Travel Tips
Travel light!
“Got no bags ‘n baggage to slow me down…”
OK, dating myself here, but that Cliff Richard’s line from Travellin’ Light is precisely what I mean when I talk about travelling with freedom!
Far too often, we tend to take too much when we pack for a journey. We think we need all those extra clothes. All those different kinds of shoes, and yes, take that hat – it’ll go great with that outfit! Before you know it you’re overweight – well, your luggage I mean.
Having traveled for quite a bit, I have figured out the things that I usually need, and I have streamlined my packing habits. It helps immensely, as I can move about easily with smaller suitcases, and sometimes I can get away with not even having to check a bag in! Yay!
Have you seen those suitcases that come in sets of 3? Get them. You might have to pay a little more to get a sturdy set, but it’s going to be a one time investment that will last you a long time. They are SO worth it! I got myself a great deal on a 3 set many years ago, and boy, have they come in useful many times already?! Furthermore, they have been rough tossed and tested in international travel as well. The Columbia brand I bought has good sturdy wheels that can take rougher ground too.
The reason why I like them is that you can fit one into the other while going out on your journey – if you know you’re going to be returning with extra stuff or gifts (which is usually the case). The largest one measures about 29.5 x 20.5 x 11.5. The smallest is 22 x 15 x 10 and works well enough as hand baggage allowed in an aircraft.
Pack Smart
Everyone has their own way of placing items in their suitcases. Follow whatever suits ya, but I usually prefer to place bulkier clothing at the bottom (think jeans, jackets, coats, etc.) and then other clothing, with breakable or delicate items (camera, electronic, or similar things) in the middle, surrounded by more clothing or soft material accessories. Also, try and keep heavier stuff closer to the wheels as this tends to prevent your bag from tipping over when you are wheeling your way around.
Shoe interiors are a very often overlooked storage space! (OK, not everyone has the sweetest smelling shoes 😆 so this might not be for you!) But if you can, think of all that space inside the shoe that usually is just left empty, but could hold, I dunno, socks, underwear, perhaps a phone charger, or any small items that can be squeezed in there.
Get a good, waterproof backpack! They are great for onshore excursions, storing all your necessities, including that bottle of water when you most need it, offering a place to keep whatever you purchase, while leaving your hands free as you walk about and enjoy yourself.
Cruise control
(Also see the Cruising section for more details and tips on planning a cruise!)
So you’re going on a cruise. Great! Plenty of exciting things to look forward to. But before anything starts we need to pack. What exactly does one pack on cruises? Well, there’s different kinds of cruises. Cruises that involve going to warm places like the Caribbean or any typical summer seaside haven, or a tropical island getaway, involve a different selection of items than a cruise let’s say to Alaska. It is easy to pack for summer getaways. You just need light clothing mostly.
But, it is always a good idea to check the weather at those places beforehand, in order to plan what needs to be packed. One week ago before my last trip to Alaska, the news was filled with the weather in Anchorage. Temperatures had reached 100 degrees, and people who had traveled there were definitely not prepared for that. Imagine if you were on such a journey, preparing yourself to be in a cold place with cool weather, but unexpectedly coming up against weather that was way too warm. You did not anticipate this, and so, you did not pack appropriately.
About Alaska summer weather – it is very unpredictable. The mornings might begin beautiful and sunny, but by the afternoon there’ll be clouds rolling in. Or, it all could happen in 30 minutes! The best advice to give anyone traveling to Alaska, especially in the summer, is to prepare to dress in layers.
On my last trip to Alaska we had stopped at Juneau, and the weather was great. It was cool and bright in the morning. I had taken a trip up into the hills, as it was wonderful. Suddenly out of nowhere there came this huge bunch of clouds. In a moment, the rain started coming down. I had to turn around and head back into town. Fortunately I had one of those plastic emergency rain ponchos. Well, thank goodness for that! I was able to keep my jacket and clothes mostly dry because of the poncho. Don’t forget to pack a couple of those if you’re planning a hike. They’re available at the dollar store, are very small and light, and easily slip into your pocket!
You might also want a few of these things:
A surge protector or power strip – WITHOUT a switch! You’ll need one on board, as the ship has precious few power outlets in the staterooms. Incidentally, if you’re going on Carnival, they do not allow surge protectors with switches on them. I learned that the hard way this summer. Mine got confiscated at the check in point before boarding. So, get one without a switch on it.
An over the door closet organizer. The kind that has pockets of various sizes. These things come in useful as you can hang them on the inside of the bathroom door and they help clear a lot of clutter.
Shoe insoles. If you’re a hiker, you probably are prepared for this. But even otherwise, it is amazing the amount of walking you will do when you get off the ship. There’s distances between everything..even in the line to get off the ship and into town in most ports! It does help to have comfortable shoes and perhaps additional insoles.
