I'm actually thinking about taking a rain poncho that was given out at the US Open in Pittsburgh this summer. It was in some VIP pack that someone gave DH at work. It is disposable, like the kind you get for the attractions at Niagara Falls, or can buy at sporting events.

I just cleaned my closet and got a HUGE bag for Goodwill, a small bag of trash, and a much better idea of what I want to take to Venice and NYC in October.

I've been doing the same with toiletries and cosmetics for a week or so.

For a jacket, I have a lot of mid weight choices, but none are water proof. I was going to buy something but I don't think I will. I'll just take my travel umbrella and the disposable poncho, since it is here, anyway. I also pack a super lightweight rain hat. DH hates umbrellas, so that's for him. He has a very lightweight rain jacket from Bean; folds up very small, but no hood.

I am now thinking of sending a couple of outfits to NYC by mail, so I don't have to drag them to Venice and back. I could do wash when we get to NY, but I'll be exhausted after flying in from Venice and driving to NY from Philadelphia.

Still puzzling the shoe issue.

Therese: It sounds like you have the background to give entertaining programs. Why not start small - just put your toe in the water. Before a website, or anything - just go to a local library, or Parks & Rec that offers adult-interest programs. Volunteer to give a talk, get it announced in the local newspaper travel section. That sort of thing. Get a small honorarium (or even do the first one for free). Start to get a "name" as the local "packing Lady". Don't know what size town you live in - but unless it is a really rural location, there are probably multiple venues where that would work. Then you can tweak your program and start to broaden out to personal consulting etc.

You can make really good business card on your home computer so that is no biggie.

Eventually - you may be asked to do a studio segment on a local TV station, or featured in an article in the paper.

bookmarking a good thread - never put much thought into a carry - on before.

janisj,

Congratulations on making a business out of teaching people how to pack a bag! Incredible. I also see books on Amazon with the sole purpose of teaching people how to pack a bag.

Maybe I could start a business teaching people how to peel potatoes? To me, packing is that simple but I guess not so for many.

Lovesroses
Thanks for the info. I looked it up and it was a bit pricey for me.

If anyone's interested, I found a great one at Travelsmith. It's also packable and you can get a liner to go with it.
Thanks
http://www.travelsmith.com/jump.jsp?...9&sortBy=0

Packing one pair of pants and a shirt plus the one you wear on the plane can get you by indefinitely... That is a bit extreme, I am on vacation, I would wash that much at home why on vacation? I agree that I could pack less, 5 pair of pants and tops, a skirt or dress and some scarves would work for a 1-3 week trip with a stop to do laundry. I never would have thought to wash my underwear and leave them hanging in the bathroom dripping so the cleaning staff has to manuever around them when staying in a hotel. In an apartment with W/D, I could carry no less than 4 pants/tops and one skirt or dress. I don't want to wash the heck out of my clothes.
Clea

"This time, my DH and I are each carrying on a 21" apiece, plus he- a small backpack and me-a medium size tote with my purse inside." Julie, aren't you departing from anywhere which has a one carry-on only rule ? UK, of course, but I thought it was still most of Europe too - they were certainly enforcing it in Italy when I was there a couple of months ago (though curiously weren't at Birmingham last week !). That one item even covers your purse - you need to be able to get it all into 1 bag to pass through security.

I'm curious about how 'carry-on only' people manage fitting all their toiletries for the trip in max size 100ml containers all fitting into 1 litre plastic bag - I can just manage it with miniatures for a weekend but not any longer. I don't consider myself at all high-maintenance & hardly wear any make-up; but even if I were to buy all my sun products at my destination there'd still be shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, deodorent, toothpaste, cleanser, toner, moisturiser, eye creams, body lotion, hairspray...

"Never put your passport, cash, credit cards or any valuables in any bag. Keep them on your person." Hopscoth, you must be a man ! Women have handbags but don't have pockets - at least, hardly any of my clothes have pockets.

<<< but even if I were to buy all my sun products at my destination there'd still be shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, deodorent, toothpaste, cleanser, toner, moisturiser, eye creams, body lotion, hairspray... >>>

And how many of them could be shared with your travel companions, how many of them CAN be bought at your destination and how many of them can come as a solid rather than a liquid or a gel

"Never put your passport, cash, credit cards or any valuables in any bag. Keep them on your person" - that means carry them in a money belt under your clothes, NOT in pockets, so whether you're a man or a woman is irrelevant. You would just keep a day's worth of cash in a pocket or handbag.

"there'd still be shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, deodorent, toothpaste, cleanser, toner, moisturiser, eye creams, body lotion, hairspray..." You can buy shampoo and conditioner combined in the same product. I no longer use hairspray, but you can buy it in sample sizes although I'm not sure how many ml that would be. I don't use shower gel, I use soap, which is a solid, and you can buy deodorant as a solid. And in any case, soap or gel is always available in hotels. Although I'm female I don't use cleanser, toner, moisturizer or eye creams, so that only leaves body lotion and hand cream. Of course, I do take clothes detergent (Woolite), but I can get by with shampoo if necessary.

However, I do check my bigger bag, since I usually have a Swiss Army knife and scissors (and a hiking stick with a sharp point on the last trip!), and also because I don't want to cart it around airports. BTW, is the only limit on the number of little bottles the number you can get in a quart bag?

There's no limit on the number of little bottles that you can fit in your 1 quart/liter plastic ziploc, and I take on the order of 20 different items, with all of them fitting in that bag.

I take solids or powders when possible: solid deodorant, soap, face powder instead of foundation, powder rouge instead of cream, etc.

Alan : "And how many of them could be shared with your travel companions" - he's not using my expensive products ! "how many of them CAN be bought at your destination" - hardly any. "How many of them can come as a solid rather than a liquid or a gel" - just deodorent (I don't care for soap or for the solid shampoos I've tried).

thursdaysd : "shampoo and conditioner combined in the same product" - it's never any good IME.

But even if I made all these adjustments, there's no way I'd get enough for 2/3/4 weeks into a litre bag - like I said, I just about manage to squeeze in enough for a weekend, using sample sizes.

Anyway, I do find it simpler to check in my suitcase & just take the minimum amount as hand baggage.

thursdaysd : we don't do money belts, just take the same precautions we'd take in any big city, home or away - I take a small handbag with minimal cash & one card only when I need it; DH takes the same in his wallet, in a front trouser pocket. Cards not needed that day are left with passports in the hotel safe.

Julie-

For most of my trip I usually only have a carryon. However, most of my trips are just 1 week, so I bring 6-7 pairs of socks and underwear. I usually pack 2 pairs of pants (plus the one I'm wearing) and 6 tops. If it's cold weather, I bring a few sweaters. For scarf and gloves, they are on me when I board the plane, then put them in the overhead bin. I tend to go with just 1 pair of shoes as shoes really take up lots of space.

As for toiletries, I have lots of <i>tiny</i> containers. By that I mean containers that hold 4 ml. I have one for my day moisturizer, one for night cream, one for eye cream, one for hair gel. Since I use barely a dime size of each daily, 4ml is plenty enough for a week or two. I also have lots of trial sizes bottles and packets of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. Just threw them away at end of the trip.

I rarely buy souvenirs. I always bring a folded duffle bag on my trips. If I do buy something that doesn't fit, then I check my suitcase on my return trip.

In several trips, I've brought some older pieces of clothing with me that I was going to give away. I just left the clothes folded in a plastic bag next to the trash can. It opens up more space as the trip gets on and space for souvenirs!

I actually don't know how heavy my carryon is, but it can't be too heavy. It's light enough for me to lift it overhead, and for me to carry it up 2 flights of stairs.

On my return trip from London, I actually have enough room in my carryon to stuff my purse inside (my purse measures 13&quot;x7&quot;x5&quot;) to comply with the 1-bag rule. If there's a will, there's a way. :)

Why IS it that people who claim they can spend weeks traveling out of one carry-on never mention the amount of time they spend doing laundry?

Because they Febreeze it all! :D

But seriously, if you're traveling someplace for 3 weeks, and staying in one place, doing laundry isn't completely out of the question...

we don't do it ourselves, but drop it off and have it done halfway (one week). Works great and reasonable too.

I'd take me about 15 minutes every 3-4 days to do laundry in my hotel bathroom.

My dad likes to do his daily. Takes him about 5 minutes or so (or less).

Msbelle51, I have that exact coat from T-smith--you will like it. However, just FYI for comparison, while T-smith does call it packable, it's a LOT heavier and bulkier than the Mycra Pac raincoat. There is no way I would be able to pack the T-smith coat. I'd have to either wear or carry it and then put it in the overhead bin. I did not want to have to deal with that--wanted one that I could have in my tote or backpack without adding bulk or weight. I was able to get the Mycra Pac, locally, on sale for only $35 more than the T-smith coat, and, if you deduct the S/H.....not much difference in cost. On the other hand, if your not looking for a really light-weight, truly (small-pkg) packable raincoat and don't mind carrying the coat, you would have lots of deep pockets to carry &quot;stuff&quot; in the T-smith coat. Good luck with your decision.

After my 1st 2 european trips with a 26&quot;, 12lb wonder I downsided big time with a underseat tote type of carry on! It is only 5 lbs6oz and I packed quite easily for a 9 day trip to Paris early this year.

I'm 5'10&quot; size 10 kind of gal so my clothes are not petite by any means. I fit all toiletries in the 1qt bag and also 1 or 2 travel envelopes of clothes detergent to wash out undies and wrinkle free shirts/turtlenecks and I'm set to go.

I am not a shopper [I buy bookmarks from museums for personal souvenirs}

Last trip my bag weighed 18lbs fully packed. lynda

&quot;Why IS it that people who claim they can spend weeks traveling out of one carry-on never mention the amount of time they spend doing laundry?&quot; Because it's no big deal. It takes me maybe 10 minutes in the downtime between sightseeing and a pre-dinner drink, or dinner, and not every day. With the TV on if I have English language TV. And since I do it in the late afternoon it's mostly all dry in the morning, so not a problem for people cleaning the room. If my clothes don't dry fast, they don't go. I take one &quot;evening&quot; skirt or sarong to wear to dinner, that doesn't need washing very often.

&quot;Why IS it that people who claim they can spend weeks traveling out of one carry-on never mention the amount of time they spend doing laundry?&quot;

Because in the time it takes my GF to sort herself out in the evening I can have done the washing, wrung it out, hung it out AND be on my 2nd beer. Plus we never pack stuff - like jeans - that take more than an evening to dry