Little more than a month to go - Packing question for the ladies

PuzoP2 · Member

Little more than a month to go - Packing question for the ladies

Michele Erdvig · Host

While jeans are great if they get wet they take a long time to dry. A pair of lightweight cotton or cotton/poly pants.

A hat that fits tightly and won't blow off in high winds.

Slippers or flip-flops to wear in my B&B room.

Wrist watch & calendar (many have these on a cell phone)

Make-up remover cloths. I buy Olay dry type that activates with water. B&B owners hate it when people use their good towels to remove make-up. It never comes out.

Glasses strings. Those little thingies that hold your eyeglasses around your neck. Especially helpful on the flight.

A small amount of medications for an emergency: Tylenol, aspirin, decongestant, anti-diarrhea, pepto-bismal, etc.

Sunscreen (very expensive in Ireland). This is a hopeful item. biggrin

Highlighter for my map (put in zip-lock bag as they can leak)

Names, addresses, phone numbers of emergency contacts

Extra pair of eyeglasses in case of emergency

Michele Erdvig · Host

If you want to purchase Tylenol in Ireland it is called paracetamol. I went crazy one year trying to buy Tylenol!

PuzoP2 · Member

Good list! And thanks about the Tylenol AKA.

murphy · Guru

3 items that we found useful: a small lunch box sized soft-sided cooler that you can totally flatten in your main bag (we don't check luggage until on the way home). To go along with that, a "Polar Ice" ice pack pre-frozen at home so that it will get thru security(a non frozen one got confiscated on our last trip! Agent said it would have passed if frozen but not in the jell form). We use these 2 items almost every day for our mid-day lunch/snack, for Bottled water, fruit, cheese, sliced meat, etc that we buy in small quantities that will be used up that day. We ask the B&B if they would be willing to re-freeze the ice pack over night and they have never turned us down. With a full Irish Breakfast, a light snack always tides us over till the evening meal.
Also take a light weight tote bag that we flatten in my Wife's main bag for all the gift items we buy there, since we carry that bag on and check the main luggage on the way home!

wckc · Guru

Michelle's suggestion of the emergency meds is a good one. We also take some bandaids and anti-bac ointment (yes, I have gotten injured several times). We also take a few plastic walmart or grocery bags. Especially when grocery shopping for self-catering we've found that the stores charge for bags. We looked silly our first time stuffing bacon, pudding, cheese, etc in our jacket pockets!

For me, I have learned to take a pair of comfortable sandals. We've always visited in April or September, but we tend to hit heat waves. Heat and I don't do well together, and if my feet are cool and comfy, that helps. Our first two trips I was purchasing sandals in Dublin...nice sandals...not so nice price.

My slippers are a must for both B&B and self-catering.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Wendy, I can just picture you stuffing bacon in your pockets! But pudding? The stores will give you a cardboard box to put your groceries in if you forget the bags.

Keep the suggestions coming everyone. What don't you leave home without?

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

My single, 'MUST PACK' rec is to bundle up an assortment of plastic bags -- ranging from 'Snack', Quart and Gallon size (as well as a couple of Kitchen can trash liner bags). I usually take along at least a half dozen or so of the smaller sizes and two or three each, of the larger sizes. They are handy for storage of wet or damp bath items (like wash cloths, bar soap or bath 'scrunchies') when moving between accommodations, securing leaking (or, POTENTIALLY leaking bottles of soap, shampoo or lotions)and even, as handy, disposable, 'Refueling Gloves' when pumping fuel into the rentals! Smelling gasoline on your hands for a couple of hours after refueling is bad enough -- BUT smelling DIESEL fumes is even worse -- and HARDER to wash away. The trash bags are great for keeping your dirty clothes separated from the clean ones.

A whole 'Bundle' as described takes up not much more space than one pair of underwear, weighs even less and is MUCH more useful. aww

Additionally, we pack our spare shoes in used, plastic shopping bags.

murphy · Guru

Michele mentioned slippers to wear in the B&B/hotel. I found that if I can kick my shoes off during the trans-Atlantic flight, I'm instantly much more comfortable, and then I sleep better! However my feet soon got cold, so now I pack a pair of light weight moccasins with the fuzzy (sheep wool like) liners, in the bottom of my personal item bag that fits under the seat in front. When we reach altitude I put them on. Then if you need to go to the lav, you don't have to put your shoes back on-not the easiest task in the cramped conditions on today's airlines. From then on, the mocs stay my main roller bag for evening time use at our lodgings.
Dan

wckc · Guru

Michele - The pudding isn't so bad but the eggs are another story. I sure wish someone had suggested the cardboard boxes...I guess in Roscommon town they prefer to watch the Americans and see what they will do!

Bob - we do the exact same thing with the bags - I always pack shoes in bags - even for short local trips. We use zip lock bags for things like the cut loaf of brown bread to keep it fresh.

Dan - we're still trying to figure out how in the world you can travel to Ireland without checking a bag! My boss tends to be that way - pack for a week with only a carry on...I have yet to master that trick!

When self catering Keith also takes several different types of kitchen knives, as well as a cheese plane and some spices. Oh the life of a certified chef...

We generally purchase a couple 20 oz bottles of water or soda at the airport after security and keep the bottles. When we get to Ireland we are able to wash and reuse them. We purchase 2 ltr bottles of Clearly Tipperary (sparkling flavored water) and refill the small bottles for drinking while out and about.

murphy · Guru

As for not checking bags... If you ever arrive someplace and your luggage doesn't, that is all the motivation it takes for me to pack "carry on" only. They will never again loose my luggage on the out bound leg(s) if I can help it! It happened just once, on a domestic flight on our way to BIL funeral taking place 200 mi from arrival airport. We got our funeral clothes 1 hour before the funeral...and lucky to get them then! We usually have a tight schedule in Ireland which doesn't allow for waiting around for luggage to arrive or worse case having to go shopping for a new set of clothes! On the return, I don't care if my checked bag of dirty clothes gets home with me on time or not!

Then there is "Murphy's Law" to contend with....
Dan

EHannan · Member

Did I miss it, or did nobody list a really good raincoat? I have a nice one about knee length with a hood. don't want to juggle an umbrella while snapping photos.

You can do it with just a carry on and still have room to bring a few new things home. I was in Ireland for almost 3 weeks last year with just a carry on. Be sure to bring a good cord, or one of those travel clothes lines. Pack light weight clothing that will dry overnight on the line. I love my quick drying panties so much I wear them every day, whether I'm traveling or not. So comfy! Also, there are laundries in Ireland.

It's nice to be able to move place to place easily!

Michele Erdvig · Host

I do have a waterproof windbreaker with a hood on my packing list. So that or a raincoat is definitely essential.