<p>Just realized my daughter will be gone over two weeks to Ghana and is only allowed carry on luggage.
EEK!
I am the sort of packer that likes to drive so I can throw everything I need into the car and so when I get there I just buy what I forgot.
Obviously she wont be able to do that.</p>
<p>It is also a little more complicated because they will be also having an overnight in Amsterdam in February where the weather will be a little different than Accra.</p>
<p>I was hoping those of you who travel more than I do- would have some tips on brands of carryons that are light and sturdy but still roomy or help with what to pack and what to forget.</p>
<p>Only carry-on? Ouch! I think the best thing is either a duffle with a shoulder strap (like this: or a small frameless backpack - my dh uses a Jansport Euro Sak (like this: . You’ll have to be careful with sizes. I like the nylon duffle we get from the Sierra Club because it weighs nothing, but the ones made of canvas might be sturdier.</p>
<p>We got given two Jansport frameless backpacks as wedding presents. We took them all over Europe. Dh’s finally died after 20 years, he travels more than me, mine is still going strong.</p>
<p>What to take? That’s harder, but I did grow up in East Africa. Keep in mind that dress tends to be conservative in Africa. (There was a prohibition on bellbottoms and miniskirts when I was there.) I’d bring some pants and some longer skirts. I lived in flipflops and sandals. Sneakers are good for hiking though. I’d bring a lightweight sweater as evenings can be cooler. And for Amsterdam, I’d bring the warmest lightest jacket I owned. My kids would find a fleece with a couple of layers underneath just dandy.</p>
<p>EK- at REI also look into compression sacks. It will help you get alot more in the bag. I also use ziplock bags that I roll things up in.
Look into getting her a backpack. That way if she has to do any amount of walking the weight is on her shoulders. My D used a small women’s internal frame pack while traveling in India for a month. The list of what they could bring was pretty small. It is amazing how little you need. Cheap flipflop sandals. Lightweight but long cotton skirts. A few shirts that aren’t low cut. They might give her a pretty detailed packing list.
Sounds like quite an adventure.</p>
<p>so always use carry ons. Get some space-saver bags from Bed/Bath Beyond for the packing. They make some that are just for travel–no vacuum cleaner needed. You can really"squish" things down with them, and pack more stuff. Remind them to wear the bulkiest stuff on plane, especially their shoes. I forgot if you said son or daughter, but if girl, remember you can take a purse also, and make it big and make it COUNT for your makeup, meds etc. Even go to Wal-mart and get a big cheap one for the trip, and then take a cuter one inside stuffed with the makeup/meds if they are into that sort of thing. (But I don’t think this sounds like a resort/party vacation.) Remind them that most people never wear half of what pack. My sisters trick is to take your rattiest undies, and then discard them as you go, freeing up space for mementos.</p>
<p>*My sisters trick is to take your rattiest undies, and then discard them as you go, freeing up space for mementos.
*</p>
<p>lol
My oldest went to Costa Rica when she was in 11th grade, I think she bought new underwear to avoid washing it out in the sink.</p>
<p>I was thinking of getting some of the synthetic kind that are supposed to dry really fast, they might be more comfortable than cotton which would absorb sweat.
I have lots of packets of body wipes- since they won’t be around lots of fresh water and might feel real sticky what with the nuclear strenght DEET and all.
I hear that the mosquitoes drink our DEET for breakfast so you have to get it there.
Nice
I am buying unscented laundry powder and special shampoo cause she has sensitive skin- and she is going to have to put toxic waste on herself to keep away the bugs!
oh well better red then ded!</p>
<p>I never check bags either - we recently did 2 weeks vacation and each only had one carry one. No problem! </p>
<p>My suggestion is to put one cardboard tube in the suitcase. I usually fill it with stuff on the way over so it doesn’t take up much add’l space. If I see a painting or drawing I want to buy, I can then roll it carefully, and put it in the cardboard tube. Never had a picture injured yet! I don’t always use it on the way back, but if you need it and don’t have it, it’s bad.</p>
<p>Ratty jacket or sweatshirt to Amsterdam–and leave/lose it there. </p>
<p>Decide what she needs to take.
Pack it.
Take everything out and put half of it away.
Repeat as necessary.</p>
<p>Good socks are absolutely crucial. I’d recommend good wool socks. I know that sounds weird, but the padding and the absorption are helpful.</p>
<p>In suitcase: One skirt (thin and light and quick-drying). One pair of pants, ditto. Three or four shirts (ditto). Socks. Lots. Underwear. Lots. Lightweight jacket. Lightweight sandals.</p>
<p>I like the Moving Comfort Coolmax underwear. Comfortable even when sweating, dry fast when washed and don’t get stiff when dried on a doorknob.</p>
<p>If she’s a big shampoo user and can’t check bags, consider a haircut. Very short hair can be rubbed fairly clean with a moist towel. Many parts of Africa are very dusty and it’s nice to get clean–and long hair is hard to get clean without a bath/shower.</p>
<p>Dmd has a good list. When my D traveled to rural India she showered very little. After awhile you get used to not showering daily. If she has long hair bring rubberbands to put it in braids.</p>
<p>I also suggest she carry in a zip lock bag, some of those dry tissues impregnated with soap. Dove soap is the one I use. They’re advertised for washing your face. But I keep them in my purse in a ziplock bag, and can use them either for washing my face, or for when I’m in a bathroom that either has no soap for washing hands, or where the soap is too dodgey to use.</p>
<p>It’s a good idea to photocopy all important papers (passport, travel documents, itinerary, emergency contact info, etc.), scan them, then e-mail the scan to herself and to you. That way if anything is lost, both of you have immediate access to good copies.</p>
<p>Sons have travelled to China and Nepal. Take a big backpack that can be carried on and a smaller daypack (sometimes zips onto bigger one). You only need a few pairs of underwear and socks, khaki pants, jeans, sweater, sweatshirt, sneaks and a pair of shoes. Take some long underwear for layering if it’s cold in Amsterdam – maybe a turtleneck, gloves and hat. For Africa, be sure to take antibiotics for stomach bugs and upper respitory infections along with Advil. Also be sure to take Purell or some time of anti-bacterial wipes. When we adults travel outside western Europe, we take allergy and cold meds, lozenges and Airborne, Tums and Pepto Bismol, and toilet paper. Above all, have fun and be safe.</p>
<p>When my son went to Mexico for the winter last year we bought him a Rick Steves Convertible Backpack. It’s designed to work as a carry-on and a backpack but also expands to a larger luggage size if needed. He did a lot of bus traveling while he was in Mexico and it held up really well.</p>
<p>Here’s a link with a description but a lot of places sell it (the best price we found at the time was thru JC Penney’s but my son opted to get it thru Amazon to get the color he wanted).</p>
<p>thanks for all the tips,anyone know a good website to explain exactly what they can take?</p>
<p>For instance D has lots of medicine she will need- besides the antibiotics and malaria medicine, she will have her regular medication. However- she has one bottle where the ins co made a mistake- ( we get it by mail) they sent us a huge bottle and it says take three a day, she is only supposed to take one a day. If I put it in another smaller bottle, that is still a prescription bottle for the identical medication and has her name on it, but the date is old- will that be a problem?
( just trying to save space where ever possible)
So for carry on, she could have one backpack and one rolling carryon?
I will tell her, just to put her purse if she even brings one in the backpack & to wear her warmest clothes ( which she would need to do anyway- planes are cold!)
Its probably good they are just taking carryons- then I don’t have to worry about stuff getting lost, but it is challenging.
She is a good packer though- I always forget she isn’t like me.
She can spend an entire summer at camp and just need one suitcase plus a tiny duffle. ( & in Seattle you need clothing for every possible weather condition in the summer except snow + they do laundry there)
I also forget she won’t be bringing her laptop
I take mine * everywhere* and that adds a bit of weight.</p>
<p>I think you can put her meds in a smaller bottle (just make sure she knows this is older bottle) and she won’t run into a problem but am not 100 percent sure. My son who has Type 1 diabetes travels with insulin vials, needles, glucose strips, and pump supplies – never has been stopped re: prescriptions – however one time a screener thought his insulin pump was a game boy or something like that. When we went to visit him in China in October, I had 12 vials of insulin in my carry on along with a vial for second dose Hepatitis vaccine; my husband had the syringe. We were never questioned – in USA or domestic flights in China. However, I suppose this could vary by airline.</p>
<p>I’ll second the Rick Steves bag mentioned above. Youngest son has used that for two trips to Europe, very versatile and weighs almost nothing. Backpack option is very handy. Easily goes into the overhead on planes. No real structure, though, so anything fragile would need some special packing consideration.</p>
<p>If she will be washing out undies and things along the way, a bar of Fels-Naptha is easy to take along for “detergent” purposes and no worries about liquid issues (or a very small bottle of campers suds).</p>
<p>Copy the contents of the wallet as well; license, credit/debit card, etc, front and back. Much easier to cancel cards if the wallet goes missing on the way home from far off places (oh, wait, that was MY child).</p>
<p>“I am the sort of packer that likes to drive so I can throw everything I need into the car and so when I get there I just buy what I forgot.”</p>
<p>A girl after my own heart.</p>
<p>Q. From Wife–is everything packed?
A. From smartass Husband–do they have a store there? Stop worrying, if we forget anything we’ll just buy it there.</p>
