Okay. For you last minute shoppers–you know who you are. And you know how hard it is to find the right gift after you’ve waited this long. Maybe I can help you make it good.
I’ve already mentioned some of my favorite travel items that might make good gifts–here and here. But I really should mention again my favorite suitcase.
One corner of our attic is piled with suitcases, most from thrift shops so we can afford to fill them with gifts and deliveries when we’re on mission trips and then leave them behind when they’re emptied.
But my suitcase always goes with me and comes back home again–my Eagle Creek 22-inch Hovercraft rolling duffel.
When I was looking for a new bag, I looked only at Eagle Creek products, comparing prices and looking for the highest cubic inch capacity in a carry-on size bag. This was the one I found and I love it–no fancy pockets, just lots of open space that I can use as I need.
And you can’t get a better warranty than Eagle Creek’s no-matter-what. Have you ever had a bag that’s good, except that the wheels are dragging instead of rolling? Won’t happen with Eagle Creek wheels.
In case you wonder how much my suitcase will really carry . . .
I love watching videos of how to pack for a week in your carry-on. They always look so neat. And all the while, I’m thinking, but what about my big old walking shoes . . . my “insurance” bag of bandaids, laundry stuff, diarrhea pills, etc. . . . my . . . You get the idea. So here’s how I packed for one 2-week trip, planning to do laundry as needed, by hand if necessary. For this particular trip, I checked the Eagle Creek Hovercraft, so that allowed me to carry 2 other pieces as carry-on.
First of all, in my 2 briefcase sized carry-ons, I packed:
- overnight needs, including bathroom bag and 1 outfit, in case of lost luggage or unexpected delays
- swimming suit & pareo, in case I get to hotel before my luggage does
- laptop
- kindle
- CPAP
- case with electronic chargers
- Australia tour books
- prescription meds
- all my 3-ounce-or-less liquids in a zipper plastic bag
- etc.
Then here’s the Hovercraft 22-inch duffel:
Layer 1: fill spaces around handle base with underwear, “insurance”bag, rolled up cover-up, socks, other small items
Layer 2: Books for gifts, rolled up sweater, knit shirts, socks filling gaps
Layer 3: Walking shoes upside down so they can smash down into the soft layer below, whichever Sunday shoes pack the flattest, flip flops, bag of energy snacks
Top layer: Clothes that are better folded flat. Then push everything down tight and zip bag shut.Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack by using one of the Subscribe links to the right or by clicking here.
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