Packing hints-everything actually fits in 1 suitcase?

[K.T.B.]

Gosh I hope you can pack for 7 days in two suitcases!

 

We also pack a collapsible bag that we use for carry-on when we come home. So there's more than clothing involved.

[brady19]

You may not have one right now but as you replace luggage, consider buying one with a suiter (?? spelling). Basically, it's a garmet bag that's on the front of the suitcase. You can hang dresses, suits, etc and then don't have to be rolled up or folded.

 

All of my luggage (except carry on) have it now - even my 22" piece. Wouldn't travel without one now that I've seen the value.

 

Good luck.

 

I have this. Its Awesome!! I get a suit, a few button down shirts and maybe a pair or tow of pants. It goes on the top side and is a real space saver.

[cl.klink]

You can totally do this with one single bag. It requires planning and cleverness. But, can do it. Rent the tux. Send presents by mail. Do other smart things. It is so peaceful and useful to travel with one bag. Once you do it, and do it right, there's no going back.

 

Read one bag dot com

 

Read the whole site.

 

You can do it.

 

I've never travelled with more than one carry-on bag (check nothing) since 2006. That includes two cruises and two other two week trips to Europe and Middle East.

 

One bag dot com.

 

- Joel

[neverbeenhere]

Why hasn't someone mentioned disposable underwear? Oh, that's why...

[cruise kitty]

Why hasn't someone mentioned disposable underwear? Oh, that's why...

 

Actually our under things for change over days go in the trash :) we travel light, & send out laundry every day, never pack anything dirty into a suitcase. For example, stayed in Rome 5 days, last morning, both our undies wrapped into paper bag & in the trash, last day of cruise same thing, last day in Paris, same thing again, at each destination we arrive with clean clothes, we've done this for many years, works out nicely, we set aside faded items throughout the year for this purpose. :)

[nojoke]

just one more reply! For years my DH and I have cruised with one 22” suitcase + a backpack each. We did 26 days straight a month ago. We do all the stuff others have mentioned, (rolling, plastic bags,use the laundry, etc). Except we take 2 compression bags for the trip home. We stuff them full of dirty clothes, push out the air, and that leaves room for some souvenirs. We always carry our own luggage off the ship--it’s nice to be able to have access to all our stuff on that last night. Happy easy sailing!

[WestLakeGirl]

Even river cruises have one night where most men wear a jacket.

[lovey1103]

 

This is the method we use to pack when we travel now. My hubby has a suit compartment on his 21" Delsey carry on. We are not small people and I've never had an issue packing his stuff along with his suit.:) I just had a friend ask me for this video as her son was going on a business trip and she told me she wouldn't have believed it would work unless she would have seen it done. This will also work for larger bags of course. A collapsible bag to stow into your regular bag would be great if you are returning with souvenirs.

Absolutely amazing!!!!

[Fouremco]

 

This is the method we use to pack when we travel now. My hubby has a suit compartment on his 21" Delsey carry on. We are not small people and I've never had an issue packing his stuff along with his suit.:) I just had a friend ask me for this video as her son was going on a business trip and she told me she wouldn't have believed it would work unless she would have seen it done. This will also work for larger bags of course. A collapsible bag to stow into your regular bag would be great if you are returning with souvenirs.

I've seen this video previously and was somewhat skeptical about the condition of the clothes when unpacked, as they look as if they'd come out quite wrinkled. What has your experience been? Was the clothing wearable right out of the suitcase, or did it require a bit of touching up with an iron? With no irons allowed on board, that would clearly be a bit of an issue for a cruise, although no problem on a land-based vacation.

[islandgirlejfan]

I've seen this video previously and was somewhat skeptical about the condition of the clothes when unpacked, as they look as if they'd come out quite wrinkled. What has your experience been? Was the clothing wearable right out of the suitcase, or did it require a bit of touching up with an iron? With no irons allowed on board, that would clearly be a bit of an issue for a cruise, although no problem on a land-based vacation.

 

Personally, neither my husband or I have had problems with clothing being wrinkled. Even with all my best efforts to lose weight, I am not thin...that is to say that my clothes are larger than the average person...my clothes still fit in the case and they come out of the suitcase very nice. If we have a pre-nights stay in Florida, I pack a few things in my personal item that the airline allows for, or if you notice in the picture, I have a few things packed on top of the bundle. It works very well and once you have it down, it is so easy! This particular bag pictured was packed a whole week before we left of the cruise and they came out wonderful. No problems at all. If you have a slight crease, it's very easy to take it in the bathroom and put the shower on to steam out. Most of our fabrics are pretty wrinkle resistant, so it hasn't been an issue. :D It will work if you are going to have a stop or two, but you do need to think that out so that you can make that bundle.

 

I have added the pictures of before and after packing. I lay my clothing out with what items I'm wearing, so the clothing is stacked that way on the bed as I don't want to forget anything. I then put everything together the way Jon Holloway does. I didn't open the expander on this trip and I was packed for 10 days.

Edited January 14, 2014 by islandgirlejfan

[Fouremco]

Thanks for the additional information. I may just give it a try next month and see how it works out. I've tried various approaches in the past, both when on extended business trips as well as on vacation, but this one seems pretty efficient.

[fleckle]

I've seen this video previously and was somewhat skeptical about the condition of the clothes when unpacked, as they look as if they'd come out quite wrinkled. What has your experience been? Was the clothing wearable right out of the suitcase, or did it require a bit of touching up with an iron? With no irons allowed on board, that would clearly be a bit of an issue for a cruise, although no problem on a land-based vacation.

We use a variation of the method shown in that video as there are some things we prefer to do differently.

 

I think that most people who have used a similar packing method over the years do tweak it somewhat to suit their own personal preferences.

 

Our clothing unpacks just fine with no problems.

The few occasional wrinkles come right out with wrinkle release spray or steaming in the bathroom while we shower.

 

Also, using thin dry cleaning bags to pack any fabric that may tend to wrinkle helps to keep the item wrinkle free.

 

The type of fabrics chosen make a difference, of course. These days there are so many fabrics that are wrinkle free or wrinkle resistant.

We would never pack linen clothing for travel, but there are some who still do.

 

[Tommy3putts]

We went on a 14 day land trip to Italy this past summer. I packed two shorts, one convertible pant, one swim trunks, three shirts, one t-shirt and two pairs of shoes in a Red Oxx Air Boss. It was perfect. You just need to get in the habit of buying the right light weight travel clothes and do laundry in the sink every night. It's an awesome way to travel.

 

With that said I may succumb to a checked bag for our Med Cruise on Reflection this July. But even if I do I'll still follow my business traveller ***** of "less is more". Two pair (three at most) of travel slacks should do me just fine for "smart casual" dinners in Blu or the Specialty restaurants. I plan on staying away from the MDR for most if not all dinners. So I don't see the need for a Sport coat in June.

[baldercash]

If I am going from river cruise directly to ocean cruise, 13 nights, would you say my wardrobe will be the same....France to Med cruise, September...Just trying to figure out because my husband needs a suit on Equinox...it needs to be rolled up during the river cruise....what a hassle, we are not formal people. Then where do the souvenirs go? Not enough room!

 

Interesting quandary, we are faced with a similar challenge this Sept we take Oasis 12 days Ft Lauderdale to Barcelona then fly to Paris and spend 20 days running about Normandy & Paris making our way to Basel Switzerland then a 8 day river cruise to Amsterdam and reboarding Oasis in Rotterdam for a Oct 14th TA cruise back to Ft Lauderdale.

A total of about 60 days with a 2nd couple so we need to be able to get our bags in small rental cars and cabs!

We know we have to layer our clothes as the weather will change due to time of year elevation and latitude as well as being prepared for spending the day touring about sites in rain.

We are considering one 22 inch case each?

 

I find wearing smart black denim jeans with a sport .jacket is suitable for day and evening in Europe.

Edited January 14, 2014 by baldercash

[iancal]

Don't sweat the small stuff.

 

I would NOT bother taking a suit. Who wants to drag along a suit that will be possibly worn on three occasions for a few hours each...plus the dress shoes, shirt, etc? Certainly not me/us.

 

We usually combine land trips with cruises. We have become lighter packers. Each item has to pay it's way into the suitcase in terms of how often/how long it is worn. At most, we pack for 7 days maximum no matter how long the trip-two weeks to six months. Pack layered, multi use clothing.

 

Formal nights are not such a big deal on Celebrity-IMHO. You are only required to dress for the MDR..you are not requested to wear in other parts of the ship on formal evenings. We typically select an alternate dining venue.

 

We travel with a 21 (for me) and a 26 (DW) roll on plus one small backpack. This is what we used for a 6 month trip that included 4 cruises. DW's is going down to a 20" for our upcoming 7 week land trip in Asia. I will probably go down to carry on bag instead of the roll on.

Edited January 14, 2014 by iancal

[denisey]

You may not have one right now but as you replace luggage, consider buying one with a suiter (?? spelling). Basically, it's a garmet bag that's on the front of the suitcase. You can hang dresses, suits, etc and then don't have to be rolled up or folded.

 

All of my luggage (except carry on) have it now - even my 22" piece. Wouldn't travel without one now that I've seen the value.

 

Good luck.

 

I travel a lot for business, and my carryon bag has a suiter. I learned that if I pack my hanging clothes in there WITHOUT the hangers, they fit better and the bag weighs less. Hotels and cruise ships have hangers once you get there.

 

I am also in the only take a carry on crowd. This is for a weekend or a month in Europe with a two week cruise. Mix and match, limit the other "stuff" and take only things you will use enough to justify bringing them.

 

I place my items in three piles when deciding what to pack...have to have, would like to have, luxury items.

 

It is amazing how neat the cabin stays too, when you have less stuff!

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Denise

[baldercash]

Interesting quandary, we are faced with a similar challenge this Sept we take Oasis 12 days Ft Lauderdale to Barcelona then fly to Paris and spend 20 days running about Normandy & Paris making our way to Basel Switzerland then a 8 day river cruise to Amsterdam and reboarding Oasis in Rotterdam for a Oct 14th TA cruise back to Ft Lauderdale.

A total of about 60 days with a 2nd couple so we need to be able to get our bags in small rental cars and cabs!

We know we have to layer our clothes as the weather will change due to time of year elevation and latitude as well as being prepared for spending the day touring about sites in rain.

We are considering one 22 inch case each?

 

I find wearing smart black denim jeans with a sport .jacket is suitable for day and evening in Europe.

 

I just stumbled on this post again and we did all that was planned plus once getting off Oasis we did 14 days on a Caribbean Princess cruise in the Caribbean then flew to New Orleans for 5 days to meet our son for his birthday. We traveled for about 80 days.

 

We started out with two 22 inch B lite Samsonite bags each weighted 35lbs and a carry on for lap top, headphones and such when we began. The bags worked perfect they were the biggest that could fit in train lockers and rolled under the shelves on trains, no problems on public transit and cabs.

We finished with the two checked bags weighing 51 and 52 pounds and two carry on, one we had packed both weighed about 20 pounds. There was never anything we needed we had not packed and that included long under wear to rain pants to swimsuits and Hawaiian shirts.

[Mparis184]

I know that some people hire a 'tux.'

I have also heard that the staff in the dining room will supply a jacket that you can put on the back of a chair for the formal evening.

Other passengers decide to eat in the buffet on Formal evenings.

 

We spoke to a couple on our last T.A who had been in Europe for 2 weeks prior to the cruise. They travelled with 'Carry On' only. They knew that they could make use of laundry facilities on the ship.

 

We also travel with one carry-on each and one small backpack. We stopped getting all dressed up on formal nights years ago and bring country club casual clothes with us. We can travel for three weeks with our carry-ons and I never feel like I don't look as

well dressed as the women who travel with lots of luggage.

 

Marion

[Chitown12562]

I didn't read the entire thread, so maybe someone already posted this link. This video helped me when I had to go on our last cruise of 11 days. I got a lot packed into one suitcase.

 

 

How to pack your suitcase

 

[derekb2380]

I didn't read the entire thread, so maybe someone already posted this link. This video helped me when I had to go on our last cruise of 11 days. I got a lot packed into one suitcase.

 

 

 

 

 

How to pack your suitcase

 

 

 

 

 

That's amazing!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[baldercash]

I didn't read the entire thread, so maybe someone already posted this link. This video helped me when I had to go on our last cruise of 11 days. I got a lot packed into one suitcase.

 

 

How to pack your suitcase

 

 

We had a friend who tried this and it works the problem is trying to get one item out or putting things back in. Not good if you are on the road. We prefer packing cubes and compression folders. http://shop.eaglecreek.com/packit-garment-folder-medium/d/1325

 

You can unpack in a heart beat as you place the folders in the drawers and take the items out as you use them. Super quick to repack and place back in case and items are folder so no wrinkles.

[K.T.B.]

We had a friend who tried this and it works the problem is trying to get one item out or putting things back in. Not good if you are on the road. We prefer packing cubes and compression folders. http://shop.eaglecreek.com/packit-garment-folder-medium/d/1325

 

You can unpack in a heart beat as you place the folders in the drawers and take the items out as you use them. Super quick to repack and place back in case and items are folder so no wrinkles.

 

I had mentioned those earlier in the thread. ;)

 

Check these out: http://shop.eaglecreek.com/packing-solutions.html

 

I got mine at the Container Store. The packing folders are awesome!

 

Best money I have ever spent!

[Leviathan2772]

You can ship your luggage. It can be shipped to a hotel and the you can shipped your dirty clothes luggage home. I travel this way all the time. Shipping luggage is convient way to travel lighter on longer holidays. It's actually reasonable if shipped thru UPS or FedEx.

[cl.klink]

For not quite 10 years now, I always travel with one single bag, a carry on, no checked bags, every trip, everywhere, long trips or short. Will do so on my 4th cruise this May. See my posts starting at #116 at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2118870

- Joel

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[waterbug123]

similar challenge this Sept we take Oasis 12 days Ft Lauderdale to Barcelona then fly to Paris and spend 20 days running about Normandy & Paris making our way to Basel Switzerland then a 8 day river cruise to Amsterdam and reboarding Oasis in Rotterdam for a Oct 14th TA cruise back to Ft Lauderdale.

A total of about 60 days with a 2nd couple so we need to be able to get our bags in small rental cars and cabs!

We know we have to layer our clothes as the weather will change due to time of year elevation and latitude as well as being prepared for spending the day touring about sites in rain.

We are considering one 22 inch case each?

 

I think that if the 4 of you are planning to share one rental car and share cabs, you will definitely need to limit yourselves to one 22" bag each. Cars are generally smaller in Europe (unless you rent a van), and you just won't have room for 4 big suitcases.

My suggestion would be to pack for 5-7 days and plan to rinse things in the sink and send laundry out as needed. If you coordinate what you pack so that all or most of the tops/shirts go with all or most of the bottoms, you can cut down on a LOT of what you pack. Same with shoes- plan clothing so that ONE pair of shoes will work for all evening outfits, then add a pair of sandals and perhaps a pair of walking shoes if your evening shoes aren't good walking shoes. Wear the bulkiest pair on the plane and on travel days. Skip the ultra-formal wear and either eat in the buffet or a specialty restaurant those nights, or do the sport jacket (also worn on travel days) for men and black pants w/ dressy top for ladies routine. Jersey knit separates for ladies are great b/c they don't wrinkle and can often be dressed up and down. You can wear skirts and pants multiple times before they need to be washed, and that's true of shirts/tops as well, if they are things you only wear for a few hours in the evening or wear on days when it's cooler or you aren't doing anything vigorous and sweating a lot.:D

Cut back on toiletries to only things that are truly essential. For example, I just have to roll my eyes when I hear of someone packing for a vacation and talking about bringing two different moisturizers for day and night. Also pack a minimal number of "just in case" items; you're going to be in populated areas and should be able to easily locate a pharmacy or other store if needs arise. (We've had no trouble finding things we didn't pack or ran out of, like allergy meds, a car charger for a cell phone, medi-tape to cover a blister, etc. while traveling in Europe and the Caribbean.