Article: You Can Take It With You: No Fun in Traveling Light

Q: I envy those businesswomen who manage to make do with one carry-on bag, but I'm just not one of them. It's impossible to travel light when you're going to have a lot of special events that involve different shoes, and I don't want to wear black all of the time. Do you have better suggestions?
—T.B., New Orleans

A: I'm all for practicality and have used all the packing tricks—sample-size toiletries, sleeping in T-shirts and getting three days of outfits out of a single black skirt or pants.
But there comes a time when you just want to travel with more of your favorite clothes, several pairs of shoes and gym gear. Alas, no matter how efficiently you pack, all those things just won't fit into a single carry-on bag.

So stop breaking your back! Go ahead and pay to check a roomy bag so you can enjoy your wardrobe, as well as all your shampoos and liquids that won't get past security in a carry-on.

 

Bee

What's the point of having all those gorgeous frocks if you can't sashay around in them on vacation?
Be disciplined and pack judiciously, of course.

Invest in a four-wheeled "spinner" bag, which rolls right along like a shopping cart. Put your carry-on tote right on top of it and push it through those long airport corridors.

As you're researching luggage brands on the Internet and in stores, get a feel for the design of the bags' interiors.

I like a lot of compartments partitioned off, such as a zippered, waterproof section for liquids. I double-wrap them in plastic bags to guard against any spillage. Other travellers prefer an unadorned, square interior in which they can stack more garments.

Resist checking your bag if you're confronting tight connections (especially if you're travelling internationally) or if you're on a quick and critical business trip, where there is no margin for error.
But vacations are for shifting out of the rat race. Lock your bags, put your name and travel info on the inside and outside of the bags—and then relax. The odds are overwhelmingly in your favor that you and your checked luggage will arrive together.

Source:The Wall Street Journal  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303918204577448782255531946.html?mod=lifestyle_newsreel