luggage Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

Packing Light – Five Tips for Saving Space in the Suitcase #travel

Paula — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 14:02:05 +0000

Packing light is the way to go whenever possible. Travel can sometimes feel like a big Catch 22 – do you drag around a ton of luggage, or do you fit as much as you can in the overhead compartment on a flight? Find some strategies for packing light and travel can be so much simpler. I’d love to say that I am great at this, but I am a work in progress. We travel a fair bit and always have room for improvement. Here are a few ways to help you pack light for your next trip. Packing Light is Easy Packing light is easier than you think. It’s just a matter of deciding what you really need, what you don’t, and not overthinking it. Here are some tips to help you tame your packing. Pack for the Weather One of the keys to packing light is packing for the weather, not the weather possibilities. Check the weekly forecast before packing for your trip, and plan accordingly. You can’t foresee everything. I apply this rule now often. But I still have a few things that almost always make the cut, especially when traveling with my kids. I always take their tiny foldup anoraks. These travel almost everywhere. They don’t take up much space. Also when I travel with kids, or for business, I will sometimes also pack a tiny umbrella. So pack for the weather and plan ahead for the weather…generally speaking, packing for possibilities just means more weight to lug around. Don’t Pack TOO Many Toiletries I follow this rule with moderation. Try not to overpack toiletries. I keep a lot of sample sized shampoos and things like that for flights. I take one of each of those. With full sized liquids and toiletries, there’s too much of a chance for spills, and they take up so much space. Plus full sized liquids have to go inside a checked suitcase and they are way too heavy. Rather than cramming all of your shampoo, toothpaste, and all the rest of that into your luggage, pack tiny samples, or buy some when you get to your destination.If you are really stuck you can always call down to the front desk where you are staying and let them know you forgot your toothpaste. Usually hotels and resorts can help you out with that. Roll Everything Packing light means rolling everything. I mean everything. If it’s cloth, roll it. I used to think rolling was a total myth or fad. It really works, though. You’d be surprised how much more space you get when you roll rather than fold. For even more storage power, roll things within other things. Fashionable fall boots can be rolled with socks for instance. Use Socks as Storage Fun fact. Socks can double as little bags for packing. I roll everything, but I keep some socks in reserve to hold loose items that I have no choice but to pack. They make great, cushy travel caddies. [tweetthis]Roll everything up to make luggage lighter. #travel[/tweetthis] Limit Toys One toy or device per kid is my rule of thumb when I pack for trips. If my kids had their way, they’d bring every comfort object, plus ten books each, PLUS all of their devices. That’s the polar opposite of packing light. Instead, limit your kids to the one thing they really want to bring with them. Also double check their carryons. Mine have been known to swap out their approved luggage and add extras right before we leave to see if I will notice. (my kids are great travellers and they are 11 and 14). [tweetthis]You can pack lighter with a few simple tips. #travel[/tweetthis] Packing Light is All About Keeping it Simple It really is. Just keep it simple, and you’ll naturally be packing light. Pack for the weather. Pack one outfit per day. Bring a couple of extra clothing options for kids. Even teens and tweens have spills. Don’t bring a wagon load of other stuff. You’ll be surprised at the amount of space you’ll save just by following the tips above. Packing light makes travel much easier and less stressful, so edit yourself and use some of these ideas when packing.

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How to Shop For Luggage #travel

Paula — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 04:07:03 +0000

I’ll admit it. When I was first married my husband and I bought our first set of luggage at Zeller’s. We didn’t really know what to look for and there really weren’t many choices 20 years ago. We looked for sizes, got the cheapest luggage we could find, and went on our merry way. That was a horrible decision. Luggage is one of those things that definitely falls under the category of “you get what you pay for.” To save others the time and headache of getting terrible suitcases, I’ve put together some things to watch out for that will help you get the best buy for your money. Shopping for Luggage the Right Way It’s been my experience that shopping for luggage is a bit like shopping for a car in the old days. You know, you kick the tires. You check the undercarriage. You research and ask your friends their thoughts too. You look for quality and durability first, then go from there. Kick the Tires I wasn’t kidding about that. Don’t actually kick anything, but check those rollers. I’m not excited about carrying a huge object crammed full of my stuff, so I always check rollers. They should be tough and substantial. If you find a luggage set with dinky rollers, go the other way. They should wheel around 360 degrees now because any good luggage offers that and is easier to manipulate in the airport. Check the Handle This is another big one for me. I made the mistake of getting a suitcase without checking to be sure that the handle was tough, and I paid the price. You’ll be lifting, pulling, dragging, and cramming your suitcase into all sorts of areas, so the handle needs to be able to take some serious travel related abuse. Stitching Stitching is right up there with wheels and a good handle. Your luggage is going to be taking a lot of abuse and carrying a lot of weight, bulk, or both. You want suitcases that can stand up to that strain. Look for suitcases that have nice, even stitching using heavy thread and that has no fraying or other visible defects. Or look for hard shell luggage. Buy the Sizes You Need This should go without saying, but I’m guilty of this. Buy the sizes you need. If you’re not an ultra heavy packer, don’t get the super ginormous suitcase. By the same token, don’t tell yourself, you’ll get everything into carry-on, when you’re known for packing three outfit options for each day of your trip. When you buy what you actually need, you can save money and hassle. Research Brands When you buy luggage, you absolutely need to research brands. Do your due diligence online. Read customer reviews and talk to your friends. Customer reviews are absolutely your best friend, no matter what you’re buying. Nothing beats real world experience from real shoppers to help you make a decision when you buy anything. Because I use social media for crowdsourcing so many things, this is also an area where I looked for help from Facebook friends. Due Diligence Pays Off When Shopping for Luggage Luggage is an item you should never buy quickly or without adequate research. If you try to cheap out or pick something that’s pretty, you’ll end up carrying your suitcases instead of rolling it or trying to carry it without a handle. Always do your due diligence and approach it like buying a car. When you think about it, luggage is just a car for your stuff. LOL.

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Lost Luggage and My Trip to #Blogher14 #travel

Paula — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 01:30:00 +0000

Is there anything worse than lost luggage? Yes, actually. Lost luggage when attending a conference. That can be truly frightening. This happened to me recently and this is the story of how I fixed it. This is the story of lost luggage. Just last week actually on my way to a conference called Blogher, I arrived without my luggage. That was a first for me as a traveler. I have heard many stories over the years of people losing their luggage but this was apparently my turn. I was on my way to a business conference for bloggers called Blogher 14 in San Jose, California. It was only a four day trip. Sure I could have packed a roll on suitcase, but the kids had them both at camp. I opted to check my luggage as I usually do, because I hate lugging suitcases around on the airplane. I hate the drama that ensues often at the gate when some ticket agent declares that there are too many already on the plane so put them on the cart please and thank you and you won’t see it again until you land. If you’ve ever been to a blogging conference then you know – you need clothes, and shoes and makeup and you need to sell yourself as a brand. Last year, in Chicago I had two entire large suitcases packed full of brand samples and professional outfits when I returned. It’s pretty common to travel to these events with a suitcase inside a suitcase so you can take all of the products that are given out back home with you. Go big or go home when you go to Blogher. I checked my suitcase and watched it get loaded onto American Airlines in Toronto, (Darling husband decorated it with my daughter’s fluorescent duct tape so I would have no trouble identifying my suitcase) I flew 6 hours, switched planes late at night in Los Angeles and landed exhausted. But no suitcase ever emerged from the luggage carousel. Ditto for a family behind me and ditto for my seat mate, a young man meeting his girlfriend so they could go camping immediately that night (without clothing as it turned out). Wait, what seriously? I watched the thing get on the plane. I asked:”Will it follow me?” and was told it would. But apparently it didn’t. At 11 p.m. California time, which is 2 a.m. back home, an American Airlines representative told me they didn’t think my luggage left Toronto. I tried my best not to cry out of sheer exhaustion. I swore under my breath and texted my roommate all the while thinking – how could this happen? I sent a tweet off to the airline. “Fuming. @AmericanAir Lost my luggage before a business conference.” Lost luggage. NIGHTMARE! What would I sleep in? What would I wear in the morning? Where is my makeup? I am not a no makeup fan girl. Christy @Imfreckles offered to let me borrow some pyjamas. Grateful I chose a good roomie. No makeup. No clothes. No clean bra or underpants? That night I fell asleep in borrowed pyjamas after using hand soap to clean my face. Morning arrived and still no word on lost luggage. A conference full of brands and meetings and parties where brands invite you privately to get to know more about their product and no clothes? Mortified. No cute little black and white dress my husband bought me for my birthday. No new shoes I bought to go with cute little dress. Our first session, a maternal health talk with some brands that are perfect for my blog and my audience, is scheduled for 2 p.m. I have nothing to wear but yesterday’s sweaty airplane clothes. It’s 11 a.m. The Fairmont sent a kit of toiletries to the room when I asked for a toothbrush, and I have never been happier to see a teeny tube of toothpaste. No sign of luggage, so I threw sweaty old clothing on, grabbed my purse and Christy and I walked to the nearest Walgreens and Ross store. Face cream, check, mascara, check, rouge, powder, eye shadow, check, check, check. Two hours later, we returned, armed with $175 worth of makeup, two dresses and a top, a sleep shirt and some underwear, plus two pairs of shoes in neutral colours, in my size. Relieved, I am ready to take on the conference. Still disappointed but I am making the best of it. I tweet American Airlines a couple more times. They found my lost luggage, an agent said. I am cautiously hopeful based on the fact that their on line report identified my luggage as yellow when in fact it’s reddish orange. By now, half a dozen friends messaged me on Facebook to commiserate and point out that’s why they never check luggage when they travel. One blogger Helene said they had a string of lost luggage events 7 or 8 times. Clearly I have been sheltered. This was the first time my luggage ever went missing. It is my travel nightmare. Back at the Fairmont San Jose we swing by the front desk to see if anyone might have found my lost luggage. The service person advised: go ask the person in charge of luggage. Out front, I am asking said person if anyone dropped anything off for me when I spy the fluorescent pink duct tape on my scuffed up case. No phone call as promised by the airline, and heaven only knows how long it was there, but my suitcase arrived. It was lost, then found. Hallelujah. I made it to the 2 p.m. session with Christy with my game face on. (All was not lost. I returned some of the items I bought because I kept receipts. I didn’t consider whether I have insurance coverage for lost luggage before I left home for the event. I would check that next time before I travel.) Has an airline ever lost your luggage? What did you do?

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