Packing

One of the most tension-filled moments of any trip occurs when you stand in front of the luggage carousel waiting for your bags to drop. Your mind can't help but run through the steps necessary in the unlikely event that your bag is lost and you are left with little more than the clothes on your back. Spending the first 40 minutes at your destination staring at a luggage carousel is no treat either.

So we have made it our goal to check no bags on our trips. We carry everything we need with a combination of backpacks and day bags. Our trip can begin the moment we walk off the plane. Whether we are gone for 7 days or 70, the packing list is the same. We launder clothes whenever it is convenient. As long as you do a little every couple of days, it never becomes too big a task to be bothersome. We make it a point to stay in places that offer laundry facilities. Many small items can even be washed out in a sink before you go to bed. Every member of our family has their own backpack and day bag. They are responsible for keeping track of their own things and for carrying them as we transition from one location to another.

Some ultra-light travelers only take 2-3 days worth of clothes with them and they wash the clothes they wear every night. We're not that dedicated. It is good to have some clothing choices, including a warmer outfit for when the weather goes through a cold spell. But we have found that 7 days worth of outfits is enough. You can also cut weight by avoiding bulky, heavy clothes like sweaters and jeans.

Non-clothing items are an entirely different issue. It is always a challenge to smartly choose and pack all of those body and hair-care items you might think are absolutely essential. Suffice it to say you would be very wise to have a low-maintenance hair style and to realize that other countries have grocery and drug stores, too. They sell many similar products you expect to see at home & finding them and reading the labels in a different language is part of the adventure.

It is still a good idea to travel with a small sewing kit to repair clothing problems. Likewise, a bare minimum of first aid supplies are a must, including band aids of various sizes and alcohol wipes. Some laundry soap and a 2-gallon zip-lock baggie together can serve as a hand-held washing machine in a pinch. It is always useful to have a few smaller baggies handy, too. Small and light accessories like paper clips and rubber bands can be useful, and are harmless to toss into a "little stuff" kit. Keep all of these things as lightweight as possible, organized, and separate so specific items can be found easily.

This summer will be the third consecutive year we have taken IcelandAir to Europe and their carry on bag restrictions are rather severe. A 6 kilogram or 13 pound weight limit is imposed on bags that go into the overhead compartment, as well as standard size restrictions. This is a bare minimum for six days worth of light adult clothing in a very light bag (remember, you are wearing the 7th day). It is unlikely that you would have room within that weight limit for anything else. However, IcelandAir also allows a small day bag that will fit under the seat. This bag has no weight limit, so it is a good place to "hide" heavy non-clothing items like liquids, snacks and electronics (or even an extra pair of shoes). Once you check in at the airport, you can transfer some of those items back into your overhead bag, since it will not be weighed again.

Many people bring books with them to pass the time reading. If you do, only bring inexpensive copies that you will be willing to leave behind. It is silly to bring several pounds of books that will become useless dead weight once you finish reading them. Recently, more and more people have turned to "ebook" sources like Kindle and the new iPad to deal with this issue. This serves as a nice segue into a packing issue that requires special attention; electronics....