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| Like the Velveteen Rabbit, my shabby carryon is "real!" |
Comfort is paramount when you're going to spend the best part of two days in a plane. I'll start with the pieces I'll wear to travel:
Black pull-on pants, red shell, black cardigan, undies & bra, black walking shoes
Outerwear: Red hooded rain jacket, black & white headband, black balaclava, black and white hounds tooth scarf, red 'possum gloves (a souvenir from Australia!)
In the carry-on:
Clothes--
- 3 undies, 3 bras, 3 pairs black socks,
- 1 sleep dress, 3 sleep camis
- swimsuit
- Bottoms: Jeans, medium wash (No holes. I'm just not that cool.)
- Blue sleeveless midi dress
- Tops: Black shell, grey T-shirt, royal blue cardigan
- Black dress flats
- 2 pair trouser socks
Believe it or not, I can squeeze 13 outfits out of these pieces, so if, heaven forbid, our checked bag decides to stay home, I will not have to run around in the altogether.
Meds--
- Pill minder with 2 weeks' worth of my daily meds. Another 2 weeks worth crammed into one of my empty pill bottles. When on a world cruise, I brought extra meds in their original bottles. Evidently, the TSA is not interested in what sort of med is in the bottle, so mixing them takes far less space for a shorter trip.
- Scopolamine patches--one for every three days we'll be afloat
- OTC meds--Tylenol, Advil, Mucinex, band-aids
Toiletries--
- Deodorant
- razor
- curling iron
- electric toothbrush
- make-up bag--moisturizer, compact powder, blush, eye shadow, make-up brushes, lipstick, hairbrush, tweezers
- Liquids--toner, mouthwash, toothpaste, antibiotic cream, antifungal cream, hair gel
Now for the DH's Carry-on Capsule:
For travel, he's wearing grey tactical pants (yes, tactical, it's a thing), white T-shirt, blue chamois shirt, blue fleece vest, blue jacket with balaclava, black scarf that belonged to his father & gloves in the pockets, socks and hiking boots. Oh! and undies. He's not going commando. I'm sure he'd have told me...
In the carry-on:
Clothes--
- 3 pair of undies
- PJ's
- swim trunks
- 2 long sleeved T-shirts--blue, black
- 2 short sleeved T-shirts--white, black
- grey sweater
- purple turtleneck
- blue chinos
- taupe cargo pants
- 5 pairs socks
- black walking shoes
- flip-flops
Meds--
- Prescription meds in his pill minder
- OTC--Tums, Excedrin Migraine, wipes,
Toiletries--
- deodorant
- tooth brush
- electric razor
- Liquids--shampoo, toothpaste
- hair brush
Documents--
- Passports & CDC Covid cards--He keeps track of both of ours.
- Air reservations & trip info
- Viking boarding passes
- Printed approval for using my POC during all our flights
The DH also carries a backpack:
- 2 batteries for Herkimer
- 2 batteries for Percival
- extra cannulas
- power cords for both POCs
- charging cords for both our cellphones
- computer chargers
- external batteries for cellphones
Whew! Dragging and pushing our rolling bags, shoulders sagging with c-paps, what a parade we must seem as we tramp down the concourse! I do envy those fashionistas who glide through airports in a stylish ensemble with nothing more than a roller bag and a knock-out purse to help them maintain their existential bliss while traveling. Still, even though we have to haul, as George Carlin says, "a smaller version of our house," I'm so grateful to be traveling!
Though until I unload it all on the ship, I'm always sure I've forgotten something...
Great timing as I'm about to pack for our upcoming first TA from San Juan to Barcelona, followed by 3 weeks in London to visit our daughter and son-in-law (staying in our own VRBO -- they live in 190 sq. ft! It's a lot to pack for given the climate changes and activity changes but you've set me a challenge and I like your capsule concept. I'm sort of doing that and everything has to definitely go with more than one thing. The biggest conundrum is the outer layers since I don't have the perfect raincoat with zip in liner or something like that. Anyway, thanks for the inspiration and bon voyage!
ReplyDeleteLayering is really the key when you expect to encounter different climate zones. It's okay not to have a lining for your raincoat if you pair it with a sweater underneath. Though frankly, we find springtime in the Med a little chilly sometimes. Check the average temps for Barcelona and London and I'll be surprised if they are much different from each other. Just don't forget your umbrella!
DeleteI'm a bit worried about packing for our upcoming 10-days in Japan followed by three weeks on board Oceania. Climate will be everything from hot and humid to rainy and cold and we will be travelling by train (i.e. lots of walking and stairs in stations) so will be have only one suitcase (plus smaller carry bag) each.
ReplyDeleteOceania does not have formal nights, but smart casual clothing is called for. Have to figure out how to bring it all but still minimizing weight.
Pay attention to the fabric. Cotton is breathable in heat & humidity and not too bulky to layer when it's cooler. If you're going to be doing lots of carrying, sure to make every ounce count. If you can only wear a piece with one other thing, it has to hit the reject pile. Oh! and wear your heaviest shoes to travel in. Shoes are huge space and weight thieves.
DeleteEnjoy Japan! I tagged along with the DH when he had a week of work there once. As usual, I got to explore and play while he slogged it out in meetings. The concierge at our hotel was so helpful. I'd tell her where I wanted to go and she would write our which trains I needed to take and where to transfer, so I could use the public transit system to wander all over Tokyo. The Japanese people are lovely . Wonderful experience.
Gordon --I have to say, I'm starting to be a convert to some of the new travel and sport fabrics out there now. I always thought cotton was the only way to go, but I just visited Vietnam and Cambodia -- both hot and humid and was comfortable in synthetics sometimes. They wick moisture away and feel drier than sweat soaked cotton. They also can be hand washed and dry faster than cotton. I also love having a pair of leggings (I guess guys would call them long underwear) to layer if it's really cold. I have an ancient, raggedy silk pair that were my mother's but they do the job and weigh almost nothing. A thin wool sweater makes another really warm, but light layer. On recent trips I saw a lot of guys (and women) wearing "travel pants" -- some even have zip off legs to turn them into shorts. good luck!
DeleteGreat suggestions! Thanks to you both for the ideas.
ReplyDelete