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Packing Lessons Learned

Claudia Sails

Since its a slow day travel talk-wise but at the same time many of us are getting ready to do some packing I thought I'd launch a new topic.

What items have you packed and found you didn't really need and conversely what useful items have you added to your packing? Let's try and stay away from fashion talk.

For me, I don't usually bother with a sun hat. Packed one for our first river cruise - never wore it and have only once since wished I'd had it. I've never brought an alarm clock since I use my smartphone instead.

Items, I've added include a couple of clothes pins. If I want to wash out socks I've found they're handy to keep them falling off the line. They're also useful for clipping curtains together if there is a gap. If we're adding some time on our own to the tour I always pack (checked bag) a small knife to cut cheese, fruit, etc for picnics. And of course - lots and lots of Ziploc bags in every size from snack to 2 gal.

Comments

Trixie

Claudia…. The governments of Kenya and Tanzania outlawed any single use plastic bags in June 2020.

ndvb

Never mind....I found it.

AlanS

ndvb
10:39PM
Never mind....I found it.

I sent you a PM (message)- see little envelope icon at upper right.

Choc

We take the very small LED votive candles. They fit in small spaces in the bathroom and are great nite lights. We also have small zip bag with toothbrush, floss, paste, etc so when luggage needs to go before we return from breakfast we can still brush our teeth. It can then fit into our carry on or purse. We also carry a pharmacy. I include small salt packets for sore throats and soaking cut fingers.

British

Ah, that reminds me, we take packets of rehydration powders with us on most tours. We always do the toothbrush thing, hate bot to brush our teeth after breakfast. It does mean we do have to allow more time to go back to the room to do this but it also means we do not have to carry day bags down to breakfast that we see many people doing.

PF606590

Although Tauck overfeeds us, we take a box of Granola bars in case lunch is really late.

Lotusgirl

I used binoculars a lot on two African safari trips and in Costa Rica. Small and lightweight.

kpetzelt

British, your story about your husband insisting on taking the pharmacy made me laugh as my husband is the same way! I don't think I could pack without my packing cubes anymore. They have really been a life saver on those new hotel every other day trips as I pack them by the day - just pull out what you need and the rest stays neatly packed away. We always carry a power strip as the outlets in most hotels are in useless places. I always take more clothes than I need - trying to get much better at that making sure I can use pants more than once. Also, place in your luggage a piece of paper with your arrival hotel/contact information on it incase your luggage is lost - it may make it easier for it to be reunited with you. Luggage locks or zip ties for those times when you must leave your luggage with a bell hop if you have an early arrival and want to leave the hotel prior to your room being ready. Notecards / envelopes to include a nice note to the TDs. Small flashlight, nightlight to keep the bathroom lit enough to not stump toes.

kfnknfzk I think the packing sleeve can be descried as an envelope for clothes. I have seen them at the Container Store here in the states. We have one but I don't find it as useful as the cubes.

Thanks for starting this post - it's been great reading as I start preparing for our upcoming trip at the end of the month.

Claudia Sails

Lots of packing cube talk here and there are so many different brands, prices, styles, etc. My husband uses a $10 set from Walmart. Works fine. I have a set of Amazon Basics that includes sm, med, lg, and a slim. What I like about them is the reasonable price tag, variety of colors and the fact that they give you more options for which combination of sizes in a set. If you like to use a cube for 1-2 days worth of outfits, then you might want 4 of the small or slim cubes instead of having med or lg. They are strong enough to provide a moderate amount of compression when I need it which isn't often. For checked bags, compression cubes are a potential hazard to staying within airline weight limits. I pretty much know when I've reached the top edge of my suitcase that I have as much as I dare take and probably need to do some paring down.

kfnknfzk

keptzelt - Yes, an envelope is a much better description than sleeve. I love them! Based on the many comments, it appears the packing cubes have come a long way.

NancyCohen

Packing cubes-I pack by category i.e. long sleeve tops, short sleeve tops, sweaters, shoes).this makes it easy to find things!
Always an extra pair of reading glasses and sunglasses
Never an umbrella - always a rain-proof jacket with hood
For good scents, I take unused soap from hotels and add to cubes
I always bring a stash of US cash in low denominations for small purchases and tips
A note card/envelope with gratuity for TD in US cash
Two different ATM cards - in case of a problem!

Can’t wait to start packing!! Here’s the process: I begin packing process 3-4 weeks before departure. Invariably i overpack. I put everything into cubes. Weight each cube. Pack them into suitcase. Then I rethink: I remove excess tee shirts, shoes etc!! By the time I’m ready to leave for the airport, I have mostly what I need - and if need be, I’ll have something laundered at the hotel.

AlanS

Claudia brings up a related but totally new topic- when do you start packing, not dig out the suitcases, but actually pack? Claudia seems to do it fairly early. While we don't wait until the night before (like I used to do before a 6 month Navy deployment ), we really don't get serious about packing until a few nights before.

British

We don’t get serious until a few days before, when I used to pack earlier than that, I would forget what was in there.
We sometimes take a photo of the inside of the bag to check it has not been rifled. We have had security open our bags and leave us notes a couple of times. We use zip-ties not locks these days. We had TSA approved locks and they kept disappearing. We keep a supply of zip ties and a small pair of nail scissors in an outside pocket of our checked luggage. Since my hubby had his electronics chargers and computer leads taken form his suitcase years ago, I always insist we put those in our carry on.
Having grown up with few clothes and having to wear my cousin’s cast offs, I get very attached to my clothing. I am obsessed with keeping it nice and in good repair and hate to take on vacation anything I would be upset about losing….yes, I know I am an oddball…..that’s why I enjoy packing for adventure travel, no need to take expensive clothing and shoes.
It appears that so far, everyone is on the same page apart from about binoculars, we love our binoculars for our adventure travel. They were even useful on our riverboat and small ship tours.

Smiling Sam

AlanS
when do you start packing, not dig out the suitcases, but actually pack?

Starting about one week before leaving home (which is where I am now) we put up hanging racks and tables to put what we think we will bring with us (see picture below - which is just my stuff, my wife as a similar setup). This makes it easy to see/count everything you have. With a couple of days to go stuff starts to go into packing cubes. One day before departure, the cubes go into the suitcases and we perform a weight check. We adjust as necessary.

British

Smiling Sam, I’m beginning to think you are almost as OCD as Alan 🤪

Smiling Sam

British - Perhaps, just not with Alan's knowledge, experience, and Tauck insider contacts.

BKMD

British - those are the two who do spreadsheets for their trips!

I start packing 2-3 days before the trip. I do check on things like sun screen, bug spray, and any other expirables about a week before the trip.
And I notify my bank, CC co, etc., via their web sites, as to travel plans about a week ahead of time, so cards aren't denied when used.

Claudia Sails

In some ways I start mentally packing as soon as I pay the deposit. At least in terms of any clothing purchases after that. My mind is thinking "would this be a good choice for xx trip". Seriously start several weeks beforehand staging items in the guest room. Mostly the odds and ends that I want to make sure make it in the bag. Next I take all the clothing and shoes I think will work for the trip. I also weigh them. Sounds OCD but there can be significant differences and they add up quickly.

Then I start the weeding out process. Does that top only match one pair of pants? Do those pants require shoes not worn with anything else? Do I really need 2 cardigans or will 1 be just fine? Do I have enough options to adjust to the weather as needed and/or layer? I've had both unexpectedly cold and hot weather that I wasn't prepared for on previous trips. Then I round up the odds and ends like the right socks for the shoes packed. Last step in actually packing the bag and weighing it with a digital scale at least one day prior to departure. Goal is to keep the checked bag no heavier than 40lbs.

Last trip I actually made a detailed packing list for all bags. The checked bag list mostly as a record in case the bag went wandering and I had to make a claim. The carry-on list to help me remember things for future trips. Yep, sign me up for the OCD list squad.

TravelGuy

I am not sure if this was mentioned, but my wife brings a hand-held collapsible fan for the stuffy air in museums, buses, etc. She could sell a dozen or so when the group sees it.

AlanS

BKMD
4:12PM
British - those are the two who do spreadsheets for their trips!

Well, one of us does! at least for main and private expenditures.

Sometimes I will also do a time spreadsheet if we will be doing non-Tauck private excursions or other activities during a tour, e.g. side trip to Pisa, climbing Brunelleschi's dome, riding a Segway, etc. in Florence or riding the Kolbensattl bobsled instead of visiting the Passion Play theater (for the second time) in Oberammergau. We packed a lot of extra stuff into Classic Italy and it all worked!

I'm working on my most detailed time spreadsheet yet, for my planned hike in Petra:

But back to packing- one thing I forgot to mention- we do laundry first, to make sure all our clothes are clean so any clothes we own can be packed.

British

Here”s another thing we do….we have a list on the computer that we print out a few days before we leave for a trip. It has things like turn off water, lower thermostat, empty trash, etc on it. It lives on the kitchen island until we leave. We check them off just before we leave and then when we get back, we reverse the process so that each of us knows what has been done. As we leave for the airport coming home we remotely adjust the HVAC so it is warm/cool for when we return.

AlanS

Yup, we also use a departure check list.

ndvb

Susan is my list person. I won’t have to worry about it.

terrilynn

Great thread. We do most of everything listed above.
Some of you asked about Packing Sleeves VS Packing Cubes - Packing Sleeves can be bought on Eagle Creek - and Target sells Eagle Creek and they are ON SALE now - we just ordered some ONLINE. Eagle Creek is going out of business later this year, so the Eagle Creek Website and the Eagle Creek products on the Target Website are ON SALE now. The also sell Eagle Creek and great packing stuff at most AAA stores.

Some things we LOVE that I didn't see mentioned are sold on the Tom Bihn website and if you don't use some of their stuff, you are missing out. I wish I knew how to attach links and I would, but since I don't, I encourage you to go to their website and in the SEARCH bar - look at the TRAVEL TRAY - it is our absolute favorite item for travel - be sure to scroll through the photos and see the video on how to use it. We each have one and keep it on our nightstand. We can't and don't travel without it. It's a great 'catch all' for adapters, glasses, cords, etc.

We also like their double organizer pouch in multiple sizes for tickets, receipts, maps, guidebooks, etc.

We like their 3D Clear Cube as our 3-1-1 bag instead of a quart size bag. My husband loves their CoPilot as his everyday carry bag with their ABSOLUTE STRAP - we own several of their absolute straps for our duffles, etc - it is the best strap on the market.

We like the Rick Steves HideAway tote which zips and folds into itself - it weighs nothing and packs into our day bag - we use it as our gift/purchase bag/tote - esp when we go the the Christmas Markets. The Rick Steves site also sells adapters for $1. We like his Large Gadget bag too.

kfnknfzk

Great comments, terrilynn! I'll research your company suggestions this weekend. And thank you for reminding me about AAA. We have been members for 57 years but hardly go there anymore. I will visit them before our next Tauck tour!

Don't apologize for not attaching links. I never open them. You provided enough information for me to easily research on my own. Thanks again!

AlanS

Terrilynn- posting a link can be as simple as copy and paste- copy the URL of the website from the address bar then open the Tauck window and paste the URL into your post wherever you want. It will automatically become an active link like this: https://www.tombihn.com/

There are other ways to do it, but the above method shows the actual address while this method does not. (it requires extra work to make a link stand out and look like this )

For our three trips where Tauck issued duffel bags, I believe all three were made by Eagle Creek. If Eagle Creek is folding, Tauck will need to get an alternate supplier if they haven't already.

Choc

Oh, Sam. I have the same clothes rack and table which I start using2 weeks prior. It makes my husband upset. He’s a late stage packer. I also take a collapsible fan and I always line the interior of my luggage with garbage bags to add extra waterproofing.

British

Please remember some countries, especially in Africa, ban the importation of plastic bags. Tauck reminded us of this on our last visit to K and T

Eg. From world Expeditions website
As of June 2019, plastic bags are not allowed in Tanzania, as the country steps up in the global movement against single plastic use.
OTHER COUNTRIES MENTIONED IN THE TEXT
Special desks will be designated at border posts and airports for travellers entering the country to surrender their plastic bags. The strict government initiative hopes to cut down on plastic waste in the country and to help preserve the natural beauty of Tanzania.

The United Republic of Tanzania released a notice for travellers wishing to visit the country that "all plastic carriers, regardless of their thickness, will be prohibited from being imported, exported, manufactured, sold, stored, supplied and used in Mainland Tanzania."

Visitors must avoid carrying or using plastic carrier bags for items in their suitcase or in their hand luggage. However, ziplock bags specifically used to carry toiletries are permitted as they are expected to remain the permanent possession of visitors and to not be disposed of in Tanzania.
When you arrive into Tanzania carrying items in a plastic bag, customs and immigration will confiscate the bag. We suggest bringing a few cloth carry bags or stuff sacks (which pack down to nothing) from home to store your personal items and laundry.

Tanzania is not the first African country to take a step towards removing plastic bags. It follows Kenya, Mali, Cameroon, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Morocco, South Africa, Rwanda and Botswana, all of which have already either banned plastic bags completely or now charge a tax on them.

The plastic waste issue for African countries is serious. At one stage, it was suggested South Africa had named the plastic bag its national flower, since there were so many bags littering their landscape.

This situation is not new and many countries across the globe are slowly following suit. So far, 65 countries have imposed bans and another 31 countries impose a tax per bag.

terrilynn

Alan - we love Eagle Creek and have their luggage and packing sleeves and duffles.

We also love duffles from BAD, Best American Duffle, and Patagonia.

We've only been on 6 Tauck tours and have NEVER received a duffle from them, but we do always pack an empty one in our suitcase to either fill with dirty clothes or purchases.

Thanks for the lesson on copy and paste - and check out that Tom Bihn Travel Tray Video - https://youtu.be/TI9TKHk-SeM

Tom Bihn has GREAT items and they are a B-Corporation which we love. Their Double Organizer Pouches are fantastic.

And our Rick steves HideAway tote here -https://youtu.be/J5FoE-nCmyw

travel maven

Terrilyn: Thanks so much for the tips and travel websites. All great information. I never heard of Tom Bihn, great website. I have used various travel organizers over the years, but lately I have been just using clear ziplock storage bags , various sizes, to pack and organize items. Electronics, adapters, etc go into one bag. Toothpaste, toothbrush, shower cap and misc. grooming items go into another. Travel size OTC items, like aspirin, pepcid, bandaids, etc. go into another. I do like the travel tray though, that is pretty cool. Other than a small suitcase, I have a Rick Steves small travel day pack that I have used for years. Works great for putting in essentials needed for going on Tours plus 2 pockets to carry water bottles. I tend to travel pretty light. I used the tips from the Rick Steves guidebooks for years. Clothing wise, I tend to stick to a couple of basic travel colors like black, tan or white. I usually pack a pair of light weight slacks, a skort , 3 or 4 tops, usually long sleeve that can be rolled up and a sweater plus my Tilley Hat and one light fabric dress that doesn't wrinkle. One pair of good walking shoes and a pair of sandals. I figure you can always do laundry if needed or rinse out some items in the sink. If you forget something, you can always buy it along the way except when traveling to Cuba where you basically needed to bring everything that you thought might be essential.