Packing Tips

[11sjw]

How do people go carrying suits when travelling HLO? Any special techniques beyond those mentioned in here?

 

[Flashback]

How do people go carrying suits when travelling HLO? Any special techniques beyond those mentioned in here?

I've just used a normal suit bag (folded in half) sitting on top of my rollaboard. and never had an issue, even travelling in whY.

 

[SeatBackForward]

How do people go carrying suits when travelling HLO? Any special techniques beyond those mentioned in here?

Sometime ago I was hinting around for a suit bag, that was not a full size suit carrier. Eventually started looking at a tri-fold suit bag. While Tumi and Briggs & Riley made some very fancy ones, I couldn't justify the price. These would also probably count as a full piece of carry on baggage.

In the end I got one of these, an Eagle Creek Garment Sleeve. It's light, cheap you could really argue it's an additional piece of carry on bag too. The one drawback is that it can be annoying to carry at it doesn't have a decent handle or a shoulder strap. My guess is that it's designed to go into a larger case.

http://m.zappos.com/eagle-creek-pack-it-garment-sleeve

I've managed to have it slide down a the handle of a wheeled case, I also tried to improvise a shoulder strap onto it, but wasn't an ideal solution, might have to end up sewing something permanent onto it.

 

[RB]

Sometime ago I was hinting around for a suit bag, that was not a full size shutout carrier. Eventually started looking at a tri-fold suit bag. While Tumi and Briggs & Riley made some very fancy ones, I couldn't justify the price. These would also probably count as a full piece of carry on baggage.

In the end I got one of these, an Eagle Creek Garment Sleeve. It's light, cheap you could really argue it's an additional piece of carry on bag too. The one drawback is that it can be annoying to carry at it doesn't have a decent handle or a shoulder strap. My guess is that it's designed to go into a larger case.

Eagle Creek Pack-It!â„¢ Garment Sleeve - Zappos.com Free Shipping BOTH Ways

I've managed to have it slide down a the handle of a wheeled case, I also tried to improvise a shoulder strap onto it, but wasn't an ideal solution, might have to end up sewing something permanent onto it.

We have 2 Eagle Creek bags & find them good quality

 

[david1]

I have a huge Osprey bag with wheels and a proper harness system, which is great for longer trips. Being able to comfortably carry or roll it is great, and I actually do both more than I was expecting. I should really have gotten the next size down, I can go 2-3 weeks without washing clothes or needing anything, a smaller one would be easier to manage and fit enough stuff. I take a small backpack or satchel bag on the plane and it's a good combination.

But seeing the size of cabin luggage I think I could go HLO for most of my trips, so I've been looking at cabin luggage recently. So far the leading candidate is the Crumpler Dry Red #6 that has had some attention in this thread already. I looked at one at a Crumpler shop the other day and you could fit a lot of junk in there and the straps were pretty good too. The only problem is the price! Have to wait until I can find one on sale or something else pops up.

 

[Julesmac]

I love Mela Purdie for travelling - MP has a fabric called mousseline which is a technical polyester - dries really really quickly - just roll it in a towel basically and shake and hang, doesn't need ironing. All the designs are super comfortable and very elegant for day or night and easy to dress up or down - also great for cruising.

Metallicus is also good, lighter than Mela Purdie and a bit funkier rather than smart - if that's clear!

 

[coriander]

Just ordered my next cheap US sim and thought I'd share my sim storage device.

1. I usually request sim activation for 2 days before departure (not fortunate enough to ever be away for >30 days) and have sim provider email me my US mobile number so that family, friends*, work have my number. (* = can't believe how many people will not answer phone if there's no / unknown / unfamiliar number shown).

2. To avoid any "issues" with sims trying to log onto Australian suppliers and ruining included plans, I swap sims mid-flight. I used to keep unneeded sim in plastic ziplock bag, but that presented its own storage issues. To avoid losing the sim (either the US or the AU one) and to ensure I can actually change sims in-flight, I now store my my sim AND the simcard drawer pin in an empty SD card case, thus.....



HTH.

 

[TomVexille]

Just ordered my next cheap US sim and thought I'd share my sim storage device.

1. I usually request sim activation for 2 days before departure (not fortunate enough to ever be away for >30 days) and have sim provider email me my US mobile number so that family, friends*, work have my number. (* = can't believe how many people will not answer phone if there's no / unknown / unfamiliar number shown).

2. To avoid any "issues" with sims trying to log onto Australian suppliers and ruining included plans, I swap sims mid-flight. I used to keep unneeded sim in plastic ziplock bag, but that presented its own storage issues. To avoid losing the sim (either the US or the AU one) and to ensure I can actually change sims in-flight, I now store my my sim AND the simcard drawer pin in an empty SD card case, thus.....

View attachment 52686

HTH.

That looks better than my method of taping my telstra sim to the card the new one comes in and keeping it in my wallet.

 

[cgichard]

I'm just back from a 5 1/2 week trip with HLO except that I checked the bag for the return journey when it had grown to 8.5kg. I started on SQ with a 7kg limit, then TK and LH with 8kg and BA with only a HLO size limit. My bag was the now superseded Antler Urbanite trolley backpack, using 2 packing cubes, and about 3kg extra in a capacious handbag. Leaving Melbourne in winter meant that I could front up to check-in wearing coat and warmest clothes and add them into the bag as I travelled. (The coat went in at the airport before boarding.) In Europe I was switching between air, train and bus, so the backpack straps came in useful, especially up flights of stairs. But I couldn't have done this within JQ's limit of 7kg which has to include coat and handbag.

 

[coriander]

Like many travellers, I tend to have multiple devices that are hungry for power and need charging (not to mention the electronic hardware that three teenage ferals seem to need to bring along). My previous solution was a powerboard with an Australian->US adapter. A six-port powerboard usually could handle three-four plug-pack chargers depending on the size/width of the phone chargers. That wasn't a complete solution as the three wanted their own space and having to be clustered around a powerboard created heated currents that were not electrical in origin. I solved that problem by buying a couple of extra leads (detailed below), thus allowing aforementioned ferals to retire to their beds and communicate in peace.

Attached is my latest version of electrical power requirements for US travel and I give credit to Watto over on Whingepool for the idea. A powercube.

Powercubes come in two varieties: 5-port plain and a 4-port unit (input 100-240v) with 2 USB ports capable of 2.1A output (ipad charging and Android fast charging).

Two big advantages of a powercube:
1. it's SO much more compact than a powerboard (they weigh about the same); and almost more importantly
2. all sockets are usable as plug-pack chargers will not interfere with each other, no matter how wide they are.

In addition, I usually carry a couple of US plug->fig-8 (IEC C7); one for my CPAP machine, one spare just in case. I purchased a range of these power cables in a US Radio Shack store many years ago (IEC C5, C7, C15 plug ends) to keep the peace (and to have a happy wife, with the benefits that that entails) - they were only $4 each and were very useful for Dell, HP and Lenovo laptop chargers.

Image below shows size comparison powerboard vs Allocacoc powercube; powercube has AU-US adapter attached; black cord is a Radio Shack US plug -> IEC C7 cord. Of course, you can take along a wider spaced powerboard, but that is then even larger in size.



Powercubes are available for ~$20 plus $10 postage at https://www.catchoftheday.com.au/search?query=powercube

 

[drron]

Great idea!.

 

[Bindibuys]

Purchased my power cube from ebay $44.95 worked out cheaper than others by the time you added freight.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I have been carting a universal power board around for last 10 years - purchased a cube about 2mths ago:



Best feature of the cube is the 2 USB ports on the end:



BUT 1: IMHO cube is a PITA with the cables going in diff directions - IMHO flat power board much better to handle in hotel rooms.

BUT 2: A mate of mine in Beijing saw a 2 outlet universal power board WITH 4 USB outlets in a market in Beijing a month or so back - RMB40 (AD9.00) - I asked him why the F did he not buy a couple on the spot? Shoulder shrug! I know where the market is and will be straight back there next time in PEK.

 

[cove]

We take three or four Tumi universal adaptors and a couple of Apple chargers. The rest is a 5 minute loading once I have the medications packed.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I have been carting a universal power board around for last 10 years - purchased a cube about 2mths ago:

View attachment 52815

I'm curious as to why you'd have a universal power board? My electrical cough I carry all have the AU standard pin configuration so have a cheapy power board from Coles ($4 from memory) and just one small universal adapter to plug the power board into. If I have my computer, I charge USB items with that, but I still tend to carry a normal iPhone USB plug top as well. One day I might upgrade to a $10 power board with USB outlets!

Are your appliances from OS? Even the cube seems to have an AU pin plug top, which in my mind sort of makes the thing pointless for carrying OS.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Absolutely valid point - until you get o/s and for one reason or another need to use an appliance that does not have Australian plug on it - the universal sockets just make it so ......... well ......... universal.

 

[coriander]

Over previous trips to SAfrica, SAmerica I found the universal adapters universally useless. The main problem is their weight and the two I had had movable pins. Combine that with dodgy worn hotel wall sockets and that meant that the heavy adapter would fall out of the wall (usually just AFTER you've fallen asleep :shock: ) and you'd wake up with nothing charged.

Not only third world countries - in January, we found most of the sockets in the Admirals Club in LAX terminal 4, both on those angled stands and on the wall, were loose and you could hear the phones "bing" as the electrical connection dropped in and out. Leaning our backpacks against the wall pressing on the plug was the only way to ensure a reasonably stable connection.

Are your appliances from OS? Even the cube seems to have an AU pin plug top, which in my mind sort of makes the thing pointless for carrying OS.

Not pointless at all. All my camera, phone and laptop chargers have Australian plugs because I mostly use them in Australia (doh!). I take them with me when I go OS, so the powerboard/powercube plus dedicated AU->US adapter is exactly what I need (as in my photo in http://www.australianfrequentflyer....cussion/packing-tips-69287-9.html#post1282609 - I purposely used an off-white adapter for the photo to make its presence obvious).

The universal board is large and bulky and seems like a good idea, but I can't ever remember having to use anything but an "AU plug -> local socket" adapter. If I have to buy an appliance whilst OS (eg to replace the phone charger I left "under the bed" in Palm Beach) it will no doubt have a local plug on it which solves that problem.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Absolutely valid point - until you get o/s and for one reason or another need to use an appliance that does not have Australian plug on it - the universal sockets just make it so ......... well ......... universal.

True, but I carry a universal adapter to plug in the power board.

so the powerboard/powercube plus dedicated AU->US adapter is exactly what I need.

How many AU outlets has the cube got? It looks like it might be 2 or 3 with 2 USBs.

EDIT, sorry, I should have followed your link to start with. Yes Ok looks good. 4 outlets, 2 usbs. I might lash out and ditch the power board. Basically the same thing but smaller (and dearer).

 

[coriander]

Yes Ok looks good. 4 outlets, 2 usbs.
Basically the same thing but smaller (and dearer).

Plus it has Australian Certification, so is less likely to spontaneously combust. I bought one of each (ie 5-outlet and 4-outlet+USB). USB Output is 2.1A - I'm unsure if it's each port or combined output: I'm just about to try with a couple of ipad airs and will report.

 

[11sjw]

Powercube here for app $36 on ebay. Allocacoc Powercube 4 Power Outlet AND 2 USB Ports 1 5M RED | eBay

No, it isn't me selling. Others can tell you I don't live in Sydney!