stannseniors
Registered User
Posts: 38
(9/29/03 12:24 pm)

a few last questions

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I am so excited--(but nerveous) we leave Thursday!
Don't know what i would have done w/o all our your help - This is such a big undertaking for us and everybody is so nice and willing to give advice (that's rare on the internet posts!) i appreciate it SO much.

I just had a few more questions....
we started packing and i realized i have TOO MUCH stuff. Tissue, pepto, allergy med, bandaids, aspirin, toilet seat covers, zip lock bags, 3 pairs of jeans, two pairs of sweat pants, two pairs of shoes, lots of socks and underwear, a pair of tights - too many tops (for layering), small flashlight, 2 very small umbrellas, a battery operated alarm clock, not to mention all my toiletries (which i will pack as light as possible. I feel a little overwhelmed but also feel like we need all of it - can you think of what else i should squeeze in? I feel too like i need gloves, a hat and somesort of rain jacket....

do they have irons at the B&Bs - because we are talking wrinkle city with all this stuff!

garyvol
Unregistered User
(9/29/03 1:20 pm)
 
packing

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Hello St. Ann
One awesome trip coming up. You are going to do just fine. The thing my wife and did before the actual departure day was to practice loading up the suitcases. Have fun with em. Pack one way, then another way and see which fits the best. One thought is to layer pack. By this I mean starting at the bottom of the suitcase, think of what clothing you will wear towards the end of your trip, then work backwards with the packing. You will then wind up with the clothing you'’ll wear the next day upon arrival. This way you don’t have to unpack everything to look for stuff. Well, it’s probably good in theory but difficult to workout in practicallity.
Documents are always important. We made copies of our passport and also brought along a copy of my car insurance policy (incase car rental clerk asks).
I can’t help on the ironing board question. I can’t remember of any, but then I wasn’t looking for them either.
Trusting your plane trip goes well and will be problem free. Let's see what the others say.
-gary

Dude
Unregistered User
(9/29/03 2:40 pm)
 
Packing

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St. Ann, I just wish I could go with you!!
Have you got Space Bags (or some other brand name)? We absolutely loved them. You can use a small one for the damp things like washcloths (flannels to the natives). And you will find them invaluable for used clothes.
We didn't use irons and boards although mostly what we took was cotton. With the layered look you can get away with more wrinkles--just hide em under a sweater!!
I would suggest a light hooded rain repellent windbreaker and a cardigan. Don't think you will need a hat or gloves but that's your call. In May it was coolish and damp and I mostly wore a flannel shirt-jac and the hooded windbreaker. And in a lot of the pictures, the windbreaker arms were tied around my waist. These were worn over tee shirts.
We have enjoyed helping you get ready. Your payment will be to post your adventures when you get back, and then become one of us; an expert advisor!

Ande
Unregistered User
(9/29/03 2:42 pm)

Trip

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Hi,

I highly recommend you take a rain coat. Raincoats are great and way better than umbrellas, particularly on drizzly days. I used a goretex coat from LL Bean on my recent trip to Ireland and it was perfect.

If you haven't bought any "moist towelettes" aka "wet ones," I recommend you include them in your kit. They sure come in handy when your hands get dirty and there's nowhere to wash up.

As Gary says, be sure to make copies of your passports. What I always do for international travel is to leave a copy of my passport and driver's license with someone back home, make an extra copy for myself to be carried separately from the original. Always keep your passport on you and keep it in a safe spot.

Money belts are definite must haves!

Have a fabulous trip!

Ande

DebbieK
Registered User
Posts: 117
(9/29/03 2:51 pm)

Re: Trip

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Hey there -
Ah the count down to take off begins!

I would try to 'pair' down your suitcase. 3 pair of jeans + 2 pr of sweats is probably too much. I took 2 pr jeans, & 2 non-jean pants along with what I wore on the plane for a 15 day trip. Your trip is 7 days , so I would think you could get along with what you wear on the plane , and 2 pr jeans & 1 sweatpant ( or drop the sweatpants altogether - they take up a lot of room). If you are worried about being cold - run out to your local Kohls/ Boston Store/Marshal Fields and buy a pair of Cuddleduds. They are really thin and quite warm.

You will be in all different places, so no one will know that you wore your jeans multiple times. Besides in most of your pictures you will have your coat on anyway.

Apply the same logic to your tops - even with layering them, you should be able to get 2 or 3 wearings out of each one - assuming they don't get all smoky smelling when you are in the pubs.

I am a HUGE believer in the Travel Space bags. You won't be able to order them this late , but you can buy them at some Walgreens , and I would expect at Sporting goods stores that cater to campers, etc. I won't travel without them. ( In fact - I was just away for the weekend, and put my pillow in one,so I could use that instead of the nasty motel pillows. These things are great!)

I will see if I can find my packing list for you.

Debbie

Dude
Unregistered User
(9/29/03 2:55 pm)

oh, yes...

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Imodium, or equivalent, in case the Pepto isn't quite enough.
Don't forget your own washcloths. Take several unless you are less forgetful than me. I left a trail of white cotton to mark where I had been.
You'll want a "shopping list" of names so you don't forget to buy a souvenir/gift for someone important. Also addresses so you can send postcards to the unlucky folks who don't get to go. If you have a duffel bag that you can fold up in the bottom of your suitcase to carry back the purchases, that can be handy.
Lots of film, unless you have gone digital.
A blank book of some sort to keep a journal of your days, where, what, when etc. and your impressions. And a pen.
A paperback or two for reading yourself to sleep and on the plane. Do use the melatonin protocol so that you can get over the jet lag asap.
Drivers' licenses for all drivers and your insurance info. Don't forget your passport!!!!

DebbieK
Registered User
Posts: 118
(9/29/03 4:06 pm)

Re: oh, yes...

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ok - can't find the list - have to do some of this from memory.

Yes - you definitely need some kind of rain jacket. I would take gloves and a thin hat too - they won't take up much room, but if you get a cold week , you could spend a lot on a new set there. (Unless you are looking forward to buying a new set of gloves/hat )

Wrap some Duct Tape around a small piece of cardboard, until it is around 1 - 2 inches thick ( or go to hardware store and buy it this way.) Sounds odd, but we actually needed it on the last trip to repair Mom's suitcase.

Grab a box of Robitussin type gel caps - nothing worse than being sick on vacation. If you need more , there are pharmacies around, but sometimes it is nice to have enough to start you off.

If you don't want to hassle with washcloths - go get a pack of Oil-of-olay or what ever brand you like , of disposable cloths. they are one use and work really well.

Take a deck of cards - can fill up an evening easily.

Get 2 or 3 of those clear plastic envelopes - 1 for your itinerary / B&B info / Travel route / maps, 1 for your passport & medical insurance card photocopies and 1 to keep all the little slips of stuff you want to bring home - tickets into castles, parking stubs, beer coasters, etc.

Photocopy the front and back of all of your CREDIT CARDS - that way if you need the Customer service number , you will have it along with your account number.

Print out the names of the people you are supposed to send postcards to , on labels. Then when you have used up all the labels , you have sent all the cards you need to .

Definitely put an empty duffel in the bottom of one or both of your suitcases. You will be very grateful at the end of the trip.



Allison
Unregistered User
(9/29/03 7:14 pm)

last minute details

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I am famous for overpacking but am doing much better. This last trip I only took a couple of t-shirts that I didn't wear. You have been given some great advice. Don't forget that while Ireland still has a lot of wild natural beauty, there are also towns with people who use most of the toiletries we use. (Don't look for bandaids, they are called plasters!) We were able to find the things we needed in Dunnes and Tesco.

I love Irish tea, so we bought many boxes of it but dumped them into plastic storage bags (from Tesco's!)to bring home - that way they could be tucked into odd spaces and there were no boxes to get smashed.

We also used space bags and I think lots of places carry them now. We used them for the two irish sweaters we bought (in Kilcar, I think...) We never would have had room for them, and we even took an empty duffel plus my husband's empty carryon.

(I packed my undies etc in clear plastic zip lock bags. That way I felt comfortable that no one who might have inspected my bag handled them, plus the bag was so much easier to find in my duffel than a bunch of loose panties! This worked for socks, too, never had trouble knowing which were clean or worn.)

You will have a wonderful time!

Joan
Unregistered User
(9/29/03 7:59 pm)

Melatonin Protocol and Cuddleduds

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Ok -- so I am stumped about these two thing. What are Cuddleduds and pray tell, let me know about the protocol if it has anything to do with jet lag -- leaving in a few weeks as well. thanks!

DebbieK
Registered User
Posts: 119
(9/29/03 8:45 pm)

Re: Melatonin Protocol and Cuddleduds

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Melatonin is a jetlag defense. I have not tried it, so others will have to fill you in on the details.

Cuddleduds are a form of long underwear. They are like silk long underwear but made of cotton -they are really thin and smooth - cuddly even They are thin enough to wear under jeans or shirts without adding bulk to get the extra warmth. I am sure they go by different names in different department stores.

Dude
Unregistered User
(9/29/03 10:43 pm)

Melatonin

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I got this from an airline magazine:
Three days before your flight, start taking 1/2 g. of melatonin each day at your destination bedtime. Then on arrival take the dose at bedtime until you are adjusted.

My family physician also warned me off caffeine on travel day. Hard to say no to my Dr. Pepper but I did sleep on the plane. Continental also provided sleep masks and earplugs.
I wore my jeans at least three days each and no one complained. Did wear a clean tee every day. But again, it was almost always under that jacket.
I got one of those little silky pouches with straps that snap around your bra straps and put a 20$ travelers' check and a supplemental credit card in it. Sounds like it would be uncomfortable but I never even noticed it and it was great insurance. Called a bra wallet, maybe?

Dude
Unregistered User
(9/29/03 10:52 pm)

Packing, etc.

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This isn't exactly a packing tip for before the trip, but we would put two days' worth of stuff in a small bag and then just had to carry the big bags into the B&B every other stop. Then there was the sister who would open up her big bag in the car and take out the days' worth of clothes, etc. I personally didn't want to flash my undies in someone's car park, but it didn't seem to bother her!
Fortunately we had a hatchback so she was protected on the drizzly days.

Anita
Unregistered User
(9/30/03 11:26 am)

Packing light

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Well, since I did three weeks out of a backpack I learned a lot about packing light. People were amazed at how little I took with me. In the end, when I was packing, I sat down and thought about what I normally wear around home or about town when I'm not at work or going out with friends. It came down to two pairs of jeans, two long sleeve t-shirts, one short sleeve t-shirt, one sweat shirt, and socks and underwear for a week and a t-shirt and leggings to sleep in. Whatever I wasn't wearing went in the washing machine at the end of the week (or when required). I used one of those space bags for the socks and underwear and the last week I was there I tossed the socks out as I went along to make room for souveniers. Since it was April I took my winter jacket that is water-proof and has a zip out fleece lining. Wear the items that take up the most suitcase space onto the plane.I only took one pair of good walking shoes that were well broken in, I never found myself wanting a second pair. Good sporting goods stores that cater to campers and hikers will have lots of useful items. Pack towels are marvelous things made of microfibre that take up little space and dry fast. You can find them in washcloth size up to bath towel size. Remember to put things like shampoo and hand cream into zip-lock bags in case they leak on the plane. Make photo-copies of any prescriptions you might take with you as well. I didn't bother with any electrical items as I knew before leaving that I could rent hair dryers etc. at the hostels. I would imagine that any B&B that you stay at would have these things for their guests. As for packing there are a number of different ways, but the method that reduces wrinkles the best is to roll everything up. Lay your shirts on top of each other in twos or threes, fold the arms in, then roll from them up starting from the top. Roll your jeans one pair at a time. For toiletries you can get sets of small mesh bags at travel or outdoor stores that are great. Put shampoos etc. in one, bath products in another etc. This way you can put them in your suitcase where there is room for it as opposed to having it all in one bag taking up a large space. If you have one of those raincoats that rolls up into its own pocket and you can wear around your waist definitely take it with you. If you don't have one you can find them in most of the tourist info centres in Ireland. If you are taking a camera that uses film take all of your film out of the boxes and put them into a zip-lock bag. Take your film in your carry-on as the x-ray for checked baggage will damage it. In the end, the best way to pack is to sit down and make a list of all the items you used in the last week and decide whether or not you can live without it or easily buy it once there. Happy packing.

stannseniors
Registered User
Posts: 39
(9/30/03 11:27 am)

A BIG THANKS!

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You are all Priceless--i don't know how people do this without you.....you've given so much information that is invaluable!
A BIG THANKS!!!!

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 1866
(9/30/03 3:39 pm)
 
My 2 Cents

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Hello stannseniors,

What great advice from everyone. I like Gary's advice about "preview packing" and redoing if necessary. B&Bs can give you the loan of an iron and ironing board. But I usually try to bring as many wrinkle proof clothes as possible. Most of the tourists are rather rumpled looking anyway. You will fit right in. Also, when you arrive at your B&B each evening, hang up your next day's clothes right away. You will be surprised by how many wrinkles will fall out during the night.

And don't forget to look at the packing list in my book on page 51.

Michele