Global Travel Planning
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Global Travel Planning
Pack Like a Pro: Essential Tips, Tricks & Travel Hacks
In this month's episode from the travelling trio - Tracy, Melissa and Shelly (aka a Brit, an Aussie and a Yank) we share their best packing strategies, essential items, and embarrassing packing fails to help you prepare for your next adventure. We debate cabin baggage versus checked luggage, reveal our must-have travel items, and share hard-earned lessons about what works – and what doesn’t.
• Cabin vs checked luggage: the pros, cons and airline realities to consider
• Travel essentials you should never leave home without – from power banks to sarongs
• Game-changing packing hacks, including compression cubes and vertical packing
• Memorable packing fails, including broken sandals and contact lenses held up in Greek customs
• Shoe and toiletry strategies that work for both short and long-term travel
• Smart outfit planning using versatile pieces that mix and match
• Why the 5-4-3-2-1 packing method might not work for everyone
• Final tips: don’t overpack, bring comfort items, and always leave room for souvenirs
Join us next month when we'll be discussing how to stay safe while travelling.
⭐️ Guests - Melissa (QueenslandTravelGuide.com.au) and Shelly Marie (SoloHerWay.com)
📝 Show Notes - Episode 47
🎧 Listen to next
- Episode 43 – Finding Your Ideal Accommodation: Tips, Tricks, and Travel Tales
- Episode 39 - Planning Your Dream Trip in 2025: Expert Tips and Strategies
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Packing for a trip can be overwhelming Carry on or check luggage hard case or soft case what should you never travel without? In this episode, we're sharing our best packing hacks, travel essentials and the mistakes we've learned from along the way. Hi and welcome to the Global Travel Planning Podcast. I'm your host, tracy Collins, who, with my expert guests, will take you on a weekly journey to destinations around the globe. Guests will take you on a weekly journey to destinations around the globe, providing travel inspiration, itinerary ideas, practical tips and more to help you plan your next travel adventure.
Speaker 1:Hi guys, welcome to episode 47 of the Global Travel Planning Podcast. This is our monthly episode where it's myself, shelley and Melissa chatting about and sharing our travel tips and experience and hacks, and this month we are talking about packing, which we know is something I mean. I know I get lots and lots of emails and questions about packing for the UK and for London, and lots of emails and questions about packing for the UK and for London, and I'm sure that Melissa and Shelley have exactly the same from their audiences and their listeners and their readers of the podcast that they want to know how we manage when we travel around the world all the time when it comes to packing, whether that's a short-term trip or a longer-term travel. So, hi Melissa and hi Shelley, welcome back again.
Speaker 2:Hi, back again Hi.
Speaker 1:Tracy. So I'm going to kick off with the first question that absolutely drives me potty personally. This drives me potty and that is a question about carry on versus check-in. Right, and I'm going to kick off quickly about this because I think, yeah, if you can do carry on, that's fantastic. If you're going for a short trip, then go for it.
Speaker 1:But there's a couple of caveats I'm going to say to that. One is, if you do that and take up all the room on the aeroplane when you go in and the overhead lockers, then I don't like that. That's the first thing I'm going to say. And the second thing is, when you get older, it's not as easy to carry a couple of backpacks. You actually need to consider, like, how you're managing to carry stuff. So those are my caveats for carry on. Um, I think I'm a pretty good packer, which I know melissa will probably attest to from our trip to india. But uh, so depending on where I'm going and for how long will dictate what I take in in the. In europe, where we've been traveling around recently, it's far more difficult to just go carry on because of the weight restrictions are really really strict on some of the budget airlines. So you guys, let's go for this right. Melissa, what about you? What do you do? Are you a carry on or are you a check-in girl?
Speaker 3:look where I can. I am definitely carry on, um. So yeah, if I can do it, but then carry on all the way, um. But, as you said, budget airlines are really, really strict. You know you have to be prepared to. You know you might be able to fit it in the dimensions, but not the weight, and if it's a budget airline then they are likely to weigh your bag on the way in. Now, when, when I can, when I can flyantas because most budget are 7Ks, qantas is 10K and if you can fly business, which sometimes I do when I'm on point hacks, they're a little bit more reasonable. But yeah, so anyway, nine times out of ten, I will do carry on for various reasons. Yeah, but I hear what you're saying. It's not always possible. You'll do carry on for various reasons. Yeah, but I hear what you're saying. It's not always possible and it's definitely going to depend on the trip, how long, what the weather is like, what you're bringing along with you.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. What about you, Shelley? What?
Speaker 2:do you prefer? I would say 98% of the time I'm check on only because I travel for a longer length of time. So when I leave, I travel with a medium-sized suitcase and a carry-on period and that lasts me almost all year long. So, that being said, when I first started out I tried the carry-on and just a backpack and, like you said, tracy, it got too cumbersome.
Speaker 2:One of my pet peeves and not to just tag off of yours is please, people, when you are taking a backpack on the plane, please be aware of the people in the aisle seat. I have been beaten by backpacks in the aisle seat. I now will cover my hand over my face because I know sometimes it's not intentional, but they just whip around and they will beat you with that backpack. So that's one of my things. Fine, fine, you take a carry-on, but please be aware. But now, no, I go ahead and I pack a medium leather almost like a purse. I'll put a couple, you know, I'll put one change of clothes, I'll put my essential essentials, just in case my luggage gets lost, and then I go ahead and I check things and, honestly, a lot of the airline carriers like it better that you're not bringing it on board oh yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:I totally agree. Actually, doug and I were flying from los angeles to london last september last September, and I don't even think it was a turbulent flight but the overhead locker opened and a large case fell out. Luckily, doug caught it, because actually there was a woman holding the baby underneath.
Speaker 1:It was ridiculous, and that's what I'm talking about like taking carry-on, shoving it in the locker and it's like really heavy and A taking up all the room, things like that it was. It was crazy and um, and exactly I agree with what you're saying as well, melissa, in terms of like the budget allowance are so, so strict. I actually flew. I was in jersey in october for a week, so I just went with carry on. But getting back on the plane, the guy it wasn't the weight, it was the width. Apparently my bag was too wide so he made me take the things out of it, put them on the chair, put the bag into the slot, take the bag out of the slot when he said that was fine and put everything back in the bag. It was crazy, but that's what it can be like I know. So I'm totally aware of this. Now, thinking like you think you're going to be able to do it, I'd be careful because you just don't know who you're going to get at the airport going.
Speaker 2:Oh no I'll interject too. They're in malaysia, going through kawana, lempore. You will clear the um airlines, they will clear your luggage and everything, but there is a checkpoint before you even get to security where they weigh your carry-on. And I will tell you exactly what just happened to you, tracy. Except they don't let you pack it back in, they will send you back to pay for extra luggage. I mean, it's crazy. So some of the airports are going to that extent before you. You may get away with it at the luggage counter, but you may not get away with it before you get to security.
Speaker 1:No, and it's good to be aware, because for us we have a lot and you guys have a lot of tech gear which will take up a lot of the kilograms. So actually, if you're carrying on board and you've already got 10 kgs which is made up of your laptop, ipad, microphones, cameras, all the rest of it, you cannot actually put that in the hold. So then you're stuck. What do you do with stuff if you go over? So that's always my kind of panic. So to me it's just safer to shove the stuff in the hold, and then you're less stressful, that's for sure. Now, at the moment, we're traveling. We've been traveling I've been traveling since September, so quite a bit longer than Doug but I've got a medium-sized hard suitcase and I've got a small backpack, a day pack, which I used to take on the plane. So what about you guys? What do you travel with? I know, melissa, you like a backpack, don't you still?
Speaker 3:I do. I like my backpack for a couple of reasons. Um, you know, I know we're going to talk about it a little bit later on, but you know I've been a family traveler for a while with a backpack. It's really good when you've got kids, because you've got your hands free, like not just one hand, but you've got both. So one hand is always to hold like up one kid's hand and the other hand is to, you know, use your phone, your tickets, your passport, whatever. So having a backpack is really helpful when you've got kids, um, but also when I do do carry on. Obviously a backpack's quite light, so you know that that helps as well. Um, and my backpack is one that if it's full, then I couldn't, I couldn't use it for carry on. So it's good that I can go light and use it for carry on, or if I just can't, then I there's extra space and then I can check it. So that's what I like, but it depends on the sort of trip that I'm doing. Other trips I don't take it, it just depends.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. What about you, Shalana? You said you've got a medium size. Is that a hard case?
Speaker 2:Yes, both of mine are hard cases but they're expandable. Last year I tried to use a hard case that was not expandable and it didn't work out as well for me. I just sometimes I need the extra room, sometimes I don't. So you know I try not to use the extra room but it's nice to have. But it's nice to have. I do occasionally will purchase a backpack along my journeys for if I need like to go on a short jaunt, like Melissa and I will be going on a trip and there's one portion of the trip that will be taking a small aircraft and I know I have to bring like just a backpack, a small aircraft and I know I have to bring like just a backpack. So like I'll purchase like an inexpensive backpack and leave my smaller maybe suitcase someplace else and just pack what I need for that. But I try. Normally I'm not a big backpack person anymore. The first couple years I was, but now not so much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I have to say I've had to abandon the heavier backpack because I've just gotten to the point where it hurts my back and my hips too much, which I think is just one of those things that happens when you get a little bit older. You have to be a bit realistic about what you can actually physically carry. So, when it comes to backpacks, what I have got is I did buy a carry-on backpack that has got wheels so I can wheel it along and, if I want, to also put it on my back, if it's not too heavy, obviously I take into consideration how heavy it is. But let's talk about so we've got an idea about.
Speaker 1:Obviously we're flexible when we travel in terms of what we take in terms of luggage, because you just have to be, because you know, if you're away for six months and you've got different seasons, you're going to have to take a lot more things than if you're away for two weeks and it's just going to be hot on the beach in Thailand. Um, what about essential items? Because it so it doesn't matter where you go in the world or what you do and what are the things that you always pack, no matter what. So, shelley, do you want to kick off with that one.
Speaker 2:Uh, sure, that one was kind of hard. I was thinking about that because I do travel for a longer period of time. So I have a couple, more than three, not a lot. Um, I'm going to exclude all the things, tracy, like we need to do, what we do, so like chargers and, you know, laptop, whatever, um, but the one thing I make sure I take are my vitamins, um, my vitamins, any medications I may need at that moment. Um, you're good, you'll appreciate this, tracy, my skincare, yeah, I do I like my skincare?
Speaker 1:It's just I'm just going to explain, if you're listening to this. The reason why I'm laughing is that Shelly and I were in Florence in November and Shelly spent an entire hour in the bathroom doing her skincare routine. My skincare routine takes approximately 10 seconds and involves cold water. No, shelly's involves a whole hour.
Speaker 2:It makes me feel really good. So I make sure I bring contact lenses, and further on I will explain that. And then I usually bring a quick, dry towel and that could be used for so many multiple purposes. I have used it for a blanket in a sticky situation, I've used it as a towel, I've used it as a blanket on the plane. I've used it for multiple things so, and you could wash it, you could use it at the beach, you know all sorts of things. So those would be like you know, my kind of go-tos.
Speaker 2:I just want to do one caveat for long-term travelers, if I may. If you are not traveling to a westernized country and you are of western descent, some kind of westernized country, larger people, shoes and undergarments those are the two things that you really really need to be mindful of packing, because most places you could purchase most anything else clothes, this or that. I find it over the years of traveling that I will bring more shoes than I possibly need just because they break or whatever, and I'm gone for so long. And I will bring my undergarments because sometimes I cannot find my size in other countries, so that for long-term traveling it doesn't probably pertain to short-term traveling, but just keep that in mind.
Speaker 1:No, I think that's a good point. I I wouldn't want to arrive in thailand and have had my luggage arrive with me. Put it that way, I think I might be walking around in the clothes I arrive in. That would would certainly worry me. What about you, melissa? What? What are the things that you always take with you?
Speaker 3:uh, well, I always take mine are a little bit different. I kind of excluded the things that we all would probably take. But number one is, I said, a big, chunky power bank. Um, I think is really essential because a lot of the times you might find some hotel rooms might only have like one um power outlet or one, and you know if you've got like a phone and I don't know, maybe you've got a laptop or I don't know you but, or even if there's a couple of you, right. So a power bank is really good. So I recommend a big, big, chunky power bank with multiple sort of USB things and they're really good.
Speaker 3:You will be surprised I have like the latest phone. You guys probably do as well. You'll be surprised If you're taking photos and videos all day how quickly even the latest phone will go flat during the day. So you definitely need a power bank. Number two is also related to my phone and I know Tracy likes this one as well is a phone lanyard for a couple of reasons, and you chuck your phone on the end of this lanyard and it really makes it handy, particularly when you're traveling. You're taking photos all the time, right, but also you're looking at maps, or maybe you want to pull out your vouchers for your whatever and also you don't lose it right.
Speaker 3:You know, like if you're on a, you're always on your phone when you travel and you know you might put it down in the taxi or on the bus or whatever. But if it's on your lanyard you can put it down and you know it's attached to your ends. You know, know it's attached to, and you know some of those crazy photos you might be taking, like you're looking at a lookout or on a boat. I'm always thinking, oh, my god, imagine if I drop the foam while I'm taking this photo. We don't need to worry about it if it's on a lanyard. So that's my second one. Lastly, I like I have a special water bottle that I take with me.
Speaker 3:You know everyone should be taking with them reusable water bottles when they travel. But I have a reusable water bottle that's got like a latch thing on it, so then I can latch it on my handbag or my crossbody bag that I normally travel with, and so I'm not using up room in a bag that I need just for my water bottle, and it's always on the front of me. So I just kind of forget. But I'm like, oh, there's my water, I should have a drink, cause you know, like you're traveling can be hot. Um, so you're yeah, I'm always drinking. So they're my three things that I thought were my essential. I will take them no matter where, they just always come with me oh, they're good.
Speaker 1:Well, I have a whole video on my essentials I travel with on youtube which I will link to um, but I'll mention a couple. Uh, one is I have a like a little turban, uh towel thing for my wrap, for my hair, because I find in hotels you often will get like a big towel and then maybe that's it, or even one towel in some of the budget hotels, and then if you use it for your hair you've got nothing else. So I take the little turban one with me. It's so easy to pack and it means that I get the shower just put my hair in that, so I don't have to worry about if I'm you know that I'm going to be using the one towel up. So I always, always have one of those, and even when I went to my daughter's house in Perth last year, she, she has them, she gives them to all visitors in their rooms and I was like, oh, that's really cool, because it's just a really useful thing to have.
Speaker 1:The second thing that I always take with me is I usually have my little fan with me, just because I'm a woman of a certain age and I get hot. So I just have a fan that plugs in and can recharge, and I have that with me. I've also got a little pop-up fan as well, like I bought, which is tiny, and then I have that in my bag with me at all times if I go hot. So that's just a hand waft, waft one. And the third thing that I always take is I always, always, always have a sarong with me, because there again, you can use that for so many different purposes. You can use that as a towel, you can use that to keep you warm on the airline, you can use that, you know, to have some privacy if you need it. So I just find it. It's on the trains, you know, if you're thinking, I think in india last year, it's a great thing. You can hold up if you need to get yourself changed or do whatever. It just gives you some advantages to. Um, I don't know, I just think it's a really great thing to travel with, and we have the saying in our house you can never go wrong with a sarong. So, yeah, so that's ours. But, um, now I think they're all brilliant things, uh, that we have.
Speaker 1:And um, I'd like to hear if you're listening to this podcast now, thinking well, um, neither shelly, melissa or tracy, mentioned something that I always travel with. Why don't you let us know, leave us a message in a via stream pipe, and that we can get back to you in the next episode and have a chat with you about what it is and add it in, because it's always good to know what you travel with as well. Now let's talk about packing hacks, like how do we manage with our luggage in terms of packing, packing stuff, because it doesn't matter I find, however small amount I take with me. I know Melissa will say how good I was in India and I was, but I was, but I still will buy things as I travel and usually if I leave and everything's like packed up, well, I've still got to squeeze things in.
Speaker 1:So one of my main um, uh, travel hacks and I think everybody knows about these, but compression travel cubes are the best thing ever, absolute best thing ever um, I've just been going through mine this morning and we actually just put in dirty washing in one as well. So when we get to the next place, it can wash it, but those are absolutely mine. What about you, melissa? What about you for packing hacks?
Speaker 3:Yeah, packing cubes or compression bags, like you said, but not only just to get more in your bag, but just to stay organised as well. Like you know, you think about, like you know, if you're just packing everything kind of individually in your bag, you're like, oh, where are those undies or where are those swimmers? But you can go, oh, I know, I put them in the medium-sized blue packing cube or whatever it might be. And also with packing cubes, like you know well, not necessarily packing cubes, but I always put my toiletries in one bag, I always put my electronics in one bag. It just helps you stay really organised, makes you not lose things. That's pretty much, yeah, in terms of packing hacks. At school, all I kind of came up with is the compression bags for packing more and being organised Perfect. What about you, Shelley? For packing more and being organized Perfect.
Speaker 2:What about you, shelley? Definitely the packing, compression packing cubes. I agree with Melissa. I have certain ones for certain things and it does. It makes it much quicker, especially if you're only going to be in a place for a short amount of time. You could just maybe pull that one cube and leave everything else. To the point that you made, tracy, about purchasing things. I like purchasing things, so I always, as a rule of thumb, I try to only pack my bag two-thirds of the way full when I leave. So what I do.
Speaker 2:One of my big hacks that came about about a year and a half ago almost two years ago that was like an epiphany for me was I was in Thailand and I had my laundry done and they will wash and fold and then you can ask them to pack it in like a cellophane. Well, I asked them to pack everything individually, like one thing, like it could be one pair of undies, one pair of this, one pair of that. I found, by just the way that it was packed one at a time and by the slickness of the cellophane, I could fit literally like 20 something things in one compression packing cube. Wow, it was like I was like this is incredible. So obviously you can't always have your laundry done in Thailand. So what I started doing was I have zipper bags or I use some.
Speaker 2:I some countries have press and seal. Um, I don't wrap my clothes in press and seal, but I make like a liner and stick it upon itself and then that way you fold your clothes tightly and you can fold it in. But 90% of the time I use zip bags, I leave a little corner open, I roll it and press out all the air and then I push it down and then I slide each individual one. But I pack everything separately and you can reuse those bags over and over and over and over again, so you're not hurting the environment. I mean, I use mine all year long until they absolutely break. But that is a big change. And then to the point where you said you have one cube for laundry that you have to do again, you can pack it in there. So then, like, maybe it doesn't smell or maybe it's not getting on your other clothes, so it's kind of like dual. Yeah, I mean it's really, really a good hack.
Speaker 1:I think it will be useful as well. And you mentioned about making a video of that, shelly, so if you if you make a video, then you can share that on your website and we can get that shared in the show notes as well. Show people exactly what you mean about how you pack it. So, on these in the you know, using the Ziploc bags, I think it'll be useful to see that.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes. And then the other one for a carry on. I turn it vertically, the suitcase vertically, instead of laying it on the floor, and then I stack the clothes in. Okay, so they are more compressed. So then you're stacking it just like you would stack pancakes or something. You're stacking them in, and then at the top, you can put your shoes sole up so it's not touching the clothes, and you can put them to the sides. So then, when you lay it back down, you could lay your toiletries on top oh, that's a good idea.
Speaker 1:I've not never thought about doing that. I think we need a video of that as well. Shelly okay, and actually I just thought at the very beginning I've actually I should have actually said where we all are in the world at the moment, because I know you guys have just been through, um, a massive cyclone in in brisbane, um, and both are okay, but it was. It was pretty bad, wasn't it?
Speaker 3:yes uh, yes and no, it was a little bit of. It was a little bit of a non-event, but okay but but it was. It was bad in other parts, which maybe not so much. Yeah, but overall, overall it was everyone was pretty safe, but they were.
Speaker 2:There were a few people that it hit quite badly, yeah yeah, I guess I'm more yeah, I'm more towards the the coast, so, uh, I I was speaking to Melissa, so, uh, we actually, when the other area got it, we actually got it two days later. But I, I agree with Melissa, it really the stores still aren't fully stocked in my area I find, yeah, which I'm like kind of like shocked because I think too many people panic bought yeah, yeah, I remember that from COVID, where you couldn't buy any toilet paper for months in Queensland yeah, yeah it was kind, but luckily everyone's safe, just some, you know, big trees down and a couple of roofs, but yeah.
Speaker 1:So that's cool. So you guys are in Australia, I'm still in, I'm actually in Portugal. I was about to say I'm still in Spain. I'm not. I'm actually in Portugal, in Portugal at the moment, but the rain's followed us from Spain. So we've just said we've had a lot of rain. So I'm a bit I'm a bit I'm a bit over the rain at the moment. So actually that that brings me on a good one.
Speaker 1:As in packing fails, because I think we'll all have a time we've gone somewhere and not packed something we should have brought, or packed things we didn't need, and I certainly um, I'm doug's doug's behind me is probably going to snort his head is that I will probably some over pack things that I never wear? I try to not do that as much as I've, as I've done in the past, but one of my packing fails once is going somewhere and only having one pair of sandals and the sandals broke and I was oh yeah, that was fun. So I ended up wearing Crocs. That's all I could buy for a couple of days that's worse.
Speaker 3:That's worse, tracy. Yeah, so now I have a pair of sandals and I always have a pair of flip-flops in my bag. That's worse, tracy. That's a fashion fail.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So now I have a pair of sandals and I always have a pair of flip-flops in my bag. I always yeah, because it was just awful. I'm like no, what about you guys?
Speaker 3:So let's talk about packing fails, melissa. Well, you know I'm a super, super light traveler now, but my very first solo trip that I did around the world I was in my early 20s and I was off for a couple of months and I was like, well, I'm off for a couple of months. I bought the biggest suitcase I could find and I filled it to the brim. It was full of so much stuff, it was so heavy and almost immediately I hated it. I could hardly wheel it around and I was in Europe, so can you imagine it? On cobblestones and you know those train stations where there's no lifts or elevators and you've got to bloody pull it up. And then I was in America and I was catching trains trying to pull this up and put it in the bloody racks and stuff. It was the most ridiculous thing I ever did. And so, yeah, now that's probably why I'm a super light traveler, because I always remember that silly, silly girl that brought that huge suitcase with her.
Speaker 1:It's like taking high heels and walking around the cobblestones of Italy, isn't it? It's like you just don't do it. Just don't do it. So what about you, shelley Pack and fail.
Speaker 2:Like I said, I travel for a long period of time, so when I leave I have to make sure I have everything. So when I leave, I have to make sure I have everything. So, coming back to the contacts, I thought I packed enough contacts, but you know, as contacts do, things happen. I was in Greece and before I got to Greece I had been looking because I knew I was going to run out and I don't wear a really strange prescription. But no country had it. And when I got to Greece, I phoned one of my friends back home and I said hey, can you DHL me? You know my contacts? Sure, no problem, they DHL the contacts. Well, I guess it's considered in Greece medical equipment. So, yes, so DHL didn't have a problem with it.
Speaker 2:But it got caught in customs and I had to hire a lawyer. I can't make this up, oh my Lord. So I went to DHL to get it. They told me no, you can do it by yourself. Let me preface this. They did give me the option, but it would take two and a half weeks for me to process the paperwork, if I did it correctly, and it to go through the promise. And then, who knows, it's grease. So I love grease though, but anyways.
Speaker 2:So then I had to hire an attorney to go to the judge to get it signed off. I don't know what it was. All I know is I went to this room. There was 25 people sitting in this room. I had to pay an absorbent amount of money for this lawyer to go. I spent three hours. I ended up going back to DHL with this stamped piece of paper from a judge, and DHL gave me my contacts. I went outside the taxi. I had to pay for him to wait for me the taxi. I took a picture and I sent it to my best friend and I said these are the most expensive contact lenses I have ever purchased in my life. These are gold. Every time I put them in my eyes I'm going to be like shining gold. So that was like always make sure you bring your glasses or extra contacts.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's a good point. I actually I should have mentioned I always have a spare pair of glasses with me, because if I don't have my glasses on, I can't see anything, literally. So I always have. I don't even know where they are. They'll be one of the suitcases. I always have a spare set of glasses with me and doug's the same you always do and our prescription. We always travel with our prescription as well, because I don't know about you guys, but if I ever have my glasses on, I'm not going anywhere. I won't be able to see a thing. Um, let's talk about shoes, because I want to quickly talk about shoes, because I've covered this briefly about what I take and at the moment. So I've been traveling six months. I have got one pair of sandals, a pair of trainers that were white or pink. They're now black. They need washing because it's been a lot of rain.
Speaker 1:I keep saying I don't need to wash these, um and and. I've got a pair of flip-flops. That's it. Three pairs of shoes, that's the entire amount that I've got. I did have. I'm just going to put a caveat to that because people are going to go. Well, were you in the UK, you were wearing boots. Yes, I did have a pair of boots, which were at my mum's house. So I will put my hand up and say that, obviously, you've got to think about where you're going. If you're going somewhere hot, it's a lot easier, but long-term travel, Shelley, how many pairs of shoes have you got with you Too?
Speaker 2:many probably. Well, I will out myself Okay To preface it. Like I said, you can't always get shoes every country you go. So right now I have one pair of workout shoes which are very lightweight. I have two pairs of sandals, a black and a brown pair, which are very compact and very light. I have one pair of flats that are just kind of like the one pair of flats, that are just kind of like the ballerina slipper flats, and then I have one pair of black wedges just in case I want to go out. And then, uh, I have, oh, one pair of really nice, like walking shoes.
Speaker 1:No, it's not bad no, it's not bad shally at all at all. Really, that's good, considering you travel in long term.
Speaker 2:That that's all you have, I think, yeah and the walking and the walking shoes are the heaviest out of all of them, so I usually wear those on the plane yeah, I was gonna say we.
Speaker 1:I usually go for the heaviest ones when I'm getting on a plane so I don't have to pack them. What about you, melissa, for shoes? What are you like?
Speaker 3:uh, like probably what you said, tracy. I take as few as possible, and obviously that's going to depend on where I'm going and what I'm going to do. But I mean, um examples, I just spent two weeks in Bali traveling around the islands, and I took just one pair of shoes. Um, my twos, which are my favorites not sponsored, but I love them um, they're just like kind of like a slide, sort of flat shoe, yeah, and I just wore them every single day. But yeah, I would definitely not take more than three pairs, like you, tracy. I would just think, well, what do I need? And I just make them work. I'm not a fashionista, so if I don't go with something, we'll so be it yeah, I'm a bit like that.
Speaker 1:it's like, as long as they're comfortable, then my main thing with my feet is, um, they've got to be comfortable. So my trainers, even though they are now absolutely filthy and they do need washing, um, they're just so comfortable so I'm just wearing them all of the time. It's not warm enough to wear sandals at the moment. Unfortunately, in Portugal it's still a bit chilly. But yeah, that's how I do it and wear them on the plane, so they're the heaviest. Doug's the same, I think. He's got a pair of trainers. In fact, his trainers have been leaking, so he's been moaning that he didn't bring his walking boots because we didn't expect this much rain, and he candles, and that's it.
Speaker 1:Now I'm going to move us on quickly to toiletries. I just want to talk about toiletries, because do you take toiletries with you or not? Or do you take? At the moment I've got some small little bottles which I just refill. So when I was back in the UK, I just refilled my shampoo bottle. So I just have those little squeezy, refillable travel ones and that's what I tend to take with me and, if needed, needed like a small little dry shampoo I usually have with me, and that's about eight, but what do you do about toiletries, shelly?
Speaker 2:I used to do that. I don't do that anymore. Caveat though, I do bring my skincare, but other than that I purchase really everything. The only thing I will pack in that leather bag that I take like the purse bag on the plane is like a little tiny mini deodorant, and I'll take some personal like little wipes, and usually I'll take like a brush, and usually I'll take like a brush, and usually, when I'm in a hotel room, I'll take like one of their tooth kits and I'll shove it in the bag just so I can freshen up for long flights or when I arrive. If I arrive late and I can't get to the store, but I don't, I stopped buying, I just plus. It gives you time to go into the store and see all the cool products yeah, that's true, I'll do that anyway.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I do cover a little bit of makeup. I do like my lipstick, so I do have a. I have a little bit of skin oil, so I do have some things, a little bit of base makeup and lipstick that I do have with me. So they tend to travel, but we're talking like three lipsticks, that's it, um, but otherwise I don't travel with very much toiletries and you know, we just had to buy new deodorant because we're both run out. What about you, melissa?
Speaker 3:yeah, I don't tend to travel with much toiletries like um, given I do try and do. Carry-on toiletries are heavy and also, obviously you can only take less than 100 milliliters. So, um, yeah, I just tend to buy it when I get there. But I just say a caveat on that If you're traveling in Southeast Asia, things like sunscreen and insect repellent are really expensive there. So if you are checking in luggage, then I highly recommend you bring it with you. I still don't and I just suck it up and buy it when I'm there.
Speaker 1:But, yeah, just don't expect it to be to be cheap, because it's not yeah, if you've got plenty at home, we tend to to chuck a couple in there. If we're checking in luggage, uh, especially sun cream, uh, because that's yeah, I just say it's quite expensive to to buy, um, so we usually do that. Now let's talk about packing for a long trip, because I know, obviously, shelly you, you travel a lot of long trips as well'm going to say you've done long trips and we're on a long trip at the moment. So when it comes to choosing your outfits, what do you do? Are you just random and chuck everything you fancy in there, or you're a bit more kind of like mix and match with what you do?
Speaker 1:I mean, I like bright colors. So I am very aware that I try to make sure that I have quite a few, uh, white shorts or white cropped trousers. Then it doesn't matter what color top that I wear, that will go with them. So I tend to go that way more than because I've got, you know, pink and yellow and green tops, so that's absolutely fine with white bottoms. Or I've got, I think, a couple of pairs of black cropped trousers as well. So I tend to try and go plainer on the bottom so I can have bright colors on the top. What about you guys? What about you, mel Melissa?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I tend to. It doesn't matter to me if I'm going one week, three weeks, three months. I tend to go on the three outfit kind of thing and I'm a bit more of a dress fan. The dresses take up less room and they're just easy to put on. But I mean, obviously that is again if you're in a warmer climate, but still, I'll still go for the three outfit kind of thing. I'm not much of a fashionista, so I don't really. I just go for simple clothes and, yeah, three outfits, but with the plan that I'm going to do laundry as I go, either at a laundromat or even in my hotel room. But yeah, I think if you kind of stick with the three, for me anyway I stick with three outfits. You know I might buy one or two things while I'm away, but, um, yeah, that, that, that that helps me limit how much clothes I bring it's a good job.
Speaker 1:You can't see behind me how many different outfits I've got in this case, because I've got, I have. I have got in my defense. I have got cold weather and warm weather clothes yeah, that makes it more challenging yeah, it is. So what about? I mean, shelly obviously you're packing for both cold and warm weather, so so how do you? Go about choosing your outfits and what you're going to take well, that's, that's just it.
Speaker 2:I, I have to pack for cold weather and make sure that it's compact. That being said, um, I've learned along the way that I don't really pack a lot of jackets. I will bring like a little rain jacket that folds up real small and I'll bring like a little down vest that I can roll up and then. But what I found is I could go to a secondhand store or I could go to one of the outdoor markets and buy a jacket, or if I really really need it, and then I just donate it before I leave, so I don't bring it with me. That's cold weather. As far as warmer weather, what I've been doing lately is I've been investing in bamboo, bamboo fibers, silk and just cotton, obviously, but the bamboo is really nice and I'm like Melissa, I'm more of a skirt dress girl, so it's just easier for me, so I'll stick. Right now. I've purchased a few bamboo dresses.
Speaker 2:And that sounds funny bamboo dresses, I know what you mean. Fabric, give you a visual there, but anyways, but one's like navy, one's black. But then, like you, tracy, I will. I have some really pretty silk tops that I could put on it, from Thailand, that like brighten it up, or from Italy, and so I kind of mix and match that way. But I try to get my staple pieces more in, like my favorite colors, blue, so I do different shades of blue, green, this you know. Brown, maybe gray instead of black, and then I'll build upon the colors with the other. But I think investing in quick drawing, lightweight, breathable clothes, I don't think you could go wrong in any country that you go to, because even in colder countries you can layer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. I mean, at the moment I've got a. I'm actually sitting here doing this and I've got a vest up on, but when I go out later, that'll get, I'll put a. I've got a jumper and then jacket that'll go on top of that, but it's actually quite warm in the hotel room at the moment. But again, again, having all of those layers, which have been vital because I've been traveling around some really cold places and it's Morocco, it points was was nice and warm. It wasn't hot, I wouldn't say that, but but having the ability to kind of like mix and match, I think is really important, um and like.
Speaker 1:For me, having the bright colors is really important, but having a like two pairs of jeans is what I've got with me at the moment and I can wear one and one, wash one and let them dry, and the rest of the stuff is like it's quick dry and I always have a um, a, a like a, like a mac I don't want to call it like a waterproof jacket, that's it, and it just folds up and it's really, really small. I took it to India, I take it everywhere. I think everybody's seen me a picture of it. It's bright, yellow. Um, I've actually had people come up to me on the street ask me where I got it from, and I got it from a shop in the UK, probably about 20 years ago, and it looks like it's brand new. It's amazing. So I always have that.
Speaker 1:But let's talk about this. I've been asked about the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 packing method. Well, I haven't tried it. Somebody actually about it? So that is basically where you have five tops, four bottoms, three pairs of shoes, two dresses or jackets and one swimsuit. Could you do that? Because I, for me, I found that a bit too minimal, like I don't know if I want three pairs of shoes for a start off. That might be too many for me. Um, what do you think about that, shelly?
Speaker 2:no yeah. I'm a bit like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm a bit like oh, it sounds great, but I don't know it's.
Speaker 2:You know, I, I mean I think, I think if you're going, I I mean I think if you're going maybe for like a one-week trip or a two-week trip, and if it works for you, if it For me, there's no way I need to have more variety than that. I'm like Melissa if I want to purchase something along the way, no, no, I have to have a minimum of two bathing suits, if not three.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I kind of agree on that.
Speaker 2:Because how do you wash one and let one dry? Yeah, one, I mean no, no. And the pants? Why would you need like three? Are they saying three pairs of pants or three?
Speaker 1:bottoms, four bottoms. Yeah, so five tops and four bottoms, so I don't think I need that many. I don't know, I tend to probably go three bottoms, five tops. I don't. You know, I like to have lots of swimming costumes as well. I'm going to say as well, if you're listening to this episode and you try this method out, you've done it. Send us a picture. Send us, let we want to know how it works what you taught because I'm really, I'm really interested to see about this.
Speaker 1:And what about you, mel, melissa, do you? Well, how do you feel about that kind of five, four, three, two, one thing?
Speaker 3:no, I'm glad I'm not the only one, because I'm just like what? Nah, nah, it does it. I looked at it. It doesn't really make sense to me. So, no, I'm happy with my three outfit plan. So, yes, but I'm like you. I'd love to hear if someone tries it and how it works, because I don't really get it.
Speaker 1:No, I really want to see, and it also excludes the fact that I usually do travel with. This is kind of my travel confession. I travel with about 80 or maybe 800, if I said pairs of earrings, probably more like 800.
Speaker 3:I do the same. I try earrings in as well, and it kind of makes me feel like, hey, I've got the same clothes I wore on for the last week but I've got different earrings, exactly exactly.
Speaker 1:I have so many different pairs of earrings and I've got three boxes full and they, they always travel everywhere with me. I like my earrings, so so that's kind of, I suppose, my travel packing confession. Doesn't matter how how much I'm trying to reduce it, I will always have my three boxes with about 800 pairs of earrings in, and I will purchase earrings as I go as well. Let's wrap up the episode, because we've been chatting for quite a while actually today. Packing's a fascinating topic and I know it's something we honestly get asked about all the time, because I think it's something that people kind of go am I taking too much? Am I not taking enough? What should I take? What shouldn't I take? You know wanting advice about it all the time, but I'm going to ask you guys what would be your one packing tip that you would share with anybody listening today that has worked for you and you have learned through your many troubles. What would you share? What would you say, melissa?
Speaker 3:Well, mine's a bit general, but I would say don't over pack. You will regret it at some, you know, for some reason or another. Um, just be ruthless with what you pack, you know. Yeah, so that's mine don't over pack if you really need to buy it, you know, yeah, that's true shelly.
Speaker 1:What about you?
Speaker 2:um, mine's more on a long-term scale. So my one tip I would like to share is, when you're packing, make sure you bring something that brings you comfort or like joy, so you know if that's something like a journal that you normally write in, something like me, my skincare, uh, something that maybe um, I don't know something a playlist that you listen to usually back home that you could download. Or you know some podcasts that you want to download beforehand, like this one yes, like this one, but just to bring some normal time to your exciting adventure. Because when you're traveling longer term, more than maybe two to three weeks, you need that downtime to ground yourself again, to rejuvenate, so you could go out and go again, and having those little tiny things makes such a big difference. So that would be my one tip if you're going for more than a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree. Actually, you haven't been, haven't traveled for quite a while now. It is nice to have a few things that are familiar with you for sure, and my tip is going to be just when you pack, leave yourself a little bit of room because, honestly, you will want to buy things when you are traveling, and there's nothing worse than having taken, packed absolutely everything, taking up all the room that you can, and then you want to buy stuff and you can't. I'm not saying that we should all be going to buy in tons and tons of things where we've talked, but there will be things that you may see.
Speaker 1:You know, I bought a beautiful handmade rug in india last year and had that. I brought, managed to bring that home with me. Goodness knows how I managed to fit it in my case, but I did. Um, but you don't want to see something? Think, I'd really would love to have that, but I can't because I have no room. Or as, as I remember traveling with my niece when she was 21 through Italy, she had to throw clothes out to add some of her purchases in. And then there's one little one I'm going to add in as well is that if you're traveling around Europe by train. Make sure that you can pick up your suitcase. That is really, really important. That's a really important one. Anyway, guys, it's been brilliant to chat with you today. Yes.
Speaker 1:I know you've got some fun adventures planned over the next month before we chat again all about how to stay safe while you travel. Doug and I are off to Barcelona at the weekend and then, hopefully, on to Turkey and then Sri Lanka. That's the plan. What about you guys? I know you've got some exciting travels planned as well, haven't you?
Speaker 3:Yeah well, we were supposed to be in Bundaberg, which we talked about in that in the last podcast, but with this um cyclone, that um unexpectedly, um crossed Brisbane we had to cancel. But we'll be going next week, hopefully.
Speaker 1:Yes, exciting, exciting. Have to hear about that one for sure, and I think you've got further plans afoot as well. Are you happy to share, shelley, or is that still a bit of a secret? Yeah?
Speaker 2:no, I finally made some for sure plans. If another cyclone doesn't come, I am going to be traveling forward to New Zealand.
Speaker 1:Oh, exciting, that's one of my favorite countries to visit. Are you going to North, traveling forward to new zealand? Oh, exciting, that's one of my favorite countries to visit. Are you going to north and south ireland? How, what are you going to be doing? Yes, perfect.
Speaker 2:Yes, be traveling both.
Speaker 3:Yes so lots. How about you, tracy I? I think that maybe we might have booked something a bit exciting too well, we have.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, do you want? Do you want to spill the beans on that one, alissa?
Speaker 3:well, tracy and I are going to tick off another continent later on this year and go to antarctica we are, which is a very exciting.
Speaker 1:It's probably the most I've ever paid for a trip in my entire life, me too, me, me too, but yeah, anyone can join us, I believe that there are places We'd love you to come along.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely yeah. If you're interested, I'll put the details to contact Melissa in the show notes. Definitely get in touch. If Antarctica is on your bucket list, we'd love to see you. We'd love to have you come along with us as well. It'll be so much fun. Yeah, well, until next episode.
Speaker 1:It was, as always, a great joy to catch up with you and find out what you're up to and to share some of our travel tips and hacks and experiences with our listeners. So thanks again, melissa and Shelley, thanks, tracey, thank you, we'll see you. Bye, everybody. So you can find um links to um, both shelly and melissa's websites in the show notes and hopefully shelly will get some videos made as well, so we'll get those linked to and I'll also share. Make sure, if you want to go to our talk to k you contact melissa. Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Global Travel Planning Podcast. For more details and links to everything we discussed today, check out the show notes at globaltravelplanningcom. Remember, if you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving us a review on your favorite podcast app, because your feedback helps us reach more travel enthusiasts, just like you. Anyway, that leaves me to say, as always, happy global travel planning.