Smart Packing for Today's Traveler - It's a suitcase, not your closet!

	Printable View Send to Friend

It's a suitcase, not your closet!

Travel light and love it!

Packing light is no longer a choice -- it is becoming essential. Airlines are chipping away at both carry-on and checked baggage allowances. New airline policies mean taking too much will cost more. If you have resisted packing light for travel, the following facts should change your thinking!

•As of 2/10/07, Spirit Airlines (US low cost carrier) allows passengers to check only one bag of up to 50 pounds for free. Checking a second bag will cost $10, a third $100.

• As of 2/13/07, British Airways rejects any bag weighing more than 50 pounds. Other airlines accept heavier bags and charge for the extra weight.

• Aer Lingus now charges for every bag checked on flights within Europe. Tran-Atlantic passengers may check two bags at no charge, however the weight allowance is less – a maximum of 80 pounds of checked luggage in two bags where the previous weight was 100 pounds in two bags.

Airlines are forcing change, but it has a positive result. Susan Foster, packing expert and author of Smart Packing for Today’s Traveler says “Packing light saves sore backs and offers freedom – less to worry about, less to unpack and repack at each stop, less to lift and lug – and you benefit with more time for sightseeing, shopping, having fun.”

Foster shares some tips so you can start now to pack light for spring break, summer vacation or your next business trip:

1. Think about clothes you’ll need for the weather and activities and create a packing list as you plan your trip. Smart travelers know the amount of clothing packed has nothing to do with the length of the trip, there is little difference between packing for a week and packing for a month (you simply wear the same things more times).

2. Schedule packing at least one day before departure. Check the destination weather again – refine your choices and edit out what is not essential. Ignore the urge to add in "but what if…" items.

3. Choose a small suitcase. The larger the bag the more you pack... and the more it will weigh. It is difficult to cram more than 40 pounds into a 22” rolling bag, but easy to pack 50+ pounds into a 26” suitcase with room for more.

4. Just take less. Choose versatile pieces that can be worn in different combinations and expect to wear each item more than once. Pack only 3 pair of quick-drying underwear that can be washed out and dried overnight: one to wear, one to wash, and a spare.

5. Take comfortable shoes. You will not have a good time if your feet hurt. Three pairs of shoes are the maximum: one to wear and two to pack.

6. Pack easy-care clothes that you love – choose clothes from your closet that still appear fresh at the end of a long day. If things wrinkle at home, they will surely wrinkle while traveling.

7. Pack only the cosmetics and toiletries needed. Buy travel/sample sizes or transfer the amount needed into small containers. Cosmetics often represent half of the weight of a fully packed suitcase!

8. Weigh each bag on a bathroom scale before leaving home. Before going to the airport, read your airline baggage policy online or call to ask how many bags are allowed for each ticketed passenger, and any bag weight restrictions. Do not assume that it is the same as for your last flight!

Spend a little time now planning to pack less and discover big benefits on your vacation. Packing light simplifies travel and gives you time to focus on having fun or getting your work done efficiently.

Pack smart, travel easy!