Any tips on how to keep luggage contents dry

[jenf22]

Hi all,

I know Google may be able to help me, but I figured I'd try you guys.

Last October we spent 8 great days at Pop. The first 2 were continuous rain and we were soaked! Something that never occurred to me was our luggage. All of our luggage is soft-sided and several pieces of clothing were soaked when our luggage was delivered. Being Florida, it took FOREVER for these things to dry in the room (yeah, I know, we should have found a dryer). Anyway, we're en route to Pop again here on Sunday and, of course, it's supposed to rain. I was thinking of lining the luggage with big garbage bags. Has anyone done this? Do you think it will work? What have you all done?

Thanks much!

 

[kaligal]

OK, my family and friends make fun of me for doing this, but I pack outfits in garbage bags.

Scoff if you like. Makes unpacking very easy. It allows me to have everything I need, all at once in the morning. My clothes don't get snagged on splintery hotel drawers. I never forget to bring trash bags along! It allows sorting so that laundry is easier...whether done on vacation or at home. Cuts down on wrinkles, too!

It would also protect the clothes from getting wet, although that has never been a problem.

 

[reiella]

It's difficult, since a lot of what you can do to try to 'pad' your checked luggage is futile when it goes through TSA.

TSA is not going to know why you lined your luggage trashbags, and by my experience isn't going to care enough to put stuff back the way they found it if they do screen, so it may well still end up pointless .

To be honest, I'm really surprised the airport/DME didn't have them covered when it was raining.

 

[figment_jii]

You could try spraying your luggage with something like scotch guard.

Otherwise, I do like the PP mentioned. I wrap everything up in clear garbage bags. That way the clothes and non-water proof stuff are protected against the rain and anything that other travelers might pack in their luggage (I've read horror stories about wine, soda, water, etc.). Take a few extra with for the return trip (because you might have more stuff to bring back and to replace any bags that get torn).

 

[flortlebap]

Mmm, try waterproof luggage this time maybe? Or is it expensive?

 

[LaurenT]

Space bags.

 

[TammyC]

I use the 2.5 gallon ziploc bags. Keeps things dry and hopefully the hands of TSA away from from my underwear!

T

 

[zumbergc]

once on the way back from seeing mickey.
Our luggage was out on the tarmac.. It wasn't raining when it came out to be loaded onto the plane.

However, a downpour hit and our soft sided luggage got soaked.

We were lucky it was on the way home...

 

[tsme]

I now put all our clothes in space bags & everything else that would be messed up if wet in large zip locks.
I've watched at an airport as they left a load of luggage in the rain, so if my luggage gets wet the stuf inside stays dry.

 

[jenf22]

In my searching, hard sided luggage was $$$. It also seems like it would take up some of the weight allowed. Last October, it didn't really rain so much as torrential downpoured. We also used Magical Express, so we don't really know what they did with our luggage in the 5 hours (!!!) it took them to get it to us. I guess I'll try the garbage bags and hope TSA leaves them put. Thanks everyone!

 

[reiella]

In my searching, hard sided luggage was $$$. It also seems like it would take up some of the weight allowed. Last October, it didn't really rain so much as torrential downpoured. We also used Magical Express, so we don't really know what they did with our luggage in the 5 hours (!!!) it took them to get it to us. I guess I'll try the garbage bags and hope TSA leaves them put. Thanks everyone!

Judging from other folks experiences, I probably just have bad luck with TSA screwing with my luggage [that or my regional airport TSA really has nothing better to do than screen everything, which wouldn't surprise me either ].

 

[kaligal]

I inherited a few pieces of hard luggage from my mother. Hideous bright blue from probably 1965.

It is still the best luggage I've used. Wish mom had bought bigger ones!

Also wish America still produced quality merchandise at affordable prices...and that airlines werent giving us a bunch of crap about our luggage...and that pople werent putting their icky hands inside it...but that ship has sailed, lol!

 

[ZoZo]

Wanted to share what happened to a friend recently. She travels quite a lot by plane, and had put her carry-on bag in the overhead bin. Well, some yahoo put his bag on top of hers, and he had a leaky water bottle in it. Her laptop computer got wet and was totally ruined. That was a very expensive mistake; who would have thought she'd have to worry about something getting that wet in her carry-on??

So I'd recommend putting valuables like this in plastic (large ziploc, waterproof case, etc.) even in your carry-on!

 

[sassie_kat]

My dad is a TSA agent and when I asked him about lining the luggage with a garbage bag he said that it would a) trigger a more in depth look and b) probably not be left as neat once the search was done. Not that they will INTENTIONALLY wreck your beautiful packing job but that there just isn't enough time in the day to be as meticulous as we are when we're packing our own bags.

Somebody already suggested it, but I always pack our outfits (socks, underwear, shorts, t-shirts) in a ziploc bag. It helps me organize the bag and make sure that I'm not missing anything. Good luck!

 

[kaytieeldr]

I use the 2.5 gallon ziploc bags. Keeps things dry and hopefully the hands of TSA away from from my underwear!

T

This makes a lot of sense; besides keeping everything dry, you can pack a complete outfit for each person for each day, and use the same bag for the dirty outfit if you don't want to do laundry on vacation.

We also used Magical Express, so we don't really know what they did with our luggage in the 5 hours (!!!) it took them to get it to us.

If there's lightning in the vicinity of the airport - likely in a Florida downpour - everybody leaves the tarmac immediately for safety. Belongings can be replaced. Individuals can't.