| By carrying your luggage with you on the plane, you save valuable travel time, and you never need to worry about the airline losing your luggage or have it miss the plane. Just have this happen to you once when you're in a hurry and you'll be a "carry-on traveler" for life. Some tips on choosing your luggage, what to bring, and how to pack it follow. | |||
| Choose the Right Bag - When looking for carry-on luggage, make sure you get something that will fit under the seat in front of you. FAA regulations state that carry-on bags be 9" X 14" X 22" to fit beneath the seat. Good quality, softsided carry-on bags are lightweight, durable, washable and absorb shock better than hardsided luggage. Look for durable, waterproof nylon with a high-density weave, strong double zippers that can be locked, and comfortable handles and shoulder straps. Carry-on with 2-3 separate compartments and three-quarter zippers allow you to open the bag up and lay it flat like a suitcase. | |||
| Clothing - The most important packing rule is TRAVEL LIGHT! If you have to think twice about it, don't bring it. Pack separates that can coordinate with 2-4 other items in your wardrobe. Choose 2-3 colors that work well together and only take clothes in those colors so everything will work well together. Choose wrinkle-resistant fabrics -- cotton/polyester blends, knits, jersey, lightweight wools, gaberdine and washable silks are all good choices. If you're not sure about a fabric, crush a handful for a minute and then let go of it. If it's full of tiny wrinkles, leave it home. Choose durable clothes that can be hand-washed. Plan to dress in layers if the weather is cold, rather than bringing bulky clothes. Look for versatile items that can serve more than one purpose. Shop year-round with your travel wardrobe in mind. It's difficult to find everything you need two weeks before your trip. Men can get by with 2 pairs of trousers, 1 pair of shorts, 4 shirts, a jacket and a sweater. Women should substitute a skirt or two for the trousers. Bring one nice outfit for evening wear. Comfortable walking shoes are a must. Make sure you've broken in your shoes before you leave home. | |||
| Electrical Appliances - If you can't live without your electric hair dryer and shaver, buy travel-size dual voltage models and then get the appropriate adapters for the country you're traveling to. If you can find battery-powered appliances, make sure they run on AA batteries which are readily available in most countries. For more information on using electrical appliances abroad see attachment I-5, "Electricity Abroad". | |||
| Toiletries & Accessories - Use sample-sized toiletries whenever possible, or put your toiletries into small leak proof plastic containers. You should leave some room in them, then squeeze the air out before you put the lid on. This will keep the contents from leaking out at high altitudes or in-flight. Pack these in a waterproof bag. Remember that most of the better hotels provide some common toiletry items. More are readily available from the housekeeping department. See the list of travel accessories at the end of this article for suggestions of other items you might want to take with you. | |||
| Packing Your Clothing - When packing your clothes, you don't want to neatly fold them individually as you would in a dresser. If you do, they will crease when compressed. There are several different methods of packing. Just a few are summarized here. | |||
| 1. Rolling Your Clothes -- This works well with pants, skirts and sports shirts. Lay the item face down, fold back the sleeves and then roll from the bottom up. | |||
| 2. Tissue Paper -- For delicate items such as evening clothes, try tissue paper. Lay the item face down and place tissue paper on top. Fold it up with the tissue paper inside. Use additional layers of paper as you fold the garment so it is completely wrapped in and around paper. This is easy enough the first time you pack, but can become a burden if you have to keep repacking. | |||
| 3. Fold Clothes Together -- Take two or more garments, for example trousers, and lay half of one pair on top of the other. Fold the one on the bottom over the pair on the top. Then take the other and fold it on the top. This gives each pair on the top. Then take the other and fold it on the top. This gives each pair some cushion where you've folded it so it's less likely to crease or wrinkle. | |||
| If after carefully packing and unpacking, you are still facing wrinkled clothes, consider taking a portable steamer. These are very good for getting wrinkles out of your suits and dresses. | |||
| In addition to what you normally would pack, you may want to consider some of the items on this list, compiled over the years by many experienced travellers. | |||
| Earplugs | Walkman | Hip pack | Swiss Army knife |
| Eye shades | Shoe pouches | Hand Laundry Kit: | Small flashlight w/ AA |
| Inflatable pillow | Guidebook(s) | Packets of Woolite, | batteries |
| Collapsible cup | Book(s) for pleasure reading | clothesline, and a | Travel umbrella and raincoat |
| Travel alarm clock | First Aid kit | universal sink stopper | Toiletry bag |
| Camera, film & film shield | Mosquito repellent | Moneybelt/Pouch | Small locks for luggage |
| Moist towelettes | Sarong | Plastic bags & Ziploc bags | Sunscreen, hat |
| Cards or travel games | Tote sack | ||
| PACK YOUR MEDICINES...NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO | |||
| Take medications that you normally rely on and find easily at home. Don't repack medications. Leave them in their original containers to avoid customs trouble. Carry a list of any medications you are taking, giving the scientific as well as the brand name. Buying the very simplest medications abroad can be problematic, even when you manage to find a pharmacy that is open for business and where English is spoken. So, you should consider taking an appropriate medical emergency kit with you. | |||
| The Basic Kit -- For travel to areas where decent medical care is within easy reach--a sightseeing trip to France, for instance--the basic kit should suffice. It includes: | |||
| Motion sickness medicine | Antihistamine tablets | Thermometer |
| Pain killers (preferred brand) | Hydrocortisone cream (1%) | Scissors |
| Diarrhea treatment | Constipation remedy* | Tweezers |
| * Constipation is common among travelers because of dehydration, jet lag, and low-fibre airline food. Take natural bran or bran tablets. | ||
| The Basis Kit, Plus One--For traveling to more remote tropical regions, or to areas where reliable medical care is not close at hand--on an African safari, for example, pack The Basic Kit, Plus Two. The Plus Two kit contains: | ||
| Oral rehydration powder | Antibiotics (broad spectrum) | Malaria medication |
| Iodine for water purification Needles and Syringes, Suture Kit* | ||
| Travelers to Africa and to poor, developing countries, where HIV infection is common, should take a small supply of needles, syringes, and possibly a suture kit that can be used by a local doctor in an emergency. Some of these items require a prescription. | ||