I would like very much to travel light, in a roll aboard bag and a small “personal item” tote bag.
My roll aboard bag’s interior dimensions are about 19" x 13" x 6". If I take my laptop, that’ll eat up a good chunk of the depth and weight. My tote bag is small and fits under the seat in front of me.
What’s a good packing list for three nights in Vegas, in the summer, amongst Dopers, that fits in my carry ons?
My quick & dirty list:
3 shorts, 1 of which I wear on the plane
4 short sleeve shirts, 2 of which have collars
1 slacks
PJs
extra underwear & socks
Toiletry items, minimal liquids and toothpaste
Dry instant soup for the 5 hour flight
Portable music player and noise-cancelling headphones, and charger cord for the player
Camera, spare battery, and charger
Phone and charger
Shaver and charger
I like the recommendations on this site. It helped me greatly when I went to NYC last Christmas; and again when I went to Minneapolis for three days last month.
I packed what I needed for those three days in one carryon; I then carried my laptop & purse inside a briefcase. My son did the same. We didn’t check any bags.
What’s with the “dry instant soup”? Is that the type that comes in a bowl? If it is, seems like a bit of wasted space. Why not something like protein bars, which pack a lot of calories in a smaller container?
I came in here to link to this. It’s become my travel bible and after a couple trips, I’m getting better. We’ve got the whole family now bringing one backpack a piece on two week trips.
One tip from onebag is to get rid of the luggage with wheels. The wheels use up valuable interior space.
I’ve learned that life doesn’t have to be a fashion show and that it’s ok to re-wear clean clothes (and quick dry clothes, like ExOfficio brand, are now my favorite).
Skip most of the toiletries. You can pick up that stuff at the hotel. (Do you really need the charger for your shaver for the weekend?)
I’d get rid of two short sleeve shirts and replace it with one long sleeve shirt that you can roll up the sleeves on.
One thing I really love is my Platypus. It takes up minimum room in my luggage and after security, I fill it up with water and take it on the plane with me.
The airlines restrict you to one bag, but that doesn’t mean that a lightweight jacket with ample pockets can’t help you out.
I see you’re bringing a camera, what about extra memory/film? I also take a Gorilla Tripod with me which helps take better pics than relying on a stranger or worse, stretching the arm out in front of yourself/your group.
I also bring a pen because there seems to be always something to fill out and it’s nice to have one handy and a very small maglite. Staying at a hotel or a friend’s or relative’s house can be disorienting at night. So it’s nice to have one nearby.
Dump the PJs and sleep in your underwear, or naked. Dump at least one of the shirts and one pair of shorts. Do you think any of us are going to care that we saw you in the same shirt Friday night and Sunday morning? Dump the shaver charger, and maybe the phone charger. How much talking on the phone are you planning on doing? For that matter, dump the shaver and just go grizzly for the weekend. Get toiletries at the hotel. So:
2 pair shorts (one worn on plane)
1 pair slacks
2 shirts, one with collar
underwear/socks
music player/charger
phone
camera and gear
laptop
How small? I’m able to shove a stuffed backpack under the seat, which easily holds my laptop, associated cables, shirts, pants, and whatever else I can cram in there. You may want to consider getting a larger tote bag if yours is really that small–it can practically double how much you can carry-on.
ETA: I just got back from a week-long business trip using nothing more than two carry-on bags. It’s how I always travel.
How much “extra underwear and socks” are you taking? Two pair of each should be sufficient. Make sure they are synthetic – not cotton – so you can clean them in a sink and hang overnight to dry if necessary. Synthetics, wool, and silk are also much more odor resistant than cotton. Vegas is hot. You will sweat. Pack accordingly.
Particularly pay attention to the “how to pack it” link. I managed a four-day, February trip to Chicago in a standard roll-aboard. Included in the packing were two pairs of shoes, one long skirt, one pair of dress slacks, four shirts (two short sleeved, two long), something to sleep in, underwear &c, and makeup/toiletries. Something to read/write with went in the outer pocket, and I wore jeans, boots, and a jacket and cardgan. I could have easily stuck a laptop in were it not for the two pairs of shoes I had to pack.
Soooo…yeah. I think you can manage with two pairs of shorts.
I’d be surprised if you can’t get that all into one carry-on bag. I’d also take the personal tote even if it’s not required, as it may be desired for ready-access items on the plane if the carry-on is stowed, or needed for any souveniers you pick up.
Think about wearing the long pants on the plane to leave a bit of extra packing room in the bag.
I already figured that out, Munch – the weight and space cost for the laptop isn’t worth it. Plus I figure I can beg recharge / SDMB time from my host & hostess.
Gary T - that’s a thought. I’ll do a test packing before Friday and see if it works. Of course, at least some of the stuff (namely anything I need in-flight) goes in the tote.
If you plan on accessing anything at all while on the plane, take a personal tote. The carry-on goes in the overhead bin, not to be touched until you are getting off the plane. The personal bag has your book/music player/food/tissues/spare battery/paper and pen. It’s small and can go under the seat, without using up all your foot space.
You really don’t want to try to find your book, packed in the bottom of your carry on, while standing in the aisle, dangling your bag over someone’s head.
In tote:
Newspaper
Sunday magazine crossword
Soups & spoons
(To get: ration bars)
Camera
Bag o’ liquids
Portable media player
Noise-cancelling headphones
2 books for outbound flight
Prayer book
Non-essential travel docs
Hat
Cards, normal sunglasses
In travel vest:
Keys
Boarding pass
Phone
Tissues
Other sunglasses
(to get: Bonine)