JandaO

I am a carry-on kinda gal. Everything right where I know where it is. I can pack for 3 weeks in Europe in mine.

TRSW

JandaO

Please enlighten me as how to pack for 3 weeks in Europe in one bag. I will be going for 3 weeks in October and would like to know your secret.

Thanks

Tom

JandaO

TRSW,

This will be my 5th trip to Europe, my 4th to Italy.

I bring 4 pairs of pants and 5 shirts. Everything matches everything. Also 1 dress. All are lightweight and easy to wash and dry. I bring 2 pairs of shoes. I am very casual yet fashionable.

I brought a jacket once but never wore it. I go Sept-Oct.

You should be able to lift your suitcase over your head.


My secret... I use a travel pack for my clothing that you can roll the air out of.

janisj

There are MANY threads on here about packing light. Some use the "roll" method, some the "bundle" method (that is the one I teach in my packing classes), and some use zip lock bags. All have their pros/cons. But w/ any of them you can easily get 2 weeks or 2 months worth of clothing/shoes in a 21 in rollaboard.

PrincessOfPenguins

I check luggage. I usually buy a lot of stuff when I'm on holiday and I need the space for that stuff.

adeben

Apart from what I wear on the plane, I take the following gear in a carryon backpack for my eight weeks in Europe:

Clothes in Carryon Backpack
2x Shirts
2x upants
2x socks
1x pants
1x cap
1x rainjacket
1x shoes
Gear in Carryon Backpack
Duplicate documents
Laundry bag
Coin purse
Toiletry bag
Adapter plugs
Powerboard
Mobile phone
Batteries
Digital camera
Ipod
Headphones
Travel towel
Reading glasses
Asprin
Pens
Xwords & sudoku
Novel
Diary
Travel folder
Pencil
Sunglasses
Glucosamine
panedeine forte
Camera battery charger
Camera to TV cable
Ipod charger
Phone charger
Spare SD cards

What I have is one week's clothes that I will use in various combinations eight times in the eight week period. This necessitates regular laundry visits, but I'd wash my clothes at home, so why not while I'm away: I have absolutely no interest in carrying around dirty laundry for any period of time.
One of my interests is attending, where I can, upmarket restaurants in France. The gear I take enables me to do that without feeling out of place.
Excluding the books listed, which I carry on in a plastic shopping bag, the rest of the stuff weighs about 12 lbs.
I have never had need of a jacket (rainjacket excepted) in any of my six trips to date.

Intrepid1

I agree that if you do pack as lightly as some say you can then laundry has to be in the equation somewhere.

Frankly, I don't particularly enjoy doing laundry in sinks and I certainly don't do it the same way at home but it sure makes a difference in the amount of clothing you have to take with you so worth the "trouble" IMO.

wally34949

I think you guys need some underware!!!

caroline_edinburgh

"You should be able to lift your suitcase over your head." It should also not be so heavy that it would kill or seriously injure the person sitting underneath if it fell out. That's why British airlines tend to have a sensible carry-on weight limit, although sadly they often don't enforce it.

alanRow

Clothes don't take up much spaces, it's the pills, potions, gadgets, books & shoes that do - though 4 pairs of pants and 5 shirts does seem to be a tadge excessive unless you are boarding the flight naked.

I basically pack for a week & wash

RufusTFirefly

You're all such clothes hogs! You should really pack light--why lug even a carry-on bag around?

Take this test: Pack your carry-on with as little as you think you can possibly get by with. Then with your left hand/arm only, lift it from the floor extending your arm as far towards the heavens as you possibly can. Repeat 800 times. Then repeat using the toes of your right foot to lift the bag up from the floor straight in front of you another 800 times. Repeat with the other hand/arm and foot/leg.

Once you have done this, grip the bag handle in your teeth and climb the stairs of the Empire State Building without stopping to rest.

See how tired you get?

No bags at all--don't carry anything that you cannot stuff into your pockets or pin in your hair. Otherwise you're just a tourist, not a true traveler/adventurer.

And probably an American to boot.

PrincessOfPenguins

>> "You should be able to lift your suitcase over your head." <<

I used to compete in weightlifting and can lift quite a bit over my head. However, that amount of weight is not so much fun if it falls on your head...

Margo_Chester

Carry on only. Can't be bothered waiting for luggage to arrive on the carousel or discovering that it has gone missing. I can easily pack for 2 weeks in a carry on, and I bring nice casual dress clothes, no jeans and t-shirts. Not bashing the way others present themselves, it's just not for me unless I'm slopping around at home. I might take an a tote that will get things home that I buy that don't fit into the suitcase, or I will have items shipped when I purchase them. Oh, and I don't wash out clothes in the sink at home so I don't do it on vacation!

rkkwan

It makes little difference whether one's going for a week or 8, if one washes his/her clothes during the trip. If one can pack everything in a carryon for one week, he/she can do it for 3, 8 or whatever.

CarolA

Packed for three weeks in a carryon. For those of you who don't "do laundry" in your hotel room...a few suggesitons

1. Take your clothes to a laundrymat. Wash your clothes....
2. Take your clothes to a laundrymat. Pay the attendant to do them (my fav)
3. Pay your hotel to clean your clothes. (most expensive)

It's still easier on me to pack less then to pretend I am a pack mule in Europe.

(And I can get my suitcase into the overhead by myself. The heavy stuff like cameras, makeup kits, books etc are in my small tote that goes under my seat. Plus if I HAVE to check for some reason I have all the "valuables" with me..)

HowardR

We check luggage. Does that make us bad people?

Budman

I also check luggage. I would never be able to get wifey's kitchen sink into the overhead bin.

rkkwan

No, those who check baggages are great people. Model citizens.

Some of us just aren't that great.

grsing

Depends on when & where I'm going, and what the baggage allowance is (on an American carrier, for a trip of a month or less, carryon, in Europe, for more than a weekend, have to check).

GreenDragon

I check luggage as well. We're not bad, just plan differently.

I take photos and video on vacation, so most of my carry-on weight is taken by camera equipment, a book for reading on the flight, medicines, toiletries, one change of clothing (luggage has been delayed before!) and anything I NEED when I arrive, such as itinerary, tickets, reservations, etc. Then I add outfits as much as I can to the carry-on, up to the upper limit of weight.

Anything else (other pair of shoes, rest of clothing, etc.) goes into the checked luggage. I personally don't like lugging two pieces around the airport, and want to get rid of the excess as soon as possible. Yes, my luggage had been delayed before. Never lost, and never longer than 24 hours, and it's always delivered to where I am staying. Not a huge problem or disaster, as I take the required stuff with me.

And yes, I only take a week's worth of clothing and find a laundromat every week. The extra space leaves room for stuff I've bought