Therese

This the third in a series of threads about packing light. The two earlier threads may be viewed at:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34689133

and

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34415078

The original thread, from 1993, was a week's holiday in Venice with my two children. Part 2 was two weeks, the first in Greece for work, the second in Florence and Venice for holiday.

The subject of this thread is a week in Berlin, combined work and holiday.

Therese

In the past I've posted after I've returned from my trip, but this time I'm going to post about the process of packing, and how I decide what I'm going to take.

One decision I don't have to make is how big of a suitcase I'll be taking: carry on, that's it. I won't necessarily actually carry my bags on the flights, but I still want a bag (or bags) small enough that I can handle them by myself under all circumstances.

In this instance I haven't quite decided whether to carry on for the flight over the pond or not. I fly from Atlanta on Delta to Paris/CDG, and then on to Tegel on Air France. My connection time at CDG is nearly two hours, relatively long for a connection there (I routinely make much shorter). So I'll probably won't have to run between terminals, but on the other hand the connection time is long enough that my bag would likely make it. And if it didn't it would be on the next flight, and Air France would bring the bag directly to my hotel without a problem. And if the bag were to go entirely astray I'm not really too upset, as I've built in a day before I start work, and could just go shopping for clothes on my jet lag day. Because I'm planning on doing some shopping later in the week in any case.

So I may well check my small rolling suitcase and carry only my "personal item" on board. My personal item (which is a small duffel into which my purse will fit) will, regardless of my final plans, contain crucial work documents, medications, and toiletries.

On the trip back I usually check

Therese

oops, early posting syndrome...

On the trip back I usually check my at least the larger rolling bag and sometimes the small duffel, depending on how much shopping I've done. Since I'm going home I'm not as worried about whether my bag will get there at the same time that I do.

Therese

So, what am I going to take? This depends on a number of issues, but the first one I'll consider is the weather.

I've checked several sites, and so far the prediction is for pretty typical spring weather: highs in the 60s, rainy the first half of the week, party cloudy the second half. Of course, weather forecasts can be wrong, very wrong. Weather reports for the trip to Venice with my children in 1993 suggested a week's worth of sunny days in the 70s.

It was bitter cold and windy, with rain most days. And snow.

Weather reports in Europe are every bit as reliable as they are in the U.S.

DeborahAnn

Therese, this is one sequel I am looking forward to seeing/reading....When you finish with this trip to Berlin maybe you can pretend you are taking my trip.

It's August, you have to go to the south of France for a wedding, then on to the Alps and Lyon and then a week in Paris. Packing light?? I don't see how but I'm hoping for some "what to pack" suggestions.

I'm waiting to hear from the Mother of the Groom as to wedding attire suggestions. I will probably need to look for some summer silk dresses and they are not that easy to find.

Looking forward to reading more of yours and others tips on packing light. Deborah

Postal

I always do a "lessons learned" on my packing results when I return from a trip. It's quite easy - if I come home with more than one set of clean clothes, I packed too much!

Therese

DeborahAnn, although the trip I'm taking to Berlin is very different from the trip you'll be making to France in August, the ideas that guide me when choosing my wardrobe will be the same.

One of the most fundamental ideas underlying the packing light approach is that of a "base" color, the color around which you'll build your wardrobe. Because of my work and the fact that I travel quite a bit, my base color is usually black. Since black can be pretty overwhelming and a bit grim in certain environments, I generally assess a trip in terms of how "black" I can go.

Varibles that I consider include...

1. Trip purpose: many of my trips include business, and black works well in all business settings. Generally a couple of tailored items needed, along with shoes that are comfortable for walking but look professional. No Mephistos, Birkenstocks, etc. No sandals of any sort.

But my trips often include at least some component of leisure, either some touring of the town or visiting museums or going out to dinner and/or clubs. Occasionally I leave the city entirely and go to the beach, where I'll definitely need sandals.

2. Season: the season's important because of the temperature, of course, but it's also important because it dictates the fabrics (woven, lightweight in summer, knit and heavier in winter) and color palette. For the trip to France in August that includes a wedding I'd almost certainly shop specifically for it, at a shop where I know the clothes usually fit me and where I'm likely to find a lot of coordinating pieces. For me that shop would probably by Ann Taylor. Find a palette you like and stick with it.

Since I'm already going to be using black, I use the info to decide within that palette: black pleated wool skirt or black and cream printed cotton skirt? black silk sweater twin set or cream silk sweater twin set? red paisley print blouse or aqua geometric print blouse?

DeborahAnn

Therese, I really appreciate your common sense approach to packing light. Airline restrictions are going to force all of us to pack lighter; if we don't we'll be both carry around extra weight and paying dearly for the priviledge

Black is not a favorite color for me. I have a "Spring" coloring and I know to keep it away from my face so you can imagine how many scarves I have.

I also know I will have to shop specific for wedding attire. Although the wedding isn't until August the summer clothing lines will probably be gone from the stores in our area by early July so I have to start shopping NOW.

Looking forward to more packing light wisdom. Deborah

enzian

DeborahAnn---we go to the Alps for two weeks of hiking, with a city on either end of the trip, so I have to pack for both. It is not that difficult, and some clothes are dual-purpose. For hiking and casual wear in the mountains, I take one long-sleeve and two short-sleeve tees in capilene or coolmax---these are fabrics that wash and dry in a few hours. One cute microfleece pullover (doubles as a sweater for cool evenings), Goretex jacket and pants for rain and wind, two pair nylon shorts, and a simple fleece zip cardigan that looks dressy enough to wear in town too (i.e., no color patches or ski logos). Mine is black but they come in colors for spring too.

For general wear in the city or evening in the mountains, I take 4 or 5 nice tees (mix of sleeveless, short and long sleeves), a nice v-neck cardigan (silk/lycra) and 2 pair of pants. love the cotton-lycra slim pants from Eddie Bauer; they pack small (no pockets), are flattering, resist wrinkling and bagging, and dry quickly without wrinkles if I need to wash them. Also one or two long sleeveless summer dresses (rayon) that pairs with the cardigan as needed. I have a third pair of pants (usually capris) and another shirt that I have worn on the plane. For shoes, I take two pairs of sandals, one dressy (Mephistos) and one casual (Danskos), in addition to the hiking boots. Everything (including lingerie, sleepwear, toiletries, travel hair dryer, books, etc.) fits into a 22" roller bag (checked, because it has my hiking poles and Swiss army knife), and a daypack that I take as my carryon.

You of course need to add the wedding clothes, but if that turns out to be a summer dress (silk) and strappy sandals, that will take up very little room. And I am one of the ones who strongly endorsed the Eagle Creek packing envelopes---the large size will keep your dress safely undisturbed at the bottom of your suitcase, with only fold creases that should shake out.

Therese

Good tips from enzian re working a hiking wardrobe into the mix, Deborah Ann. You likely won't need this much as it doesn't sound like you're primarily hiking. Do take advantage of the fact that sports gear is designed to dry very quickly and rinse things out as necessary.

As for your wedding wardrobe, visit web sites for:

Ann Taylor. Look at the "Celebrations" section and click on a color you like---I'd go for the pale green myself, but you might like another color like blue or even champagne.

J. Crew also has great party dresses, and categorizes them according the material: cotton, linen, silk, etc. Note that many of these dresses come in more than one color, so don't just go by the thumb nail pic.

Limiting yourself to a color and going with it is going to simplify things for you. So just decide what color family you want to work on and stick with it.

Therese

Okay, back to things I consider when beginning to pack. We've covered weather and season (which seem related, but aren't always). The next thing I consider is...

3. Location. What I mean by location is what sort of place I'm visiting. Big urban center like Berlin or London? Small town/village like Siena or Urbino? University town like Montpellier or Salamanca? Resort town like Glyfada or Stresa? All of these will play some part in the sorts of clothing I choose. Basically the more big city the location the more formal I need to go.

4. Transportation. Will there be public transit, and if so do I have to walk a long way to get to it? Will there be conventional sidewalks, or is everything cobblestone? Urbino, for instance, had pretty much no public transportation, and the streets inside the walls feature lots of cobblestones and steep hills. Heidelberg's got lots of cobblestones, even on the sidewalks, so high heels an issue. Glyfada (a resort suburb of Athens where I recently attended a meeting) has incredibly poor sidewalks, often missing entirely and where present typically overgrown by bushes or blocked by cars. And walking in the street was too dangerous because of traffic.

DeborahAnn

Enzian, thanks for the coolmax suggestions, I don't have anything on that order in my wardrobe. You gave some great clothing suggestions for hiking and excellent tips for packing. Therese is right, I will be in the Alps taking leisurely strolls so comfortable walking shoes will suit me. I'll wear short dresses rather than shorts as I've run across too many turkish toilets in rural areas The Eddie Bauer pants sound perfect. Shoes are my downfall, that's where I really have to show restraint.

Therese, it's been discussed; dedicated travel wardrobes vs right out of the closet in What to wear, Part 2. Even though I travel often I like having a winter based and spring based travel wardrobe. I am happy to see LLBean still features the modern knits, the black mainstays in my travel wardrobe. It's so nice to have them au courant and affordable

An Ann Taylor dress worked for me last spring when I needed a cocktail dress for San Diego and New York. I plan to check Ann Taylor as soon as I get info from my friend.

Enzian and Therese, thanks for taking the time to address my packing concerns. Deborah

Therese

Okay, final crucial piece of background information about my destination...

5. Shopping, and by shopping I'm actually talking about two issues.

The first is whether I need to bring every possible thing that I might need, including band-aids and dental floss and an extra tiara, because if I've forgotten it and end up needing it I'm completely SOL, because I have somehow ended up in the back of beyond. Incredible as it sounds, this does actually happen with some frequency, particularly if I'm speaking at a conference that's been booked into a hotel in the countryside, or at a resort (the absolute worst being anywhere in Orlando, FL, but I digress), where there's nothing within walking distance and no public transit. Sometimes I even have to bring a hair dryer, in which case I've got a small one that I can use, or sometimes I just say the hell with it and fluff it curly and go.

The second issue is whether there actually happens to be very good shopping in the place I'm visiting (like Paris or Berlin), and if so whether I'll have time to do any. The answer to the latter point is pretty much always "yes," though often very little, as I have to squeeze it in during meeting breaks. I'm very efficient when it comes to shopping, though, and manage quite well.

So I'll want to leave space in my suitcase for those purchases. I do sometimes take along another bag for purchases, but also often just use a shopping bag to carry on and check my other bags.

Hmm, maybe I should actually decide what I'm going to bring on this trip...

DeborahAnn

Are there any suggestions how to streamline makeup. My favorites have just too much packaging if I am trying to trim bulk and weight when packing light.

I'm talking makeup brushes, shadows, blush, eye liners, lip color etc. Has anyone found a way to bring their favorites in smaller quantities? Or are there all inclusive travel compacts available?

Going without is not something I want to do thanks, Deborah

StLgrrl

I feel the same way DeborahAnn. I am planning on just bringing the absolute necessities: eyeliner, shadow and lip gloss. But, I don't wear alot of make-up anyway, just the basics. But I have several to choose from. I'm going to *try* and pick the one eyeliner I cannot live without, and the one container (small!) that I have to have and be done with it.

Therese

Different people have different ideas about what the "absolute necessities" really are when it comes to cosmetics and toiletries. I bring more than most people, I think, though perhaps less than some.

My actual cosmetics all fit in my purse, in a separate black make-up case. The purse itself is not huge, but big enough to accomodate the make-up case as well as my wallet, Blackberry, pager, sunglasses, passport, checkbook (I just carry the checks, no folder or anything, keys, camera (when I travel), DK guidebook (when I travel), and occasionally a small umbrella. I've absolutely no idea how I manage to cram an umbrella in there, but I do.

My make-up case contains the following:

Lancome Dual Finish powder (which takes the place of foundation and powder together---I rarely wear foundation)

Lancome Definicils mascara (small size that comes in "gift with purchase&quot

Lancome lipstick in "Vintage Rose." I really only ever wear one color of lipstick, a shade that's pretty close to my natural lip color. Lighter colors wash me out, darker colors look too extreme against my fair skin.

Lancome lip liner in "Ideal."

Almay eyeliner in a brown shade of some sort.

Almay eyeshadow in four color compact of shades of brown, "Coffee Break."

Covergirl powder blush in "Natural Twinkle."

I've also got a packet of Clean & Clear blotting papers (oily skin), a couple of Stridex Power Pads, a small nail fail, a small tube of Monistat (if you don't already know what this is and what it's for you don't need to), and a jump drive.

For a more glamorous (night) look I just use a heavier hand with eyeliner and eye shadow, and use a sparkly lip gloss on top of my lip stick.

Therese

Oh, forgot to mention make-up brushes.

I use the applicator pad that comes with the powder, and the brush that comes with the blush. I use my finger to apply eye shadow.

So no extra brushes.

Mimar

On the subject of cosmetics, slightly OT: I was unable to find any suntan lotion in France that was sweat-proof. Waterproof, yes. Maybe I can't read French well enough. Maybe the French think sweat and water are equivalent. (Maybe they are.) It seems like the tubes of suntan lotion here in the US are always the giant economy size, too big to carry in my handbag.

So anybody have the same or opposite experience?

Therese

I found a great small container of sunscreen in Greece last fall. I'm pretty sure it was L'Oreal, but will check when I get home. I bought it in the drug store area of a department store.

It came in a small rigid bottle, and the top locked on, so little risk of it spilling in my purse. Non-greasy but spread easily, and I wore it to climb the Parthenon, definitely a sweaty endeavor. Very good protection, and I burn easily.

Therese

So, actual cosmetics aside, there's a lot of other sorts of toiletries to consider.

Soap: I'm picky about soap, and so bring my own. Dove's the only one I like, preferring it even to very fancy soaps in nice hotels. I don't bother with travel size bars, just take one that's already about halfway (or more) used. I dry it off and put it in a little zip lock bag. I usually throw away whatever's left at the end of the trip.

Toothpaste: Again, I don't bother to buy a travel size, just use a regular tube that's nearly empty and throw it away at the end of the trip. I actually shop for different types of toothpaste wherever I go, so at the moment am alternating between Marvis Strong Mint and a grapefruit flavored one from Greece.

Toothbrush: well, it's just toothbrush.

Dental floss: ditto. Lately I've been using little single use thing-a-ma-bobs, so I'll take as many as I need for the trip.