Take what you need, need what you take

I have decided to give myself a little challenge for this next trip of mine and see if I can manage to get everything my wife and I need in two carry-on bags. In and of itself this may not sound like a Herculean feat but for me and my wife (both constant overpackers) it will be a challenge.

We will be in California for 5 days and for the most part it will be very casual clothing. However we also plan to go to a nice-ish eating establishment so we can't just be in shorts all the time. I am taking a page from noted one-bag traveler Rick Steves and not bringing anything I cannot buy at my destination, or wash out in the sink and dry. We are also skipping the uneccessary toiletries (like our own shampoo) as they do have that at the hotel (or the Target just a few blocks away).

As a disabled person there are things I have to take that will take up room. I manage these by being creative. Cathaters are basically like packing peanuts to buffer and fit in-between most anything in my bag. I have to take a supply of pills which fit in a quart size zip lock bag (they need to be in their Rx bottles or you will get to meet some very serious people from the NTSB). I also have to take a supply of latex gloves which I also remove from their boxes and stuff into a baggie. I am wearing my heavy clothing and shoes on the plane so that will take up less room. I am also layering so I will shed some of those layers when we get to the room and hanging up the extra clothes.

Hear is a list of what I have packed so far:

4 pair of underwear

2 t-shirts

2 shorts (one Khaki, one that can double as swim trunks)

1 polo shirt (for our nice night)

1 pair of socks

extra pair of jeans or khakis

1 pair of workout pants (yes I am one of those people who work out on vacation)

1 razor & travel shave kit

1 pair of sandals

5 days of catheters

5 days of latex gloves

Pills

1 spare pair of sunglasses (as I have lost them on vacation before)

spare inner tube

tire changing kit

Yes this seems like a long list but I assure you it does all fit nicely into a carry-on bag with some room to spare for souvenirs on the way back. We don't usually pre-pack, but since we're trying to limit ourselves to just two bags, we did a trial run last weekend and it all fit great and was under the weight limit. By the way, before you travel, check your specific airline's regulations about baggage size, weight, and contents. Don't forget the liquid restrictions and be sure to put all such items in a quart-size baggie.

I will let you know when I get back how my little experiment went and if there were things that I needed that I had to hunt down while I am there.

Just a over a week until we are on vacation and I can't wait!

What Can Brown Do For You?

(or for that matter, what can FedEx do for you?)

#4 -- My fourth tip for domestic travel is consider shipping some of your medical supplies or other items ahead of time to your hotel. I've done this on a couple of occasions, when luggage space was at a premium or if I was staying somewhere for an extended period of time. It would also be a huge help if I were traveling alone and wanted to cut down on the amount of stuff I had to lug around.

You'll need to check in advance with your hotel. This probably works best in a large hotel with a concierge, or a smaller boutique hotel that prides itself on service. Don't assume that this is a service they will offer or allow, as many hotels may not have ever come across this kind of request. You definitely don't want to count on them accepting and holding your package, only to get to your destination and find out they refused it.

Also be sure to ship with a tracking number (that's where UPS or FedEx has it over the regular mail -- more expensive but worth it). That way you'll not only be able to check progress before you leave home, but also see who signed for it and when it arrived. Very helpful if you check in and no one knows what you're talking about!

This is not only a great way of saving luggage space, but with the new baggage fees in effect, and limits on weight and number of checked bags, it could end up saving you a lot. This is also good advice for anyone traveling with young kids, who tend to require lots of STUFF (ie diapers, formula, etc.). Save money by buying this stuff at home, rather than paying the resort price. That will leave you more money for those awesome oversized sunglasses and that t-shirt that says "I've been to California and all I got was this t-shirt."

More later!