How To Travel Light

by Jonathon Morgan on

Wish you could pack more efficiently? Tired of carrying cumbersome bags on all your trips? Next time you’re trying to travel light, just remember the letters T-R-A-V-E-L, and you’ll not only remember what to bring, you’ll remember how you brought it.

The mnemonic stands for Toiletries, Reading Materials, “Aid” Pack, Vital Documents, Electronics and Laundry., and has been created by Travelite FAQ to keep you organized on the road.

“The secret is to compartmentalize all of your goodies by category, putting things into sacks, bags, envelopes and packs. This will allow you to easily get to the item you are looking for. When you open up your pack the most that will happen is that some smaller sacks will tumble out, ready for you to grasp. Use the following mnemonic to help you remember how.”

Most of us who travel frequently have developed one system or another, but having a thought-out, fine-tuned method of organizing my stuff that’s the same every on every trip will be a great time-saver and stress-reducer.

What tips and tricks do you have for hassle-free packing?

[via Lifehacker]

How-To Fold A Shirt, Even If You Have Notabletofoldclothescorrectly Disease

by Willy Volk on

I used to roll roll my clothes when packing them. I was told — and I believed for a long time — that rolled clothes took up less room and were even less wrinkled when unfolded. Today, I don’t believe either of those things are true, although I do believe that rolling clothes makes it easier to remove a particular shirt, for example, from a pile of tightly rolled shirts. It’s like plucking candy from a dish. Now, instead of rolling my clothes, I just fold them neatly. Um, well, I just fold them. Sadly, I have Notabletofoldclothescorrectly disease. I think I inherited it. It’s tragic, but I’m dealing with it.

Ben Zweig, however, does not have have Notabletofoldclothescorrectly disease. A self-proclaimed “Folding Expert,” Zweig knows several ways to fold shirts and has even produced a 3-minute video demonstrating how to fold clothes perfectly every time. Part of me appreciates his tips and wants to incorporate them into my packing routine. The other part of me wants to ask him how he got so regimented as such a young man. Check out the Zweig’s video and decide for yourself whether Zweig is helpful…or bizarrely anal.

Excess Luggage Fees & Fines

by Adrienne Wilson on

LAX was an absolute mad house this morning. I’m going to full on go out there and just say it was probably the worst I’ve ever seen it in all my travels. To make matters worse I discovered my bag was over the Delta airlines weight limit and I was going to be hit with a $25 fee. “Is that going to be in cash or credit ma’am?”

Grrr…

So here’s my beef with this scenario. For starters my baggage has never been over the weight limit and secondly what is the purpose of charging innocent travelers? Isn’t the weight limit rule supposed to ensure the plane isn’t going to be too heavy? What if everyone’s bag was over the weight limit? How important would that $25 bucks be then? Ugh.

Anyways make sure you pack lightly unless you like coming out of pocket for your goods. The Travel Insider has some good info online on airline checked luggage allowances and a nice table with most airlines fees and weight limits. This should help you from going over and paying extra.

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of June 18

by Adrienne Wilson on

Time for another end of the week compilation of Gadling goodies you may have let slide by during the busy week. Here’s a look at some of our fav five once more:

5. Great Bistros:
Nothing rocks the socks off a well-seasoned traveler more than well-seasoned, savory, delectable, and toothsome cuisine from the locale they’re visiting. Agree? Neil points us to a Travel + Leisure piece on Great Bistros of Provence and if your mouth isn’t already watering from the suspense then perhaps you should hurry up and check it out now. Then let your senses and buds be taken by the delicious descriptions of all the yummy finds you’re missing in Provence.

4. Roadside America:
Long road trip planned through some pretty sparse areas of the country? Feel as if attractions are to few and far in between you and your final destination? Worry not – Erik kindly directs our attention to a life and road trip saving site called Roadside America. We’ve talked about it before on Gadling, but with summer here now you’ll want to plan ahead to so not to miss the World’s Largest Ball of Twine. Far out, right?

3. Roots Travel – African Ancestry:
Great, great way to plan a trip to Africa and possibly learn something about your family’s lineage. African Ancestry is a company helping individuals trace their DNA and find their roots. Too cool if you’re an African American or anyone who feels they may have an ounce of African  blood in their family tree. I’m already on the bandwagon to discovering more about my own lineage.

2. World Refugee Day:
There is never enough to be said for the growing population of refugees and to highlight the contributions made by refugees worldwide there is World Refugee Day. Events don’t end on June 20 though. Read the blurb and find ways to lend your hand to refugees after the date.

1. How to Get it All Into One Bag:
Packing – one of the biggest pains in travel! Argh! Just when you think you’ve got it down to a science you do something boneheaded like pack (insert your very unnecessary item here) and find later that you’ve created one of the biggest headaches ever. Take a look at this piece inspired by the Onebag.com site here on Gadling and share some of your own packing fixes. I think this is one refresher we can all use.

Packing Tips

by Erik Olsen on

Here’s some news you can use. Fodors has put together a list of six tips for how to help you pack your stuff with the least amount of wrinkles possible. Now for those us us who do a fair amount of business travel, this is a very handy guide. I know that on several occasions, being the sloppy packer I am, I have arrived somewhere with my dress shits looking like I just had a wrestling match with a particularly aggressive foe. Among the useful tips here: roll some of you stuff. Pants, for example, will wrinkle less if rolled than folded up and stuffed into your suitcase. Nice idea. Another is to use plastic, which cuts down on the friction, which can cause clothes to crumple. Gonna have to give this one a try.