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[elsie]

With regard to packing for a warm climate, remember that if you're going to spend most of the time in conference sessions, you should pack more for the frigid air conditioning than for the warm weather outside.

In short, brrrr!

[87735501111]

I love to travel, and I do it a lot, and I quite like this thread. I find I can usually keep it down to 1 carry on suitcase in the warmer months as long as it is under a week.

Note- those of you who overpack - if you have to pay $25+ to check a bag, how much is that actually costing you vs. just buying things at the location? Remind yourself of that when you feel the urge. If you are going through an airport, there will always be umbrellas.

For those of you who tend to get to the airport late - I used to do this. Now I usually don't, because I time it to arrive 1-1.5 hours before the flight time. That's the most generous get to the airport time, plus 20 minutes, plus 1.5 hours ahead of the flight time. That's when I leave, and I set an alarm to remind me. You think "why waste my time?" but no - there might be shopping in the airport these days. You can also get some good revisions done on a paper, in the calm comfort of having enough time, and not too much to do. Or catch up on phone calls. Grading is a good one here - look how productive you are! 5 hour delay? No problem, I am still being productive. You could also relax and get a beer, together with the regular business travelers. None of those things are a waste of time. Ok, I do leave later for an early morning flight, but when leaving for work, it's good to have this slack time.

PSA for those of you who don't fly much. Please please please put your carry on bag wheels first into the overhead bins. Do not put them sideways. If you do this, the plane can take 3x the number of carry on rolling bags. If your carry on doesn't fit this way in a normal 747, then it isn't really a carry on. Secondly, please don't put both of your carry on bags up above. You should have to put one under the seat like the rest of us. Don't be the jerk taking up all the space in the overhead bin. You know who you are. Oh, and don't be that lady with the weird shaped quilted bag that is definitely not for air travel. It won't fit already.

I pull out my travel bag about a week to several days in advance, and I also check the weather at this time. I have a foot stool that is exactly the correct height for this, but man, I would love to have a proper hotel style luggage rack at home. The reason this works well is that as I am getting dressed each day, I might also try on different outfits to see what will work for travel, especially if I have a new suit and I'm not sure what will go with it. I think it also works because as I go about my day, I might think of something else to put in, because I am using it at that time. You won't have that luxury if you pack right before. Sometimes I have to weed out before I leave, but that's better than stressing out, thinking of what to take. I also like to leave from the office, as that's a 2nd opportunity to maybe go back home and grab something if I've forgotten anything. Ideally the suitcase is packed and maybe even zipped the night before.

I don't have such an explicit list of things to do before travel. Or rather, I had one, but now I travel so much that it's pretty well incorporated. I will allow additional time when I'm going somewhere different/exotic so I have time to think. Oh wait, here are a few things
- night before computer backup. oh yes.
- real quick fridge cleaning.
- do I have time to wipe the counters?
- run the dishwasher

Things that live in the suitcase all the time:
- Travel toiletries in a ziplock bag - I try (but don't always succeed) in restocking things when I come home. I will leave my bag out as a reminder to do it, although it might not always happen. At this point I have more hotel soaps than I could use in a year, but for some reason I always bring them home. Why is that?
- Delicates holder - for bras and undies. Bras: 1 black, 1 nude.
- Satchel - one of those man purse things for overnights. I have this loaded with non liquid travel items, such as a clothing repair kit, tweezers, bobby pins, extra buttons, lots and lots of ponytail holders, dedicated travel contact case, you name it if it's small and flat-ish.
- Small jewelry box to fit in the satchel
- Running shoes and baseball hat - just my oldest pair, after I've gotten a new one. These can double for comfortable walking shoes if I don't mind looking like a nerd, in tennis shoes that totally don't go with the outfit. Sometimes a workout is wishful thinking, but you never know, so I allocate the space anyway.
- Bag for dirty clothes, or you can just use the hotel laundry bag.
- Umbrella - it doesn't always live there, but I usually pack it.
- Extra cell phone charger - under $5 on amazon, priceless in terms of avoided hassle if it is left in the hotel room
- Thin bag with non liquid makeup items.
- Tea, trail bars, gum, etc.
- Extra ziplock bag
- Swimsuit? Why is that in there?
- Couple of pairs of extra socks that I got in Portugal one time, that I don't normally wear but are good for travel

What I pack
- Nice suit - trick an old boyfriend taught me once - fold the jacket sort of inside out to avoid wrinkles. Not the sleeves, just the body goes inside out and then folds lenthwise, and then you could roll it. This works!
- 2-3 tops for under the suit
- Extra skirt, should match, or nicer dress, or maybe extra pants (think darker colors)
- Additional top
- Jeans
- Black t-shirt, which can be worn to bed
- Workout clothes, if possible - sometimes these go by the wayside, but a spandex outfit can usually last multiple days if you aren't sweating too hard and hang it up in the closet
- Scarf or two
- Tights in case it is cold -- remember, small items like this and the scarves make it easy to change it up, so if you're packing too much, go for these.
- Extra cardigan
- Flat sandals
- Additional pair of shoes - usually walking friendly heels
- Jewelry?
- Random projects, papers you're meaning to read, etc. could also get tossed in while you're packing
- I would like a purse that could flatten and live here. This is my current identified travel kit gap
Remember, think of the clothes as separates, and try to avoid items that won't match with everything else. And here thought consultant types were lacking in fashion personality - it was just a packing strategy.

The suitcase is complemented by my normal work bag, which has a pass-thru and can usually fit a cardigan, and then has my papers, laptop, etc. (Books into the rolling bag, together with the laptop power cord in the suitcase if it's heavy) This means I always have pencils, pens, postit notes, business cards, etc. with me, and I don't have to think about what to put into a different bag. If you don't have a suitcase handle pass thru on your current work bag - trade up!

What I wear on the plane
- Less nice suit, comprised of separates, and ideally non wrinkle materials or a good job for an older suit
or
- Jeans with a nicer top for transatlantic, with extra sweater and a sport jacket
or
- A nice-ish dress (darker colors)
plus
- Clogs or ballet flats, and I have a bunch of those footie socks so that I don't have to go barefoot through security. Yuck!
or
- Slip on boots are also pretty good for travel and security, as long as they're not tight, although I wouldn't want to wear something too warm, like uggs.