Tom's capacious cube

I used to think packing cubes were gimmicky, so I was a little stunned at what would fit in one packing cube and how useful they can be. The Tom Bihn Large Cube is made expressly for the Aeronaut carryon (see review) but, at 13.5 x 13.5 x 4.25, it will fit in almost any bag. And it holds a lot. Here’s what I got in one cube: two pairs of medium-weight pants, one long-sleeved dress shirt,  one heavy wool shirt/jacket, and one t-shirt. If you pack purposefully you can fill up every square centimeter of the cube. The mesh and  ripstop nylon zippered cube provides compression when fully packed, putting more clothing in less space. Plus a tightly-packed cube lends more shape and structure to a soft-sided bag than a mere pile of folded clothes can. My next project: develop a wrinkle-reducing bundle packing method for the cube.

Nice points: smooth zippers wrap around three sides for easy packing, mesh panels allow ventilation, well-made - just like the Aeronaut, reasonably priced at $18. There are a couple of other sizes and varieties available direct from tombihn.com.

BTW - here’s an account of Aeronaut packing by a convinced cube user. 

Reader tip: blow 'em up

I usually include a couple of cheap plastic hangers in my bag so I can hang clothing anywhere in the hotel room. This is especially helpful when you need to hang sinkwashed clothing in the shower and the room has only those pesky hangers which only work on the closet rod. A pants hanger is also nice to take along. You can hang pants upside down from the cuffs and watch the wrinkles disappear.

OBOW reader Robin M. has a suggestion: “Inflatable hangers are great.  They pack small and, when blown up, give you space in your garment to aid in drying.  Love them!” Inflatable hangers are a good idea. They probably weigh no more than the cheap plastic variety and wouldn’t cause wrinkles in tightly packed clothes like the plastics can. The rigid hangers can also make carrying a soft bag a little less comforable if you don’t place them well. So, blow ‘em up and hang ‘em up. They’re widely available, including here.

About Arlene's list

Here’s how Arlene Fleming of About.com goes one-bag to the islands with only a backpack. This is good list for women travelers headed for warm weather leisure destinations. She doesn’t give an approximate weight for this load but I’m guessing it’s under 20 pounds. OBOW readers should feel free to submit their own packing lists and tips to share with others.

Romantic packing

Romance writer Brenda Coulter shares some sensible, feminine packing advice:

 On the morning of your travel day, you should find that everything you need for showering, doing your hair, and applying makeup is in your travel bag. That’s good. Just as though you were in the hotel, use things right out of your bag and then put them back.

He gets it

A quote from author/guru Tim Ferriss (whose blog we touted yesterday):

“Hauling a five-piece Samsonite set around the planet is hell on earth. I watched a friend do this up and down dozens of subway and hotel staircases in Europe for three weeks, and—while I laughed a lot, especially when he resorted to just dragging or throwing his bags down stairs—I’d like to save you the breakdown. Trip enjoyment is inversely proportionate to the amount of crap (re: distractions) you bring with you.

Practice in 30-plus countries has taught me that packing minimalism can be an art.”

A performance art, no less, and one worth mastering. Check out his video and packing list. His is a very “young” way of traveling, but anyone can do a ten-day trip with nice clothes (ableit no computer) with only 12-15 pounds of stuff.

Travel design with Tim

Author Tim Ferriss’s blog is an excellent stop for the light traveler, minimalist, or lifestyle efficiency freak. Check out his ultra-minimalist/10-pound carry-on approach - interesting for the BIT (buy it there) tactic. Just added his blog to our link section.

Plethora of personal items

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has nice set of links for personal item providers to make it easier to carry on under the 3-1-1 liquid rule. The assortment includes refillable bottles, solid shampoo, and dental items.

Advice for the fairer sex

One-bag travel is not just for men. There’s no law that says women must have three heavy suitcases. But, I don’t feel fully (or even partially) qualified to pontificate on packing — to the fairer sex. Hence, this link to blogher.org for carryon packing advice for women, by women. In a way, I think females may have it easier than men in this carryon business. Their clothes are usually lighter, more interchangeable, and probably more often synthetic than mens’. And most women are just plain resourceful - which helps a great deal.

More elegant than a sandwich bag

Here’s a more elegant solution to the 3-1-1 liquid travel hassle: the classy, reusable 3-1-1 Travel Bag, complete with containers. From the company website:

“Shortly after the new regulations were imposed by TSA, I took a weekend trip to Dallas,” said Linda. “I found myself at the security checkpoint, fumbling with all of my things falling out of a zip-top baggy, and people behind me getting frustrated. It was very embarrassing and inconvenient. I decided that something needed to be done about this problem.”

Linda began her mission by traveling to New York City to investigate options for bags, pumps, and containers that met the regulations set by TSA. Within a few months, she presented the Clear Bag System™ toiletry case to TSA, who approved the 6x8 clear cosmetic bag and airless pumps. She then added matching jars to be used for heavy products such as cold cream, or Vaseline.

“Customers really like the strong vinyl bag because it stands up on its own making it easy to access the airless tubes and any additional items packed in the bag,” said Linda. “People need a practical solution to keep travel easy and abide by the rules. The Clear Bag System™ toiletry case is meant to eliminate extra hassle and re-introduce flexibility to the independent traveler.”

More reviews of designer 3-1-1 baggies here from portfolio.com.

An Element of Light Travel Style

William Strunk, Jr., author of the writing manual The Elements of Style, used to tell his students “Omit needless words! Omit needless words!” Strunk stressed economy of language; he said every word and phrase must pull its weight, pay its way. Similarly, the light traveler is well advised to “Omit needless stuff! Omit needless stuff!” Need - now there’s a weighty word.  What do we need? What can we edit? What can we leave behind? Packing stuff we need is not the same thing as packing everything we might need. We may live out of one suitcase, but we shouldn’t try to pack our entire life into that suitcase. Leave room for chance. Heck, get crazy — discover a new shampoo! Buy an umbrella in another country. Run out of underwear…just for fun.

22 lb/10 kg - the magic number

For international flying there’s a magic number: 22. Pounds that is; or 10 if you count in kilograms. That’s the most common carryon weight limit for international carriers. Some, like the smaller (mostly British) airlines have even lower limits, but 22 is the mark to shoot for. To be on the safe side make sure that your “personal item” is included in this weight and that it fits inside the larger carryon, since some countries - most notably the UK - allow no additional personal item unless it will fit in one larger bag. The dimensional limits have not changed: 45” combined still works almost everywhere, some allow a bag up to about 50”.

If you’re committed never to check a bag it’s never been tougher. But, given the mounds of checked luggage (and 1000’s of pieces lost every day) the rewards of going one-bag/carry-on have never been greater.

 This link has information on international luggage limits for various airines. It’s not 100 percent accurate (it assumes you usually are allowed the extra personal item, which is no longer always the case). Always check the website of your airline. Some carriers allow fudging, but the safest bet is to assume they will follow their own rules when it favors them.

Pack mules, smelly haulers & wandering launderers

A traveler has two choices: light or heavy.

The heavy traveler carries ten outfits for ten days. This makes him, first of all, a pack mule lugging 40 or more pounds of gear. It also makes him someone who, by the end of the journey, is carrying a large quantity of dirty, smelly clothes.

The light traveler carries only a few outfits, hauling maybe 12-20 pounds, but must rely on some form of laundry. If staying in one fairly civilized place a real, reliable laundry may be found. It will cost something. The more flexible and far-traveling type will be his own laundry, having chosen clothes that can be easily sink-washed and line-dried. This costs only a little time and convenience, but may be most convenient of all in the long run.

You decide: smelly mule or sink-washing laundryman. Neither is easy, but remember that travel and travail come from the same root word. The traveler’s skill, planning, and resourcefulness determine how apt this word lineage will seem. Traveler or Travailer? What’s in your bag, and how much, may decide which modern word best describes you.

"tiny, doll-size suitcase" not for her

This Washington Post piece is a peek inside the mind of a confessed overpacker. I understand, in some ways. In my photojournalist days I carried more gear than anyone. If I needed one of anything, I carried two. Of course that meant I really needed two so I carried three… But even in those days, after a couple of unscheduled overnight trips with essentially no luggage - I found out how little I could get by with clothingwise. Thankfully my camera gear weighs about a pound these days instead of 35 or 40.

Fine stuff from Flinn plus light travel for women

Here’s a tremendous 2006 light travel article from the San Francisco Chronicle’s John Flinn. He’s obviously influenced by Rick Steves and onebag.com’s Doug Dyment - but hey, who isn’t. Be sure to check the sidebars on what he packs, luggage,  and women’s travel needs.

Actually the article on light travel for women is written by Christine Delsol. Check out this doozy from her:

”Women bear more than their share of responsibility for the proliferation of overweight, wheeled luggage clogging the world’s airports and sidewalks. After 40 years of travel, even an old-line feminist like me has to chime in with Professor Higgins on this one: “Why can’t a woman be more like a man?”

The first thing most women need to pack is a change of priorities. Repeat after me: I’m OK, you’re OK, and it’s OK to wear the same thing two or three times in the same week…”

Gee, a man couldn’t get away with saying that, so I didn’t. Actually, I would say light travel can be just as easy for women since most have already mastered some of the needed skills that men struggle with: They are comfortable with sinkwashing, are good at assessing fabrics, know how to put an outfit together. And, women are usually just plain resourceful. 

"Even then, she cannot fit everything into a one-quart bag"

An excellent story about liquid restrictions from today’s International Herald-Tribune includes lots of tips for women who carry on. Some highlights:

“Marcy McKenzie … has started asking dermatologists and dentists for one-ounce samples of creams, toothpaste and mouthwash. She has also collected empty prescription-drug containers from pharmacists that she refills with shampoo and hair gel.”

 “A friend … skirted the rule by wearing a push-up bra that lacks wires (so it does not set off security alarms) but includes a small pocket for gel inserts. By removing the inserts, Bos said her friend had enough space to stash hair-gel tubes.”

“So after the 3-1-1 restrictions were announced, he bought four toiletry kits at a local drugstore and stocked each one with about $15 worth of his favorite talcum powder, shaving cream, toothpaste, hair gel, face lotion and hand cream. He stashed the kits at the four Dallas hotels he stayed in most often …”

I still worry about unmarked containers - you never know when a screener will balk at them. BTW - You can buy almost anything in TSA-approved travel sizes here.