Suticase, travel bag, how do YOU pack?

[dabecs]

I thought it might be fun to have a thread where we could talk about our favourite travel gear, packing cubes, best ways to pack etc etc

Yesterday while looking online for a good bag for my daughter's dancing accessories I found these bags called Zuca bags. They look so cool! They are expensive but I love the idea of parking it in a hotel room and being able to use it like a locker. And love that it acts as a seat too!

Has anyone seen one of these in real life? Or even better - have one they could review!

We are all looking for the best way to stay organised while on holiday, I hate the idea of overpacking but I also want to make sure I have everything and it is accessible.

So Samsonite vs duffle, carry on only devotees, packing cubesters, soft packer extraordinaires - let's hear your opinions!

PS - if anyone has a good bag to recommend for dancing comps (I have been looking at Rac'n'roll this morning) I'd love to hear it

 

[dabecs]

I recently bought my girls a set of these each: http://shop.heys.ca/products/travel-tots-lightweight-2pc-kids-luggage-backpack-set (the ladybug and bumblebee sets). We took them to Tassie last month and found them really good. We put the main bag in the overhead lockers (I find we never get anything out of a bag that's in the overhead locker during a flight - even on a long flight it feels to troublesome to bother) and the girls kept their snacks, books and a toy easily in the backpack. On our arrival it was so easy for the girls to pit the backpack on and wheel their own bag along.

And on day trips they each used their backpacks

So these will be the girls carry one for our trip to the USA, now to find the perfect bag for me!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Great idea for a thread.

I'm a light packer and tend to take less with me. It just means more space for shopping. And because bags are so much cheaper in the US, I tend to bring back an extra bag or two or three with me on the way home.


I love the packing cubs. Mine are from Kathmandu. I will pack 2 days worth of clothes for DH, DS and myself in each of the larger packing cubes. That way, when we get to a location, I don't have to unpack the whole bag; just pull out one of the cubes. I always have an extra empty packing cube in the bag for dirty clothes. Again, it makes it easy to know which one to pull out for laundry purposes when the time comes.

 

[dabecs]

Great idea for a thread .

I had to have my moment of greatness some time

I'm a light packer and tend to take less with me. It just means more space for shopping. And because bags are so much cheaper in the US, I tend to bring back an extra bag or two or three with me on the way home. I love the packing cubs. Mine are from Kathmandu. I will pack 2 days worth of clothes for DH, DS and myself in each of the larger packing cubes. That way, when we get to a location, I don't have to unpack the whole bag; just pull out one of the cubes. I always have an extra empty packing cube in the bag for dirty clothes. Again, it makes it easy to know which one to pull out for laundry purposes when the time comes.

I also like to pack light and bring home more. Love the idea of first day outfits ready to go, could expand on this and have first night pjs and toiletries in one bag so when you arrive late you don't need to think..

Before packing cubes I used A4 ziplock bags to hold a child's whole outfit, but as my girls got bigger that got harder. Plus now they can actually wear an outfit more than once sometimes. Although my eldest still manages to spill everything

 

[becpee]

I love the packing cubs. Mine are from Kathmandu. I will pack 2 days worth of clothes for DH, DS and myself in each of the larger packing cubes. That way, when we get to a location, I don't have to unpack the whole bag; just pull out one of the cubes. I always have an extra empty packing cube in the bag for dirty clothes. Again, it makes it easy to know which one to pull out for laundry purposes when the time comes.

Good idea! I've started investing in packing cubes because I hate mixing dirty and clean, and separating the 2 days worth of clothes is a great idea

I have 9 large cubes from Kathmandu but want some smaller ones for smalls

I am a serial over-packer, I really need to learn to halve it!

 

[becpee]

So thanks for reminding me, I just checked and Kathmandu are on sale again, guess what I'm doing today...

We all take a large case with us and a small carry on, I'll try not to this time, maybe one small carry on in case we lose a bag in transit.

Do you all split clothes between bags just in case you lose a bag?

 

[PrincessInOz]

I have medium sized suitcases. I was putting 2 large, 1 medium and 1 small packing cube in each bag; leaving room for shoes and toiletries bag, in each suitcase. It worked really well as I knew I had enough clothes in each suitcase for 4 days. And if we would be unlucky and one suitcase went walkabouts, everyone would still have clothes to wear.

This system taught me to pack lighter. We found that we really didn't need the extra 4 days clothes in the other bag if we hit the laundromat more often. But we take the extra bag for shopping, lots of extra undies and socks; and also for an extra 2 days clothes; including something more dressy to wear.

 

[zanzibar138]

I also pack light, and only have one medium size suitcase. I love the idea of packing cubes, but not enough to make it a high priority to spend money on. I tend to just take a few days worth of clothes too, and roll them up. I always try to take undies and socks to last me at least half the trip, and stash them in shoes or spaces between other items in the suitcase. I take a couple of spare plastic bags - one for dirty clothes, and one for dirty shoes.

We tend to spend all our money on the actual trip, and never have much leftover for shopping, so don't tend to buy that much. However, on this trip, I have saved my 'pocket money' really hard so that I can stock up! Also, my suitcase is a few years old now, and is starting to really rack up the mileage! So on this trip, I will consider buying a new suitcase on the trip and coming back with 2 bags. I'll also suggest that DH packs a smaller suitcase within his larger one, to allow for any shopping he might do.

As far as carry ons go, I actually don't find that I take much stuff on the plane these days, and usually don't need to bother with anything more than a large handbag/satchel type bag. Sometimes DH and I will share a backpack, which also doubles as a day bag while we're away.

 

[FireflyFi]

One bag there, two (or three!) bags back plus carry on. Yeah...i sound like i need help! Lol

Last year I bought the world's lightest luggage set from Costco. It was so cheap and the large suitcase is a great buy. The cabin case is pretty useless, though. Grab by the pulley handle and you'll be carrying it rather than pulling it because the bar is so short.

I don't like the idea of buying a new suitcase each time I come back. I did that on the first wdw trip and now have an amazing sports/school bag that can be wheeled all wdw themed, but really, how many suitcases does one person need? So last year I packed a slightly smaller case I had into the WLL and it worked ok, except the wheels of the second one got squished being packed away, and it doesn't roll along easily anymore.

I was never convinced of the idea of packing cubes or bags, but last year I tried zip lock bags, and they worked a treat. You can buy boxes of large sized ones for a few dollars from Ikea. They would fit a few items (pants, tops, etc) in each bag and were clear so made it easy to find what I was looking for.

And then a backpack for on the plane containing all the electronic gadgets and their relevant chargers!

 

[Tashinwdw]

We all took a large suitcase each (they looked huge next to the kids) Dh also had a carry on for his CPAP machine. The kids had a mini backpack each with snacks, headphones, ipods, etc. On the way there, suitcases were only 1/4 full. On the way home they were very full.

I used different parts of the suitcase for different things, top expanda part of suitcase was used for dirty laundry (in a plastic bag). Also used separate zip lock bags for underwear, socks, swimwear. This way it helped the kids get themselves organised and dressed in the mornings. I do like the idea of the luggage cubes but will probably save my money and just use zip locks again.

I will take about 10 days worth of underwear for each person and probably 4-5 outfits that interchange. I always roll the clothes as they dont get as creased that way.

2 of our suitcases were rather damaged on last holiday so will need to replace them for upcoming trip. Not sure if I will get them here or wait till we are over there. The others all did ok, so will reuse them.

I have already started to pack, I am a bit fussy when it comes to packing, I like to be prepared early, as you can tell from my counter - its very early to start packing. Did the same last holiday. As the summer clothes go on clearance here, I buy up so that the kids have fresh new summer clothes for the holiday - as everything will be winter in the shops. I have enjoyed the last few weekends going shopping with my girls.

 

[BecBennett]

I tend to over pack, but I'm not talking about clothes...

We always seem to take 2 laptops with both chargers (double ) a hard drive, two cameras, two lenses, 1 flash and a power board... I'm also pretty sure I'm forgetting things...

Next holiday, I'm going to try and only take one laptop

 

[zanzibar138]

I tend to over pack, but I'm not talking about clothes...

We always seem to take 2 laptops with both chargers (double ) a hard drive, two cameras, two lenses, 1 flash and a power board... I'm also pretty sure I'm forgetting things...

Next holiday, I'm going to try and only take one laptop

Oh yeah the electronics and various chargers are getting worse each trip! I now have:

* Laptop and charger
* Good camera and charger
* Waterproof camera and charger
* Phone and charger
* Ipod and charger
* Garmin (sportswatch) and charger
* Fitbit and charger

And that's just for me

Luckily most electronics now include a USB charger, so I can just use one power point for the lappie, then plug other things into that. We have one of those multi-country adaptors which has 2 Aussie power points in it.

 

[becpee]

The packing cube craze continues, two double sided cubes purchased today

 

[bswift]

I have more suitcases than one person should, I just can't help it because they are so cheap in the US! The one I've been using most is by a brand called Lucas, I got it at a Ross (or maybe a Marshall's) for $60. I think it's 28", 4 wheeled and pretty light. The main thing I like about it is that it's really ugly It's a soft-case version of this suitcase. It's really easy to spot on the luggage carousel and I don't have to worry about someone "accidentally" picking it up.

For my 2 month trip to the US last year, I packed way more than I should have. I guess I'm not good at packing light, but I really didn't want to have to do laundry every couple of days. I think I did laundry 4 or 5 times on the trip. I ended up buying a duffle bag ($13 from Marshall's) to carry my extra clothes/shopping. It came in handy when I went to WDW. I was staying with the same friend before and after flying to Orlando, so I just left my main suitcase with her and took the duffle to WDW. On future trips I'll probably pack it with me too since it can just be folded up and shoved in the front pocket of my suitcase.

I usually pack in terms of outfits. Like I'll say these 3 tops can all be worn with this skirt and then put them all together in a plastic bag. For a short trip I'll usually pack the bags just in terms of days. I would like to invest in packing cubes but for now I find that regular shopping bags and ziploc bags work fine.

If I'm taking a checked bag then I'll just use a backpack as carry on. I have one from Billabong that has a separate space for laptops and I usually put any travel documents there too. I always pack my make up in my carry on and have a bag of liquids like moisturiser and rollerball perfume. I always pack one or two spare pairs of undies in my backpack too, just in case. I put these in the side pockets that I otherwise don't use so they don't take up any extra space. I guess I just like knowing that if my bag is lost, I can at least put clean undies on before going shopping! Depending on where I'm flying, I'll pack a spare outfit too. If I'm flying to LAX and then onto another city, I always change/freshen up/put make up on during the layover.

 

[gogo65]

I have suitcases that I use when doing a normal holiday, and lots of packing cubes, I also pack a variety of zip locks.
I now have a packing cube for chargers which should be good, normally I put all my chargers Ina ziplock but by the end of the holiday the ziplock is looking sad.
I also have a laundry sack for my dirty washing.
I will take a carry on, with very little in it, purely so I can use it for purchases. I will pack a spare set of clothes and a few odds and ends for the flight over.
We also have backpacks on wheels, which we used for Central America and Africa, when we do the more adventure type of touring as I ruined a suitcase dragging it over dirt roads, so the back pack we can throw on our backs or wheel along while in airports etc.
My DH says I have a luggage obsession, I haven't shown him the lightweight carry on bags I just bought to throw in the bottom of suitcase for emergency shopping purchases

Thanks for starting this thread, However now I remembered what my priority was for today, packing, guess who hasn't done any, all I have done is get my new clothes out they I plan on taking, which includes 10pairs of undies, so I suppose I can say I've started

 

[dabecs]

I'm loving everyone's responses, it's probably strange the amount of time and research I spend on packing Then again it probably doesn't seem that abnormal on this board...

Today I was thinking about another part of the travel packing - the day pack. Be it for sightseeing, port tours while cruising, trekking around the Magic Kingdom...

Do you us a backpack? How big? What are your essential day pack items?

At WDW we didn't carry anything with us - we had the dining plan so access to more than enough food and because we stayed on property we could go back to the resort if we needed anything major. Hubby carried the camera and I wore a lanyard with our KTTW cards, our photopass+ card and any fast passes we had collected.

Cruising though I know we will need bottles of water, sunscreen, possibly towels if we are swimming... I hate lugging stuff around but I also want to take everything we need. And I think a new day bag might be necessary

 

[zanzibar138]

I'm loving everyone's responses, it's probably strange the amount of time and research I spend on packing Then again it probably doesn't seem that abnormal on this board...

Today I was thinking about another part of the travel packing - the day pack. Be it for sightseeing, port tours while cruising, trekking around the Magic Kingdom...

Do you us a backpack? How big? What are your essential day pack items?

At WDW we didn't carry anything with us - we had the dining plan so access to more than enough food and because we stayed on property we could go back to the resort if we needed anything major. Hubby carried the camera and I wore a lanyard with our KTTW cards, our photopass+ card and any fast passes we had collected.

Cruising though I know we will need bottles of water, sunscreen, possibly towels if we are swimming... I hate lugging stuff around but I also want to take everything we need. And I think a new day bag might be necessary

I usually just take my normal 'handbag' which is a cross-body messenger type bag. Don't normally take much, just cameras, spare batteries, sunscreen, bandaids (in case of blisters), sunnies, money etc. If it looks like it might be necessary, I'll also pack water, wet wipes, weather related items like a brolly/raincoat, light jacket, scarf etc. And if I'm going to a theme park, I'll normally add a park map, schedule, plus any little souvenirs or small purchases we pick up along the way.

The cross body style isn't super comfortable if it gets too heavy, so I try to keep it light. I'm not a huge fan of backpacks, always scared I'm going knock someone out with it Also, in Europe the cross body style was a better defense against pick-pocketing (but that's probably not such a big issue if you're sticking to the US).

 

[dabecs]

I usually just take my normal 'handbag' which is a cross-body messenger type bag. Don't normally take much, just cameras, spare batteries, sunscreen, bandaids (in case of blisters), sunnies, money etc. If it looks like it might be necessary, I'll also pack water, wet wipes, weather related items like a brolly/raincoat, light jacket, scarf etc. And if I'm going to a theme park, I'll normally add a park map, schedule, plus any little souvenirs or small purchases we pick up along the way. The cross body style isn't super comfortable if it gets too heavy, so I try to keep it light. I'm not a huge fan of backpacks, always scared I'm going knock someone out with it Also, in Europe the cross body style was a better defense against pick-pocketing (but that's probably not such a big issue if you're sticking to the US).

I have a small cross body (big enough for a purse and sunglasses and that's about it), they do feel much safer don't they. And very necessary for Europe I have heard. I agree wearing a backpack reminds me of being on public transport in high school where they were lethal weapons!

Well I'm obviously in a spending mood because I thought I would just 'check' the Kathmandu website (knowing they always have a sale and I always end up buying something!) and ended up buying an 18L backpack which I will use as my day pack for the cruise. I also got 2 microfibre fast drying towels and cheap plastic ponchos. Feeling very good about my purchases

 

[dabecs]

This is the backpack in case anyone is interested: http://www.kathmandu.com.au/packs-and-bags/packs/gluon-beyond-pack-plum-lavender-2.html I don't have the big bag to attach it to but think it's cute and love the price

 

[PrincessInOz]

Today I was thinking about another part of the travel packing - the day pack. Be it for sightseeing, port tours while cruising, trekking around the Magic Kingdom...

Do you us a backpack? How big? What are your essential day pack items?

What do you mean??

Anything other than a completely laden camera bag complete with a bazillion kilo's of camera gear is just non-essential, right???








(There is no room for anything else than camera, lenses and yet more lenses in my daypack. )