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oldhat
10-30-18, 3:51pm
I'm curious what people bring when they travel.


Returned a couple of days ago from an 8-day trip to visit family in Houston. As a minimalist, I consider it a point of honor not to check luggage. This was my traveling kit:


laptop (Thinkpad Carbon X1) and charger
phone and charger
earbuds
3 pair socks (wear 1)
3 pair boxers (wear 1)
3 quick dry t-shirts (wear 1)
1 pair sweatpants
1 pair cargo shorts
1 pair nylon shorts
swimsuit
khaki slacks (wear)
button-down Oxford shirt (wear)
pullover
lightweight rain jacket
1 pair trail shoes


All this fit pretty easily in my laptop backpack (I don't know its exact capacity, but I think it's about 35L). I did have the advantage of easy access to laundry, but I could have hand-laundered my underwear.

iris lilies
10-30-18, 3:59pm
Decades ago I would get on a plane with just a carry-on bag and sometimes a suit carrier if it was related to work. But now, With everyone and his brother jamming everything in the overhead bins, I prefer to check luggage.

I consider it to be minimalist if I get on the airplane with a small purse, Especially for flights to Europe.

Tybee
10-30-18, 5:37pm
Yes, with COPD and needing to change planes, I go very minimal and check everything. Purse with a book stuck inside for me.

SteveinMN
10-30-18, 5:52pm
I bring:

- some changes of clothing
- toiletries
- medications
- spare pair of eyeglasses
- headphones
- my smartphone and its charger (with a looooong cord)
- reading material for the plane/train/back seat
- bag for dirty laundry
- snacks (since I can't eat just anything)

Depending on what I'm doing at the destination, I bring:
- special clothing I might need (raincoat, etc.)
- outerwear
- my laptop and its charger
- my camera, selected lenses, and its charger
- local gifts for the host(s)

I try to travel for a week with just a backpack full of stuff so it fits under my airplane seat. DW also like to fly packed minimally. But on a long trip we'll put some stuff in one checked bag so it's not crushed in our carry-ons.

Teacher Terry
10-30-18, 5:54pm
I take enough stuff so I don’t need to do laundry. But I wear my pants more than once and only take one dress on cruises with 2 different jackets. For a 2 week trip one small carry on and one medium checked bag. For 5 day trip just a carry on.

lmerullo
10-30-18, 5:55pm
Very similar situation to Oldhat...I like to carry as few items as necessary. Phone, kindle and their chargers. Meds all in a purse small enough to tuck under a plane seat.

I have taken trips where I leave behind clothing i no longer want...those jeans with one missing belt loop, the T-shirt that got twisted from washing, etc. I just can't leave behind undies, and hubby laughs at me when I say it! Can't do it! But this way my bag gets lighter as the trip goes on, and there's room for souvenirs if I want.

Yppej
10-30-18, 6:05pm
I travel heavy, including a full size spare tire mounted on a rim that takes up a lot of the trunk.

lmerullo
10-30-18, 9:18pm
I travel heavy, including a full size spare tire mounted on a rim that takes up a lot of the trunk.

I might want to see your birth certificate, since you sound like you're related to hubby! He took a HUGE toolbox with us to NC. And, it's our vacation home, so there are tools there! He's probably take a half another car along if he could!

rosarugosa
10-30-18, 9:21pm
We travel by car, and I try to take as many of my possessions as possible in case I need them, including my pillow and my coffee pot (and we stay in hotels; we don't camp).

Gardnr
10-30-18, 9:25pm
My crossbody bag aka: briefcase contains:
laptop/charger, cell charger, book for reading, my small purse w/all I usually carry including my phone

Carry-on suitcase;
2 jeans
4 tops
tshirt/capri in case I decide to exercise
5 pr socks
sweatshirt for unplanned cold weather
toiletries bag aka 1qt ziploc
brush/comb
walking shoes

I usually carry a jacket in case the flight is cold

Teacher Terry
10-30-18, 9:52pm
When we went on our month driving trip I had no idea DH brought a tool box. It came in handy because we ate outside at our lodge and the big guy could hear my voice but not see me. He was pushing on the accordion type material that is on either side of a window air conditioner. He almost sent the whole thing flying 2 stories. DH looked up and noticed. We brought him down with us and after dinner he fixed it with his tools. I was surprised he brought them.

Tradd
10-30-18, 9:59pm
I now bring mounds of dive gear when I travel, all by car. :D

Gardenarian
10-31-18, 12:27am
It really depends on the weather.

I tend to pack light: for 5 weeks in Europe this spring I brought my carry-on suitcase and small backpack.

I only bring a couple pairs of socks and underwear and wash them as I go.
One pair of black pants, one stretchy jeans, one pair of leggings (can use as pants, tights, long underwear, pajamas.)
Blue, black, white t-shirts.
One bra.
Linen blouse.
Oversized grey cashmere sweater.
Pashmina (light shawl)
Lightweight sneakers and Keen walking shoes.
Homemade 'buff' type neck warmer.
Light rain coat.
Umbrella.
Sunglass readers (bifocal - normal lens at top, readers on the bottom. I bought them for the trip but I use them all the time.Great!)
Paperback book.
Toilet kit.
Phone.
Reading glasses.
Wallet.

Everyone discouraged me from bringing a warm coat and I really wish I had. I was wearing pretty much all of my clothes a lot of the time and still cold. I ended up buying a coat at a thrift shop in Edinburgh. (Lots of thrift stores in the U.K.) The neck warmer was a lifesaver. The umbrella got a lot of use.

I also wish I had splurged and rented a phone with international cell service (not an option on my plan.) We kept running around looking for MacDonald's or Starbucks because we knew they'd have wifi.

I almost exclusively wore my sneakers, so could have brought one pair of shoes (though they got soaked on a few occasions and I was glad to have the spares.)

I brought a black bralette and had black underwear, so I figured if there was a hot tub or something they could pass as a swimsuit. Never came up.

We did laundry once and I handwashed my t shirts several times. Shampoo works better than body wash for hand washing clothes.

BTW, no one in Europe wears leggings as pants, the way we do here (except for running. Seriously, no one - you just look like you forgot your skirt. They still came in handy as long underwear.

Reyes
10-31-18, 12:57am
I don't have a list of packing items, but for trips up to 3-4 weeks I take 1 carry on bag and 1 small handbag. Generally just pack for 3-4 days and do laundry as needed to make it to 3-4 weeks. My carry on bag is about 12-14 lbs fully packed.

herbgeek
10-31-18, 5:26am
On top of the normal clothing/toiletries, I typically bring a small kettle if traveling by car or an immersion heater if flying for tea or oatmeal. Nice to have a cup of herb tea to wind down before bed.

catherine
11-4-18, 12:00am
I travel mostly for business. I pack in colors: one business trip will be my tan/brown trip; another trip will be my red/black trip, and the other will be my navy/white trip. then I can mix and match between presentation outfit, business casual, casual casual, and athletic.

I usually keep toothpaste, deodorant and extra stockings in my suitcase at all times, then I add to that my toiletries, hairbrush, one extra pair of shoes, and pjs/underwear.

In my computer bag I keep my chargers and my iPad mini as well as my computer and my phone. I also make sure I have a notebook and pencils--also a mini-umbrella.

Need for outerwear depends on where and when I'm traveling. I have a very light fake down jacket with a hood that scrunches up and packs in a little bag, which I bring in the winter.

happystuff
11-4-18, 8:00am
It depends on where I am going, who I am traveling with and for how long. Last trip to S. Korea was for 10 days - took a carry-on only for flight there but had a checked bag (gifts!) on the way home.

Lainey
11-4-18, 9:09am
As a retiree and infrequent flyer, I'm just packing casual clothes. But even when I worked I was an infrequent flyer and therefore never able to get on an airplane before all of the overhead bins were full. So because I knew I had to check a bag, I wasn't a minimalist when it came to packing.

But on Lainey's Airlines, that overhead situation would be reversed: a charge for using overhead bins and no charge for checking baggage. Or, how about those of us who don't use overhead bins get off the plane first and then let everyone else wrestle with their suitcases and block the aisles ...

lmerullo
11-4-18, 12:30pm
[QUOTE=Lainey;313741

But on Lainey's Airlines, that overhead situation would be reversed: a charge for using overhead bins and no charge for checking baggage. Or, how about those of us who don't use overhead bins get off the plane first and then let everyone else wrestle with their suitcases and block the aisles ...[/QUOTE]

I would fly Laineys Airlines! I think if you have nothing in the bins, you absolutely should get off first! Maybe even seat those persons in the aisle seats, so they can easily clear out.

catherine
11-4-18, 3:59pm
I would fly Laineys Airlines! I think if you have nothing in the bins, you absolutely should get off first! Maybe even seat those persons in the aisle seats, so they can easily clear out.

Mmm.. sounds good but it wouldn't work. a) people have strong preferences for both aisle/window and carry-on/check. You can't meld the two. And b) Have you ever been on a plane that gets to the gate late, and the flight attendants ask passengers who don't have connecting flights to stay seated so that those with close connections can dash out first? You see first-hand how self-absorbed people can be.

Ultralight
11-4-18, 4:12pm
I know I am just tempting Jeppy to have one of her fits, but I will chime in here.

Let me say this: I really dig this thread! Such great info, ideas, and experiences. Dig it! :)

So I have a darned good sized (just barely carry-on) rucksack I took to Argentina and Uruguay. I take that because it is rain resistant and has built-in covering to make it nearly rainproof on top of that.

I put some basics in there like clothes, toiletries, and such. No need to go into that. I will however mention the perhaps out of the ordinary items I take.

Several ziplock freezer bags, little ones and big ones. They have many uses and if you lose them, no big deal. They are submerge-able. They are durable. They also keep funky smelling stuff away from clean-smelling stuff. Helpful when you are living out of one ruck sack!

Inside the ruck sack I take a collapsible little ruck sack for day trips and such. Very handy!

I also have a waistband wallet with cash -- extra cash.

Obviously I keep it very minimalist all around. So there you go!

The lifestyle of the jet set loan drones!

Simplemind
11-4-18, 4:19pm
I love to fly to destinations but I'm not a fan of long flights. I pack reading material and music which will usually tide me over. Something to keep me warm and something to keep me cool. Something to snack on and a bottle of water. Something to elevate my legs. Lotion, Kleenex, chapstick, journal and a pen, cough drops, a kindle for something different to read or games.

We just got back from a three week trip where the temps were between 35 - 77 degrees. It was a challenge for packing, even with layers.

Teacher Terry
11-4-18, 7:07pm
I always stay in my seat when that happens without a tight connection.