It’s entirely possible one might decide to combine a visit to the cultural icons of New York City with a little beach time at Sea Cliff. Flights and accommodation are easily booked. Then comes the silliness. Whatever possessed you to think you could pack everything you need for a two-week vacation of city sophistication and idyllic ease in hand carry luggage?

There are many reasons to try. For one thing, you don’t have to wave good-bye to your suitcase as it’s swallowed by the invisible conveyor belt taking it through security checks and who knows where after that? Best scenario: The bag is waiting to greet you at your destination. Less attractive: You open the bag to find a note from your friends at TSA letting you know the reason your undies aren’t exactly where you left them.

First the encouraging news: As exemplified by this You Tube video “How to Pack Like a Pro,” it is possible to get everything you need into a carry-on bag.

Oops. That’s a guy packing. What about gals? Well, some can get away with essentially the same items. But I find I have to sacrifice clothing items to configure other necessities. Let’s assume you’re taking a cabin size case and a backpack or other small item. Here are some things to think about.

1. Be sure you have all travel documents as required – put them in a safe place. Forget where you put them ten minutes before you depart, so you can experience pre-travel panic guaranteed to start the journey on a note of excitement.
2. Count out all medications and toiletry items. There’s no room for extras. And be sure anything liquid is in a TSA approved plastic bag so you can place it in the bin with your laptop and then be pulled aside because you aren’t allowed to do that, except when you are.
3. Lay out all electronic and photographic equipment. Try not to duplicate wires. Take a portable power source if you must. Decide if convenience is worth weight. Take the laptop anyway.
4. If you against all practical advice decide to check your bag, be sure to pack clean underwear and a toothbrush in your carry-on, because you never know when you’ll have to go to the emergency room. This makes no sense, but my mother tattooed it in my memory bank.
5. Pack sunscreen, even if they do have stores at your destination. You know how expensive things are in tourist areas.
6. Check the weather at your destination. It’ll be different when you arrive, but at least you tried.
7. Take a first aid kit, even if it’s only antiseptic and band-aids. See rule four.
8. I’m told that you should take a bag for your dirty clothes because you wouldn’t want them to touch anything else. Or not.
9. You’ll want to take your own airplane balnket and pillow because even if the airline provides these items you don’t know here they’ve  been. See rule four.
10. Now we can think about clothing. Where are you going and what will you be doing? No matter how hard I try I’ve never been able to be in one climate zone requiring only one type of apparel. My new motto is glitter and sequins match most occasions.

 Don’t forget the cat. You can stash her in the laundry bag.

 One more thing – unless you’re going backpacking in the Himalayas, there will be stores at your destination. As long as you have your medication and glasses, you can acquire items as needed – the sillier the better.

Acknowledgements:

Featured Image: Travel poster c. 1939 for Sea Cliff, New York. U.S. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Sea Cliff NY, A Victorian Village by the Sea

Healthy Family Getaways.

21 things not to forget when packing for your vacation.momondo.com

The post Packing for the Summer Silly Season first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

First list: Activities. I need business attire, casual clothes for doing research and normal life, dressy items for formal dining. And, of course, work out gear.

Second list: Weather. Summer is easier than Fall, Winter, or Spring. Except when it isn’t. I once was in York, England for June and July. I anticipated some inclement weather – the occasional light rain. Wrong. I wore layers every day. First, the tank top, followed by the shell, the shirt, the pull over sweater, the raincoat, and gloves. And then there was the formal dinner. I am not kidding. Good thing there was time to shop.

Let’s leave the clothes for now. What next?
Third list: Electronics. There was a time when I occasionally packed a hair dryer. Paper sufficed for everything else. Of course, that was when my cabin baggage consisted entirely of printed notes from a yearlong research trip. Now, I have a jump drive . . . somewhere. PLUS . . . on my last trip: MacBook Air, iPad, iPhone, portable hard drive, digital camera, cords and other paraphernalia. [Sidebar: I think paraphernalia is a very cool word. It means ‘stuff’ but it sounds so exotic. Can I use it in a sentence? Hmmm . . . “Let me gather my photographic paraphernalia before we get into the Jeep.”]

OK, that’s sorted. Let’s move on to “personal items/toiletries. If you have the fantasy of traveling with just a carry-on bag, everything better be in 3-ounce containers that can fit into a 1-quart plastic bag.

Back to clothing. Yes, I know. Layers. Coordinated colors – which usually translates into black, grey, white, brown, navy and beige + scarves and/or cheap clunky jewelry. Professional “packers” recommend thin fabrics. They pack smaller than wool, linen, or cotton, and you won’t have to iron them later. [Iron? Moi?] Don’t fold your clothes, roll them, and save space by stuffing your shoes.

At this point, hysteria creeps up. How many days am I gone? Would anyone notice if I wore the Tre Elegant Knit Tank Travel Dress from TravelSmithcom (http://www.travelsmith.com/tres-elegant-knit-tank-travel-dress/women/dresses/21559?defattrib=&defattribvalue=&listIndex=10 ) to the formal dinner with six forks? Would their eyes be dazzled if I paired it with my imitation Hermes scarf, or would they fixate on my all-occasion slightly scuffed gold flats? Never mind, I’ll put in the light blue sparkly cocktail dress and kitten heels.

There are lots of websites with packing tips. Two of them, complete with suggested packing lists, are “How to Pack Light” by Josie at Travelista.com http://travelista.com/packing/how-to-pack-light/ and “How to Pack Light” by Dana Sullivan Kilroy at Away.com http://away.com/travel-advice/travel-ta-how-to-pack-light-sidwcmdev_155212.html

Single most important things to pack: a genuine smile and a sense of humor – the rest does not really matter . . . much.

The post How I Attempt to Pack Light first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.