Luggage Wordlock
With the four-dial luggage lock Wordlock, 10 letters per dial, you can set the combination with a four-letter word — 10,000 possible combinations. TSA-accepted, it costs $8.99 at Lowe’s, True Value, Kmart, Target and other outlets.
Packing and Gear
Vacuum bags
You probably have seen ads for plastic bags that use a vacuum cleaner or other special gadget to compact clothes for efficient packing. The idea is good. The problem, however, is that when you’re away from home, where do you find a vacuum cleaner to use when packing for your return trip?
Our solution is to buy large (two-gallon or larger), resealable freezer bags from our local supermarket. We keep heavy socks in one bag and underwear in one or two others.
We partially seal the bags, then simply sit on them, forcing the air out before completing the sealing.
‘Security absurdity’
After visiting Argentina in November ’10, my wife and I flew home to Charlotte out of Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) on Continental Airlines. I will compare our experience to that of another ITN subscriber who returned to the US through EZE in February ’07 (Sept. ’07, pg. 44).
Good news — the departure tax was included in the cost of our airline ticket. One less queue!
Lufthansa’s speedy payment
My wife, Judy, and I flew on Lufthansa from Detroit to Budapest via Frankfurt on Aug. 28, 2010. When we picked up our luggage in Budapest, Hungary, one of our suitcases had been damaged. A wheel was missing and the bag had been ripped.
We immediately went to the Lufthansa service desk, just a few feet from the baggage-claim area.
Standout suitcase
My suitcases are black, just like everyone else’s, but in 29 years of globetrotting I have never lost a piece of luggage.
‘Lasagna’ packing
I’m an old lady whose early travels were during World War II. When my parents realized that railway stations would no longer have porters, I was told to pack only what I could carry. That not only introduced a weight limit, it put a premium on size, too, for smaller was easier to carry.
I learned to pack into every inch of a suitcase. Heavy, bulky items go in first, to the rear at the bottom. Other odd shapes go in next, nestled with any underwear and socks/stockings that haven’t been stuffed into shoes.
Take notes of promises made
Eight of us flew Delta/Air France from San Jose, California, to Cairo, Egypt, via Paris, France, on Feb. 27, 2010. When we arrived at Paris’ CDG Airport for our connecting flight to Cairo (on Air France 508 or Delta 8622) at 1:35 p.m., we found out that it was delayed due to weather. It was finally canceled at 9:40 p.m.
Luggage worth buying
Whether you travel with just a carry-on or also check a bag or two, what types of luggage do you travel with these days and why? A number of readers answered those questions, as shown below. (Also see Aug. ’10, pg. 39 & Sept. ’10, pg. 42.)
Luggage worth buying
Whether you travel with just a carry-on or also check a bag or two, what types of luggage do you travel with these days and why? A number of readers answered that question, as shown below. (Also see Aug. ’10, pg. 39.)
Wrinkle-free
When packing, roll clothes, when appropriate, especially to fit them between ribs of the suitcase handle. Put rarely used items on the bottom and those often used on top. Use flat folds for other items.
I carry a small bottle of wrinkle remover. I take out the items I will wear the next day, hang them in the closet and spray them for wrinkles, if necessary. If it’s not necessary, I still have the next day’s outfit ready to go.
Another way to remove wrinkles — hang the day’s clothes in the bathroom and run hot water nearby to “steam” them.