taravb, the great thing about the rolling bag/backpack is that you balance out the 2 methods of toting your luggage! When your shoulders start protesting you can take off the pack and pull it for awhile. I love it. I can't move very fast with a back pack and when I get to the airport and really need to move, I put down the wheels and zip right along!

Ok, here's a tip for you big shoppers! When I go to China to load up, I always ask for a vacuum cleaner from the hotel and suck the air out of a bag and place several in my suitcase. You can't imagine how many clothes you can fit in it!

The only problem with those vacuum things...your bags get very heavy. The stuff may take up less space but it still weighs a ton.

Jens,

You're absolutely right. What people often forget is the weight limitations we have for airline flights. Even when we slim down on what we take, the bulk is less than the weight. When it comes to overweight luggage, it always seems like it is a cheaper alternative to do some UPS type shipping back, then paying the overweight luggage costs at the airlines.

The last time we traveled we had a 20 kilo (44 lb.) limit for each of us on the flight. Fortunately Iberia allowed us to keep our carry on seperate and didn't count it against our weight total. Had they counted it, we would have been about 9 kilos overweight. We packed our essentials and extra sets of clothes in carry on, just in case our luggage went to Hong Kong, instead of Madrid with us. Of course, you can't count on the people at the counters allowing that. They may very well weigh your carry on with your checkable luggage. Then you're in big trouble... gotta pay the freight. The only reason they gave us that break was that two of the four people ahead of us were traveling real light (couriers), and their total baggage was carry on, nothing checked.

Wolf

Great thread to start,kbl!The best tip I ever got when traveling was the advice from the Barefoot Windjammer folks.."if you have to check your luggage,you're bringing too much". I am a good packer, especially if I'm touring about and not seeing the same people everyday. Who cares if you wear the same couple of outfits for 2 weeks? as long as you make opportunities to do a little wash!(It may strike you friends at home a little odd when they see your photos and you appear to never have changed your clothes).I'm in the fashion business and there are wonderful high-tech fabrics that are very packable and every girl looks great in black and white..and I'm looking forward to finding some little pieces of "color" to accessorize with once in Spain.

While I would love to be able to only take a carry-on, I'm afraid I can't do it! I also overpack but have gotten MUCH better in the past couple of years! When I look back at my month-long trip to Granada with a VERY large suitcase and gym bag (!), I think to myself: "What a waste of energy. I was such an idiot". I'm even embarassed to mention it now! Anyway, those days are long gone. But I still need to take a 65-litre travel pack. I don't pack it up, that way I leave room for the things I buy along the way! A carry-on for me is impossible, though. I am not THAT good!!!

As for those vacuum-packed bags, I have two of them and they are great! They actually sell special ones with air valves to squeeze out the air from the bag and they are also waterproof (good for camping- double-duty!). The ones I have are of the brand name PACK-MATE. They are good, especially in winter for the bulky clothing!

SusiLaGallega

Just a comment about all the people who talk about suitcases and packs in terms of liters/litres--we Americans need to get with the program and do the metric thing! How cool to be able to compare suitcases without having to multiply 24 inches x 36 inches x 12 inches to come up with a volume measurement!

Of course, the 60+ litre bag is a bit scary, when you figure that should hold the equivalent of 30 2-liter bottles of Coke (and how we ended up measuring bottles of Coke in liters and cans in ounces is beyond me)!

Actually, a 65-litre backpack, here in Canada anyway, is the average backpack size for backpacking to Europe! And while it states 65 litres, I highly doubt that 30 2-litre bottles could fit in my bag!!! Just think, my cousin and his fiancee traveled to Spain last year for 3 weeks and each of them took an 80 litre backpack!!!!!!

SusiLaGallega

I have tried those space bags for packing, and I'll have to admit they are absolutley wonderful. Being part of the O.A. I find these to be very handy when I am packing. Plus when things are smaller, I have more room to pack more stuff.

Hmmm.

I am a big fan of packing light. For the next trip (3 weeks, starts in Amsterdam, most of it in Spain), I will take (asterixes beside the stuff no-one else has already mentioned):

* one pair pants where the legs zip-off to convert to shorts (try Target for inexpensive ones)
- one long skirt
* one pair long-john bottoms; they double as "running tights" and, layered with the pants keep me warm
- 3 prs. sox and 3 prs. undies
- swimsuit
* one long- and one short-sleeved t-shirt (asterix is for coolmax fiber, great for washing and drying overnight), one blouse
* one polarfleece jacket
* one silk scarf instead of jewelry, one bandana, doubles as napkin/washcloth. Both serve to cover my eyes when sleeping on planes and trains
* one linen towel -- small, light, and very absorbent; I much prefer linen to the "pactowels."
* one tupperware container, preserves bread & cheese in the luggage for train rides.

Um, that's about it. Camera, one pair shoes, one pair sandals. Basic toiletries. Some books (all used, paperback, discard-or-trade-as-you-go).

I'm trying the rolling/backpack suitcase this time for the first time...dubious b/c of the cobblestone issue but I see others have found them good...I've always used just a backpack or light duffel bag in the past.

asheaves