Quick Thoughts On Packing

One of the few things that you can control completely on your trip is what you pack, and what you pack it in.

Having never been on a long trip I had no clue where to start. So I got a traditional two-wheeled roller suitcase.

Considering that I was planning to be in Europe for two months, I thought I was doing well with the one Med/Large rolling suitcase and my camera bag as my single carryon.

Unfortunately, I also packed both bags so tightly that it required a map fit everything!

This wasn't a problem on the (then) generous US airlines, but they were much too heavy for the European airlines. In an attempt to make everything better, I bought an extra duffel bag in Paris. But by the time I headed home, both bags were ridiculously heavy and I still had my WELL packed camera bag. Thank God the US airline didn't weigh the camera bag- it was roughly 3x the allowed weight.

Needless to say, having to carry all this through airports/train stations/metro stations and neighborhoods was a nightmare!

So, when the time came to pack for my next trip (to Chicago for New Years) for the weekend I knew I didn't want a roller bag. The temptation to pack roller bags ridiculously heavy is too much temptation!

Well- I did pack less, but still brought too much stuff. Since all I had in the apartment was small duffel bags, between the Boy (my boyfriend) and myself we had 3 duffels and a camera bag.

That is too much to carry through the city!

When we got home with sore spines, my next step was the internet. Having bags that I could carry was definitely better than the roller bag, and I knew I wanted a bag that could be backpack style or shoulderbag, but still would be big enough to carry everything I needed.

E-bags came through with the following:

http://www.ebags.com/ebags/mother_lode_tls_weekender_convertible/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=143101

My most recent trip was with this bag, and it was great! It fit on the plane as a carry on, it went on the metro as a backpack, and with me as I got lost finding the hotel. (Note to self: Don't trust GPS).

It was still a little heavy though.

I'm planning another next trip to Chicago now, and now that I have the perfect bag, its time to look at what I'm going to put in it.

If you are trying to find the perfect bag for you, but are physically unable to carry a bag like what I chose then I would recommend the 4-wheel roller bags. These work better in crowded areas and can handle rough areas without flipping over. I would recommend going a size smaller than what you think you need- that will keep your packing down to a size that won't hurt you if you have to lift it.