julies

Auden--

My daughter and her fiancee travelled through Europe on a Eurailpass for 4 weeks with backpacks while in college. I don't know how old you are, but they said they wouldn't ever use backpacks again because they got sick of carrying them around; they would only go wheeled in the future. We have the wheeled suitcases that convert to backpacks if you want. We gave them some too as gifts. Our mid-20's son lives in Europe. He also relies exclusively on public transportation and travels with one of the wheeled ones that convert to backpacks, and he certainly would have the strength to drag around a backpack. By the way, when getting on a train you will probably be lifting and carrying that backpack anyway rather than wearing it on your back because there will be too many people crowded together trying to get on and off for you to be able to manuver with a pack on your back.

travelbunny

..agree with Julie..the small compact wheelies are much MORE convenient that a back pack unless hiking..pack smart and less is more.

lesliec1

We have just returned from 2+ weeks in Europe. Ziplocks are the way to go! Cheap! And they work great! Plus, the slippery vacuum-sealed ziplocks slide in and out of your pack easily so, once you know what you've put in each bag, you can just slide out the bag you want. However, think carefully whether you want a backpack or a suitcase. I opted for a small internal-frame backpack (I'm a small middle-aged woman) because my 2 teenagers wanted backpacks. I was worried about getting used to walking around with the weight on my back, but it wasn't a problem. I gave most of the heavy stuff to the kids to carry and I soon acclimated to carrying the pack. But it is a bit of a nuisance to travel with a backpack. If you are staying one place for awhile and will unload the whole pack, fine. But if, like us, you are on the move every night or every other night and don't want to keep packing and unpacking, it may be more practical to take a small suitcase on wheels with retractable handle that you can SEE into. Most people in Europe were using these kinds of suitcases, rolling them along the cobbled streets and down train corridors. Backpacks are no picnic in narrow train corridors. If anyone is in the corridor, you have to carefully navigate so you don't whack them or get lodged in the small space. They are also a pain to take on and off as you wait for trains or on short journeys. The packs were probably a boon at Security, however. No one ever wanted to inspect the contents of our packs and have to deal with the re-packing hassle. If you plan to use a backpack, go shopping for your walking shoes with the full pack on your back. We did not do that, thinking it would be totally dorky to walk around the mall with our packs on. Big mistake. Both my daughter's and my shoes, while comfortable in the store and at home, were NOT comfortable with the extra weight of the pack on. They did not provide adequate cushioning on the hard, hot italian pavement. So, follow the advice we ignored and buy shoes with the pack on. Also, my backpack was just small enough to count as carry-on luggage on the transatlantic flight, (but not on the excursion flight within Europe). This was great, but we still had to check the kids' packs, so we still had to deal with baggage claim. I bought cheap camping stuff sacks from WalMart to slide the kids' packs into, to protect the straps and clips during baggage handling. This worked fine. However, if I had to do it again, I would get ALL of us luggage that qualified as carry-on. It is so much less hassle and you are so much more flexible. Before our return flight, our airline offered us a heap of money, plus a free hotel room and meals if we would agree to be bumped to the next day's flight. What a tempting offer. But to do it, we'd have had to check through the kids' bags and then HOPE the airline was able to pull them off at the last minute. And if not, we'd have had to trust the bags at our destination until the following day when we could reclaim them. With carry-on luggage only, we could have gone to the gate, gotten bumped, and waltzed happily to the airline's hotel with all our stuff and another fun day of vacation ahead. Also, pack nylon clothes and synthetic hiking socks, and do handwashing in your hotel. Pack light. We hardly took any clothes and STILL brought home things we had never worn. You are seeing new people every day, they won't know that you've been wearing that same outfit for 3 days. --Leslie

suze

Leslie touches on a classic piece of travel advice (when she spoke about shoes) ... pack your backpack (or suitcase) as you plan to, then go out in your home town and walk 1 mile, take public transportation, come home and lift the bag up onto your closet shelves, etc.

BlueSwimmer

I LOVE my vacuum bags, but I only own three of them. I will definitely check out the giant Ziplocks.

I would recommend smoothly rolling everything that goes into the bags. I also practiced by putting everything into the bags and leaving them for 3 days to see how wrinkled things would get. Then I changed my packing list accordingly (Dorky, I know, but I was slightly obsessed with packing as lightly as possible.)

We used the bags in our backpacks, and the entire packing experience was great. I like having a backpack for the convenience of carrying it on long metro stairways.

My ideal bag is the Swiss Army 22" backpack/roller combination with the telescoping handle. I am too cheap to buy one because they are so expensive, and I do love my REI pack with the cool secret pocket.

I will never pack again without using vacuum bags or Ziplocks. They were great during security checks, they helped me segregate the dirty clothes (especially those that smelled of smoke) and I really think they prevented wrinkles because they reduced the amount everything could shift. Just roll carefully and be sure to press all the air out.

jbmonts

I used the "fancy vaccuum bags" on our recent trip to Ireland last week. They were great and didn't require a vaccuum at all, after you put your clothes in and seal them all the air escapes. I used them for dirty clothes afterwards and it was fantastic, hardly took up any room at all! Oh, by the way, I paid 6.95 at Kohls for them.....Way worth it!

amelia

Jbmonts and I are in agreement: The so-called "fancy" bags aren't that expensive if you shop right. And you don't need a vacuum cleaner.

I use ziplock bags, too, but my large SpaceBags can handle the largest items with ease. Have a huge polertec sweatshirt you need to bring? Compress your SpaceBag(put it under your couch cushion and sit, then roll to squeeze out more) and it's down to nothing. I don't know what others are doing to theirs, but my SpaceBags haven't leaked over the past three years and eleven trips.

Of course, as others have suggested, the most ultimate use of the large size SpaceBag is for dirty laundry. I pack extra light and always wash on trips, but it's still great to smash all the dirty items down to nothing so I can easily look through my clean clothes between laundry times.

Again, I do use Ziplocks and like them. Have used the 2-gallon ones frequently--especially if I'm not going to airtight seal them--leaving an open space allows them to compress naturally when you close the suitcase without hermetically wrinkling them! I also use tons of freezer-heavy, quart-size plastic bags to do everything from waterproofing my camera to packaging wipes.

m_kingdom2

You want to sit on your clothes? Think about the creasing.

amp322

I used those bags last year, and they worked great. They actually keep te wrinkling to a minimum, because the clothes can't go anywhere. They stay in place very well. Just DO NOT pack anything wet, or even damp in them. There is no circulation, and even one slightly damp item can make your whole suitcase smell moldy.

jbmonts

I also packed a few breakables that weren't irreplacable in my airtight bag for the trip back home and they were good as new. I'm a ziplocker, too, for camera's and everything, just keeps it all together. Using my bag for dirty clothes was great at keeping them separate, too. I was extremely pleased!

mebanese

A missionary friend of mine uses a straw to suck the air out of her zip lock bags, and it really does save on space. But don't pack so much. Color coordinate, and wash out in the sink, like everyone else has said.

I'm a ziplock bag addict, but I also use cheap (as in Dollar Store) soft side lunch boxes instead of packing cubes. I usually take two - one for shirts, and another for my bathroom kit. They're also great for packing breakable souvenirs.

Kayb95

<i>&quot;You want to sit on your clothes? Think about the creasing.&quot;</i>

Not everyone's vacation is ruined over a few wrinkles and creases.

mebanese

...and worrying about them could put wrinkles and creases on your beautiful face!

amelia

mebanese: I love your Dollar Store soft-side lunch box suggestion--new range of possibilies.

aduren

Wow you guys are awesome! I'm still unclear about what kind of luggage carrier I should use... I'm afraid my small suitcase (whihc is one of those that easily fits as a carry-on) will be too small, but I can imagine a backpack gets old very quickly. Anybody know of any good, decent-sized backpacks with wheels? Oh, and good advice about not packing TOO many things w/the ziplocs!! I will pro'ly get carried away and have 40 pounds of stuff on my back...

suze

Aduren, I suggest choose one or the other... either use a backpack that fits you well and don't over pack it *OR* get a 22-24&quot; wheeled suitcase and simply don't take any more than will fit in it (plus a small tote, daypack, or pocketbook). It's easy really~ stack up what you ideally want to take, pack in the order of most importance, and stop when the bag is full or you can't easily lift it anymore!!!

The reason I don't think wheeled backpacks are good is~ wheels plus the frame and handle to make it a roller add weight themselves. Therefore a wheeled backpack starts off heavier, before you put anything in it!

lesliec1

I have to agree with Suze. When I was trying on packs, the ones with wheels and handles were already too heavy with nothing in them. They didn't fit on my body as comfortably as backpacks designed to be backpacks, so I realized I'd probably end up using them as suitcases all the time, anyway. I got a dedicated backpack and at the outset wished I had gone with a wheeled suitcase instead. By the end, I had gotten used to the backpack. --Leslie

suze

One other good option that hasn't been mentioned yet, and a compromise to me between a backpack and a suitcase... is a medium size duffle bag with a good shoulder strap. I've done many trips successfully this way. The packing light rule still applies!