O'Hare Airport, Chicago
"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go.
I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."
- Rober Louis Stevenson
In part 1 of this series I discussed what to wear while traveling and how to build an 'essential' travel wardrobe. And I did so with practical elegance in mind. The practical part: pieces that you can quickly pack and pack light; are easy to mix and match; wear well; are comfortable; and are easy to handwash, quick to dry, or inexpensive to send out. The elegance: classic, effortless chic.
For the next three posts in this series, I'll discuss an equally important aspect of travel - a comfortable and relaxing plane trip (of course this post also applies to every other mode of travel). The average domestic plane trip lasts 3 hours; the average international plane trip lasts at least 8 hours. That's a long time to be sitting in a seat about the dimensions of your grade school chair, with little or no leg room. Moreover, you're pretty much stuck in one place - though I do suggest that for particularly long flights you take several strolls up and down the aisles (it's so important to move).
Your checked luggage has everything you'll need once you reach your destination. Your carry-on bag has everything you'll need to allow you to travel as comfortably as possible. Whether your flight is 3 hours long, 8 hours long, inbetween or longer, a well packed carry-on bag is essential if you want to fully enjoy your "great affair to move."
Of the Fountain Custom Leather Luggage Tags ($25)
Let's start with your checked luggage...
I'm afraid that the days are long gone when you could pack all you needed for a trip (even for a weekend) into one carry-on. Overhead bins have become so small, all that reasonably fits are a laptop and your jacket. In the 4 times I've flown this year, every time a long line formed at the plane's entrance because flight attendents made everyone check their luggage carry-ons, citing no room on the aircraft - everyone but me ;-)
A few years ago I decided that, since checking bags is unavoidable, I'd embrace it. Change is good. In other words: if you can't fight them, join them. I went out and purchased the largest wheeled suitase I could find (with an expandable top). Now when Peter and I travel (with or without the family) we share that one bag - plenty of room for savvy packers (even for a 10 day trip to Paris) - yes you can!
The necessity of checking bags led me to look for stylish and durable luggage tags. To date the best place to find an amazing array of luggage tags is at Etsy.com. The prices range from $5 to $100 (for 2 - 7). Most of them are customizable and the best part is that you're supporting a small business. My latest favorite are Of The Fountain Custom Luggage Tags. They're all handmade and you can have up to 11 lines on each tag.
The downside of checking luggage is that the lines are so long - give yourself 1 hour [oye!]. The upside of checking luggage is that: check-in counter(s) are located right at the airport's entrance (thus you don't have to lug it very far); you check-in and get your boarding pass at the same time; after you're done all you have to worry about is your little wheeled carry-on (much less hassle getting through security and walking the 5 miles to your gate).
Now that you've checked your luggage, your next order of business is to find the perfect carry-on...
Travelon Wheeled Underseat Carry-On ($75-$100)
The Travelon Wheeled Underseat Carry-On is, quite simply the best carry on ever!
Inside view - yeah the color is pretty hideous, but you get a clear view.
The Travelon has a metalframe encased in a soft quilted fabric and it meets the most strict airline standards (24x15x10). The telescope handle is plenty long (I'm 5.8"), you can wheel it down the plane's aisle and it perfectly fits beneath the seat. Plus the front is deliberately curved to serve as a footrest. But the best part is that this little bag easily holds everything you could ever need in-flight. It's got a gazillion interior and exterior pockets and a divided interior that's still incredibly roomy. It comes in Black, Ivory, Red and Blue. The price ranges from $75 to $100, depending on where you get it. It's cheapest at Walmart, according to my online research, but keep an eye out for sales. But it's well worth the investment.
Now that you've got the perfect carry-on, what should you put in it? Of course you should put your most precious expensive items that you would never check: jewelry, perfume, camera, laptop, cell phone, etc. After that, luxury and comfort are the operative words!
Let's start with the basics: music, reading & writing, but that's for the next post...
Explore! Discover! Dream!
Temple
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