Shannon,

I have no answer for you, sorry, but I was unaccountably relieved when your post turned out to be a practical request for help, rather than an exhortation to release extra baggage from our lives. :)

I like to keep a bag packed with travel size toiletries. It works well because you can just fill them up with your full size products in between trips. I guess that only works for short trips though. You could definitly do the same thing with full size products too. It saves the hastle of trying to remember all of those things in addition to things like "the thingy that connects the laptop to the projector".

There is actually an Apartment Therapy equivalent for packing:
http://www.onebag.com/home.html

For business trips, I take the essential toiletries like my toothbrush, toothpaste, and face stuff, but I count on the hotel to have shampoo, conditioner, and soap. Last time I did forget the toothpaste, but they had some at the front desk. I try to keep my traveling laptop stocked with cords and such so I'm just throwing my laptop in the bag and heading out. It can help to keep a list of what you need to pack for a business trips. Keep it in your bag where you can grab it and double-check.

Trips to Guatamala are a whole other issue. I'm heading to Zambia in three weeks and am trying to take all of my stuff in a carry-on with sleeping bag and all. I finally got a real back-packing backpack and have been slowly packing it with the things I don't need in my daily life. I'll let you know how it goes when I get back.

I travel a lot for work, often with a sample case, so I can only carry 1 bag. This can be very limiting, so I've developed some tricks. I always bring a navy suit that I can wear as seperates. I always wear something on the plane that I want on my trip so that's 1 pair of shoes, a jacket, and usually my favorite jeans. All I need otherwise are a couple of shirts, some underwear, one or two pairs of pants and I'm set for wardrobe. I always bring a comfy sweatshirt/pants to wear around the hotel room even if I don't plan on being here much. That's it. Just make sure that everything coordinates and you can actually get many different outfits with a few things.

Jen, what a great site! What a long list! Sounds like I'd need the LV luggage sizes like Tom Hanks in Joe Vs. the Volcano to go anywhere!

I didn't notice them mentioning the most important part. Finding out if coffee is available in the country/destination of choice.

"What do you mean when you say you don't know what coffee is? TRANSLATOR! I need a TRANSLATOR!"

NEWSFLASH...this just in...Prime Minister still held hostage by crazed tourist...she's quoted as saying..."Stand back, I have a day-old baguette and I know how to use it"...."Java, joe, morning brew, french roast, espresso, gimme some or the Prime Minister gets it in the eye"...

My dopp kit is always ready to go with travel-sizes. About a week or so before the journey I give it the once-over and add or prune items, depending on location and length of stay. For instance, I make sure to have plenty of contact lens solution for the duration, since that's usually expensive in other countries. Shampoo however, is relatively cheap so I can buy more if needed.
That lets me focus on other items that can only be packed during the last-minute rush: all those techy things. I still forgot to grab my firewire cable for my last trip though.

I have a "travel box" that holds all the assorted items needed for trips: adapters, foreign currency (mostly euros), maps and notes, etc. It's the size of a large shoebox, and having it all in the one spot makes packing much fastier. Oh, and I always have a pair of light flip-flops permanently in my bag. No matter the location, you might not want bare feet to be in contact with some surfaces!

I adore last-minute weekend trips by car (or even standby flight)...so, I keep a small carry-on bag packed and ready in the trunk. It's packed lightly with duplicates of my most reliable wardrobe staples--dark jeans, white linen blouse, lightweight sweater. And ladies---for traveling makeup, keep those freebie samples you get at the counter--perfect size, no extra expense and sometimes an interesting surprise (guess I'm wearing coral lipstick today!).

Best tip from Mom: always, always pack a swimsuit. As a kid, I thought she'd lost her mind when she insisted we locate our swimsuits to be packed for a mid-winter, midwestern trip to the tundra of Nebraska (with no overnight stop planned, staying with relatives, none of which had a pool). Sure enough, we got caught in the blizzard of the decade, trapped for three days in a hotel...the only one in the county with an indoor swimming pool!

These days, a swimsuit is always in my bag. When I was snowed in NYC, I was the only exhausted passenger from our canceled flight to enjoy the sauna.

I keep the laptop-projector connector in my laptop bag at all times. It's the classic item you completely forget about until you really need it.

I'm a big fan of packing cubes (double-sided are my preference).

(ebags.com - their store brand is cheaper than the eaglecreek brand.)

Why? If you're hunting for an item in your bag, everything else doesn't get mushed-up together in one big space. One cube is for socks and underthings and pajamas. One cube for tops. One cube for bottoms. And one smaller cube for techie cables (rechargers, a/v connectors, etc).

I second travel cubes and a toiletry bag that is always packed with travel sizes. I also have a bunch of duplicate things like cell phone/ipod chargers, umbrella, travel clock. In the case of the chargers, I bought cheap non-oem on ebay and they live in my suitcase just for travel.

The last thing I swear by is a very detailed list, even splitting out things that you would normally lump together underwear. I know write panties and bras. (This is SOP after managing to go on a trip with only the bra I has on.)

Yeesh, and learn to proofread better before hitting "Post".

After a trip take note of what you didn't use at all and mark that off the list for the next trip. I'll echo the praise for some type of packing cube or use large zipper kitchen storage bags. I've been pulled out of line many times for extra security checks and having things in bags makes for easy re-packing.

I've accepted that I will not really go to the gym in the hotel so i have finally stopped packing workout clothes.

I keep a bag of toiletries packed always...which I also use for the gym (when I'm home!), so I know when I'm running out of something. I also have a "travel box" like Trish M for things I may want or need depending on the trip (like earplugs, eye mask for long flights...)

I used to say 'oh I can count on the hotel for shampoo," but was really relieved on one of my recent trips that I brought mine--the only hotel in the area was extremely budget and only had soap. Oh, and only had flourescent lighting! Ick!

I bought a travel toothbrush at a camping store that has integrated toothpaste...so much better than bringing a tube, I think.

The mentality "i can always buy it there" helps--even though I never need to, it helps me pack lighter than I'm prone to want to do!

I'm a reporter and when I travel, it's often to places where you can't nip out to the store to get what you've forgotten (Afghanistan, Iraq etc.) so I've got this down to a science (art?).

It actually mostly involves mindfulness of what your trip will entail. You don't start packing till you've got a list. Most of my time "packing" is spent making the list. Once that's done, you can pack literally in minutes, with confidence.

You make the list by going through your anticipated activites day by day, and figuring out all the clothes, accoutrements and equipment you need for each task, then put it on a chart so you can see it in one place.

Literally start thinking your day through from the beginning -- ie, get up in the morning: I need flip flops for the shower, I need a bag to carry my shampoo etc in, I need stuff to put in the bag, I need my towel, I need a hairbrush, moisturizer etc.
Then onto the next task: I will be out on patrol: I need an underarmor shirt, cargo pants, hiking booots, camera, tape recorder etc.
Then dinner -- I'll need a complete change of clothes and a sun hat.
Then bed -- nightclothes, and if I wake up in the middle of the night, I need a cover up to go to the public bathroom.

The chart should go horizontally day by day across the top (the x axis), with anticipated activities on the vertical (the Y axis) then fill in the spaces.
(ie, Monday:
Embassy interview: Blue dress, blue scarf, brown shoes, brown belt, underwear
Patrol: Underarmor shirt, sports bra, cargo pants, hiking boots, smartwool socks,
Relax: yoga pants, t-shirt, flip flops
Night: undershirt, boxer shorts, flip flops, linen shirt, book, clip on light, flashlight (for going to the latrine)

Then make a list of hygiene stuff you need (including the bag to carry it in)
and the equipment you need -- which I break down by task (for writing, for interviews) -- again, thinking through every contingency (power goes out, battery goes dead)

when you have it all done, THEN you transfer that to a straight list by category (pants, skirts, underwear, shoes, socks, accessories, etc.)

NOW you pack. As each thing goes in the suitcase, check it off. Pack the list, too, and when you pack to come home, cross of each item as you put it in. You should come home with everything you left with, and have everything you need when you go.

Making a detailed list, then packing and checking off each as it goes in, prevents tearing apart your bag at the last minute to see if you packed something but don't remember doing it.

pam h

I second Norma's suggestion to use zip-top kitchen bags. (I like the kind with the sliding zipper, which is easier to open and close than the classic Ziploc variety.) I've been doing this for years when packing for everything from weekend getaways to backpacking-in-Europe adventures. As Norma said, this packing strategy makes security searches move more quickly, but the main advantage is that items carefully folded before being inserted into the bags usually come out wrinkle-free.

My mantra used to be that if it didn't fit in a carry-on, it didn't go. I've gone on some wonderful three-week trips with just a roll-aboard. Now the overseas airlines are clamping down on people like me (British Air is something like 7 kilos!). I've had to check baggage the last few times. So -- magically -- my luggage has grown somewhat. However, I still generally bring one basic outfit with several changes of shirts, thin sweaters, one pair of jeans (which I wear on the plane because they're bulky). Two pair of shoes in case one starts bothering my feet. Swimsuit (agree with you there, Modkatie). My own toiletries because I'm fussy. Several extra pair of underwear and socks because you tend to shower and change mid-day on trips. Always, always the minimum. But always, always bring Pepto Bismol tabs and Fibercon. Because you just get messed up traveling! Oh, and Advil.

As for what the clothing basics are, it depends on where you travel, really. For Hawaii I bring a couple of swimsuits, shorts, a sundress and flip-flops. Maybe tennies. For any European destination, I bring conservative separates and several scarves. For China, you need to bring new-looking things. Believe me, it matters there. If my clothes start to bug me, I pay the exorbitant hotel fees to get them cleaned. Life's too short to worry about it. I can pack for most trips in 15 minutes. My secrets -- if these qualify -- are keeping things in one color group and folding very carefully. I never have to iron at my destination.

The one thing that bugs me when I travel is having to wear p.j.s more than once! I wash them every day at home.

Fussy me!

http://www.onebag.com
damn someone beat me to the punch. This site is the pair down headmaster. Packing light is like editing writing. group what you need, then edit, edit and edit. Then edit some more.

I tend to pack very simple clothing that I can recycle pieces into different outfits (jeans, tropical wool trousers, white shirt, black & white long sleeve tshirt, sweater, jacket). I am in the software world so it is very casual. But the greatest thing for travel is a tablet pc. There is a complex chemical process that turns the plastic in typical laptops to lead within airports. So my laptop becomes like 500 times heavier when traveling. I got a tablet pc, which rocks (although it isn't an Apple)! It is totally light-weight and can fit easily onto the tray table on the plane.

oh and I forgot, roll all your clothing military style. You can pack more into your bag/suitcase. I travel with only a medium LL Bean duffle bag that easily fits into any overhead. Things sometimes wrinkle but most hotels have travel irons available.

I keep my toiletries bag packed and at the ready. I also have a travel packing list I got from Flylady.net and I refer to it from time to time.

I agree that www.onebag.com is the best site for your needs. It's a lot to read through but it basically boils down to the following:

- Only take one carry on bag and remember that carry on allowances for smallers airlines outside the US are almost always less than the US airlines.
- The ideal bags for business and personal travel are not the same.
- Expect to hand wash on longer trips.

:0 hope this helps.

Lists lists lists! I start out by figuring out an outfit per day, then I add one (just in case, you know). Then I mentally go through my morning and evening routines, writing down what I need as I use it. Then, I pack it, duh :).

The clothing tips on onebag.com are great as far as they go, but hideously unfashionable (zip-off pants?). And the scarf-tying photos are highly amusing (nota bene: young French women do not wear scarves - they're for old ladies). Also: for women, a bag with wheels is imperative. The site author must be male.

I travel constantly and am a big time compartmentalizer (zip lock bags, extra toiletries, etc) but my biggest packing tip? Pack TWO DAYS before you leave! No matter how many systems you put into place, you'll forget something, some time. If you give youself a full day for those "ah hah!" moments, you'll not only be able to add forgottn things to the pile, but you'll actually be able to get a peaceful night's sleep before a big flight.

My forgetfulness issue tends to be the print-outs confirming reservations, the addresses of stores, maps, and stuff like that. Since I just don't resonate to the PDA thing, I now print stuff as I think of it and store it in a large manila envelope, prominently labeled and kept in the magazine rack next to the big leather chair. On the way out the door, I only have to grab one piece of paperwork.

Packing -- heck, I pack for everything in a backpack. Color-coordinate, light-weight layers, stuff the socks in the shoes, handwash and be willing to tackle foreign laundromats, don't get fussy about the one perfect brand of toiletries. I am so low-maintenance.

i'm not a fan of the onebag.com website for general travel.

some of the suggestions sound great if you are traveling in extremely remote parts of the world for extended periods of time, but otherwise blegh. there is no reason to take duct tape and a travel clothesline on a business trip or a weeklong jaunt in North America, Europe, or major Asian cities.

Also, their clothing suggestions are frankly ridiculous (a bow-tie saves more space than a necktie! wear a one-piece bathing suit with pants rather than pack another blouse!) and would pin one as an outsider in any part of the world. which takes away at least as many security points as a money belt and luggage lock give you.

my own suggestions (for ordinary short term travel) are much simpler:

leave the toiletries behind if you're traveling for under a week. any hotel will have everything you need, and if you're staying with friends and family they're not going to fault you a week's worth of their soap and toothpaste. you can probably do without speciality shampoo, complicated skin care regimen, hair dryer, dental floss, etc. for a few days without dropping dead.

pack as many pairs of underwear, socks, and tops as days you are travelling, plus one in case of emergency. if you're going for three days or less, travel in neutral and easily dirt-camoflaged pants or skirt and bring only that. if you're going for more than three days but still in the 1-week range, bring one extra pant/skirt. unless you are a complete slob, one or two pairs of pants should do you fine. same goes for shoes: unless you have a DAMN good reason (running a marathon AND attending a wedding in the same trip), bring along only the shoes you are travelling in, something neutral that will cover all your bases.

as far as "other stuff", use reason here. a watch or cell phone with built in alarm clock, necessary prescription meds, something to read on the plane, a local guidebook and/or phrasebook if you're traveling to an unfamiliar place. anything you might need for a business meeting or presentation, if that's why you're going. maybe mosquito repellent. chances are, if you're visiting a relatively civilized place, they will have most things that you need. unless you're traveling to the amazon, subsaharan africa, or rural china or india, they are going to have toilet paper (and if it's any of the above places, the locals will have a different custom that it would be good to at least try). they are going to have forks and spoons and bowls and anything else you need to eat with. they are going to have sheets and blankets and towels and pillows on the beds. and if it's a strange place where customs might not be the same as you're used to (for instance i discovered that in london the hotel i stayed in didn't provide washcloths for the bath!), it's a temporary thing and you can probably survive without it for a few days until you get back home and can have the proper threadcount of sheets or a real steaknife or whatever it was you missed. nobody is that high maintenance.

also, if you are traveling for less than a week to an on-the-beaten-track sort of place, check the weather there and pack accordingly. it is not that hard to get a 5-day forecast for Paris the day before you leave and find out it's 70 degrees and you aren't going to need those long underwear onebag.com told you to pack.

for a recent weekend to visit family i brought: the jeans and boots i traveled in, two additional tops and socks/underwear, toothbrush, chapstick, reading material, iPod, ID and all that to get on the plane, cell phone, scarf and light jacket (because the place i was leaving and returning to was coldish), sunglasses, bikini (because there was a chance it would be warm enough to swim where i was going) and one additional skirt because i knew i would be going out for a nice dinner with my grandparents, and they really appreciate that sort of thing. i was able to get everything into the messenger bag i usually carry. and i probably could have left behind the iPod, bikini, and cell phone.

One trip I can remember had me in a sleeping bag on the ground. No running water. No shower. Outhouse for toilet. No need for hair care or cosmetics, obviously. Splashed water on my face from the seemingly clear river. No first aid, just stuck bashed toe in the above mentioned river and let the little fishes pluck out all the dirt and sand until the wound was clean.

Lovely hairstyle consisted of bed/sleeping bag hair, coupled with several marshmallows that my camp mates had been flinging at my head while I slept. Many of which stuck.

Ahhh, I don't understand travelling for pleasure anyway. Why go somewhere that requires you to remember stuff you already have at home, and you could have stayed at home comfortably in the first place.

I travel 3-4 times a month for many kinds of conferences and concerts. Clothing is easy - neutrals + one color family to brighten things up. Shoes - one heavy pair for the plane and something light to put in the bag.

The best thing I have learned is to have levels of packing for the rest. I have multiple bags for toiletries etc. and pack according to the length of the trip.

For a one or 2 day trip I have my toiletries in a single leather pencil case from Leatherman. Single-use foil packaged products from Bumble and Bumble are the secret to this one. My makeup case is also a thin pencil case which I carry always carry in my computer bag - concealer, mascara, lip/cheek stain, lip balm, sunscreen/moisturizer, solid perfume, control tape by Aveda for my hair. That way if I get stuck in rehearsals I can always put a face on for the concert.

For the next level up I add another makeup bag with the products I use when I'm at home - just keep it open on the bathroom sink. And another toiletry bag with travel-sized bottles of the products I use at home - I also bring detergent and a clothes line. This remains packed and ready to go at a moment's notice.

Importantly, when I'm unpacking from a trip, I go through my bags and replace anything which I used up on the trip, so I'm not in a frantic rush when I'm leaving for a trip.

Have to share that I got a Wakamatsu rolling bag and I have never been so happy with a suitcase in my life - the front is a garmet hanging section, it has 4 wheels, and you can customize the picture!

I pretty much discovered many of the suggestions on this page when planning a month long vacation in China and Japan in the late 1990s. I used one bag (an Eagle Creek Continential Journey). I rolled my clothes and used stuff sacks (kinda like a cube idea) to divide up my bag. I really thought out what I would do on a regular basis. I also brought stuff to hand wash my clothes. Traveling light made certain experiences possible that more luggage would not have.