Melissa,

SHOES: My shoes of choice are SAS black walking shoes. They have the comfort of sneakers but look halfway decent. They also clean up very well. I wear them everywhere from mountain tops to pubs to castle banquets and dinner. Sneakers will work too. There are a few snooty clubs and/or pubs in Dublin that might not permit them. But with where you are going I think you will be just fine. In over 30 years of travel to Ireland I have never been thrown out of anyplace wearing very casual clothes. Unless you are attending a wedding you can go very casual.

PANTS: Ireland weather is very difficult to predict. They just had a spate of perfect warm weather with no rain. One of my clients reported that there was not a drop of rain on her entire 2 week trip. Usually when that happens the rest of the summer is unsettled (as they say over there). Although you never know. You might want to go half and half on the pants. Some capris and the rest long pants. I tend to go with a cotton knit blend.

I rarely take a raincoat. It is too bulky for my needs. I find a light nylon windbreaker with a hood works for me in most Irish weather. I'm sure if I was out on the high seas in a thunderstorm or hiking in the hail I would wish for that raincoat but it hasn't happened yet.

Yes layer, but bring things that mix and match. One sweatshirt or fleece in a neutral color that will work with the rest of the wardrobe. One long-sleeve shirt. It may be warm enough for a T-shirt. However if you find you haven't brought enough of one thing you can always buy a little souvenir of Ireland such as another T-shirt or sweater. Don't sweat it. There are plenty of clothes in Ireland too.

Michele

Melissa, you might try stores that carry hiking, climbing, or backpacking gear for a waterproof windbreaker-type jacket.  I would make sure it's breathable, lightweight and large enough to wear over a sweater or sweatshirt if it's chilly.

Thanks dudes and dudettes. I'll try LL Bean though I'm runnin' out of time, leaving in July. I'll also try R.E.I. I'm not ready NOT ready Ah! NOT NOT ready yet for Ireland.

Oopsy, you're a peach!!  How kind of you to find these links!

OOpsy and Maggie L, wow, thanks for the positive vibrations! And thanks for the links to LL Bean raincoats, OOpsy...very thoughtful of you.

I am actually comtemplating my empty suitcase...I have located it...

Michele, it's a small suitcase...21" rolling carry-one...and yes I will NOT be able to stuff everything into it! Know what I did when I packed for my last trip? I laid out everything on the bed that I wanted to take. Then I called my hubby in and asked him to be like my "lady's maid" and pack for me. He said "Yes, ma'am" which was hilarious. I told him which things were essential, and told him NOT to dare tell me what he had to leave out. He did such a good job! Nothing got wrinkled, no liquids spilled out, and if he left anything out, I didn't notice!

I also brought an 18" duffel (small duffel) which sits on top of the rolling suitcase. Good for stuff like extra shoes.

I am contemplating buying an xpensive nylon lightweight waterproof breathable windbreaker/rainjacket from LL Bean. It supposedly folds into its own pocket and is made from Gortex which is actually expensive nylon it appears.. Xpensive though. $149. Hubby says I buy weird xpensive stuff before we go on trips. I think I could buy the whole family windbreakers in a discount store for that price....Should I do it? Purple or black? Red?

Should I catch up on the laundry to prepare for the trip? Keep shopping on-line? Spend a day in the mall? Put whatever I can find now in the suitcase and forget about shopping?

I have always wanted to take a trip with NO luggage, but I have never dared.

-- Edited by Melissa5 at 19:51, 2006-06-22

Maggie L, happy shopping to you too. You're probably right about me finding a better price on rain jackets in the store. I'm leaving right now for a couple hours of pre-Ireland trip shopping in fact.

Maggie L, I used to be a major over-packer. I was cured of it when we decided to use trains for our transportation in Italy. I learned how to make due with less luggage because you don't wanna lug all that big luggage on the train...

For Ireland we are gonna do our usual...each person gets a 21" rolling carry-on, which does have an extra zipper which you can open if you want to really stuff it, which is okay if you are gonna check it on as luggage. But if you are using it as a carry-on, some airlines are picky and have a box that your carry-on luggage has to fit into...in that case we don't open the extra zipper. We also have a smaller duffel for each person that sits on top of the rolling carry-on. Depending on the flight arrangements, we sometimes check in one of those pieces and carry the other one on board. For Ireland, since Aer Lingus will fly from Los Angeles to Dublin, they won't lose our luggage, so we may check it all on. Then we have to retrieve it to get the flight onto Shannon.

I also have a piece of luggage that is like a light-weight extra large purse, perfect for the things you need while seated...water bottles, novels, meds, travel docs, etc. I got it in a luggage store. Very light-weight. that counts as my "personal item". Each passenger is allowed one personal item, like a purse or briefcase, and one carry-on. Most flights pretty much follow this rule now. So my third item gets checked in. Then if they lose it, I still have some clothes on board with me!

As for your jeans, yes, if you want to become a light packer, you have to abandon them because they weigh too much, take up too much room. Also they take longer to dry if you are in the laundromat on your trip; also if it rains and you get wet, the jeans stay wet all day it seems, whereas lighter weight pants may dry on you as soon as the sun comes out. So even though I like jeans at home, I have discovered the lighter weight materials are better for travel. So I kinda have my travel wardrobe, which I add to when I can...

You just have to do laundry more often when you pack light also. I "plan" laundry into the trip. We try to pack 8 outfits each into our 21" rolling carry-on. My daughters and I can do this, but it's tough for hubby and son who are over 6 feet tall with bigger clothes! So hubby likes to pack the light-weight zip-off style pants because he can get more in the suitcase. But he has big feet...his extra pair of shoes takes up half the room in the second piece of luggage, the 18" duffel!

I am hearing in Ireland they have full-serve laundry in a lotta towns where they will wash and dry and fold the clothes for you for a decent price. That's what we are planning on doing. On other trips we have had our laundromat days because hotels charge too much to do laundry.

Nice chatting with you all, and if anybody is still listening to me blab on and on about packing, you are very patient...jump in and let's hear about your packing thoughts!

Anyone else notice this is an all-female strand of postings?  Packing is definitely not a guy thing!  

OK, I'm with you on having one week's worth of stuff and then doing laundry every 7-8 days.  (And yes, Melissa, you can drop your laundry off at the launderette in the morning and they will wash, dry and fold it for you by afternoon --- a great help! )  But how do you fit 8 outfits into such a small space?  And Oopsy, how do you get by with only 2 pair of jeans?

I'm seriously asking since I'll be lugging my own stuff this time through airports,bus stations, the hills of Donegal, and the streets of Dublin.   I was figuring I needed to pack 6-7 shirts, one sweater, three jeans (in addition to wearing a pair, but maybe this is more jeans than needed?), plus one pair of khakis (a little more "respectable" than jeans, especially if I decide to go to Mass).  Of course, I also have a Macabi skirt I could stick in ... see? The list is growing expotentially!    And that doesn't even include my trekking poles, hiking shoes, Gore-tex jacket, undergarments, toiletries, etc.!!

(I should probably also pack a ball gown in case I meet Prince Charming on the wild cliffs of Donegal, but, of course, then I'd need to include a wedding gown in case we fell madly in love! guess I better skip that, eh?!)

Melissa, you're other post talks about neat travel things:  I love the travel space bags/vacuum bags to help shrink stuff down.  And I like a small foldable bag like you mentioned for shopping, even though I can usually fit most purchases in my backpack.  One of my favorite travel items is a compass my grandkids gave me --- believe it or not, it comes in handy even for just walking around cities.

So, I have my backpack/bookbag I carry onboard (I don't do purses --- just a small fanny pack that holds money and my camera) and my rolling duffle bag (about 28-29") that I check in.  So, I welcome any advice/tips you might have on getting it down to one carry-on (that would be so great!!).

Maggie

PS Oopsy is right about the cost/quality factor in jackets.  I have a pretty decent one that cost about $50-$60 on sale, but I live in Michigan, so it gets a lot of use.

Maggie L, the difference between men and women is, men just do it...but women discuss it before, during, and after. (We're discussing packing and shopping, right? )

How do I fit 8 outfits in such a small space? Well, I confess I have only managed it for warmer climates, like Italian summers and Costa Rican summers. Then, you choose all light-weight materials. No jeans. I am always on the look-out for light-weight clothing that is also durable. For example, Tilleys had a line of women's clothing that is so light-weight, it is like 2 scarves sewn together, yet it has lasted through countless washings. It was by the designer Linda Lundstrum. I bought 2 capri pants, a long skirt, 2 tops, and 1 over-blouse in this material, and I can pack all of that in the space that your 1 pair of jeans takes up!

The trouble for Ireland will be the climate is a bit cooler and with rain...so some of the clothes may need to be bulkier. A sweater for example takes up more space than a t-shirt! Yes, it will be a challenge.

Then I get my lady's maid (hubby) to work, and somehow he will fit it all in! What doesn't fit in the 21" rolling carry-on will go in the 18" duffel. Normally I check one of those on and use the other as a carry-on. We each have those 2 pieces of luggage.

I only pack one pair of shoes, and I am wearing the other one. So I must carefully consider which shoes will work with all outfits. Again, warmer climates are easier because you can pack sandals which take up less room.

It might be that I can only fit maybe 6 outfits in the 21" rolling carry-on for Ireland, because of the sweaters... I will choose sweaters which aren't bulky.

I won't be packing any jeans for Ireland because they are too bulky.

We women always pack too many toiletries. Just narrow it down to 2 things which you would just die without. Buy the rest in Ireland...it's an adventure, you can survive without your favorite brand. Then when the trip is done, leave behind the toiletries you bought in Ireland if they don't fit in your luggage...One of the greatest travel adventures is getting into the REAL Ireland...the stores where the Irish shop...for real stuff like shampoo. (And try doing that in foreign countries which don't speak English...it's even more fun then! We love it.)

So ladies, if you could only pack 1 toiletry item from home, what would you choose? I would take my unscented bar of bath soap, because it's almost impossible to find unscented soap anywhere, and my skin sometimes reacts to scented soaps. Everything else I can buy in Ireland!

Now, I can't help you with those trekking poles and hiking shoes. I don't pack bulky shoes. I woudn't know what to do with a trekking pole!

You only need 3 bras and a small bottle of washing liquid. (Men, don't listen.) One bra to wear, one to wash out in the sink, and 1 that is hanging to dry (might take 24 hours to dry.) I like the small bottle of laundry soap that Rick Steves sells, because it is low-sudsing. I have tried other brands and they make too much suds in the bathroom sink, which takes forever to rinse!

Pack the underwear and socks last because you can always wedge it in somewhere in your luggage, it is small.

You can buy an Irish ball-gown for your Prince Charming, don't worry, and I hear those Irish wedding celebrations go on all night and into the next morning! Can I come?

Also, leave that big huge pile of travel books home. Just bring Michele's book, and maybe 1 other at the most. Plus you might even want to buy another travel book in Ireland as a souveneir! You probably have all the important stuff memorized by now. Guinness, Cliffs of Moher, Irish linen, green, and rain.

All we really need is Michele's book, our credit cards and money, our passport, and plane tickets, and prescription meds. Perhaps a list of which accomodations we have booked would be helpful! Leave everything else at home.

And will I follow my own advice?!

Well, I usually resist the what to pack threads over at Fodors, but here goes...I'll try to reconstruct what I packed. A couple of notes...I'm rare in the trying to pack semi-lightly crowd in that I don't go light on underwear (I can't believe I'm posting about underwear in a public forum). If I think I'll do laundry every 7 days, I bring 8 undies/bras. Obviously I could cut this down dramatically. There's just something about having to wash out underwear every other night that bugs me. Now, if I ever meet my goal of joining my brother for a real backpacking trip, I'll definitely have to change this.

OK. I wore on the plane:my less nice pair of jeans, long sleeve black crew neck medium knit shirt, black loafer-like shoes, carried my rain coat

Packed:

pants: nicer pair of jeans, khaki quick dry, lotsa pockets pants from Columbia, grey trouser pants; shirts: 2 black, one medium blue, one berry color (?) three quarter sleeve pull-over light weight shirts; one light weight black cardigan, two light weight blue pull-over loose-fitting sweater; 2 very light weight undergarment shirts; other: my trail shoes, black socks and trail socks, underwear, light weight pajamas, small toiletries, digital camera, small spiral notebook, mini-cassette recorder, expandable plastic envelope style folder with maps, confirmations, copies of passport... (note pajamas, one of the light-weight shirts, one light weight sweater, one set underwear/socks , camera, notebook, and expandable folder packed in carry-on back pack). Oh...the rollerboard also included 2 empty bags...a tote bag and a duffel bag for dirty clothes along the way and for souvenirs.

I shoud have left one of the blue pull-over sweaters at home and the mini cassette recorder (which we only used the first night in Ireland). Otherwise, this worked well. All shirts could be worn with all pants. I layered every day. I brought almost all light weight clothes (jeans and medium knit black shirt exceptions). Keep in mind that light-weight can be warm, and that layers will be better than one heavy sweater. I was putting my pull-over off and on all day most days.  Also a new fan of Oral-B brush-ups for traveling.

I am NOT a traveling light zealot. I don't think having carry-ons only makes anyone a better human being. We actually check our 21" roller boards.

oopsy, who really really wishes she was going to be on the cliffs of Donegal sometime in the near future, ball gown or jeans

 

Melissa & Oopsy, thanks for the giggles and for sharing!  I can see I have to rethink my addiction to jeans if I want to pack light.  (Although I think Melissa's hubby's packing skills may be the real key here )  And I'll leave the ball gown at home (I'm more suited to meeting Prince Charming's grandfather anyway ... ).  

I will say that each trip has taught me about more items to leave at home, so maybe I'll eventually get down to Melissa's dream of NO packing ....

Sorry you're not coming to Donegal too, Oopsy, but I'll try to get you some decent photos.

Maggie

 

Maggie L, Prince Charming's grandfather would have been a rich and powerful king, in his youth...so that's not a bad idea! I forget when your trip is, but have a wonderful time and show us your pix when you get back. We can compare notes.

Michele, help, everything doesn't fit in my 21" carry-on! It's because of the heavier weight clothing. (Other summers we have travelled to warmer climates.)

As far as the cold mornings and evenings, is a light-weight windbreaker warm enough, or for example a very light-weight synthetic zip-up sweater made from thin, light-weight material? When I try to add something warmer to the suitcase, such as one of those thick warm fuzzy pull-overs, they are so fat they bulk up the suitcase.

So will I be warm enough if I stick to only very light-weight cover-ups for July?

Thanks so much!

Also, are you cold in July in Ireland without pajamas, which take up more room than a sleep t-shirt?

MIchele, I sure appreciate your timely response to my frantic packing questions. I am piling clothes in my 21" carry-on, and hubby has promised to rescue me. I give him a few instructions about what I really can't live without, then I leave him alone with my luggage. (Can't bear to watch!) He makes everything fit, and doesn't tell me if he has to leave something out. I find I don't even miss it, and nothing is wrinkled! What a magnificent man.

However I haven't found any black or brown walking shoes that fit. I am stuck with white Nike walking shoes and a pair of running shoes (blue and white.) Plus sandals! It is doubtful I will have time to shop for shoes again before we leave...