Part 4 - packing, electronics, how can I avoid paying for a second bag and vacation protection!
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I've been on 54 cruises and more car and train trips than I can count (my first family vacation of which I have a memory was a trip to Puerto Rico when I was 4) . I also managed a luggage store for 5 years. I've owned a LOT of luggage and essentially got paid to dispense packing advice. To others. Not to myself.
I'm also frugal. I'll splurge when warranted. But I'll be damned if I'll pay to check a suitcase if I don't have to. As I was flying from the USA to Greece, even in economy, I'd be allowed to check one bag for free. My flight home was on United and since I have low level, Premier status with them, I can check 2 bags for free so that wasn't an issue. With American, my carrier TO Athens, I'd be on the hook for $100 bucks for the second bag. Hell to the no.
My trip would be 14 days, including a pre and post travel day at hotels in NYC or Newark. I also get a free bag of laundry (30 items, wash and fold only) as I have Elite status with Celebrity and that's one of the perks. I also figured that, if necessary, I'd find a way to do some laundry in Athens.
Usually when I get back from a trip, I do the laundry and repack it in the suitcase. There's fabric softener sheets inside and I'll iron, rewash, refresh or whatever is necessary. I wound up packing 2 nicer dresses, 3 sundresses, assorted capris, shorts, tops, pajamas, 'unmentionables', socks, sneakers and nicer sandals, toiletries, make up, and various electronic accessories. NEVER pack anything of value, NEVER pack lithium batteries (HUGE fire hazard) and ALWAYS have a list of what's in your suitcase. (I actually don't always have an itemized list, but I do have, someplace, a spreadsheet with a rough outline. See, I told you I don't listen to my own advice!)
When I pack, I use a combination of rolling and folding. I don't generally use packing cubes, as I am just not really a fan. My Mom, who was an expert packer, always thought that they were for amateurs and to be honest, I hear her voice in my head every time I entertain buying a set. LOL. I will, on occasion, use large, 2.5 gallon zip top plastic bags and organize a couple days worth of clothes in each one. The reason for this is two-fold. First, I've been known to play musical hotels, either by design or by necessity. Hence, if my trip will consist of multiple lodgings, I can just grab my packing cube of 'unmentionables' (I didn't say I don't use them EVER - HA!) and a bag of outfits and I'm set.
The second reason is that once, when I had a connecting flight at MSY (that's New Orleans for those who don't speak IATA airport codes), the ramp was shut down due to thunder in the area. Thus, my soft sided suitcase got VERY soaked, as did almost all of my clothes. The suitcase dried out and the airline gave me 10 bucks for the laundromat. But, I'd rather not run the risk of wet stuff again. However, I've since switched to hard sided luggage, at the strong suggestion of a former coworker and luggage guru, and I'll never go back to soft side.
Aside from my medium sized hard side (Delsey Helium Aero) , I hauled a 22" hard side Away carry on, a Briggs & Riley spinner tote and a Lipault soft side tote. Yes that's a lot. I was hauling a tripod (packed in the medium sized Delsey), My Nikon D80 and lens, a GoPro Hero 8, various mounts, monopods, chargers, batteries, doohickeys, doodads and whatnots. Plus 2 European plug adaptors and a USB charging hub. Oh and 2 external battery packs to charge my phone and whatever else. Of course the laptop was going along too. Now, can you understand why I pack so much? HA!
Anything that wasn't a lithium battery or valuable was packed into the bag I checked in. I only carried on the cameras, laptop, batteries and a couple USB cables just in case. The rest, which wouldn't be needed until I landed, got checked.
I mentally figured out that I SHOULD be able to repack everything, fold up the soft side tote and just check the one bag. I forgot to mention that I had 2 huge bags of candy and about two dozen little travel sized hand sanitizers for the crew. Bring gifts when you fly. Trust me.
Any time you travel, there is a chance that things can go south quickly. Storms, lost luggage, slips and falls, cancelled flights, you just never know. I always get travel insurance through a third party vendor. There are many options for insurance and there are a lot of websites that aggregate policies from a number of vendors. I like Squaremouth as they offer a number of options at different price points. The site is easy to use and you can apply filters for things like COVID-19 Pandemic, Primary Coverage and more. They have excellent customer service as well. I took a look and selected the policy and insurer who best matched my needs.
Once I was done packing, I staged most of my luggage in the garage so the cat would be less mad that I was leaving. All I had was one more sleep and I'd be on my way!
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| Pack light? Sure. Rear: Delsey Helium Aero 25" Front: Away Bigger Carry On in Coast Bottom Right: Briggs & Riley Rhapsody Cabin Spinner Top Right: Lipault City Plume Duffel |
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