1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: This week we're talking travel tips and how to be 4 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: efficient and effective on the road. Today's tip is about 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: how to pack smart, which generally means light so you 6 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: don't waste time while traveling. So in my family, we 7 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: have a rule that, if at all possible, we don't 8 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: check bags. Now, I know it's not always possible, but 9 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:40,839 Speaker 1: I do think it's a good goal, even if you're 10 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,319 Speaker 1: traveling for a week or so, and even if you're 11 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: traveling with kids. Here's my reasoning. Checking bags means you 12 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:50,959 Speaker 1: need to get to the airport earlier and you need 13 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: to wait on the other side of your trip to 14 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: retrieve your stuff. And that's if your stuff shows up, 15 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: which it doesn't always, particularly you've got a tight connection somewhere. 16 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: We've all heard horror stories of people checking bags and 17 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: then their stuff not showing up until well into the trip, 18 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: if at all. There's actually a store, the Unclaimed Baggage 19 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 1: Center in Alabama, that sells stuff from lost luggage. The 20 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: stores ads note that thousands of items arrive in the 21 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: store every day, so ponder that the next time you're 22 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: thinking of checking bags. When I'm traveling by myself, limiting 23 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 1: myself to carry ons is straightforward enough. I packed my 24 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: carry on duffel bag with my work clothes and my 25 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: running clothes. I try to wear anything bulky on the plane. 26 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: I take my curling iron, but hotels have hair dryers. 27 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: I packed my toiletrees in a ziploc bag, even though 28 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: I have t s a pre check because sometimes I 29 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: fly out of the American Eagle Terminal at Philadelphia, which 30 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: doesn't have a pre check lane. I buy travel sized 31 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: bottles of toothpaste and contact land solution, and all my 32 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: makeup is either under three ounces or isn't really liquid. 33 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: Hotels have shampoo and conditioners, so no need to bring 34 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: those things. I used my purse as my other carry 35 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: on and put my laptop, phone, sunglasses, wallet, and reading 36 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: material in there. I recognize that I'm a relatively small person, 37 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 1: but I've seen larger people pack for a week and 38 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 1: similarly sized carry ons. My husband can pack enough business 39 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 1: clothes for a week in his leather duffel bag or 40 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: small roll aboard, so he doesn't check bags for business 41 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 1: trips either. At this point, the only reason we check 42 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: bags is if we're doing something requiring specialized equipment like skiing, 43 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: although I note that the last time we packed to 44 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: ski as a family, our luggage got lost and we 45 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: wound up getting a knock on our hotel room door 46 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: at two am when it was delivered. Anyway, I think 47 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: a lot of people assume that when you're traveling with 48 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 1: your family, you have to check bags and you have 49 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: to pack a lot. But with some foresight and practice, 50 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: I've found that this is not always the case. I 51 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: packed for myself in three children for a week in 52 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: the UK in two carry ons, my duffel bag and 53 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: one small roll aboard, and then my purse and a 54 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: small backpack for each child. The kids wore their jackets 55 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,080 Speaker 1: to travel, and those were the bulkiest items. We didn't 56 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: run out of stuff. The kids rewar clothes on the 57 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 1: play home, but they wore jeans once before that, and 58 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: that's about it. What this required was really thinking through 59 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: what we'd need and what we wouldn't. We looked at 60 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: the weather carefully. We brought enough clothes, but not extra clothes. 61 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: I find that a lot of people don't even think 62 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: through how many days they'll be gone and what they 63 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: will wear each day. They just bring the clothes they 64 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: like and figure they'll make wardrobe decisions as they go. 65 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: This can waste tons of space. The kids just needed 66 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: one pair of shoes each. They could bring a special 67 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 1: small stuffed animal, but not the whole menagerie. We didn't 68 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: indulge in fantasies about what we'd need if for some 69 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: reason we were invited to dine somewhere fancy. Unlikely with 70 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: my kids, we'd go get new clothes. It probably wasn't 71 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: worth packing for events that had about a zero percent 72 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: chance of happening, but it was great being able to 73 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: carry our luggage on buses and trains just fine, and 74 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: being able to carry it into our hotel rooms without 75 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 1: feeling like we were unduly burdened. Now, I recognize, of course, 76 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: that very small children require a few more items, such 77 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: as diapers or bottles if you're using those. However, we've 78 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: also found that many places around the world will sell 79 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 1: baby products if you happen to run out. Unless you're 80 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: going to the wilderness, you can usually get things. So, 81 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: for instance, when we're going on a beach vacation, we'll 82 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,479 Speaker 1: bring multiple trial sized bottles of sunscreen to get under 83 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: the t s A limit and then buy more at 84 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: the beach. When we start running low rental car companies 85 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 1: will rent booster seats for kids who need them, or 86 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: I actually managed to squeeze one and to carry on 87 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 1: Duffel once. Like I said, I get into this packing 88 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 1: thing with time management. There's a truism that work expands 89 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: to fill the available space. Likewise, I think this is 90 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: true of physical space as well. If you tell yourself 91 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: that you're only going to bring a small bag, you'll 92 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: make it work. If you decide you can check multiple bags, well, 93 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 1: you'll probably fill them as well, and then wind up 94 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,160 Speaker 1: dragging them around the whole trip if they show up, 95 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 1: rather than ending up at that lost luggage store in Alabama. 96 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:15,040 Speaker 1: I know not everyone agrees with me. I mean, I've 97 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 1: written about this in the past, and people have told 98 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:19,720 Speaker 1: me that they like their creature comforts, and for them 99 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 1: having a whole bottle of their own shampoo along for 100 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: the ride makes travel less daunting, as with much of life, 101 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: you do you but in general I think that packing 102 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 1: lighter keeps the focus of travel where it should be, 103 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: on experiences, not things you need enough stuff that it 104 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 1: doesn't hinder the experience, but we probably need a lot 105 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:46,479 Speaker 1: less stuff then we think we do. Do you pack light? 106 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear about it. You can let me 107 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: know at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeart media dot com. 108 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 109 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Yeah, hey, everybody, 110 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 111 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 112 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:16,280 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod 113 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: that's B the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 114 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 115 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast 116 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 117 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 118 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,720 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from 119 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 120 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.