Luggage related nightmare! UPDATE!

[Jennasis]

Some of you may remember that I will be travelling to Shanghai this October to coach Team USA at the Special Olympic World Games (I am an equestrian coach). I was chatting with our head coach yesterday about some of the logistics like security, air travel and luggage restrictions. That's when I found out that we are not permitted to pack our own luggage!! I will need to drive 2 hours to our state office in Raleigh to drop off my bras and undies to some total stranger who will pack luggage for me...luggage (i.e. ONE suitcase) that will be provided by the Special Olympics. I can't even use my own luggage, and I only get ONE piece of luggage...and we will be away for a shade under THREE WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was informed that the only clothes I will be bringing are socks/underwear/bras, and sneakers. The S.O. provides us with team uniforms (sweatsuits and clothes to wear at opening and closing ceremonies just like the regular Olympics). I am an equestrian coach, so I also need to bring with me (and fit into this ONE piece of luggage) my riding boots, breeches, and my helmet! Then I was told that the "laundry facility" at the venue is for team clothes and uniforms only, so I should plan on just bringing enough underwear for the WHOLE TRIP and just throwing each pair out after I use it!!!!!!!!!

So where exactly do I pack my shampoo, conditioner, soap, hair dryer, toothpaste, toothbrush, moisturizer, makeup etc??????? Not to mention we are supposed to survive for THREE weeks with only our team issued sweatsuits? I MIGHT be able to fit an extra pair of jeans or shorts in the luggage if I could pack the dang thing myself. but heck, for THREE WEEKS I'd need more than just one pair of Jeans/shorts/shirts.

How am I going to do this????????

 

[kdibattista]

Can you bring a carry on? If not, I would invest in a really big handbag

 

[budbeerlady]

I see you preparing like the commercial of the man who wears all of his clothes to the airport instead of checking luggage. That is insane! I think I would buy new undergarments and drop them off in the package with the luggage to be packed.

The other items, are you supposed to buy them when you arrive? It might add up to buy shampoo and all that stuff, if you can get to a store! Is there someone else who has gone that you can chat with?

But what a cool honor and have a great time. It would be a trip of a lifetime, even if you have to keep wearing the same clothes for 3 weeks.

 

[Jennasis]

I'm thinking we may have to make a trip to the Shanghai Walmart to pick up deodorant and stuff. The problem is that all the luggage (carry-on and checked) isprovided by the SO. I hope it's going to be big enough to fit all the stuff we need. The hard part is that one of my athletes NEVER travels without her one suitcase that has nothing in it but her dollies and her doll clothes. how do I tell her that it has to stay behind???

We are all very honored to be a part of this experience! Hmmmmm...I wonder If I can have DH ship my clothes to the Olympic Village for me??

 

[mytwotinks]

How many sweatsuits are they going to provide? It sounds like everyone will be wearing the team stuff all of the time, so I doubt that will be a big deal. It would be kind of unnerving not to pack your own bag though. I hope you get a chance to check and make sure you at least got your own undies and there wasn't a mix up! You can always wash bras and undies out in the sink if you have to. I don't think that I would invest in 21 bras. That is a lot of $$$$$ to throw away at the end of every day!

Could the parent of the girl who needs the doll stuff take that as one of their bags?

Have fun!

 

[phillybeth]

I would ship things to yourself care of the Olympic Village. Probably the easiest, stress-free way of doing it.

 

[diznygirl]

I'm thinking we may have to make a trip to the Shanghai Walmart to pick up deodorant and stuff. The problem is that all the luggage (carry-on and checked) isprovided by the SO. I hope it's going to be big enough to fit all the stuff we need. The hard part is that one of my athletes NEVER travels without her one suitcase that has nothing in it but her dollies and her doll clothes. how do I tell her that it has to stay behind???

We are all very honored to be a part of this experience! Hmmmmm...I wonder If I can have DH ship my clothes to the Olympic Village for me??

Someone has to inform the state office how insane all of this is!!!!!

Good luck!

 

[RunDanceSkate]

We travel for a month at a time with only a carry-on size bag each. The key is to have clothes that you can hand wash, hang in the hotel room and they are dry by morning. I like tilleyhats.ca, (you can get to the American site from there as well.) for quick drying socks and underwear. Or you can get disposible underwear at Walmart. A great site for one bag packing is ricksteves.com/plan/tips/packlight.htm. Because someone else will be packing your stuff, yuck, I would recommend travel bags like these http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=product&theParentId=122&id=102

Typically this is what I pack and wear, for 5 weeks.

Wear on flight

Light coloured Knit Cardigan
Black jersey t-shirt
Black jersey knit pants
My fav hat http://www.tilleyhats.ca/detail.asp?extractBy=search&productNo=TH8
Healthy Back Bag instead of a purse

Packed in one bag that measures 8 by 22 by 14 with room leftover to bring souviners home.

FreeSpirit Shirt
CoolMax® Short-Sleeved Shirt
2 T-Shirts
Knit Tank Top
Legends Nahanni Zip-Offs
Capris
Airflo® Shirt
1 swimsuit
2 pairs of lightweight silk shorts for sleeping in with silk tank tops
silk long john set in case of chilly weather.
3 pairs of travel underwear
3 pairs of travel socks
2 extra bras
100ml of shamppo
100ml conditioner
Deodrant
small amout of make-up
sunscreen
bug spray
hairbrush
toothbrush and paste (travel size)
and my fav soap.
small amounts of dish soap, laundry soap and some bounce sheets

DS 12 and hubby use similar size bags
DD age 10 uses one that is even smaller, we carry her's on the flight with with overnight stuff in in case of delayed flights, so that we can check the others. Before the new carry-on restriction we all just carried our bags on.

Once you try packing light, you'll never go back.

Cindy

 

[rigs32]

Can you ship a box of stuff ahead of time?

 

[Jennasis]

I have an e-mail out to our head coach. She's been to world games before and knows the drill. What I'm interested in right now is the size of the bag they provide and what we are permitted to pack in it. The other coach and I (who are rooming together, she also happens to be the mom of the athlete with the doll clothes) will wash our own bras and undies out in the sink and hang them to dry. As for the toiletires, I need to know if they are expected to fit in the single bag as well or in our carry-on and if we can use our own stuff or if SO provides that stuff (yuck...).

So complicated. As for the the bag of doll clothes, well we'll have to work on that.

Oh, does anybody know what voltage is used in China? IF I can even bring a hair dryer then I'll need an adapter I guess.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Packing for a trip is a nightmare for me, and that's when I'm in control and using my own luggage and staying in the US! And as DVC owners, I find it hard to stay anywhere without a washer/dryer in the room!

Had a meeting last night about DS(14) going to England in April to play soccer and my one big question was "is anyone going to wash their (one!) uniform?" And they agreed they would do all the kids' uniforms. Otherwise, I'd be laying awake (at WDW!) just thinking about that filthy uniform!

But otherwise, your trip sounds awesome! What a great experience for everyone!

 

[mickeyboat]

Well, sounds like you need to get used to "going commando."

What a great honor and opportunity for you. Congrats, and good luck!

Denae

 

[Hannathy]

I don't understand why you would have to throw it out. I also don't see any problem getting a month's worth of underwear into a suitcase, How much room does it take? In High school I went with a choir to Poland for 3 1/2 wks with 1 suitcase (and it wasn't that big) no carry-on and we had to take all of our own clothes and the 2 choir uniforms, and toilet paper! I'm sure as the date gets closer you will get more info, if not simply call or Email the office doing the packing and ask. I'm sure they have done this before.

 

[Jennasis]

Hannathy: I agree which is why I'd rather wash and dry my own several pairs of nice underwear than to bring 20 pairs of awful cheap ones.

Commando...Hmmmm...always a consideration (except for the chafing that occurs when riding horses!). I guess the toiletires would HAVE to go in the one checked luggage since we can't carry on liquids, right?

We are shipping one saddle with us..maybe the other coach and I could "smuggle" extra clothes in with the saddle? I'll let you know when I hear back from the head coach!

 

[Jennasis]

Well I had a nice long chit chat with our head coach last night and she helped to alleviate a lot of my worries. Apparently we will be given one bag to check on the plane and one back pack as a carry on. The checked bag was described by her as "large enough to hide a human body in...the biggest bag ever!" Awesome! So when I quizzed her again about clothing to pack she told me that all of our daily wear will be provided by Special Olympics (it's all Columbia sportswear designed for Team USA: Warm-up suits, khakis, polos, tees, shorts, socks, rain gear, a jacket, a ball cap and even a pair of Nike cross-trainers!). We also get a ton of other swag in goody bags on arrival. She said we will have to pack our own toiletries and makeup etc but it will have no problem fitting in the bag with all the clothes and stuff. We CAN bring a few other things if we simply must (jeans, sandals, shorts etc..) but it really isn't necessary and it should all still fit. So basically all I need to provide is undies/bras and PJ's (and I will wash out my own undies and stuff in the sink). Our team assistant will do the team's laundry every 3 days or so (just the equestrian team's stuff).

The back pack is huge enough for regular carry-on stuff plus my video/digital camera, a change of clothes etc.

I can rest easy now!

 

[MI mom of 3]

Oh, does anybody know what voltage is used in China? IF I can even bring a hair dryer then I'll need an adapter I guess.

DH was in Bejing and Shanghai last summer... they use 240 volts. Most modern appliances will work but you will need an adapter. You should be able to get it at Radio Shack.

Have a great time!!

 

[Amapola]

For washing undies in hotels, I have a great drying line that has suction cups at either end and a stretchy twisted cord. You stick one suction cup to each wall, and then tuck the underwear (or other light items) into the twists of the cord so you don't need clothespins. If you tuck in both sides of the panties so they're nice and flat, they dry overnight.

Have a great trip!

 

[GraysMom]

If for some reason you are stuck with using just the one bag, you might check out those space saving bags that the air is sucked out of so you could pack more stuff. Have a great trip.