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Right. And, while many people may have no problem carrying a larger bag so as to not have to do laundry while traveling, doing so would mean significantly higher baggage fees for those of us who are flying on a budget airline that charges for checked luggage, even on international trips. For instance, on my most recent (January) trip to Oslo and London, I flew Norwegian Airlines on a budget ticket. While I was able to carry a 20 pound carry-on, anything over would have required a $50 fee per way (and I booked two round-trip tickets, so that would've meant an extra $200.
While I ultimately was able to fit everything in my carry-on bag without short-cutting myself (I do the military-style packing to save space), I can't see myself spending extra money to save from doing sink laundry before bed (you're literally spending a few minutes scrubbing before bed!). Even if my ticket included a larger checked bag without extra charge, I would probably still stick to what I do now as I hate the hassle of checking and lugging around a large bag.
I get three checked bags on my flight on Friday. I'm checking one. It's not even mine. It a bag that I packed for my neighbor who lives in London and wanted some things from her vacation home here. (I have a key.)
Travelling for work often means a different wardrobe than if one is travelling for fun.
Good point; you still can do a lot of mix and match, but there are different needs for different people and different occasions. What works for a 2 week vacation one place would never work for a 2 week business trip for instance.
Pack and dump? Lol! Not long ago we had a thread about people who absolutely must take 20 pair of shoes for a week long trip! Go figure...
Love, we went on a cruise with 2 other couples several years ago; when it came to shoes I asked each gal how many pair of shoes they brough: first gal, oh I brought 6, second gal; 4 and what did I bring: sandles, tennis shoes and what I was wearing at the time. I wouldn't have even had 3 except I did need the tennies and sandles and it was winter hrer, so I need to be wearing something warmer. It was a 7 day cruise I will add. To each his own I guess.
but for my 6 day trip to the UAE I'm packing as if I'm not going to do laundry.
Just curious, when and where will you be in the UAE? We were there last September (2 weeks total) -- we did wash/dry clothes almost daily, we each took our two free checked bags (on Emirates) and we still ran out of clothes by the last day because it is just so incredibly hot you'll sweat out everything you have. I think I had one shirt I had not worn, and that was just because I snipped a hole in it when trying to cut out a tag. Where you'll be helps dictate what to take and what not to take. Dubai is very easy and very Westernized.
Also, remember that washers and dryers elsewhere aren't necessarily as fast or efficient as those in the US. We had clothes "held hostage" for hours in Italy because the washers wouldn't unlock to let us get the clothes out to dry! We thought we were going to have to leave some shirts in the washer in Venice because we needed them dry for a train ride that night...luckily, after about 7 hours, the stupid thing unlocked and we could then dry them. ALSO, lots of them are dual washer/dryers (we found that in the UAE) so it takes twice the amount of time to do laundry. A travel clothes line was invaluable to us, as we stretched it across the bathroom when we left for the day so our clothes would be dry when we got back.
Just some things to think about -- there is not a right or wrong answer. Some people want to take less and wash in the sink. Some want to take more and not mess with it. Who cares if your way isn't the same as someone else's? I personally hate socks that have been washed in the sink yet I dealt with it when I had to on a long European trip. I also don't particularly like dragging bags across cobblestones yet I dealt with that when I had to also. Just go with it and do things the way you want to do them....and for everyone else, just don't bash others because their way is different from yours.
Enjoy your trips! (I LOVE the Cayman Islands too...and yeah, I dragged a lot of bags because we had dive equipment with us...nobody on this board could ever succeed in talking me out of dragging those bags!)
I've had the "running out of clothes" thing happen on some trips in Southeast Asia because of heat/sweating--I was going through two, sometimes three changes of clothing a day, depending on what we were doing. The humidity made it hard for things to air-dry really well.
Pack what you think you'll want or need. Then pick it all up and walk around the block, and then sit down and think again about what you will want or need.
Or else resign yourself to the fact that you will pay taxi drivers and porters ten or twenty or thirty dollars a day to haul all that stuff around the block for you. If you don't mind that, then you do not need to consider what you pack, just take it all.
No single set of packing rules fits all -- but here's mine: I take two changes of clothing plus a cool weather wrap, and I wear the same shoes every day for all occasions. Everything else is tools (guidebooks, toiletries, clothesline cord, etc.). My wife and I traveled for over a year in South America and then eight months in east Asia, in one bag between us that never went over about 6 kilos, including two pairs of binoculars.
There was never anything we wished we had.
A sturdy zip travel bag with a few compartments and a wide shoulders strap. Keep the weight down, in case you have to walk several miles. Drill holes in your toothbrush handles. Tear out and discard travel guide pages of places you've already been or not going. Shave/shower/shampoo with the same bar of soap. You'll rarely need your own towel, and a half of a bedsheet will do in emergency and have other uses..
Order a couple of spare eyeglasses online for ten bucks, get one of them tinted for sunglasses. Leave your contacts (and your vanity) home.
Just curious, when and where will you be in the UAE? We were there last September (2 weeks total) -- we did wash/dry clothes almost daily, we each took our two free checked bags (on Emirates) and we still ran out of clothes by the last day because it is just so incredibly hot you'll sweat out everything you have. I think I had one shirt I had not worn, and that was just because I snipped a hole in it when trying to cut out a tag. Where you'll be helps dictate what to take and what not to take. Dubai is very easy and very Westernized.
Also, remember that washers and dryers elsewhere aren't necessarily as fast or efficient as those in the US. We had clothes "held hostage" for hours in Italy because the washers wouldn't unlock to let us get the clothes out to dry! We thought we were going to have to leave some shirts in the washer in Venice because we needed them dry for a train ride that night...luckily, after about 7 hours, the stupid thing unlocked and we could then dry them. ALSO, lots of them are dual washer/dryers (we found that in the UAE) so it takes twice the amount of time to do laundry. A travel clothes line was invaluable to us, as we stretched it across the bathroom when we left for the day so our clothes would be dry when we got back.
Just some things to think about -- there is not a right or wrong answer. Some people want to take less and wash in the sink. Some want to take more and not mess with it. Who cares if your way isn't the same as someone else's? I personally hate socks that have been washed in the sink yet I dealt with it when I had to on a long European trip. I also don't particularly like dragging bags across cobblestones yet I dealt with that when I had to also. Just go with it and do things the way you want to do them....and for everyone else, just don't bash others because their way is different from yours.
Enjoy your trips! (I LOVE the Cayman Islands too...and yeah, I dragged a lot of bags because we had dive equipment with us...nobody on this board could ever succeed in talking me out of dragging those bags!)
Thanks.
I'm leaving tonight on Etihad, we're were one of the lucky ones that were able to score the mistake fare on Christmas. It''' be my first long haul trip so I'm really excited. We arrive in Abu Dhabi and will spend the first two nights on Yas Island and then we're going to go to Dubai for the last 3 or 4 nights, but we still haven't settled on a hotel in Dubai yet.
Thanks for the heads up about doing laundry in Italy. We'll be spending most of our time in Europe there so we'll make sure to really plan for dealing with laundry.
I've had the "running out of clothes" thing happen on some trips in Southeast Asia because of heat/sweating--I was going through two, sometimes three changes of clothing a day, depending on what we were doing. The humidity made it hard for things to air-dry really well.
I've noticed that recently a lot more "normal" (as in, not overtly athletic-looking) clothing is being made out of quick-drying, breathable materials of the kind modern "active wear" is made from. I think this could be great for traveling in hot/humid climates- easy to wash in the sink and easy to hang-dry, and letting you get by with less to pack.
I decide ahead of time if I'm going with stuff that coordinates with either black or with brown. That decides the shoes upfront as well as the pants/skirts and coordinating tops. So grays, blues, the occasional red go with black....for brown it's usually tans and greens, maybe yellow. Whether I go with black or brown, all the pieces have to work with all the others.
I usually end up going with "blacks"..lol, especially if I'm going to any "dressier" events while there.
I wouldn't worry about forgetting some clothing. You can usually buy what you need at your destination. I have. And while most will disagree with me, I think the airlines did us a favor charging for checked baggage.
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