From the Front Lines – Pack it Up
Posted on October 24, 2008
From the Front Lines is a World Wide Will exclusive series of best travel tips from the people who make travel what it is, the ones on the front lines. People like Anne Dimon who is founder/editor of TravelToWellness, the online magazine for the wellness-minded traveler. She is also an industry spa journalist and wellness-travel writer contributing to print publications in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Asia. Anne is also the “spa expert” for TravelingMom.com. And, as far as we know, she is the only professional travel writer to have her own line of travel fashions, www.arrivez.com.
12 Tips for Proper Packing
Traveling is like the journey of life. You don’t want to make either trip with too much baggage. As a freelance spa and wellness travel writer and editor of an online-magazine, it seems as if I’m always returning from a trip, on a trip or planning one. In fact, as I write this I’m just recently back from Quebec and Montreal and planning to fly to Nassau, Bahamas next week. Consequently, it seems as if I’m always packing or unpacking. As any frequent traveler will tell you, when it comes to luggage, a carry-on is the preferred way to go whenever possible. Not only does it save you time (no waiting at the luggage carousel) but it eliminates the chance of lost luggage and you don’t end up carting around a lot of stuff you don’t need. The trick is to pack light. Here are a few packing tips I’ve gathered on my journeys:
1. Before leaving for any destination, check with weather.com for expected temperatures, and if the forecast calls for rain – throw in a travel-size umbrella or a lightweight raincoat. The kind that packs into its own pouch is best.
2. Think layering. Tank top if it’s hot; tank top and matching sweater or wrap if it’s cool; tank, sweater and coat with wrap on top if it’s cold.
3. Take a coat or cropped jacket or shawl that goes with everything from jeans to evening wear.
4. Make sure that every piece of clothing that goes into your carry-on does double duty meaning you can wear it more than once.
5. For major pieces it’s best to stick with solid colors and classic styles. You can break up the monotony with colorful scarves, accessories and tops.
6. Stick with two or three basic colors that easily mix and match.
7. Because they take up so much room shoes can be a problem. Don’t take a brown outfit and a black outfit if it means you need to pack two pairs of shoes. Instead, buy one pair of great two-tone shoes or faux animal skin with tones of both colors. Alternatively, buy one great pair of dress shoes in a color that will go with everything – red or copper are good choices. Unless you’re taking along a pair of hiking boots (which would look ridiculous at the airport), wear your heaviest footwear on the plane. You can always remove once you’re comfortably seated and put on the comfy socks you’ve stashed in your purse.
8. Tuck underwear, extra socks and small items into shoes.
9. One or two fabulous belts can really punch up a monochromatic look. Make sure belts are lightweight (chunky metal can add pounds to your carry-on and could cause you to exceed the weight limit). To pack, wrap belts around the inside of the carry on, or wear one on the flight .
10. Most hotels now have hairdryers so you don’t need to pack yours. If in doubt call ahead. What they DON’T stock – even the 5-star hotels – is a diffuser, so if you need one take a one-size-fits-all so it will work with the hotel’s hairdryer.
11. Take along a light solid-color, sturdy fabric bag that folds easily into your carry-on. You can use it for the beach or to bring back those little extras you couldn’t resist buying. Since most airlines only allow two carry-on bags per person, make sure it’s big enough so you can also put your purse and/or laptop into it.
12. Pack travel size cosmetics or transfer creams and lotions into travel-size containers. Select carefully and don’t take things you don’t need – a large tube of exfoliating gel for instance.
If you can learn to get by on less when traveling you will enjoy the trip a whole lot more. Trust me.
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