Peace of Mind Organizing

Traveling light can save money

21 May 2008

American Airlines has announced it will start charging $15 for the first bag a passenger checks. I remember being shocked when airlines starting charging for bag number two. Now you can’t check any bags free of charge (on American, at least). Passengers will start bringing even more carry-on luggage on board. That’s going to make flying an even bigger hassle. Sigh.

So, from an organizing perspective, the message here is to pack lightly and efficiently. Here’s a resource (which I found via Unclutterer): It’s called One Bag: The Art and Science of Travelling Light. It’s a fascinating website, which advocates bundle wrapping your clothes in a specific fashion to minimize wrinkles and maximize efficiency.

If bundle wrapping doesn’t appeal, I can give a personal recommendation to packing folders, which I tried for the first time on my trip to Baltimore last weekend. They allow you to fold clothes very flat and group them by type in these flat, velcro-fastened envelopes. I give them a thumbs up. They also made unpacking and repacking very easy.

What about you? Do you have any tips for packing so lightly you won’t require a checked bag? Or will you just avoid flying airlines that charge extra for such “amenities”?

Tagged with: packing, travel

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