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Travel Tip Tuesday – Packing Tips

Cherrye and I are tackling packing for this weeks Travel Tip Tuesday.  Whew, say that five times fast!

You all know by now that I am a big fan of packing light.  Only one bag to be precise.  And it's a wheeled carry-on, I don't check bags!  I know, I can see most of you cringing now.

You only have to heave several heavy bags up and down footbridges in Venice once to realize there is an easier way! 

And with some airlines starting to charge for checked bags, packing light could not only save you a bad back, but now money as well!  Hopefully these tips will be as helpful to you as they have been for me.

* Make a list.  This will help you to pack only things you need and nothing you don't!

* Plan your outfits.  Pack solid colors that go well together.  Black, navy, gray, white, pink.  And limited prints.  Make sure you can get several different outfits out of what you are packing.  If you can only wear it once and it doesn't go with anything else…leave it behind!

* Pack at least 2 pairs of comfortable shoes.  Keep switching on and off.  It is good for your feet. 

* Wear your heaviest and bulkiest clothes and shoes on the plane, this way there is more room and less weight in your luggage.  This includes a jacket or raincoat, unless you are traveling in August!

* If your worried about being bored with your outfits, bring jewelry and scarfs to change it up a bit.  They don't take up as much room as a few more outfits.

* Always take a roomy tote bag that folds flat and put it in your luggage.  This way you have an extra bag for souvenirs, or in an emergency if your rolling wheelie carry-on is over the weight limit, you can take some weight out and put it in your tote.

* Weigh and measure your luggage before you leave the house for the airport! Check with your airline to see what the weight and size restrictions are for your luggage.  You don't want to incur extra fees for overweight or oversized luggage, if you don't have to.

* Buy double duty pieces.  I have a great black and white reversible print skirt.  It's two looks for the price and space of one!

* Don't pack your guidebooks!  These weigh a ton.  Instead, organize all your info in one handwritten notebook, or in an excel spreadsheet and just print out of all your necessary info.  If you must have a page or two because of maps, than just Xerox what you need and leave the heavy books home!

* When packing, I use the rolling method, rather than folding.  I feel that I can maximize more space that way.  Fill up all the nooks and crannies in your bag.  I stuff single pairs of undies in the corners of my case or put socks, hosiery and jewelry inside my shoes.  Try to fill up every available empty space. 

*  Try to find fabrics that won't wrinkle as much.  Linen and cotton are not so good, but polyester, chiffon,nylon and items blended with Lycra do really well.  And they tend to be lighter-weight fabrics as well.  Look for wrinkle resistant as well.

* Plan on doing laundry.  If I am going on a 2 week trip, there is no way I pack a different pair of socks, undies, shirt and pants for every day!  That is insanity!  So, make sure you have a system.  Either half way through your trip, make time to go to a laundromat or bring some Woolite, a sink stopper and a surgical tube clotheslineand do some hand-washing every night.  They make kits that include all three.  And don't forget your Tide To Go pen for spot removal!

* Since I am a carry-on queen, I know the TSA restrictions and guidelines for bringing liquids on board.  I am able to fit all my toiletries in the required 1 quart zip-lock bag.  It helps that I use Bare Minerals makeup (yes ladies,mascara and lip-gloss are both liquids), so I really only save myself the liquid foundation.  You can do it too!  I could go on and on here, so I think What's the 3-1-1? How to pack your liquids in your carry-on will become it's own topic for another installment.  Check the TSA website for more information.

* I always save my travel size and promotional freebies I get in the mail, at Sephora or when I order from somewhere and they send me a bonus.  These are the perfect size for travel.  I even get perfume samples or tiny roll-on fragrances to pack. It beats taking a heavy glass perfume bottle that could easily break!

* Pack a mini compact travel umbrella with a removable LED light.  The light is perfect for getting your room key into the lock in the dark when you come back to your hotel late at night..or for finding the key in the bottom of your purse for that matter!

* I keep a separate set of basics like comb, brush, toothbrush, shampoo, razors etc. in my Tumi wheelie, so that I don't have to worry about packing them every time.   The first thing I do when I come home from a trip is refill and replace any toiletries I used from the last trip, so that I am ready to leave again at a moments notice and I know that part of my packing is already done!

These are just some ideas, but I know you have many more packing tips, or other travel tips to share.  Please email them to me at mymelange (at) yahoo (dot) com.  We would love to hear from you!  There is another Readers Report in the near future and we need tips from you to be successful! 

And don't forget to head on over to Cherrye's to see what she's packing today?