janisj

travelgourmet: Don't be so condescending! "<i>packing in a carry-on only simply isn't that difficult. If you are willing to. . . . . . wear dirty clothes, then it is incredibly easy</i>" You don't see the benefits of carry-on's so you glom on to surfmom's comments to paint all of w/ the same brush of drity, unwashed, ill shod plebes . . . .

I for on NEVER wear dirty clothes, do not own any crocs, seldom take sandals unless I'm going to a resort area, and have been able to attend very formal events, hiking, and everything in between out of a carry on.

Just because you don't see the value in traveling light does not mean those who do are slobs. I don't blame people who take a lot of "stuff" so why do you have to look down on those who manage w/ less?

Essentially -- "I pack a lot because I can. If you do carry on, we know you look like street people" My goodness - what a snob.

travelgourmet

<i>Essentially -- "I pack a lot because I can. If you do carry on, we know you look like street people" My goodness - what a snob.</i>

I have repeatedly said that you can also wash your clothes in the sink. I know that you are proud of your business, but it isn't the only way to travel. Don't make me out to be the snob when you are so adamant that going carry-on only has such myriad (anecdotal) benefits.

You haven't actually addressed the fact that you can only fit a finite number of items in a carry-on. For the sort of person that can only wear things for a single day of sightseeing (i.e. most men and many women between 15-65), this means washing things along the way. This is, frankly, a hassle. I am not going to recommend it when the alternative is flexing your muscles for maybe 2 minutes each day that you actually travel to lift a heavier suitcase.

janisj

On my last trip (17 days)in the UK) I had more than 30 distinct/unique outfits to choose from - which is probably more than most folks can manage in a 28 inch suitcase. I washed things once - and then again on the last evening before I returned home. That was totally unnecessary since I could have done laundry back home.

I don't object to folks packing lots - that isn't the issue. It is your attitude that those who have figured it out must be Rick Steeves look-alikes wearing the same schlubby things every day. Just ain't so . . . .

travelgourmet

<i>On my last trip (17 days)in the UK) I had more than 30 distinct/unique outfits to choose from - which is probably more than most folks can manage in a 28 inch suitcase.</i>

Did that answer my question? How many shirts did you pack? How many bottoms. How many pairs of underwear?

This is the crux of the issue. I don't give a toss whether someone sees me in the same outfit twice on a trip. I don't think they would notice. The issue is how many times you have to wash you clothes.

For the average man doing sight-seeing, this means that the t-shirt they wear out during the day can be worn once. I have friends that claim they can wear a t-shirt twice - they are wrong. The underwear you wear during the day can be worn once. Chances are, you might want to change before dinner, so make it 1-1/2 to 2 pairs per day. Ditto for socks. It adds up. Too much washing for my tastes, at least for anything over one week.

Fodorite018

I posted this on another thread a couple weeks ago. This is what I packed for our last trip to Paris, which was 7 nights.
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I just finished packing. Wow, this is the lightest I have ever packed! I have a 21" rolling bag and it is just barely over half full, and the only thing left to add is my ziploc of cosmetics. I have 2 pairs of shoes in there, 8 undies, several bras, 4 pants, 1 skirt, 1 cardigan, 6 knit shells (sleeveless tops), 1 cami, 1 longish knit top,2 sheer blouses, and 1 regular blouse. Oh and a scarf and pj's. I just weighed it with my travel scale and it comes in at 7.95kg which is 17.5 pounds. Not too shabby! And I tossed in my cosmetics bag for the weight.

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I never had to do laundry. We have also done a 3 week trip to Europe in the winter and managed with each of us having just a 22" rollaboard. Granted, winter is a bit tougher, but it can be done.

Venezia123

Half the clothes you have already packed .You don't need a different outfit for everyday.Whos going to know you wore those same jeans the day befor.Change your top and take things that dry fast and wash them out at night.Bags get heavy on those cobblestone street,and trowing them on the train if you go that route.

lucy_d

I use a method similar to the one JanDeleware describes up the thread. Drycleaning bags are wonderful and do prevent wrinkling, but no more than two items per bag. Not dismissing others'tried and true methods at all, but the drycleaning bag method is brilliant and my favorite.

I am also a big fan of black clothing both as a traveler and in "real" life, HOWEVER, I learned my lesson wearing a black cotton t-shirt last summer in Turkey. Never again. I was one step away from taking the thing OFF on a tour of Aphrodisias. Black tops only for evening/night during the summer months for me.

Sticking with a color scheme works well. On my last trip, all my clothes were black, white, brown, tan, and khaki, to include both solid and patterened items. Shoes included one pair of black Dansko sandals and one pair of brown Sketchers Mary Jane type trainers. Took one pair of "dressy" Reef and one pair of Yellow Box flip flops to wear with sundresses in the evening. This combination worked the best for me for any trip I've taken. (If fine dining had been on the itinerary, I would have taken a dressy light weight pair of sandals.)

Pack your favorite clothes because that's what you want to see in your pictures.

surfmom

wow, I've been called many things, but this is the first time for "dirty, unwashed, ill shod plebes . . . ."

travelsnob, oh I mean travelgourment, the sneakers and crocs were for kids at Disney. omg, we went to Disney ? Quelle Horreur! Since we didn't do anything other than parks and pools, they didn't really need anything else. Pour moi? Sneakers (yep, make walking all those miles a little easier) and sandals. We don't do gourmet dinners since we are busy putting kids to bed (in bed by 8pm even on vacation). Since we're busy being parents, we're allowing the gourmet snobs to enjoy a kid-free dinner.

With regard to my 'dirty' t-neck, Did you ever hear of wearing an undershirt underneath ? Forgive me if I didn't specify that. My point was that layering them is a great alternative in winter to dragging bulky sweaters.

I'm a fan of carry-on only. I'm glad you were able to express your opinion and insult the rest of us at the same time. well done. I prefer to control my own destiny with carry-ons. I abhor standing around waiting for 20-30 minutes for luggage after I've landed.

As for my anecdotal bump... we couldn't have done it if we had checked bags. We changed cities (which was much more convenient for us) and got 5 free tickets to boot. Def worth not checking luggage!

janisj

surfmom I wasn't casting aspersions at you - that was paraphrasing travelgourmet's attitude . . . But you got that, right??

surfmom

I did janisj... you've always been a great source of info re: London and a fellow golfer.

cheers

Guenmai

I went off to S.E. Asia (Bali/Singapore/Bangkok/Chiangmai) on a solo trip for 3 weeks and only had a carry-on suitcase and my purse. It's easy to pack light in warm weather.

Packing depends on how long one is going somewhere and how long one is staying in one location. For example, I look at the place where I'll spend the most days and then that's how many clothing outfits that I'l take. So, if I'm in one place for 4 days, then it's 4 outfits. Then when I move on to the next place, I start to rotate those same 4 outfits.

A lot of people try to pack nearly a different outfit for each day. But, if one sticks to about 3 or 4 colors, then it's easy to mix and match. I used to give packing lessons, back in the 70s, to those interested. Back then people used to really pack a lot of clothes and with all of the matching suitcase pieces.

As for shoes, if it's in the colder/cooler seasons, I only pack the ones that I get on the plane wearing which is a good pair of knee boots that will go with the entire, packed wardrobe. In summer, I pack two pairs of shoes.

And as for accessories, I accessorize a lot. Scarves and costume jewelry is a lot easier to pack than extra clothing items. And in the cold/cooler seasons, I accessorize with different pairs of gloves, scarves, and caps. Happy Travels!

kfusto

I could never travel with one pair of shoes. My feet appreciate a change after many miles of walking and I like to dress for dinner so I always bring a pair of dressier shoes/boots. I still pack carry on so this has never been an issue.

I find winter much easier to pack for than summer. In summer, I need to launder/have laundered clothes because I cannot get much more than one wear of them generally, due to the heat. I am very ok with wearing clothes multiple times but I do need them to be fresh and clean.

bitsy

Pack your oldest underwear and ''toss it as you go''. I've learned to save our old ones, (clean, of course) easily shoving them in the outside suitcase pockets all year long, just to do this. Saves space for purchases on the return.