Wednesday, 23 February 2011

How to Travel With One Bag






In this age of airline fare wars, globalization, and the Euro, traveling across multiple borders is increasingly common. Combined with the horror stories of lost luggage that never made it to the baggage claim, and the higher prices for bringing more luggage, the option of traveling with just one bag is becoming more and more attractive. Unless your trip is highly specialized or requires carrying certain items, it is possible to travel and even live indefinitely out of one bag. Here's how.

Steps

  1. Choose the right bag. Your choice will evolve as you consider what you need to put in it, but consider:
    • Size: The largest that airlines will allow as a carry-on is a good starting point. Consider a bigger one if you need to carry extra items such as winter clothes, gifts, a computer, or a fancy camera. Consider a smaller one if you want to carry the bag long distances.
    • Size and weight efficiency: Choose a bag as little of whose size and weight is itself as possible. Avoid the need for expensive extra-light materials with a simple tough, floppy nylon bag. Avoid bulky extending handles and wheels with a bag with a strap, or, preferably, much more comfortable and unrestrictive backpack-type straps. Avoid or reduce a need for padding by packing semi-delicate items such as sturdy laptops and modern tough plastic cameras within clothes. Avoid semi-rigid "soft-sided" suitcases because they add bulk and vulnerability to themselves crushing without much protection to contents.
    • Pockets: Multiple pockets help keep things organized. Pockets accessible from the outside provide convenient access to travel paraphernalia such as an inflatable neck pillow or other sleeping aids and snacks, without unpacking or rummaging.
    • Your choice of bag may evolve with your choices for its contents. It should have just a little room for extras, not so much that the carefully packed contents shift around in transit.
  2. Ask yourself if each item is really necessary. How frequently will you use it? How much will it improve your experience over what you would do if you didn't have it? At the relevant destination, could it be feasibly rented, borrowed or bought (and not kept to bring back)?
  3. Gather essentials:
    • Three changes of clothing (at most). Perhaps more socks, underwear and shirts than pants. Consider synthetics, which are lighter, fold up smaller, slide past each other readily rather than distorting piles, and dry faster--especially for pants, where any difference in feel is less noticeable.
    • Laundry detergent for washing by hand. Powdered is much easier to handle than liquid, and allowed on airplanes.
    • A universal sink stopper (a flat rubber disk, available at any hardware store). A rubber ball can be an alternative, but check that it doesn't tend to float and is plenty big not to risk falling in.
    • A portable clothesline (available at any camping or travel goods store).
    • Toiletries
    • Medications
    • Empty water container. A bottle will do. A flexible "hydration pack" can expand to hold more and is more convenient to carry when in use, but if the main bag is a backpack, check that the hydration pack can be comfortably carried when full along with it.
    • Empty plastic bags. You can put dirty clothes in them until washing to keep them from contaminating the clean ones. They should be clear so they aren't confused with trash and thrown away. Try produce bags.
  4. Pack using the "bundle" method: wrap clothes around large and/or semi-delicate objects (such as bags of toiletries, pairs of shoes, or electronics), rather than folding or rolling clothes. Stuff underwear and socks into shoes to save space and to prevent crushing shoes. The bundle method saves the most space and also reduces wrinkling.
  5. Buy toiletries in miniature sizes or transfer liquid contents like shampoo into smaller travel bottles. Save hotel/airplane toiletries so you can pack them the next time you travel.
  6. Put toiletries that could leak (shampoo, gel, etc.) in plastic bags to avoid the hassle of having your clothes covered in liquid soap. If you use bar soap (which can substitute for other forms of soap such as shampoo and shaving cream), get a ventilated holder for it so it doesn't turn to mush through use and storage. Bags are also useful if clothing doesn't completely dry overnight.
    • For quicker trips through airport security, try to use solids rather than liquids. Shampoo is available in solid soap-block form and even single-use sheets. Check at a backpacking or outdoor store.
    • Alternatively, purchase toiletries at your destination to avoid security issues. They may even be cheaper, depending on the currency.
  7. Minimize the number of items that require electricity, especially those that need to be plugged in continually rather than briefly to recharge, as converters can be costly and space-consuming. Shaving, of course, can be done by hand.
    • Disposable batteries can be a good option for simple low-power electronics such as clocks, but aren't a great option for higher-power devices such as cameras: they will die much faster than rechargeables.
  8. Mail home or give away items not necessary for traveling, such as finished books or souvenirs. Trading books is a great free way to keep your travel library fresh.

Tips

  • If you are planning a bicycle touring vacation, consider leaving your bike at home and renting one for the duration of your trip (or buying and selling or giving away a cheap or used one). You can save the hassle and cost of bringing your own bike.
  • Even if you are checking one main bag, be sure to take one change of clothing and all your important items (documents, prescriptions, etc.) with you in a carry-on bag in case your checked luggage is delayed or lost.
  • Most youth hostels have laundry rooms and most hotels have laundry services, if you prefer not to wash all your clothing by hand.
  • When travelling in a group, share common items (shampoo, detergent, books etc.)
  • Plan to dress in layers, especially if you anticipate changes in the weather. For example, you could wear a sweater with a shirt underneath.
  • If the trip is longer than a few days, you may consider doing what certain travel writers do: take only the essentials with you on the plane and ship everything else to your final destination (if possible). Buy insurance to cover any damage your stuff may incur when it is shipped.
  • If you are bringing a purse, try to fit it in your larger bag. That way, you'll have fewer pieces to lug around.
  • Wear clothing with pockets whenever possible so that your essentials (ID, passport, credit card, money, hotel key) are on your person at all times. An alternative is a money belt or leg wallet, especially if pickpockets are a concern.
  • Take photographs of your travel documents, credit cards and keep them securely on-line. You can retrieve them from an Internet cafe or hotel business center. That way, if anything gets stolen you will have the information when reporting it.
  • Consider fast-wicking (drying) layers of expedition clothing. These clothes are light, designed for frequent washing, high durability, and are rated by "zones" for specific climates.
  • Pick neutral colors so your outfits are easier to coordinate.

Warnings

  • Try to avoid putting valuables in any checked bag. Bring valuables onto the plane in your carry-on bag.
  • Always make sure your carry-on bags have ID tags on them in case you leave one in the airport or on a plane.

Related wikiHows


Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Travel With One Bag. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.


FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE:
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)