yes, evecolorado, I forgot to mention my adaptor! It's already in my tote. :>

Julie- You do have to watch that. Especially at the last minute, once the suitcase is already packed... stuff starts jumping in there on it's own because you "just might need it".
;-)

Egailc,

I am curious as to why you would need to pack four pairs of winter pants and four winter shirts. With the ones you are wearing, that makes five of each. Surely you can make do with fewer, and do a wash when needed.

I find I can make do with one pair of packed pants, and two shirts, as long as they are the quick drying variety. I wear one shirt and trousers on the plane (I had better!), and also wear a sweater, which I can use for layering under a light jacket.

With a quick rinse in the basin every evening, or a trip to a laundromat less frequently, I find I can travel almost indefinitely with only that amount of clothing.

BTW what is that shaving oil you found?

:-)

suze--LOL!!! So true! On our trip this summer my moms vitamin bottles jumped into her bag, along with her bathrobe. They were forcibly removed:D

suze & mms, you are funny! That happened to us on our last trip - a cruise! We purchased a bag weighing hook & we were so proud that each bag was 15 lbs underweight. As the bags sat open for a couple of days on this long projects table we have (& us knowing they were underweight!), things must have jumped in there overnite! We got to the airport & barely met our weight limit! Funny how that happens!! :-)

Our son is here & I read aloud about the 2 shirt theory & he freaked out! He is a clean freak - don't tell him I said that. He said a rinse out in the sink is not good enough for him! Oh well, if I can reform my hubby & I, that's an accomplishment.

Julie

janisj,
<i>I teach packing classes.</i>

Do you get paid for this?

may i ask everyone what kind (brandnames) of bag they use for all their whatnots . i am looking for a new weekender.

I have an American Tourister that I got as a premium from Staples. It has wheels and a pullyou handle and - the part I like best - a laptop pocket on the front.

For trips of a week or less, I can outfit the whole trip from it. For longer, it's my &quot;single carryon&quot; that's also my computer.

hopscotch: yes - it is sort of a hobby that turned into a bit of a money maker. Sometimes I speak at libraries and community orgs and just get an honorarium. Other places, (Community colleges/Parks and Rec, etc) they charge and I get a %. Usually between 60 and 100+ people attend. I also give travel programs

There are a LOT of folks who want/need packing counseling :)

thanks Robespierre..
i do need one with a laptop pocket too.

Lovesroses...if you don't mind, what type of raincoat did you find that folds to 7x7. I have been looking for something like that but can't find anything. Does it go over your jacket/coat or do you wear it by itself over layers? Thanks.

nukesafe,
I only packed that many clothes to show how much you really can get into a carry on bag. We will be taking a lot less. The shaving oil is in a tiny bottle in the shaving section at Walmarts.
egailc

janisj-
I would have to respectfully disagree that the size of the clothing does not matter.
There's a HUGE difference in the amount of space 5 pair of my underwear take up than 5 pair of my husband's boxer-briefs (my 5=1 of his). BIG difference in the size of my t-shirts (small, cotton/lycra stretch) vs. his (XL, all cotton). Don't even get me started on how much room you need for size 12 shoes!

Now, all that said, we still manage to travel carry-on only just about everywhere we go. The only difference is that he does not get the choice of clothing options I do. ;-)

Unfortunately, for my next trip (to Thailand), I'm going to have to check my bag. I'll still bring the 22&quot; roller, but Thai Air has a stingy weight allowance (7 kilos/15.4 lbs) for carry-on and with the weight of my luggage, I just can't make it work. Fortunately, it's a non-stop flight.

Kristina: Of course, men and women have different issues re packing in a carry on. My comment re size meant it doesn't matter if a woman is size 4 or 24 (or a man small or XXL) - it still all fits in a carryon suitcase.

Men (generally) have bigger shoes and individual garments, while women (generally) want to take <u>more</u> shoes, toiletries and changes of clothes.

In my classes I pack both a woman's and a man's 3 week wardrobe in 21 inch suitcases.

And that three week wardrobe will do just fine for a three month trip too. Once you get the packing list down, you can pack the same regardless of the length of the trip. The only thing that would change it is a big difference in temperatures.

janisj, my husband has actually suggested that I start a business showing people how to pack. I agree with you: just about anybody can pack efficiently, and my husband (at 6 ft, with disproportionatly long limbs) is a convert to my point of view (and a well-dressed and comfortable traveler).

I think it would be cool to actually go to people's homes and use their own wardrobes to do the packing, and even take people shopping if there was something that they needed to pull it all together.

Therese: You might want to look into it. There is a huge un-met need out there. I have gone to homes - usually a lady will invite a few of her friends in and make an afternoon tea or wine/snacks evening of it. In those cases I mostly use her wardrobe.

But doing personal consultation is certainly another option.

Janis--My mother went to a packing class before our trip this summer. She did get a lot out of it, but also really needed my help back at home. And both my DH and my mom tell me I should do like you, and teach a class, lol!

BTW, if anyone is looking for good carryon bags, REI has (last week anyway) the Rick Steves 21&quot; rolling bag on sale for $84. Great price! It weights only 7 pounds.

I had a great 22&quot; bag that I have used for years. But this summer I measured it and it was 3 cm over the limit for Air France. Not wanting to get stuck checking it, I bought this RS bag. So did DD and my mother. It held up great, and worked just fine for what we needed. It does expand so if you want to check it you can get more stuff in it.

janisj: It's the &quot;getting started&quot; aspect of things that's a bit daunting. Which it shouldn't be, as I do a lot public speaking and teaching, but I can't quite figure out how to present myself as somebody with the credentials to tell other people how to pack their suitcases. So ordinary and yet so intimate.

Put together a business plan, create a web site, business cards, hook up with travel agents, personal shoppers, specialty luggage stores...

Msbelles51, it's made by &quot;Mycra Pac NOW&quot; was rather pricey, but very stylish, is 3/4 length, reversible: dark bronze/black, with a hood. I just now measured it (I have trouble eye-balling accurately, obviously )because it folds more like 9X9 and has a little bag made of the same material, if you want to carry it in there. It is roomy enough to wear it over a blazer or jacket, but it would also &quot;stand on it's own&quot; over a dress or shirt. It is not lined, so if the weather were really cold, you would definately want to wear it over whatever you were already wearing for warmth. I hope I answered your questions.

dandj, my husband and I each just bought new 21&quot;ers because our old ones were too heavy. We decided on the &quot;Affinity&quot; series of IT (International Travelor). It weighs 8lbs and is frameless. I know we could have chosen something even lighter-weight, but really liked many of the specifics this one had.