. A while back hubby and I traveled to Mexico and each person was then permitted to carry 3 bottles in their luggage.
Both above items were purchased through Amazon.com. SuperPoints (click on above badge to join). I belong to SuperPoints and earn points, I convert my points to Amazon gift cards and shop........when you're order is $25.00 you don't even pay shipping. SuperPoints is both a way to make and save money. You can clip coupons to save money, buy daily deals to save money on items you would probably purchase anyway...but this way you earn points to do so. You can watch video's and or play games.........again you earn points. You can spin the lucky wheel daily to win additional points. Joining if free, and easy. 3 Simple Steps:

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I might suggest you use a separate email account in order to keep things separate from your personal and or business email account.

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Join today and start earning, and keep checking in for helpful travel information. Travel Safe

Who's Slacks are these? Drycleaning and Packing

The Traveling Suitcase just got back from an interesting and fun trip to Hilton Head. Let me share this story and subsequent packing tip as a result.

We had reservations at a nice restaurant and so I was changing to prepare to go "out" for dinner. Had a lovely hand made jacket purchased at a art fare, dressy slacks, jewelry all laid out and ready. As I slipped the slacks on I was puzzled. They were hiphuggers. I NEVER wear hip huggers, hate them...even know their stylish. I think everyone looks nicer in something that actually comes to your waste; and for me something that actually comes to your waste is far more comfortable too. I looked again at the slacks, groaned, and thought were these slacks hubby had purchased for me somewhere along the line that I had forgotten were hiphuggers? Ok, well...guess I just wear my top out. No one will see they don't look as nice, I guess; I'll just be uncomfortable. ...sigh... WAIT, that's not possible! These slacks aren't mine. Zipped they don't fit, in fact as I then look at the label (not a brand I buy), they are several sizes too big! They still have the dry cleaner tag on them. I remember now taking them off the hanger, out of the nice plastic dry-cleaner bag before packing. Great, I have a nice pair of slacks I can't wear with me.

Luckily, I had a nice pair of dressy blue jeans and that's what I wore. Though it really irritated me. I don't like wearing jeans to go out. I know it's stylish and many consider it cool, dark jeans dressy etc. I really don't and it makes me feel like I'm not dressed appropriately. I've been told these jeans are nice and dressy and I'm trying to adopt that, just not quite there yet. lol

Moral of the story, and thus a new packing tip If you take something out of a dry cleaning bag to pack check it out FIRST!! It's been quite awhile since I've picked up anything from the cleaners so no clue how long ago it was, or even which of the several cleaners it was. Question still remains, does someone have my slacks, or are the ones I thought I packed still at home?

Several days later, hubby and I made a shopping venture so I could purchase another pair of black slacks for our last night of vacation. We always make that our "special" night out and jeans were most definitely not appropriate for this restaurant.

Look What I'm Packing! Thanks Clara

Getting organized today, I came across this picture.

A red carrying on. A while back I won a contest. I'm a person who's never one to win so was thrilled! Wanted to share with you my prize. I'll be packing this with yarn, water bottle, and book. That's my normal carrying on stuff. My debate is whether or not it will fit below the seat. I never put items up above on the the plane, as I like to have my yarn there. I usually carry a canvas tote; but that means I have to carry it. This has wheels and handle....much better for the back, the sore shoulder, the arthritis etc.

This will be it's maiden voyage. Thanks to Clara. AND....I think I'm gonna buy myself a netbook which will fit nicely in this bag. Then hubby won't complain about me using his computer when we travel. Clara has a wonderful blog, please check it out.
And see ya tomorrow when Flat Stanley will have his 2nd Friday special post for you all. Remember, Friday Fun with Flat Stanley is for everyone, kids, parents, grandparents. PLEASE enjoy.

Pack Kitchen Essentials in your Travels

When you travel one way to save money is to do some cooking yourself. We typically have a kitchen or kitchenette and therefore don't have the need to eat every meal out. We pack small containers of spices that we use in most of favorite dishes. We've even found small containers of salad dressing. You don't want to spend all your time at the grocery store; nor do you want to throw away half used items that are left at the end of your weeks vacation. That's wasteful and costly. Plan ahead. This small container holds tea bags, a coffee bag or two, spices, powdered creamer and sugar, salt and pepper. You might notice a hotel package there on the right side in the picture. I rarely use all that is supplied in a hotel room, so do keep the extra packages. They're light weight and easy to pack that way.

We almost always grill out a night or two, most of the resorts we've stayed in have a grill area. That's a great way to stretch your budget, eat well, and not be restricted if you don't have a full kitchen. So the spices we pack always come in handy for that. Mrs. Dash can be used for so many things it's a good multi-purpose spice that always travels with us.

Breakfast is generally not more then coffee, a breakfast roll, fruit or bowl of cereal. My small packages of creamer are used for breakfast.

Lunch is lite consisting of apples, crackers, cheese and maybe some lunch meat. Small amounts of each we've found are easily obtainable, take little room even if in a small kitchenette, filling and well used up when the week is over.

If you have a full kitchen you may purchase more and have more left at the end of your week. Before you pitch it ask the desk if they keep items on hand. We've found many Marriott facilities keep a food bank box in or near the lobby where unopened items can be put and donated.

This small box of goodies and are packable plastic stemware have served us well in our travels. We take them even when flying.

7 days left in the contest, you still have time to enter.

Pack Traveling Wine Glasses

You might be scratching your head right now as you look at this picture and wonder what's the lady showing me a picture of a broken wine glass for? Nah, it's not broken; it's packable. Is there such a word as packable? If not, I think there should be. The picture on the left is what it looks like broken down, packable. Takes very little room.

Step 2, the glass on the right is what you'll see when you turn and pull the stem portion out. Note the screw area on the top of the stem, and that same area on the bottom of the bowl. That's how you put it together. Easy and quick. Simply screw it together.
This picture shows your very nice non breakable packable stemmed wine glass. This is a must for your all traveling needs. I pack 2 of these wine glasses oallthe time when I travel. They're light weight so not an issue even if flying vs car traveling. These 2 are new ones hubby purchased for me on one of our recent traveling excursions. After many years, many miles and lots of vacations the ones I had were scratched and didn't look nice. Though they are still quite usable and have made their way from our traveling/vacation box to our football tailgating box.

I highly recommend these to ease all your packing troubles. I dislike drinking wine from a paper cup in a hotel room, or worse a Styrofoam cup. The other added advantage is a non breakable glass when sitting at the pool side, on the beach, or relaxing from a patio or balcony in our travels. And since it's reusable, it far more environmental friendly than those Styrofoam cups and glasses in the hotel rooms.

Even if you're not a wine drinker, these would be handy and nicer to drink from than the Styrofoam and paper often in hotel rooms.

Packing Tips for Travelers

Ski trips present quite a packing challenge. This photo was taken 14 years ago, when the fam and I were all a bit younger, and a few pounds lighter. Geessssssss, it was even before gray hair. sigh

Packing a necessary evil of any and all trips. What to take, how much to take, how much does it weigh, will it wrinkle. First thing to consider is are you driving, or flying. If you're flying that bumps up the difficulty factor. If flying you have to think about weight, how to protect items, how to keep clothes presentable and still have all you need.

Our method of packing for ski trips was a clean turtleneck a day. After skiing, showering for dinner the clean turtle neck for dinner was the one you wore to ski in the next day. 2-3 sweaters was enough for the whole week and maybe 2 pair of jeans. Remember packing your ski equipment takes space so it gets the priority. And, you're wearing your ski clothes the bulk of the time, so you whatever else you're wearing are items used for a short period of time.

Pack ski socks and long johns, which are bulky items in your ski boots, and around your skies. It saves space in your suitcase, and protects your equipment.

**Always pack lots of lip balm, and cloth handkerchiefs/bandannas. Paper tissues don't hold up well outside and can't be used to protect your face or neck.

Folding your dirty clothes for the return trip will make packing easier too. Put them in a plastic bag, but folded gives you the same space you had when you packed the first time. If you have undergarments that are on their way out, you could through them out instead of packing them for the return trip; which frees up space for items you purchased on the trip. Personally I've not used the throw away method; but know several people who have and it worked well for them. People tend to buy new things for a trip and they did just the opposite. Took old stuff, wore it, pitched it instead of packing it to bring home.