Luggage recommendations and packing tips

[clarabelle]

Traveling in a couple of months. Right now we have LLBean duffle bags and they are not working for us. I don't like the black bottoms (I have a lot of dark clothing and I can't find it against the black lining) and I am thinking I want a rectangle piece. Possibly hard sided.

Do you have something you like?

Also we will be switching hotels every few days -without the opportunity to do laundry. What do you do with your dirty clothes when you are in this situation? Do you keep them in with everything else?

Any thoughts or tips welcomed!

 

[clarabelle]

bump

 

[clarabelle]

Thats a good idea about the dryer sheets. Thanks I will check out that site

 

[fraggle551]

if you pack a lot of dark colors, they show dirt less, and you can wear them twice generally.

as for dirty clothes, I usually put them in the bag that the hotel provides for laundry service, and pack the bag in with my regular clothes. You could probably get some of those big ziplocs, and keep your dirty clothes in those as well. They would probably repack flatter than one big bag of dirty clothes.

Bring more socks & underwear than you think you will need!!!

And if you plan on buying things while traveling (souvenirs, clothes, etc) make sure you have room to bring them back.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[clarabelle]

Thanks fraggle
Coincidentally -I am going to Ireland
Hows the weather?

 

[fraggle551]

Thanks fraggle
Coincidentally -I am going to Ireland
Hows the weather?

WET!! Seriously. I have been here since January, and if I have had 2 weeks of sunny/dry weather total, that is a lot. Bring a very good raincoat with a hood. It is also colder here than you think because it is so damp all the time. A lot of building do not have heat either, so theres that cold as well.

Where in Ireland are you going? I can give you a lot better tips depending on where you'll be. If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me!

 

[clarabelle]

Adventures by Disney (I always feel kind of shy about telling people that -inevitably someone has to ask if Mickey will be there or tell me I overpaid)

Dublin, Killarney and Shannon

We will have some free time in each area -so if you have some favorite sites or restaurants I would love to hear about it.

 

[MinnieFan4ever]

As far as a suitcase goes, make sure it a light weight one. Some already weigh 12-15 pounds unpacked. We have used Luggage.com and Ebags.com.

 

[asta]

I don't know if you were asking for a particular kind of luggage but we have Hartmann luggage and love it. Our style is tweed and it has a tan belting leather trim. I know this stuff is expensive but we have had some of our pieces for 30 years and it looks better with age. The tweed never looks dirty and the leather wrapped handles are easy to hold. The wheeled rectangular pieces have an expansion top that can be used to store clothes after they are worn. Also take a look at their carry on duffles. My husband uses one of these and I am always amazed at everything that he can fit in it.

 

[clarabelle]

Thanks guys!
Yes I want brands, thoughts any ideas about luggage and packing
and Ireland!

 

[fraggle551]

oh you are going to have the BEST time!!! I have so much to recommend to you, but don't have a lot of time at the moment. I promise to get back to you later on this afternoon.

As for luggage, I came over with 1 big suitcase, and 1 hiking type backpack. And I fit 4 months worth of clothing in there! However, unpacked luggage does weigh a lot. 2 friends from home came over to visit me and I sent them home with my backpack filled with most of my clothing. My dad is sending me over a big duffel bag, which only weighs 2 pounds unpacked. It has wheels as well. I would recommend that option, plus a hard suitcase for breakables and things like that.

What airline are you flying? And which airports are you flying into/out of?

 

[clarabelle]

Delta
into Dublin and out of Shannon

 

[sbell111]

We love Samsonite Spinners. They really make it easy to drag luggage around.

 

[englishteacha]

If you decide to keep your LL Bean duffles, try putting a white towel in the bottom of the bag. I love my duffle, but it's black with a black bottom, and it's a pain to live out of it. When I can unpack into a bureau, I bring it. Otherwise I use a suitcase. Now our suitcases are too big to fly, so I'm kind of stuck with the duffle unless we drive somewhere.

We put our dirty clothes into plastic bags, and keep them out of the suitcase until we have to move hotels. When we get to our new destination, the dirty clothes bag comes out of the suitcase. Once you have emptied the bags half way, consolidate all your clean clothes into one bag/suitcase, and put the dirty stuff in the other. We have a tiny hairspray bottle I put Febreeze into, and I spritz the dirty laundry with it before we pack it up. Also, you can use the Febreeze to spritz your clothes to wear a second time. In most places in Europe, they allow smoking in clubs and restaurants, so when I was in the UK, my coat and sweaters always smelled like smoke. Blech.

Bring lots of socks and undies! Dark clothes are good because you can wear them a few times. I always bring some detergent with me when I travel so I can wash out clothes in the sink if I need to and hang on a hanger to dry. If you wear layers, your clothes will stay cleaner, too, and the lightweight stuff you wear underneath is easier to wash out if you need to, rather than trying to wash a heavy sweater and praying it will dry.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I really like Eagle Creek luggage. We've had several pieces and they've held up really well. I also like their accessories for packing.

 

[greggypetty]

I agree with MarkBarbieri. Eagle Creek has worked really well for me. They can be a little expensive, though. I also like Samsonite luggage. There are a lot of options for hard cases, so I would recommend them for you.