Traveling light

This item appears on page 18 of the September 2010 issue.

I can’t believe that on my first trip to Rome, about 20 years ago, I carried shoe polish and a travel iron! Since then, I’ve condensed what I take, traveling with a carry-on only and doing laundry as I go along.

I agree with other travelers that wrapping wet laundry in a towel and wringing it helps it dry faster. But rather than carry laundry soap from home, I do my laundry with whatever is available in the hotel — from shampoo to cakes of soap — and my clothes look just fine.

CYNTHIA THOMPSON

Hanover, NH