Packing light - what are your tips?

[timzagain]

Last year, DH and I travelled to Mexico for one week with one carry-on bag, and one personal item.

Now that I have experienced the freedom of life without checked luggage, I'm hoping that I'll never have to check luggage again!

I know that can be quite a challenge for many of us, but I'm hoping that we can share some packing strategies that will keep our "stuff" down to a minimum. DD11 and I will be taking a short trip in about 2 weeks.

- Using an inexpensive nylon Velcro wallet instead of my heavier leather wallet
- Pack a capsule wardrobe comprising of black, white and an accent colour or two. (2 shorts, one pair black slacks, 6 tanks, one long sleeved T, one shawl to dress up the tank top for evening) Everything is interchangeable and quick drying so I can hand wash in the hotel room.
- I don't pack detergent either - I wash my clothes with the hotel provided shampoo!
- Shoes - one pair of black sandals for daytime, one pair of silver beaded sandals for evening; no sneakers as I won't be doing a lot of walking on this trip
- Jewellry - one pair cubic zirconia studs, one pair silver hoops, one long silver necklace (costume jewelry) for evening
- Makeup - limited to lipgloss, eyeliner, concealer and a powder/foundation combo.
- Miniaturize everything - toiletries, comb, brush etc
- Pack disposable ponchos - much lighter than umbrellas or the "good" ponchos
- Plan to buy stuff I need at the destination.

Any other suggestions?

 

[jgraney106]

I was thinking about doing the same thing on our next Disney trip, since I don't want to pay the additional $15 per checked bag. It would add another $90 to our round trip ticket!
So I have decided to make a list of the items that we would normally carry, like shampoo, disposable razors, toothpaste , etc, and on the way to the hotel, we are going to stop at a Dollar store and buy all those things, including detergent and dryer sheets. I will give the remainder of the laundry detergent and dryer sheets to another Disney mom in the laundry room before I leave to go home ,and the left over toiletries will just get left behind in the room.
It will be cheaper than buying those sample sizes, as we would need more than one of each. As for the clothing I will pack, well I just haven't figured that out yet.

 

[snowbunny]

<<Packing light - what are your tips?>>

You just listed them

 

[TruBlu]

Good ideas! I'm taking notes.

 

[DisGal520]

include spf sunlotion 40 or above

lightweight foldable hat with brim

 

[Ava]

For shampoo/conditioner, I bought a couple of empty travel-sized bottles at Target. (I think they were $1-$2 each.) I just fill those with my shampoo & conditioner from home. They are larger than most of the travel shampoos, so one bottle will last us for a week-long trip. If we're running low we'll mix in the hotel-provided shampoo/conditioner. (I don't like the hotel shampoo normally because I have dry hair & its not moisturizing enough.)

I don't bring beach towels, just use hotel towels for the pool.

 

[Shagley]

We are going carry on only for our trip in September, so some ideas I have found are (I know some are just common sense, but I will post them anyway). Also, I want to take most everything with me and not buy it there (to save money and because I won't have access to a car)...

roll your clothes instead of folding them, they take up less space that way

wear your bulkiest items on the plane (sneakers, sweatshirt, blue jeans, etc)

If you pack a pair of shoes, stuff socks, underwear or other small items in the shoes to take advantage of that space.

go online and request free samples of toiletries - I have free shampoo, conditioner, facewash, bodywash, toothpaste, contact fluid, razors, deodorant, sunscreen, etc. that I save for trips. Also ask for samples at the eye doctor (contact lens fluid), the dentist (toothpase & floss), and even your medical doctor if you take liquid medication. They are usually the perfect size to fit in the 3-1-1 bags, and when they are empty I toss them.

If you happen to use a CPAP machine (like I do), check with the airlines because this is considered a medical device and shouldn't count as your carry on or personal item.

Use a backpack or a messenger bag as your personal item. If you normally carry a small purse, that small purse will fit in this bag along with lots of other items.

I take powdered laundry detergent and pre-measure it into snack size zip lock bags, then I put these, a snack bag full of quarters, and a few dryer sheets in a gallon zip lock bag (make sure to squish the air out of all the bags). This takes up a little space in my carry on, but after I use the detergent - this becomes space to pack a few souvenirs.


This is a great thread! I can't wait to hear everyone's ideas.

 

[toledo13]

Last year, DH and I travelled to Mexico for one week with one carry-on bag, and one personal item.

Now that I have experienced the freedom of life without checked luggage, I'm hoping that I'll never have to check luggage again!

I know that can be quite a challenge for many of us, but I'm hoping that we can share some packing strategies that will keep our "stuff" down to a minimum. DD11 and I will be taking a short trip in about 2 weeks.

- Using an inexpensive nylon Velcro wallet instead of my heavier leather wallet
- Pack a capsule wardrobe comprising of black, white and an accent colour or two. (2 shorts, one pair black slacks, 6 tanks, one long sleeved T, one shawl to dress up the tank top for evening) Everything is interchangeable and quick drying so I can hand wash in the hotel room.
- I don't pack detergent either - I wash my clothes with the hotel provided shampoo!
- Shoes - one pair of black sandals for daytime, one pair of silver beaded sandals for evening; no sneakers as I won't be doing a lot of walking on this trip
- Jewellry - one pair cubic zirconia studs, one pair silver hoops, one long silver necklace (costume jewelry) for evening
- Makeup - limited to lipgloss, eyeliner, concealer and a powder/foundation combo.
- Miniaturize everything - toiletries, comb, brush etc
- Pack disposable ponchos - much lighter than umbrellas or the "good" ponchos
- Plan to buy stuff I need at the destination.

Any other suggestions?

Great tips. When you do this- is it one qt size bag of liquids per person, or per carryon? I think it's per person, right? Like, you can have a carryon suitcase, and a bag... but it's one per person right? I think we're going to just do carryon for our trip to Miami in october. I just need to simplify what I bring. I always ALWAYS overpack!

 

[Brer Shay]

My best tip for longer trips is to plan to do laundry once while your gone. Don't take so many clothes!

 

[timzagain]

Great tips. When you do this- is it one qt size bag of liquids per person, or per carryon? I think it's per person, right? Like, you can have a carryon suitcase, and a bag... but it's one per person right? I think we're going to just do carryon for our trip to Miami in october. I just need to simplify what I bring. I always ALWAYS overpack!

It's one quart size bag per person. A few ways to reduce the liquids you have to pack:

1. If you use roll-on deodorant; switch to a stick deodorant for the trip
2. We have a travel size bottle for sunblock - the one that snaps off the bigger bottle. However, if you could use a stick sunblock instead.
3. A cleansing bar instead of my usual liquid facial wash - as a matter of fact, I'm going to cut the bar in half and save the other half for a subsequent trip.
4. DD usually needs a detangler for her hair - I'll pack an empty spray bottle and make our own detangler (diluted conditioner) when we get to our destination. I've saved a small spray bottle from a body spray for that purpose

Other space saver ideas:-

1. Travel with a swim chamois (check Speedo.com) instead of a beach towel. A less expensive option would be a chamois from the auto dept in Walmart which will work just as well. Ditch the plastic container the chamois is sold in and place it in a Ziploc bag instead!

2. Boardshorts are great! DH always travels with them, and now I've bought a few inexpensive pairs for my DD for travel - they can be washed out really quickly, and dry overnight in the shower (roll the shorts in a towel and squeeze out the excess water)

3. To reduce the number of phone chargers we'll need, I'll swap DD's phone with DH's - just switch the sim cards. DH and I have the same phone brand and use the same charger - DD's charger is completely different. If I persuade DH and DD to exchange phones for the trip, I'll only have to pack one charger.

4. I've been toting around my compact umbrella in my handbag today and realized that it's pretty heavy. I'll be packing another disposable poncho and leaving the umbrella at home!

 

[bzzybee13]

I haven't tried it yet but I read this tip on one of the other threads. For kids clothes, use two gallon Ziplocs and put one complete outfit in each. Roll it up pushing the air out then seal. Saves space and you have outfits ready to go each day. Not sure if an adult outfit would fit this way, probably not but it's worth a shot. I'm going to try this on my next trip.

 

[timzagain]

I forgot to add another tip. Check out onebag.com for an extensive list of tips for successful one-bag travelling!

 

[jpkkld]

Bring exactly what you need and ONLY what you need, do laundry mid-trip, and limit the hair-care and makeup products. The humidity wilts it all anyway (that's specific to Disney - not necessarily other destinations)!

A few clothes ideas:
1 - Don't ever bring jeans! They're bulky, heavy, cold when wet, roasting when hot, etc. etc. etc. Invest in nylon or other synthetics. My favorite pants (casual) are grey zip leg cargo pants - pant/shorts/storage all in one. They also cut the wind on cool days and wick moisture on hot days. And they match every top I own.

2 - Fleece sweatshirts are better than cotton for traveling - see all the notes about jeans above. Also, fleece can be stuffed into a ziploc, sat on, and zipped. Lightweight, small, keeps you warm even when wet. Many companies now offer wonderful microfleece tops that take up almost no space.

3 - Along the lines of 1 & 2, invest in some lightweight layering items/travel separates - silk and sythetics are light and very packable. Cotton is one of the heaviest and bulkiest fabrics. Replace 1 or 2 of your cotton tees with something lighter.

4 - Absolutely use ziplocs. Canoe and kayak campers have always done this.

5 - If you need to include "dressier" items, throw a silk scarf in. A nice scarf quickly dresses up a simple skirt and tank top, but adds almost nothing to space or weight. And it's more striking than any jewelry.

6 - This is probably the most important: track the weather at your destination for at least a week before you leave and pack for the ACTUAL weather. This works beautifully for me every time I travel. About 8-9 days before I leave for Orlando, I'll look at a 10-day forcast for my travel dates. I'll continue to check the forecast every day, writing it down. If I see that April 25 will be 80 and 20% chance of rain, but the next day it says the 25th will be 82 with 30% chance of rain, and two days later, it says 83 with 40% chance of rain . . . by the time I am in Orlando, I can be reasonably sure that April 25 will be mid- to upper-80s with a darn good chance of rain. Poncho? packed. Long shirt? Not packed. Water sandals? Packed.

This is particularly useful when trying to decide 1 pair of pants or 2? Jacket or not? Remove one of each from your luggage, and that's a lot of room!

It amazes me how many of my friends and relatives don't bother to do this. They pack sweatshirts even though night temps will never fall below 70 (May). Or they bring nothing but pants when daytime highs will reach 80 twice in a week (December).

A note about umbrellas: At Disney, having an umbrella or hat, despite the space, is probably a good idea (that is, if the weather report indicates a strong chance of rain). If it rains for any real length of time, a poncho with it's flimsy hood becomes very frustrating. An umbrella or rain hat keeps the drops off your face as you scan your surroundings. An umbrella also offers a dry haven to eat a snack or look at a map without resorting to the overcrowded sheltered locations. Look for the super tiny umbrellas if you really must save space, but think twice about leaving it behind.

 

[dyna]

HUMMMMMMMMMM Try traveling on a harley you learn how to pack light real quick! Now we do have a big Ultra Classic with the hard saddle bags an trunk but we ride 900 miles to disney meaning we need 2 changes of clothes for way down an way back we wash those while at disney an wear same ones home but it has to be jeans for riding of if cold jeans an full leathers we NEVER leave home on a trip without out leather jackets an leather chaps it just isn't done plus we have RAIN SUITS never leave home without those either. So the bike is at least half full an we not even got our disney clothes on the bike yey nor the meds that DH an I both have to take or the personal care items. Believe me if I can do it on a harley anyone can do it in a carry on.

Now once at disney an checked in we do go back out to store buy our diet cokes an water along with cereal an milk an bowls maybe some wine along with a styrofoam cooler. YES I'm the person who has been seen on back of harley holding the cooler as we drive back to the resort lol

 

[timzagain]

Bring exactly what you need and ONLY what you need, do laundry mid-trip, and limit the hair-care and makeup products. The humidity wilts it all anyway (that's specific to Disney - not necessarily other destinations)!

A few clothes ideas:
1 - Don't ever bring jeans! They're bulky, heavy, cold when wet, roasting when hot, etc. etc. etc. Invest in nylon or other synthetics. My favorite pants (casual) are grey zip leg cargo pants - pant/shorts/storage all in one. They also cut the wind on cool days and wick moisture on hot days. And they match every top I own.

2 - Fleece sweatshirts are better than cotton for traveling - see all the notes about jeans above. Also, fleece can be stuffed into a ziploc, sat on, and zipped. Lightweight, small, keeps you warm even when wet. Many companies now offer wonderful microfleece tops that take up almost no space.

3 - Along the lines of 1 & 2, invest in some lightweight layering items/travel separates - silk and sythetics are light and very packable. Cotton is one of the heaviest and bulkiest fabrics. Replace 1 or 2 of your cotton tees with something lighter.

4 - Absolutely use ziplocs. Canoe and kayak campers have always done this.

5 - If you need to include "dressier" items, throw a silk scarf in. A nice scarf quickly dresses up a simple skirt and tank top, but adds almost nothing to space or weight. And it's more striking than any jewelry.

6 - This is probably the most important: track the weather at your destination for at least a week before you leave and pack for the ACTUAL weather. This works beautifully for me every time I travel. About 8-9 days before I leave for Orlando, I'll look at a 10-day forcast for my travel dates. I'll continue to check the forecast every day, writing it down. If I see that April 25 will be 80 and 20% chance of rain, but the next day it says the 25th will be 82 with 30% chance of rain, and two days later, it says 83 with 40% chance of rain . . . by the time I am in Orlando, I can be reasonably sure that April 25 will be mid- to upper-80s with a darn good chance of rain. Poncho? packed. Long shirt? Not packed. Water sandals? Packed.

This is particularly useful when trying to decide 1 pair of pants or 2? Jacket or not? Remove one of each from your luggage, and that's a lot of room!

It amazes me how many of my friends and relatives don't bother to do this. They pack sweatshirts even though night temps will never fall below 70 (May). Or they bring nothing but pants when daytime highs will reach 80 twice in a week (December).

A note about umbrellas: At Disney, having an umbrella or hat, despite the space, is probably a good idea (that is, if the weather report indicates a strong chance of rain). If it rains for any real length of time, a poncho with it's flimsy hood becomes very frustrating. An umbrella or rain hat keeps the drops off your face as you scan your surroundings. An umbrella also offers a dry haven to eat a snack or look at a map without resorting to the overcrowded sheltered locations. Look for the super tiny umbrellas if you really must save space, but think twice about leaving it behind.

Thanks for your tips - I'm not planning to travel with jeans ever again! I stumbled upon a great pair of denim trousers - lightweight, comfortable and fit more like slacks than regular jeans! Love them! Otherwise, I'll travel in my lightweight black slacks.

As for umbrellas - I have used them for sun protection as well as for the rain. I really need to find a nice lightweight one - mine is quite compact, but pretty heavy!

I've been guilty of overpacking in years gone by - because we were travelling with four kids, we looked for ways to save which normally meant bring everything we needed from home to avoid paying "tourist prices" at our destination.

Ziplocs are great - however I wouldn't go with the approach of pre-packing outfits and bagging them. With a minimalist wardrobe everything goes with everything, and everything will get worn more than once. However, I've replaced my nice passport cover, makeup bag, first aid kit etc with ziploc bags. Not very pretty, but very lightweight and security-friendly!

 

[Reginat]

Hi!

I just packed for my trip this week

During the year I put aside less-favored clothes, socks and undergarments that are showing wear and tear. I can pack those, wear during the trip, then toss instead of bringing home. Even though they are "old" clothes, the look as good as most other people's clothes. I do that with tolietry items, too -- products that have only a few uses left in the container, so they can be tossed at the end of the stay.

Supposedly I have less in the luggage coming home -- but mostly it makes room for the new Disney stuff coming home with me lol!

I hope everyone will have a great trip to Disney!

Regina in NC

 

[goin2themouse]

My tips -

Every family member wears/carries his/her jacket onto the plane, even if it's 90 outside. It easily converts to a pillow, blanket if cold, light-blocking cover for a napping child, you name it. And imagine how much room an average family's jackets would take up otherwise.

One area where you do NOT want to skimp is undies, socks, and bras for the ladies. I always say take twice the underclothing you think you'll need and half the clothes.

Bundle wrapping is also a most excellent tip; One Bag explains it well, as well as offering additional tips for traveling with just one suitcase.

And finally, if you plan to travel carry-on only, double-check your airports & airlines: they are NOT all the same. More than once I've been told by Orlando airport that my same bag that traveled TO that destination as a carryon is over the size limit. Believe me, you don't want to be the one running back to check a bag, and security won't even let you past the initial check-in, so gate checking isn't an option.

Happy travels!

 

[cglaura]

...
3. A cleansing bar instead of my usual liquid facial wash - as a matter of fact, I'm going to cut the bar in half and save the other half for a subsequent trip.

If you are partial to your liquid cleanser, what I do is wet a paper towel and squirt some on, squish it up so it saturates the towel. Then let dry and cut in half....two face washings. Place in a ziplock for travel, they are very flat and take up almost no room. Just wet with water when needed at the hotel and they suds right back up.

I got this idea from this board, someone mentioned doing it with dishwashing soap for travel, so I figured should be good for any soap, and it was

 

[MinnieLee]

I am so guilty of overpacking but last couple of trips I used the travel space bags. You don't need to vacuum the air out, it's just roll it out. They worked great.

 

[aubriee]

I used to be a fan of packing clothes in zip locks, until someone here in the DIS turned me onto Eagle Creek packing folders and cubes. They are fantastic. I can't believe how many clothes I can squish into one 18" folder and underwear and bras fit perfectly in the cubes.