When I went to Italy this summer, I tested something new out. I packed some clothes that I intended to throw away after I wore them. Underwear that had seen better days and a couple of polo shirts that were stretched or stained were discarded, along with a couple of pairs of socks.
The socks were actually new, but after a day of walking for hours in them, I couldn't bear to put the sweaty things back into my suitcase and contaminate everything else that was clean. I think my shoes were to blame. They were great walking shoes, but they chose this trip to suddenly start reeking. Maybe I was the only one who noticed. My roommate said she couldn't tell, but I could, and I was really anxious about it. So I switched shoes and tossed my socks, which greatly improved things.
I took laundry soap sheets to wash some fast-dry tops I'd brought along, and they (soap sheets) were really handy when most of my travel group's luggage was lot by Iberia. Lesson learned: carry on until you're not allowed to. I always do, because I'm a little panicky without some of my stuff. That's why I've condensed all my necessary items into the tiniest possible spaces.
So... The polo shirts had some stubborn stains that wouldn't come out no matter what I tried, but they wouldn't be likely to show while I travelled, so I tossed them after wearing. Maybe someone in Italy would have a solution to remove the stains I couldn't, or they could just stay in the trash. I don't care, really. They had been part of my attempt to look perky and professional at work. One was such a pale pink it had always looked dingy anyway. I was disappointed when I received it, and it was very stain-prone. Another stretched in weird places and just didn't look flattering. Good riddance.
My underwear... Well, you know how that is. Elastic starting to wear out, tiny holes beginning to appear, annoying fit from the start, stretched out fabric, or just too darn big after a few pounds lost. Besides, you have to consider the appeal of having NO dirty underwear to bring back home. After you've worn them in 100 degree heat on stone Italian streets, sweating all day... I was happy to trash them.
I just wish I'd been brave enough to throw away my shoes!
It wasn't hard to throw away my old stuff. Today I'm eyeing my sock drawer AND my closet and underwear drawer as I get ready for my next trip.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Monday, June 4, 2012
Pocket Stashes
I've seen several websites offering clothing with secret pockets. I actually own a travel vest of this type, but I think it may be too hot for wearing it on my upcoming trip. Maybe on the plane it won't be so bad, considering that the flight may actually be rather cold.
But if it is too hot in the daytime... What then?
I have also seen some underwear with secret pockets for hiding valuables such as extra cash. The camisole on Magellans.com looks great, but again, it's an extra layer when I was hoping for light and airy. Also, there is a size concern. Big bust on a medium sized woman here. Most sizes are not accurate for me. :(
However.... If I can get hold of some mesh material (and I think I might now that Wal-Mart carries fabrics locally once more), I could make a simple fold-over mesh pocket and sew it into the front of each blouse with a pin or velcro for security. The tops I'm planning to take are so busily patterned that a few stitches in a matching color will never show on the outside. Or even pins might work.
I could even make a mesh sling bag to wear under my clothes, or a bra stash, considering the many mesh shopping bags I've crocheted lately.
I did look for mesh by the yard, but there was none available. I went to another department and found this mesh laundry bag for $1.38. I'm going to cut it up for pocket making. ;) probably cheaper than buying yardage and faster than making my own crocheted mesh. I considered buying some lace fabric , but that was $8 a yard. Ripoff for what will never be seen anyway.
But if it is too hot in the daytime... What then?
I have also seen some underwear with secret pockets for hiding valuables such as extra cash. The camisole on Magellans.com looks great, but again, it's an extra layer when I was hoping for light and airy. Also, there is a size concern. Big bust on a medium sized woman here. Most sizes are not accurate for me. :(
However.... If I can get hold of some mesh material (and I think I might now that Wal-Mart carries fabrics locally once more), I could make a simple fold-over mesh pocket and sew it into the front of each blouse with a pin or velcro for security. The tops I'm planning to take are so busily patterned that a few stitches in a matching color will never show on the outside. Or even pins might work.
I could even make a mesh sling bag to wear under my clothes, or a bra stash, considering the many mesh shopping bags I've crocheted lately.
I did look for mesh by the yard, but there was none available. I went to another department and found this mesh laundry bag for $1.38. I'm going to cut it up for pocket making. ;) probably cheaper than buying yardage and faster than making my own crocheted mesh. I considered buying some lace fabric , but that was $8 a yard. Ripoff for what will never be seen anyway.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Pashmina Shawl for the Flight
I've decided not to order a travel blanket for the transatlantic flight. I'm taking the pashmina shawl I bought in the airport last time I was there instead. Okay, I don't doubt that it's fake for $20, but I just need a thin little blanket anyway. :). I may ask for an airline blanket as well, or I may not.
I'm planning to wear my shin compression sleeves anyway, so if I can find some knit pants to wear over them, that may work for me. If I can find capris in neutral colors, so much the better. I might wear them instead of shorts.
I'm planning to wear my shin compression sleeves anyway, so if I can find some knit pants to wear over them, that may work for me. If I can find capris in neutral colors, so much the better. I might wear them instead of shorts.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Crushable Travel Snacks
In the interest of not eating excessive salt on a transatlantic flight coming up, I've decided to take granola with me to snack on.
Usually I take a plastic Baggie, but those can get torn in the tumbling around of my carryon bag and I'd rather not dig my hands into the food if there is a possibility that I might be sharing my snack with someone else.
I'm drinking juice from a 10 oz hard plastic bottle that seems fairly crush-proof and would make a good shaker for my crumbly snacks, so I'm planning to wash it and repurpose it for food when I finish. I may put a mixture of purchased and amended granola in there.
And then I can just toss the bottle when empty. I think it'll work fine.
Heaven knows I get irritated when a bag of candy tears open to the point that I can't close it without a gaping hole in the side spilling everything out.
Epilogue: This worked great! I mixed M&Ms in with "heart healthy" Planters trail mix and just tossed it into my bag. It was a lot less awkward shaking out a little at a time than dealing with an opened bag. It'll be great to carry my unsalted almonds traveling.
I saw a girl in our travel group who was carrying around sketching pencils in a recycled water bottle. Thumbs up!
Usually I take a plastic Baggie, but those can get torn in the tumbling around of my carryon bag and I'd rather not dig my hands into the food if there is a possibility that I might be sharing my snack with someone else.
I'm drinking juice from a 10 oz hard plastic bottle that seems fairly crush-proof and would make a good shaker for my crumbly snacks, so I'm planning to wash it and repurpose it for food when I finish. I may put a mixture of purchased and amended granola in there.
And then I can just toss the bottle when empty. I think it'll work fine.
Heaven knows I get irritated when a bag of candy tears open to the point that I can't close it without a gaping hole in the side spilling everything out.
Epilogue: This worked great! I mixed M&Ms in with "heart healthy" Planters trail mix and just tossed it into my bag. It was a lot less awkward shaking out a little at a time than dealing with an opened bag. It'll be great to carry my unsalted almonds traveling.
I saw a girl in our travel group who was carrying around sketching pencils in a recycled water bottle. Thumbs up!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Going to Italy
I'm going on a trip to Italy next summer, so I've decided to start a packing list of things I'd like to take, so that I can pare it down in plenty of time if I decide I'm overpacking.
Granted, there are a few things that I already own, and there are of course other places to purchase these items, so YMMV - shop around. :)
Scottevest Travel Vest. Seriously. Have enough pockets to lighten your carryon. I love mine. :) (it was a bit too warm to wear off the plane in July, though it was handy.)
CoolMax Travel Blanket - Planning to get one in a color other than "airline blue". But only if it is tiny and fits easily in my carryon.. (I didn't get one, and the Iberia plane was far too hot. Coming back, Delta gave us clean blankets anyway, and I was wearing a sweatshirt I'd bought in London. I'd developed chills & fever from a sinus infection.)
Eagle Creek Pack-It Slim Kit. Not sure that this would be better than the tiny makeup case I already use, but it would be nice to have that mirror, the hanging hook, and all the pockets to hang up what I need instead of digging through a bag. If it's smaller, it might be worth bringing.. I didn't buy this.
Bag Bungee - I have one and it's as secure as it looks. The top bag will definitely stay put, unlike when I've tried to put my bag's carry handle over the pull-bar and it just fell off. LOL If I take two bags, I'll be bringing this along as well.
Travel Clothesline. Yes, I made this (I love to make useful things) and use it even at home when I need some extra drying room. Works great and it's only a handful. Plus, you don't need pins. :)
Silk Money Belt I took a cheaper one. I think all money belts are sweaty.
Minimus Carry-On Caddy - designed to slip your ziploc baggie of liquids into and snap onto the outside of your luggage for convenience. They have several filled kits but I have my own favorites I would rather travel with. The caddy, empty, is only $4.99.. Used it - worked great. :)
Travel packs for OTC meds like Tylenol...
Thinking also about the Wisp mouth brushes with the bead of toothpaste on them, for in-flight freshening. Also La Fresh makeup removers, etc, wipes instead of bottled stuff - they come in packets and you just toss them afterward, leaving more room in your bags.
(Used the Wisps... Lovely effect. Used my Neutrogena makeup remover wipes instead of individuals.)
I crocheted my own mesh market bags and used them for shopping. It was nice to sling one cotton bag handle over my shoulder with all my other bags inside, instead of carrying all those plastic bag handles in my sweaty hand. Tossed my water bottle in too. :). I even made a couple more to keep me occupied during boring travel and wait times and gave them away to other travelers in our group.
Granted, there are a few things that I already own, and there are of course other places to purchase these items, so YMMV - shop around. :)
Scottevest Travel Vest. Seriously. Have enough pockets to lighten your carryon. I love mine. :) (it was a bit too warm to wear off the plane in July, though it was handy.)
CoolMax Travel Blanket - Planning to get one in a color other than "airline blue". But only if it is tiny and fits easily in my carryon.. (I didn't get one, and the Iberia plane was far too hot. Coming back, Delta gave us clean blankets anyway, and I was wearing a sweatshirt I'd bought in London. I'd developed chills & fever from a sinus infection.)
Eagle Creek Pack-It Slim Kit. Not sure that this would be better than the tiny makeup case I already use, but it would be nice to have that mirror, the hanging hook, and all the pockets to hang up what I need instead of digging through a bag. If it's smaller, it might be worth bringing.. I didn't buy this.
Bag Bungee - I have one and it's as secure as it looks. The top bag will definitely stay put, unlike when I've tried to put my bag's carry handle over the pull-bar and it just fell off. LOL If I take two bags, I'll be bringing this along as well.
Travel Clothesline. Yes, I made this (I love to make useful things) and use it even at home when I need some extra drying room. Works great and it's only a handful. Plus, you don't need pins. :)
Silk Money Belt I took a cheaper one. I think all money belts are sweaty.
Minimus Carry-On Caddy - designed to slip your ziploc baggie of liquids into and snap onto the outside of your luggage for convenience. They have several filled kits but I have my own favorites I would rather travel with. The caddy, empty, is only $4.99.. Used it - worked great. :)
Travel packs for OTC meds like Tylenol...
Thinking also about the Wisp mouth brushes with the bead of toothpaste on them, for in-flight freshening. Also La Fresh makeup removers, etc, wipes instead of bottled stuff - they come in packets and you just toss them afterward, leaving more room in your bags.
(Used the Wisps... Lovely effect. Used my Neutrogena makeup remover wipes instead of individuals.)
I crocheted my own mesh market bags and used them for shopping. It was nice to sling one cotton bag handle over my shoulder with all my other bags inside, instead of carrying all those plastic bag handles in my sweaty hand. Tossed my water bottle in too. :). I even made a couple more to keep me occupied during boring travel and wait times and gave them away to other travelers in our group.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
One Small Carryon Only - Success!
In July I went to Las Vegas for four days with friends, and two of us decided to see if we could make it without checking any bags. We both had the smaller carryon bags, with all of our stuff (other than purses) packed snugly inside.
A bit of careful planning and ignoring the impulse to carry "just in case" items made it work. I actually took 3 pairs of Bermuda shorts and wore capris and had just what I needed. (I do not know how I managed to pack a pair of shorts that was too small - I guess they were the smaller twins to the shorts I meant to take - nor did I realize that one pair had a broken zipper. All that aside, I had just what I needed and I didn't regret not having a second large bag with me.
I did have a couple of fold-away-into-nothing shopping bags with me for souvenirs. They were handy, but not necessary, as it turned out I didn't buy half of the souvenirs I thought I would. I bought T-shirts for my nephews and nothing for myself, figuring all of us adults would be okay with that. I still feel a little guilty about that, but when I was brought a T-shirt from Mexico, the cost was undoubtedly a lot different. $5 in Mexico translated to $30 in Las Vegas. Yikes....
The only thing I did special in packing was to bundle fold my clothes to make them smaller in the bag. I left out a few toiletry items that would not fit in the quart ziploc bag. I did notice one thing that was important - all quart bags are NOT the same. The one that came conveniently with my luggage held a third less than my Hefty bag with the easy zipper. That third mattered a lot!
Our plane seemed to be skimping on the amount of oxygen given to passengers. I almost had a panic attack when I realized I couldn't take a deep breath and had to promise myself I'd breathe again when the plane landed. (And I am not a fearful flier...) Other passengers complained after the flight that they couldn't quite catch their breath either. I guess they were trying to suffocate us. Flights longer than 3 hours I think I will need to take something to help me nap, from here on out....
A bit of careful planning and ignoring the impulse to carry "just in case" items made it work. I actually took 3 pairs of Bermuda shorts and wore capris and had just what I needed. (I do not know how I managed to pack a pair of shorts that was too small - I guess they were the smaller twins to the shorts I meant to take - nor did I realize that one pair had a broken zipper. All that aside, I had just what I needed and I didn't regret not having a second large bag with me.
I did have a couple of fold-away-into-nothing shopping bags with me for souvenirs. They were handy, but not necessary, as it turned out I didn't buy half of the souvenirs I thought I would. I bought T-shirts for my nephews and nothing for myself, figuring all of us adults would be okay with that. I still feel a little guilty about that, but when I was brought a T-shirt from Mexico, the cost was undoubtedly a lot different. $5 in Mexico translated to $30 in Las Vegas. Yikes....
The only thing I did special in packing was to bundle fold my clothes to make them smaller in the bag. I left out a few toiletry items that would not fit in the quart ziploc bag. I did notice one thing that was important - all quart bags are NOT the same. The one that came conveniently with my luggage held a third less than my Hefty bag with the easy zipper. That third mattered a lot!
Our plane seemed to be skimping on the amount of oxygen given to passengers. I almost had a panic attack when I realized I couldn't take a deep breath and had to promise myself I'd breathe again when the plane landed. (And I am not a fearful flier...) Other passengers complained after the flight that they couldn't quite catch their breath either. I guess they were trying to suffocate us. Flights longer than 3 hours I think I will need to take something to help me nap, from here on out....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
