Two professional conferences, two different climates (Seattle WA and Tulsa OK) for six full days.
I’ve written here before about how my husband was a Suitcase Swami by getting everything into a carry-on for one of his conferences – could I do it myself?
You bet, because these days, it’s me versus the airlines.
No way will I pay American Airlines to check my luggage, only to have it possibly lost or abused when I really need to look well-dressed (and I was giving a keynote presentation and workshop at the second conference.)
The video below was filmed with my Flip camera as I unpacked the suitcase from the trip. Here’s what I took:
- 3 pair of trousers
- 2 skirts
- 6 tops
- 4 cardigan sweaters (rather than stiffer, hard-to-pack suit jackets)
- 1 jersey knit blazer-style jacket
- 3 pair of shoes
- 1 lined windbreaker
- 1 T-shirt to sleep in
- scarves, jewelry, spare glasses, toiletries kit, quart-sized bag for liquids
Light, light, light. Pare down the shoes. Pay for a light, well-constructed suitcase (I use a Travelpro Rollaboard.)
Here’s the URL of the how to pack video if you’re an RSS reader or can’t see the box below.
Sheila, what size is the carry-on you used? I need to pack for an eight day class and am expected to dress professionally each day. My carry-on is only 20″ X 13 1/2″ X 7 1/2″. I’ve already decided to wear black dress shoes on the plane and not pack any shoes besides a pair of flip flops for the hotel. Any other ideas besides getting a larger carry-on?
use the biggest carryon you can find but the airports have a limit. most airlines have the measurements on their site.
I like the women’s point of view on packing a suit case — great video! It will be interesting to see if people’s packing tips change if more airlines start charging for carry-ons (like Sprint just did).