A New High In Travel Packing

I know I've been gloating on my ability to pack super-light and never check luggage when I travel. On a recent trip to California, I packed for ten days in just a carry-on bag. Admittedly, it takes some planning (using the LobotoME Pack Me Pad helps!) but the time spent up front planning is so worth it. I'm tellin' ya, traveling with just a carry-on bag is so great! I don't have to stand in line to check my bags, and I never worry about my luggage being lost, stolen or delayed. Plus, no waiting at baggage claim while the evil merry-go-round of luggage circles endlessly. The last time I checked bags was my 2006 trip to Los Angeles and I waited FORTY-FIVE minutes at baggage claim to get my stuff Ugh.

Anyway, I recently flew to Philadelphia and because I'm attending a family wedding while I'm up north, I ran into a bit of a packing challenge...

Extra shoes! Ack! Normally I limit myself to just two pairs of shoes per trip and it's usually plenty. I pack one and I wear one. However, this time, I needed casual shoes for everyday wear with jeans, sneakers for exercise, and the dreaded third pair -- dressy pumps for the wedding. Ruh-roh raggy.

Not one to back down from a puzzle, I put my organizer thinking cap on and out of desperation, tried something new. And guess what? It worked! You can see by the photo that my shiny size 7.5 black pumps fit perfectly INSIDE my sneakers, heel and all.

I just untied the laces, opened up the sneakers as much as I could, and slipped one pump down inside each sneaker as far as it would go. Then I stuffed socks and pantyhose into the pumps to keep the toes from crushing. Socks inside pumps, inside sneaks! Voila! It was like a footwear turducken! (only not nearly as delish). I condensed two pairs of shoes into the space of one. Pretty awesome and a massive space-saver.

One caveat... if you buy super expensive shoes, you may not be comfortable doing this, but in my case, my shoes just aren't that spendy and it's worth it for me to avoid checking luggage. So there you have it, kids. Today we discovered yet more proof that necessity is indeed the mother of invention, and I humbly remain The Packing Queen.

Comments

[Sarah Kimmel]

Great idea! I loved the Scooby Doo part especially!

[Terry Lessig]

My friend, Ken Kleemann (a/k/a/ MOOSE), is running for president on the campaign promise of "a turducken in every pot."

Google him at your own risk.

I usually roll up my suit pants in one shoe, and stuff the jacket in the other. (I wear wide shoes) When I show up at the meeting, they think I'm homeless and throw me out. Then, I can use the rest of the day seeing the sights in a new city. I love business travel!

[Marc]

So, do you take more time planning your packing than you'd take waiting at the carrousel? :-)

I'm checking in most of the time, because most of my trips go international and security spoils the fun. I'd hate to scrape my beard with a cartridge razor for a week or two because security wouldn't allow blades...

[Monica Ricci]

Marc, Terry and Sarah, thanks for your comments. Marc, once you have your travel packing system down, it doesn't take that long, honestly. And all it takes is ONE lost luggage experience to hammer home that packing only what you can carry on is worth it. I understand there are sometimes you simply CAN'T avoid checking luggage. I just try to make those times as few as possible.

Monica

[Brandie Kajino]

Monica,
Ok, seriously - genius! I'm also loving the socks and hose inside the shoes. I'm totally ripping that off. Ask me at conference if I actually only carried on my luggage. ;)
Happy New Year!

[Mary H]

Let us not forget the versatility of dry-cleaning bags! Especially those in which laundered folded shirts are packaged. Slip each pump into a bag and they slide into almost anything. I re-use the small ones for folded tops and light sweaters, and the longer ones for suits/dresses. Two bonuses here: fewer wrinkles in the clothes, and it's easier for security personnel to paw through the bag without destroying all sense of order. Keep an extra bag for delicates after they're worn, or as a back-up for dirty shoes.

[Monica Ricci]

Mary and Brandie, thanks for your comments. Mary, what a good idea about the dry cleaner bags! Brandie, I will try to remember to ask you at conference!!

~Monica

[Patsy]

It is a good idea to put the dress shoes/pumps into the sports shoes, but personally I wouldn't do it. The bottoms of shoes are never really clean, touching dirty streets, the floors of toilet stalls etc. so I would rather not put them into my sneakers. I always pack them in separate plastic bags, so they can't touch my other things like clean clothes. But neverteheless, it'll work for many people, so it is a great idea for those who want to travel light.

[Monica Ricci]

Patsy,
You are certainly right. You could wrap the shoes in plastic dry-cleaner bags BEFORE putting them inside the sneakers, then put the entire shoe-package into another plastic bag. That would solve the dirty soles dilemma! :)
~Monica

[Janine Adams]

One of my clients has a wonderful solution to the dirty-soles problem: she uses shower caps from the hotel to cover the bottom of her shoes before packing them. I've tried this and it works like a charm!

Happy new year!

[Monica Ricci]

What a great idea Janine about the shower caps for shoes!
~Monica

[suzanne l.]

You had me at "extra shoes."

I thought it was a great idea, but almost didn't get to it b/c I was laughing so hard
at the Turducken reference.

Happy New Year!

[Monica Ricci]

Glad I could give you a post-holiday-poultry giggle, Suzanne!
~Monica