How do you pack? My community service guide for October!

[munitalP]

Over the last couple of years, I have migrated to carry on only whenever possible, and in that time, my carry on has progressively gotten smaller, till now, I have a Samsonite 400x300x250 (deep) with front pocket. It is an expander if needed, but I try not to use that feature.

I have recently fallen in love with the travel plastic storage bags - originally bought on ebay for $15 for 3 plus postage (one was faulty) to now having found them in my local $2 shop for $3.50 (!) each. In one bag, I place 5 pairs of socks, 5 pairs of boxers and roll into a sausage approx 80mm in diameter which happily fits length ways into my bag, with room for my toilet bag. Repeat this with three bags, a spare pair of shoes, shorts, tee, sweatshirt and a pair of jeans (which I don't bag), and I still have room in the top of the bag for a few other smaller items.

In the net portion, I place 2-3 business shirts - these are usually straight to laundry for pressing when I reach my hotel, so squashed is of no concern. I also place my laptop, MBA and iPhone chargers in the front pocket to save carrying in my laptop bag.

There I have it - I can travel for quite some time with only ocasional hotel laundry stops.

Pictorial...

The case- Boarding pass on top to show scale:



Opened showing the compressed packing:



Shirts and Ansett passport wallet in mesh area of lid:



3 business shirts - crumpled but easily fixed by hotel laundry (lazy I know!):



Compressed items in bags:

 

[munitalP]

With this type of packing in larger cases, it is easy to keep the number of cases to a minimum when travelling. Mrs munitalP is presently learning this new packing style, although her case is larger, she does have more stuff - i.e. the kitchen sink!

Pictorial cont...

A bag containing a sweatshirt and a tee:



Digging deeper with 2 other compressed rolls and some shoes:



A closer look



Items leaned up



Items spread out!



Good luck if you start packing like this - the rewards of not waiting for your luggage are immense especially on a Friday night in MEL or SYD!

munitalP

 

[munitalP]

Funny - just last week, I had the X-Ray lady at DJ pulling away on the "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT" tag on my bag... coughK knows what she was thinking. I had to tell her to lay off - I thought she was going to damage the zip! LOL


munitalP

 

[simongr]

We have the same travel wallet...

I have been rolling clothes for a while now - much fewer creases/easier to iron. I don't send shirts for pressing - I just spend time cursing the hotel for the carp iron (especially when the iron unplugs itself and pretends to be broken).

That is some pretty impressive packing - do you just squeeze the air out - I assume you don't have access to a vacuum?

 

[munitalP]

We have the same travel wallet...

I have been rolling clothes for a while now - much fewer creases/easier to iron. I don't send shirts for pressing - I just spend time cursing the hotel for the carp iron (especially when the iron unplugs itself and pretends to be broken).

That is some pretty impressive packing - do you just squeeze the air out - I assume you don't have access to a vacuum?

Yeah, the bags have a double or tripple lock, and they come with a plastic tool for closing. I close and leave 50mm open then just roll and squeeze the air out - honestly work a treat

munitalP

 

[ozmille]

Now I understand why you couldn't fit in a bottle of Veuve anymore

 

[russ]

munitalP,

I stand in awe of your efficiency!

Some questions:
1. How do you stop your shoes getting crushed and looking tatty?
2. Do you recycle business shirts during the week?
3. Don't you have any decent ties?

Regards,
russ

 

[serfty]

The only things I really do different is to use a 105cm Sampsonite (lightweight) rollaboard¹, plastic shopping bags², and I put my shoes on each side near the wheels (Each filled with stuff like underwear.)

¹ Somewhat larger than yours.

² Hard to have too many.

 

[nlagalle]

I'm with you on the hand luggage caper. Although I purchased a set of the space bags from the flight001 store. They are more like compression bags and have a clean and dirty side. I just fold mine up and it packs a treat.

 

[munitalP]

munitalP,

I stand in awe of your efficiency!

Some questions:
1. How do you stop your shoes getting crushed and looking tatty?
2. Do you recycle business shirts during the week?
3. Don't you have any decent ties?

Regards,
russ

Why thank you kind sir!

The shoes are very soft leather - they dont suffer, I also have a small tub of kiwi in my toilet bag to fix the scuffs if any. I have some brown shoes of the same brand and treat the same. If going straight to meetings, my timberland scuffs end up packed (and I wear the business shoes), and again, with quality shoes, there are no issues I have found yet.

I launder my business shirts - work allows me to launder once, so Wednesday gets Monday and Tuesdays shirts which gives me 5 days worth.

Ties - don't know what you mean. Each to their own, I quite like stripes, I have found my Homer tie is generally frowned upon.

munitalP

 

[TonyHancock]

Thanks for posting munitalP, very efficient. I'm back on the carry on bandwagon at the moment too. I'm going to try your plastic bag tip.

 

[Reggie]

Thank you for your thread munitalP.

For the first time on Sunday, I went carryon only. Reason being, a change of job means I am no longer having to carry items that security would have a fit over.

On top of this, I got fed up waiting at QF carousels waiting for my "priority" baggage to come out. I didn't have a problem with size, weight is mine, 9kg. Not a problem on QF, divide into two bags, one being a back pack, but what to do about DJ, with there one bag and small item. Hopefully they won't weigh my bag.

Oh, I have to wear the highly polished steel caps, which is a pain at security, might be time for a pair of ceramic caps.

 

[Groundfeeder]

Oh, I have to wear the highly polished steel caps, which is a pain at security, might be time for a pair of ceramic caps.

I got around that by buying Doc M*rtens "normal" black shoes as they have an "airport friendly" ceramic/fibreglass sole stiffener (but thankfully no steel cap!)

By the way does anyone carry deodorant aerosols in their carry-on as they are listed as no-go at security?

 

[medhead]

By the way does anyone carry deodorant aerosols in their carry-on as they are listed as no-go at security?

what's the deal with that. I didn't think deodorant was a no go. Went through SYD last week with olive oil spray and after a few questions was told it's fine. But hair spray is not acceptable. I think, as I had trouble understanding the accent of the security person.

However, never been stopped for aerosols at ADL.

 

[juddles]

munitalP, I enjoyed seeing how a professional does it! Good stuff!

Personally I am in a weird situation where I commute half-way round the globe for work, so have two "homes", so need even less gear for travel between the two. My gear is more like a survival pack in case I get stranded somewhere for a day or two extra.

Wear: jeans, black polo shirt, slip-on boots. No belt.

Pack: spare black polo shirt, 2 x socks/jocks, 1 x shorts in case I have to stand around in a room waiting for laundry if I have an accident on my worn jeans. Toiletries kit, laptop.

If I could survive without my trusty laptop I would probably just wear a light jacket and put the bits into the pockets.

Only problem I have is that I use a daggy old school-type back pack thingy (like a small shoulder bag? - luggage description is not my forte), as I believe it looks less attractive due to the sh_t-holes I often go through. With the jeans/old bag combo I tend to get asked to see my boarding pass, etc every time I get in a priority queue. Maybe when Platinum One comes in they will teach us a secret handshake or somethin like the Masons have.

 

[simongr]

By the way does anyone carry deodorant aerosols in their carry-on as they are listed as no-go at security?

what's the deal with that. I didn't think deodorant was a no go. Went through SYD last week with olive oil spray and after a few questions was told it's fine. But hair spray is not acceptable. I think, as I had trouble understanding the accent of the security person.

However, never been stopped for aerosols at ADL.

My interpretation of it is that they now want to see the aerosol cans to make sure that there is a suitable lid. I do not know why they need to know this. I have been told at MEL (it started there for me), SYD and ADL to remove aerosols from my bag. At MEL I had an aerosol confiscated as it did not have a "proper" lid...

Frankly it is mind bogglingly stupid.

 

[oz_mark]

My interpretation of it is that they now want to see the aerosol cans to make sure that there is a suitable lid. I do not know why they need to know this. I have been told at MEL (it started there for me), SYD and ADL to remove aerosols from my bag. At MEL I had an aerosol confiscated as it did not have a "proper" lid...

Frankly it is mind bogglingly stupid.

You may think it is mind boggingly stupid, but it is because the lids help to prevent accidental discharges of the contents. Such accidental discharges have been implicated in cabin fires in the past.

 

[medhead]

My interpretation of it is that they now want to see the aerosol cans to make sure that there is a suitable lid. I do not know why they need to know this. I have been told at MEL (it started there for me), SYD and ADL to remove aerosols from my bag. At MEL I had an aerosol confiscated as it did not have a "proper" lid...

Frankly it is mind bogglingly stupid.

Oops yes they may check in ADL, I was probably just thinking that I don't recall being asked about aerosols in ADL as I put my stuff through the machine. Unlike SYD where just about everyone gets asked about laptops and aerosols as they present bags for the x-ray machines.

It certainly does seem stupid. I'm just not sure it is only about a cap. As per my experience last week (also only experience this year) where they were concerned about the contents. Maybe spray cooking oil was unusual enough to prompt a response. I have trouble explaining it to myself.

 

[simongr]

You may think it is mind boggingly stupid, but it is because the lids help to prevent accidental discharges of the contents. Such accidental discharges have been implicated in cabin fires in the past.

Was this only discovered this year as the requirement only came in this year?

 

[nlagalle]

what's the deal with that. I didn't think deodorant was a no go. Went through SYD last week with olive oil spray and after a few questions was told it's fine. But hair spray is not acceptable. I think, as I had trouble understanding the accent of the security person.

However, never been stopped for aerosols at ADL.

AFAIK it's to check it has a proper lid. Personally I can't be stuffed pulling it out of my bag every time so I just use roll on. Much easier.