Want to avoid the unparalleled joy of waiting, hoping, praying your bag will appear on the carousel?
Full disclosure, I hate to check bags. I’m one of those people who is always looking for packing ideas and checking out the articles such as “Around the World with One Suitcase” or “Cruise 90 Days With Only A Carry-On”. OK – I made both those up.
I will check a bag when I need many different types of clothing in one trip, such as a cruise with formal nights, or a trip with multiple climate changes. But, if I can get by with carry-on, I’m a much happier traveler. It’s liberating and more convenient. No worries about finding a porter, the airline can't lose my bag, I get the first Uber or taxi after we land, and I’m more flexible for stand-by or other flight changes.
Here are seven tips for traveling “unchecked”.
- Wear or carry your jacket instead of packing it.
- Use a backpack or roomy bag as your “personal” item - the item stowed under the seat in front of you. This is not the time to be chic with a small, cute purse. Pack your toiletries, jewelry, and electronics in your personal bag and save room in the roller-bag for clothes and shoes.
- Pick your shoes first and then your clothes. Select a shoe color that coordinates with a lot of pieces. Neutral shoes such as black or tan are more versatile. It may be boring, but almost everything will go with black. I change things up with bright scarves, pashminas and tops to go with black pants or skirts. Gentlemen can flex with shirts and ties.
- Wear it again. Pack pants that will work for daytime with a tee and then dressed up with a smart top or nice tie for evenings, for example. Don’t try to have a different ensemble for every day.
- Pack only one pair of shoes in the bag. Wear “walking” shoes during travel and pack one pair of sandals or dressier shoes for occasional wear. This is the hardest part for me to do! But, probably the most critical - shoes take up a lot of space.
- Packing cubes. These are great, not only for saving space but for corralling some of the smaller items in your wardrobe such as undergarments and socks
- Toiletries. Be brutally honest and take only the minimum you can get by with. Personally, I'll utilize the body lotion, shower gel, and even hair products the hotel or ship provides to save space. I draw the line at face lotion, but I “make do” with one instead of my usual two (one if by night, two if by day).
This is a tough one and we all have a different tolerance level for this, so peer into your toiletry bag and see if you can’t manage a few days with a substitute here and there. And buy the cheap stuff such as bug spray and sunscreen at your destination, instead of packing them. You can toss what you don’t use and save a lot of 3-1-1 space.
Hope some of these ideas help you out on your next trip. And enjoy traveling “unchecked”!
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