I'm suprising my wife with a trip to Italy for march. it is a Christmas present.

Now the wierd question is she is by far the worst packer ever!! She takes a mideim sized suitcase for an overnight trip. The question is there a book or anything I could give her as a "gag" gift that would help her pack better?

Maybe http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1564142027

Oooohhh... I reckon I couldn't resist a gag answer!



Best wishes,

Rex

Yes my spelling is beyond bad!! Now if I could only find 30 minutes in a day!

Dear Reckoning,

Lots of books, at the usual stores and web sites.

Another thought would be to give her a few "packing aids" like toiletry organizers or shrink sacks, with a book. Most travel sites have them - for example:


http://www.magellans.com/store/article/359?Args=

At the Magellan site they even have a free downloadable PDF booklet: Magellan's Passport to Compact Packing.

Not pushing any one particular company, but just suggesting that a few travel items, along with the book, might be appreciated and thoughtful.

Now, can I give you my husband's e-mail? I don't think he's purchased my Christmas present yet.....

Mrs. Fly and I have had the same agreement for the past 30 years of traveling together: Take whatever you want, but you carry whatever you take.

What Rufus said.... Start inculcating this idea as soon as she knows she's going. Maybe you could give her a new 22" roll-aboard as part of the Christmas surprise. You're a super husband!

I'd definitly give her a 20-22" carryon bag as a gift. Also download some of the many many threads here on this site about the value of packing light, and how to pack light, so she'll understand. People tend to do things best if they understand the reasoning behind it.

www.oratory.com/onebag/home.html - this site also has lots of good info that might help her.

Don't just tell her she has to. And don't think that even if you tell her she has to carry her own bag that you won't get stuck helping out. And even if you don't help her, if she's lugging a ton of stuff that will definitly slow you both down. So make sure she gets behind the idea of light packing.

Good luck

I think it's true 99% of the time... women who overpack have husbands to carry their suitcases -LOL.

Get her a 22" roller suitcase as mentioned above, and find a variety of packing lists for her to peruse (google, search on amazon.com, rick steves website, etc.)

My mother has the same problem, and my dad can't carry them at al.

What I suggested for them to do is not pack by grabbing stuff. Instead make a list of what they think they need and review it for any duplications; 1 deoderant, toothpaste. Can she mix and match the clothes, or just a one outfit suit. Mix and match means fewer clothes and more variety.

Remind her that since you will be moving around, she will never see the same people.

Also, many hotels have hair dryers, if they do why take one?

If you are taking a tour that involves train travel, take only one suitcase and keep it small and light. Sometimes the tain stops and passengers have to climb down about 3' to the platform...or up if departing Sometimes there is no platform at all and you are left clonking along on the rocky trainbed itself.

Most stations have multiple tracks (binarios) and passengers move to their bin using many stairs up and down...and with a heavy suitcase, it gets old very fast.

I wrote a bit about packing for Italy here: http://www.flummel.com/ee/index.php/...g_is_all_math/

I hope it helps. Have fun!

Mrs. Fly still packs her 27" suitcase every time--but she does work out at the gym. I'm the light packer--I take a 26-incher--hah, hah.

Truly, since we don't move around every day while on vacation, we don't find suitcases that size to be such a big deal. So we have to climb into and out of a train car and maybe go up and down some stairs every 3-5 days. Not a life-altering experience.

But if we did move from town-to-town daily, we'd definitely pack lighter. Probably.

A few thoughts: in March it may still be chilly in Italy so she may have to pack bulkier clothes and may have to take a slighter larger suitcase than you would like.

IMHO you catch more flies with sugar, so I would compliment her on her looks and good taste in clothes and help her pick out a few outfits that you TELL HER looks good on her. Talk it over with her and tell her that it is better on the both of you if she packs as lightly as she can and then take interest in her packing. Well, this would work with me anyway, lol.

Also I agree that if you are not moving around alot, go ahead and let her overpack, the trip is for her pleasure after all. Take extra money to tip people to help you along the way.

tadaa, my wife and I enjoyed your article.

Reckoning, I asked my wife's opinion of your dilemma. Although she is sympathetic to your cause because I am the family overpacker, she feels the situation could be delicate. She suggests you forget the gag gift and immediately feign back problems.

I laughed, but I think she is quite serious. I, on the other hand, think tadaa's article would be a gentle way to introduce the topic without getting into too much trouble, especially if you present it as part of some research you are doing on shopping for the perfect carry-on.

My wife just read this, shook her head, and said again, "Severe back pain. Starting now."

Hoping your wife is delighted with your very thoughtful Christmas present,

Charles

I went to London and Paris for two weeks in a rolling backpack (equivalent to a 21" rollaboard) using the information on this website: http://www.onebag.com/home.html

Especially helpful was the What to Take tab. Print out the checklist and use it. It works.

Hi!
Anne McAlpin "Pack It Up" $14.95 avalable at www.packitup.com is very helpful-especially for women. I have the opposite problem with my husband...he doesn't take enough clothes and has to wash them every night. Damp underwear is very uncomfortable!
Happy travels!

There are plenty of *pack light* pages on the web. Here is a good one,
www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap06/packing.htm

How about you surprise her with the trip and not only that, you tell her surprise, you will pack for her, and whatever she needs that you didn't pack, you will take her shopping in Italy! Make sure to pack her some new lingerie in her suitcase as a surprise.

YOU will need some advice from ladies on-line as to what to pack for her.

It's true that if you are taking the train, which by the way is a great way to travel in Italy, the lighter the suitcase, and the smaller, the better! You will have to pick up the suitcase and store it overtop of your seat and keep an eye on it whenever the train pulls to a stop. If you leave it near the door and ignore it, you may not see it again. (But look on the bright side, then you won't have to carry it!)

ttt

I don't think it's a bad idea to get her a book for a gift -- as look as this isn't a hostile subject at your house. As a matter of fact, Fodors makes one -- at least they make one about packing in general, and it usually is about the same thing. I remember when they started registration, the first x users got a present, and they sent me a packing book. I glanced it over, and it looked okay, I guess.

I think a lot of this is really personal taste, as I personally think it impossible to consider packing for a week or longer trip to Europe in March in a 20" carryon. It's not clear what your wife is doing now (what is "medium sized&quot, but if that is 28" or larger, that is really big. However, if there is not need for her to pack lightly, there can be a reason. For example, if the overnight trip you are talking about is one in your car, there may have been no real reason to cut things down. Winter clothing can be really bulky, also.

I don't think buying her a 22" carryon would serve much purpose, especially if you already have luggage. One might assume that is just for the carryon, and she would then still have another large bag to check. It is certainly possible, but not mandatory, that one pack for a European trip solely with carryon baggage. Nowadays, you rarely or never get two pieces on-board, so that means one item plus your purse. I would forget that idea myself.

It really depends what your itinerary is and mode of travel as to how urgent this is. I don't think having a 24-25" bag, plus small tote carryon, so bad for a trip. I do it and don't have a problem. I don't have anyone who carries it for me, but that isn't my idea of overpacking, although some folks say they only take carryon baggage.

I'm not a fan of all those travel gadgets, they are just more stuff to buy and pack IMO, and it always takes up more space that a simple baggie or plastic bag does, IMO. I wouldn't want a special travel toiletries organizer, for example, when I pack a few 1 oz travel-size bottles of a couple things (shampoo, moisturizer), and put that in a baggie, and that's about as least space as you can take up.

I dont' think this is that big a deal unless you are moving around a lot, checking in and out a lot, and making taking trains a lot. If you are just flying to Europe, taking a cab to a hotel and checking in, and then doing it in reverse on departure, it really doesn't matter.

As with most problems, though, your wife has to perceive this is a problem and want to change herself before anything will.

Two possible "solutions"....

be a tough lover and tell her she is going to schlep everything SHE packs..and MEAN it for once.

let her pack and then take half of what she packs OUT and take the rest.