The last two trips I've taken had me making a packing list so I could eliminate anything I didn't really use, and I embraced space bags for the first time...and packing cubes and folders. I used to be fond of putting everything in ziplock bags, but the cubes and folders make me feel like this is a more permanent and organized solution.

So my question is: How do you travel? Have you embraced anything that has made it easier for you to take less and travel lighter?

I'm the opposite of you, Claire, I don't take any carry on luggage at all. It's a pain, the overhead bins are always full and I just don't want to deal with it. I stick any prescriptions and my glasses in my purse and figure I'll buy underwear and toiletries if I have to.

Like Sherry, I tend to pack for casual wear, and I figure there's a laundromat somewhere, or I can wash my clothes in the bathroom sink. It'll all be fine.

I could also pack for a trip in 20 minutes and I usually do. I did decide I'd downsized too much when I bought combination shampoo and conditioner for Texas so I only had to take one bottle. The salt water and constant wind made my hair a dry frizzy mess. I had to find a WalMart and buy conditioner.....

Annie

My new favorite things are sports clothing made with high-tech, wrinkle-free materials that dry in minutes. Last hiking trip, I washed my clothes in the sink or the tub and put them outside on a chair on the patio to dry by morning. After one particularly dusty hike, I put DH's clothes and mine in the tub and washed them by stomping on them while I showered!

When I get to my destination I make a stop at local drugstore for small shampoos, conditioners, bottled water, etc. I save sample-size beauty stuff for trips. Always ask for samples at the department store counters. I get a lot of them from ordering online. At my MIL's house in Boca Raton, I leave all the toiletries there for my next visit.

Annie, I check in online as early as it is possible. Southwest gives you boarding by number, and the sooner you check-in, the lower your number for early boarding, so there's lots of empty bins. If you can't do this, then you do run the risk of not having anyplace to put your carry-ons and having them checked. When you are not lucky and have to board later, put your luggage in the first possible bin - it doesn't have to be over your seat.

Annie, it seems I always have to find a Walmart for something at some point!

Gina, do you have a favorite brand? I only wish I could find clothing that's reversible, but it seems hard to come by. I'd love to be able to turn my shirt inside-out, especially when I spill something on my shelf.

DH swears by Exofficio travel clothing and indeed it has held up. I have a few pants from Sports Chalet's home brand, White Sierra, and I bought the kids a few pants from REI (house brand again). I can't get away from cotton tshirts so I bring a few of those too. Never more than one pair of shoes unless I have an evening event, and then its the skinny black flats that take up no room.

DH used Exofficio underwear too...washes and dries quickly. I'll admit to what I do only under promise of extensive teasing. I save up old underwear for traveling and toss 'em as I go, so I have little of THAT kind of laundry when I get home.

Sometimes it isn't what you pack, its what tools you bring and how to make use of what you have on hand. For example, we travel with small bottles or containers of laundry detergent (under 3oz). We also have a favorite travel clothesline that doesn' sag. I shower, wash my clothes (sometimes like Gina, in the tub) and after I wring out the water, roll them in my damp bath towel to further extrude any moisture I can get out. Etc. Fodors, Frommers and TripAdvisor all have side forums dedicated to tips and tricks.

DH LOVES the packing bags (Eagle Creek), I find I do better without them.

I have identified the items that are necessary and too expensive to purchase if I should forget to pack. I always keep a bag packed which, if necessary, can be carried on.

The pre-trip habit with the biggest payoff are my trip lists that are attached to the back door. The 3 lists: long trip, road trip, and softball trip. Each list has a "pack" checklist and a "do" checklist. The "do" check list includes things like "stop the newspaper"; "turn up the AC"; "inform neighbors", etc. The older I get, the more critical checking these lists become! Almost as important is my neck wallet for travel documents and ID.

Another important practice that has a big payoff is all my accounts are setup for ACH or auto pay.

When I first went to Acapulco in 1981, I took 12 bathing suits because I was going to be there four days. I started my trip in Mexico City, where I would base myself for two months of the winter, to avoid the cold weather in S.F., where I lived back then. Anyway, in Acapulco I had a morning, early afternoon, and late afternoon bathing suit for each day, since that was practically all I wore until evening, when I would wear regular shorts. You have to remember that I was a fashion designer at the time, and I made my own bathing suits (and a few other clothes for myself). While in Acapulco I met someone from L.A. who worked for Mr. Blackwell, and so that was a good connection. I used to try to take all of my tank tops when I would go to Mexico from San Francisco, thinking that they would take up no space, but I discovered that 30 tank tops actually did take up significant space.

I always pack lots and lots of shoes - that's one thing I've never forgotten to take. I don't travel as much as I used to, but I do try to underpack when I'm going to a shopping destination. In the last few years, however, I've spent very little on clothes, but in my 20s and 30s (and even 40s) I had tons of clothes. In my 20s I either made my own or bought very inexpensive vintage clothes that I prefered to the then current fashion. One of the reasons I would travel was that I had worn everything I owned in San Francisco and so felt that I had to go to a different city for a while. I had to go to New York occasionally on business, and I never packed light to go there because I never knew what I was going to want to wear. Although the ladies evening wear that I made sold better in NY than anywhere else, my own personal fashion got strange reactions. One leather supplier told me that I dressed like a pimp - just because I was wearing yellow patent leather shoes!

Sorry, I'm not any help on packing light!!

Lars

I try for trips of a week or less to do with carry-on, but often when we travel to Europe, my husband has to have a big checked bag because he needs suits/shirts/ties etc. for buisness meetings.

I have a couple of inflatable clothes hangers, and always bring some concentrated Woolite and concentrated Downey fabric softener for hand laundry. All of my travel clothes are hand laundry lol. Almost every hotel has an iron and ironing board available if you ask.

Edit, edit, edit...it gets easier with experience. Three days of clothes, and then wash and wear them again. Scarves are a great accessory. Since I recently finished chemo, shampoo and conditioner aren't an issue.

The most important things are comfortable shoes, a wine cork and a good digital camera. Oh - and a sense of humor!

seagrass

The shorter the trip the proportionally more luggage I take, because on a short trip I would rather be having fun or writing in my journal than doing laundry. On longer trips, I resign myself to doing laundry so I can take less stuff, and I budget for buying things I might need.

If I'm moving around a lot, I will take no more than I can easily carry with me, but if I'm going to be in the same hotel the whole time, I take more. The extra bulk tends to be composed of clothes and books.

One trick I have learned about packing is to take my oldest, most worn underwear and threadbare socks on trips and discard them once they are dirty. This way I have enough clothes to escape having to do laundry so often, and I make room for buying books and souvenirs.

I have also started taking disposable books with me (i.e. guaranteed one-time reads). I read them and simply leave them for someone else to find and enjoy.

Having had my luggage go missing three times in 10 trips I made abroad, I now always pack a 2-day survival kit in my hand luggage. On 2 occasions since I started this I have found I could very well use just that and do without the rest.

Today I am playing hooky from work and going to the beach! Bathing suit, coverup, towel, book and sunscreen, right? No not me. I've got extra clothes, makeup, two towels, etc etc etc.

Is there a 12 step program for overpackers?

I just hate carry-on luggage. I don't like dragging it around, running it through security, sitting and guarding it at the airport, fighting with the overhead bins when I'm 5'1" and can never reach them without standing on the seat, and trying to find a place to store it, whether over my seat or someone else's.

If the airlines lose my luggage, I'll buy new stuff. I only go on one trip a year and I absolutely HATE to fly. When we retire, we'll drive. Fortunately, nothing has been lost on either of the two times I've flown anywhere, LOL.

Lars, I've never even OWNED 12 bathing suits!

Annie

When I'm flying trans Atlantic and it takes 4 flights to get to my Vancouver Island destination, over the years I have at least whittled my baggage down to one large hard case that locks on 3 sides, one smallish roller bag that goes in the overhead bin and a good sized cabin shoulder bag that goes under the seat in front of me. Valuables such as passport, money, camera etc goes in there. My overnight stuff for the stop in London, as well as camera gear, goes in the roller bag so I don't have to open the big case (and also in case the big bag doesn't arrive with me).

I've got it down to a routine but I still have the big suicase stuffed with clothes for every event as well as gifts for the family.
I can't help taking about 4 pairs of shoes, and buying more when I get there! But my stay is usually around 6 weeks so weather can change too during that time.
I gave up trying to be a light packer, because whatever I left behind at home was exactly what I needed when I arrived at my holiday destination LOL!

Luckily I've never had a bag go astray. Once or twice it arrived a few hours later and was delivered to the door, but never anything lost.

SharonCb

Is there a support group for overpackers somewhere?

I haven't found any reversible clothes, but if you spill something on a shirt it probably doesn't matter - it will show on the other side too!

The latest sports wear I found was from Columbia Sportwear and North Face.

I don't travel much to cold climes, so that makes it easy to pack light too. Sweaters, coats and boots take more room than a carry-on can handle.

TravelSmith has some reversible clothing and I shop a good bit at Chico's for their travelwear. I never have to worry about swimwear...haven't been in a bathing suit in 20+ years.

Annie, being short is not all bad, I'm 5'9" and clothes for tall people take up more room. My roommate is your height and her things take half as much space.

I need a support group and a solution to my packing woes.

jude

jude

For our every-other-year vacation to Europe (which we can't afford any longer with the decline of the US$), we packed mostly clothes and toiletries that could be left behind thus giving us more room to bring home treasures. Of course it is more challenging traveling in the winter, which we always do (low season) because of more bulky clothing.

You know that it is really important that you travel light because you will be changing lodging frequently AND the rooms will be small.

Thanks for the link for the travel document wallet. The one I have is over 10 years old and I'm ready for a new one.

I don't ordinarily share personal information to people I don't know but after a year or so on the Forums I feel like I DO know you. Last year, on a trip to New England with my 3 daughters, we had an interesting experience, which my daughters thought laughable. First I had a double mastectomy 2 1/2 years ago aand elected not to have reconstructive surgery. I also have a titanium rod in my left leg from a fall 10 years ago. Now the good part,.... coming home, at the Manchester NH airport, the alarm, where they frisk you went off and I explained about the rod but that wasn't enough. They proceeded to take me into a room where it occured to me that there were metal weights in my breast forms (that keeps them from flying over your head when you raise your arms) and that was what caused the metal detectors to go off. I literally had to take one off and show it to the lady, who had called another lady in, for reinforcement, I guess. My oldest daughter took pictures of me with feet apart, arms raised...she thought it extremely funny. I have to admit I was laughing too.
2 years ago when we went to Italy I took 3 pairs of black pants, 2 pairs were Chico's travelwear, and everthing revolved around them. That was a piece of cake. This time it's like 2 different trips. I suspect we'll be staying in simple lodging, trying to travel as cheaply as possible while we roam around Germany in the car. The accomodations on the cruise will be tight as well but they have lots of amenities, just tight quarters.

I have to plan my occasions as they come. The 20th of Sept, I have a family reunion at my house and we usually have 30 plus people...a covered dish type meal, so that comes first, but I keep thinking about the clothes for the trip.

It will all work out.

jude

Has anyone tried the Traveltow luggage handle? It seems like a good idea. (There are places to get this that are less expensive, but this site has the best explanation.) I ask because I wonder if anyone else ever struggles with their rollerbags.

jude

Mustangs? Will you help us?

When we got home I promised myself I would never overpack again and that I would never buy alcohol to bring home again. So far I have kept the alcohol committment, but unfortunately not the overpacking committment.

That September we went on the Alaska cruise and DH said that we were only taking two suitcases. Needless to say we took four bags (and had to pay overweight charges on two.) Everything we bought in Alaska in port we had shipped home but still had to buy a bag on the ship for the things I bought on the ship in order to get everything home.

Last year we went to Brazil and took a cruise from Sao Paulo. We met a very nice couple from Florida and he said that they had decided years ago that if it didn't fit into one bag for each of them that they didn't need it. I decided I was going to follow that thinking. We always send clothes to the laundry on the ship and usually bring home almost half of what I take that we don't wear.

This year we were gone 26 days in March to South America, 16 days on the cruise around Cape Horn and the other ten were travel and land tours. We had to take summer and winter clothes but I decided I was going to take one small bag and two large ones, we did it and still could have taken less.

What it has taken me years to learn.
I searched the internet a couple of years ago for the lightest weight, expandable, hardsided, four wheel luggage. It's the best money I ever spent and they weren't expensive. No more lugging a suitcase around, just pull up the handle and it just glides right beside you. No more packing dress clothes and shoes for formal nights. I take black pants or capris and tops for me and a sport coat and khakis for DH. It works for us. I no longer take shoes, shoes and more shoes. I take a brown and black pair, a dressier black pair and maybe sneekers. We check all of our bags, except of course my purse and laptop bag. We have arrived and our luggage hasn't on a few occasions, but I hate carry on luggage, especially if you have to change planes and terminals. Las Vegas is our only direct flight and we still check our luggage.

I don't think I could ever be gone 7 or 10 days with just a duffle, but I am working on the one bag each.

PACK:

Duct tape rolled around a Sharpie marker.

Cathy, Thank You for your list. (You have a binding machine? I love knowing stuff like this! Is it something you use often? It sounds much more ''professional'' than my mesh envelope with the paper folder and notepad.) You also mentioned having identified the (I can't remember how you put it) ''hard to replace'' items. Would you mind saying which those would be? (Shoes? GPS?)

Jessy, Good ideas. There is no doubt in my mind that duct tape is a useful item to have on hand. Here's what I really want to know however...Have you ever used the duct tape that was rolled around your Sharpie? I recently bought a clothesline and sink stopper for my bag, so thanks for the recommendation. I also bought a retractable cable lock as there has been a few times I wasn't quite comfortable leaving my bags, even in my room.

As far as items that I wouldn't/couldn't replace easily, that would be things other than toiletries, basic clothing, and creature comfort items. Since I don't pack extravagantly or excessively, it a short list of "hard to replace" things.

1. Throw contents of house in the car
2. Be sure you have a credit card to buy anything else
3. Cross your fingers, hope the best and pull out of the driveway.

I might use a different method if the trip involved flying.

Question--Has the relatively new airline baggage fees affected the way you pack?

Yes, Cathy, I think we should help Pam pack. I daresay she would be bored with my travel wardrobe! Let's see...if I dropped food on myself at every meal (my biggest recurring problem), I still don't think I would use that many shirts! (Obviously, this is about options, isn't it?)

Question--Has the relatively new airline baggage fees affected the way you pack?

I typically don't fly much as most of my travels are road trips. That allows me to bring too much as there's room to add it to the pile, which usually has to come into the room each night. (Currently, we travel with our golden retriever who has a fold-down tent; along with 8 gallons of RO water for all of us. That won't apply for much longer when our dog is no longer with us, but is what I'm used to. The road trips require plenty of books on tape, a cooler, etc., so you see where I'm going!) I'm certain my new ''system'' will work very well for flying however, as there's really not much to it. (I did think about airline restrictions when I downsized, because I plan on that changing in my future.) Not only would I love to be one of those people that others are amazed by my lack of luggage, I can't physically haul much around on my own any more. Certain contingencies are good to be prepared for, but they can't require much real estate!

Part of the reason I brought so much is that i'm not sure how the weather will be. It has suddenly turned chilly, but days may be warm.

I still managed to forget my fleece, my pillow and one pillowcase.

I think I will create a check list for future trips. This is nuts. I also brought an entire library full of books.

This is the first road trip I took using my GPS and I'll never go anywhere without it again.

I am TRULY Dedtired at the moment.

Pam

Oh -- the last time I flew I paid for one bag. If I am flying I am much more selective about what I bring. Still, unless I'm only going somewhere for a weekend, I could never get by with just a carry-on and a tote.

Diana's also right about the Kindle. I just got dh one for his birthday, and although I haven't used it myself, I can see it's going to be ideal for traveling. (Paired with his Lightwedge, he can even read in the dark.) He's lovin' it, and this from a guy who just a few short months ago said in a conversation with a friend, that he liked reading real books. I can see I'm going to have to get my own.

Have a lovely holiday, and get plenty of rest!

Elery and I use the same shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste, so I'll pack deodorant, hairspray, hot rollers, some blush/mascara/eyeliner/lipstick and I'll be ready to go. Maybe a swimsuit, if the hotel has a hot tub or pool. I'll bet we can get all our stuff into one small suitcase if I unpack half of the stuff Elery will want to take along which he'll never use.....

Pam, if I travel by vehicle, I take more, just because "I have room". It's a bad habit of mine.

Annie

Pack light, LOL.

Annie

Annie

Jessica's "light leak" reminded me of my new "always packed" item. I am obsessive (imagine that) about light leaks and have a routine of addressing as many as I can so I can sleep better. I always pack a couple of binder clips to hold curtains together; put towels at the bottom of the hotel door which is usually a source of light; put a chair against the curtain to hold it against the wall; and other such nonsense. I recently had a !!duh!! moment and now I keep a "sleep mask" packed. It's so much easier and less radical.

Yes, light leaks are a nuisance, especially when you are on a vacation where you can sleep in. The house where I am staying now has sliding glass doors in the bedroom with curtain panels across them. AFter the first night, I discovered all the light leaks and now arrange the curtains to keep out the light as much as possible.

It's probably a good thing to let some light in or I would sleep until noon.

Cathy, your ''must-have'' of a sleeping mask, reminds me of my ''must-have'', which is a pair of earplugs. When snoring happens, I am prepared! (I've used them more than I actually care to, but they do work. At least they don't take up any room!)

Jessy, I rolled my duct tape onto a clip-pen of hand sanitizer spray for my bag. (A Dollar Store item...I love the Dollar Store!) Thanks for the hot tip.

Something else I opt for is a Dollar Store rain poncho instead of toting an umbrella. I figure my odds of keeping me or my bags dry are better with the poncho; cheaper, smaller and lighter too!

Of course, I still sleep on my old king sized waterbed, leftover from my "hippie" days. Elery says when I grow up, I'll get a big girl bed, LOL. I hope not.

Clare, on another level, I wat taking some glass to recycle last week and there was a broken picture frame in the bag. Of course, the shard stuck through the bag and into the outside of my left knee. Not one bandaid or other thing in the Jeep except black electrical tape. So, I pulled both edges of the puncture together and taped it with black electrical tape and then drove to the Emergency Room. They know me on a first name basis, LOL, and now they'll talk about that black electrical tape forever. Two stitches later that electrical tape stayed on better than their surgical tape! Carol (dishesdone) tells me that's an "electrician's bandaid".

Annie

I'd love to pack light and can but DH Joe is 6'7" tall and weighs about 250 with size 14 shoes. Along with his personal stuff and little things, he can fit one pair of shoes, maybe two pair of jeans, a fleece and couple of shirts in a carry on. That's about it. Forget a sport coat. Or heaven forbid TWO pair of shoes.

So unfortunately, if we're gone for more than about three days we've got to check a bag when we fly. Then sometimes we have EXTRA room and his clothes are sloshing around in the checked bag.... He's been know to ask me to throw more stuff in to fill it up!

Until I had four sons who also grew to be big and tall, I never thought about the sheer size of clothes! When they were little guys, I could fit scads of their little OshKosh jeans in one load, now I think about 4-5 pair of their jeans is a whole load!

Grace

Annie, I have new respect for the stuff. It is sticky! (I'm glad to hear you're okay and got that attended to. You're a part of your community in ways you never expected!)