Lighten Up!
With all the to-do about airlines charging for checked luggage (don’t get me started) let’s discuss how we can get all we need in a reasonable sized carry-on. I say reasonable sized, and I mean airline approved and able to fit under your seat. Not one of those entire bin taking up bags, please. I said not to get me started… Many European budget carriers have always charged for checked luggage and seeing as most of our trips are for long weekends, it’s pretty easy for us to bring only one bag. But we spent seven days in Italy with only a student-sized backpack each, plus my magic traveling purse which amazingly holds all sorts of travel necessities like beauty products, extra underwear and small children.
So how do you get it down to the basics? First – wear everything on the plane. Seriously – if the weather is cold or cool or unknown – wear those bulky sweaters and jackets; don’t take up valuable bag space with them! At the very least wear a long-sleeve shirt under a short sleeve shirt, and fashion looks are such nowadays that ladies can probably get away with wearing a skirt over a pair of jeans.
In that same vein – color-coordinate. If you can mix and match all your items, you won’t feel as fashion deprived. Plus, that cuts down on the pairs of shoes you must bring – and shoes are nothing but a space-sucking, weight-adding non-necessity.
One last idea – go for layers. Depending on the destination, this may cut out your need for a bulky sweater and gives you a couple extra options so you aren’t wearing the same shirt in every photo. Making them thin allows you to wear a couple and pack a couple – that’s four shirts, people! And if you are on a longer trip and need to do some laundry, the thin ones dry quicker.
Luckily, so far anyway, full-service carriers aren’t charging for checked luggage – beyond the normal weight limits, etc. And if you book your bag online when you make your ticket reservations, it’s cheaper.
Photo Credit: double-h@Flickr
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