Travel brings out the differences between you and your companions

[cdh]

A few years ago, my wife successfully packed all of her stuff in carry-ons for a 14-day trip to Europe featuring an 11-day cruise with 9 different shore excursions and formal dress requirements. I was very proud.

[Shortie]

I'm single, female, and pack way lighter than anyone else of my friends & family - both genders.

Me too. Also true for business trips with male and female coworkers. It freaks my coworkers out that I never have to check a bag, even on a weeklong trip with a laptop.

[imperator]

My girlfriend packs light, not because she loves TB (she tolerates my addiction), but because she doesn't want to carry heavy things! And she doesn't plan as carefully as I do either!

Mine just learned to make me carry everything...Problem solved!

[Traveltech]

Mine just learned to make me carry everything...Problem solved!

Ha ha! On our last trip I realized that my husband has me carrying all his extras. He won’t carry an EDC bag but sees no problem with adding a jacket, camera and water bottle to mine.

[Cristina]

Ha ha! On our last trip I realized that my husband has me carrying all his extras. He won’t carry an EDC bag but sees no problem with adding a jacket, camera and water bottle to mine.

Same with us!!

[hillview]

HA HA. I took an over night trip with 3 men from work (I am female) and I brought an under-packed Brain Bag and a small cafe bag. They all had a roller bag and a briefcase. As a family we went to Belize with only TB bags, all carry on. Another family was traveling the same flight, checked their bags and didn't have their luggage for 2 days (lost in air travel). Love my TB bags!

[NClens]

Actually, if I'm wearing a suit jacket, I much prefer to use an under-packed roller and a briefcase vs a backpack. I can fold my suit jacket into a plastic sleeve and put it into my roller, which has a suiter compartment. There is no way I would trust folding a men's suit into a backpack. I also use my roller as a foot rest, stand for my lunch at the airport, etc.

This is a Tom Bihn forum and Tom Bihn doesn't sell rollers, but rollers have some advantages over backpacks that shouldn't be overlooked. I like my roller as much as my S25, but they have different strengths.

[AlaskaGirl]

Greetings,
I've always avoided carrying a purse. If absolutely necessary, I have used a bag the size of the Travel Cubelet prior to finding Tom Bihn. My friends, travel companions, business associates, and military coworkers all have assumed that they can just have me tote their stuff in my bag. Um, no!

One, I'm not carrying a bag. But you're a woman. As if it's mandatory for women to carry a purse/bag. No.

Two, if you want to bring it, you carry it. But you have extra room in your bag. No, I'm not carrying your large heavy object. No.

I had to learn to say no and stick to it. It took a while. I have no problem if someone asks for help, but I'm not a Sherpa, either. elisa

[nolegrl]

I was surprised by this on a recent 7 day international trip to Italy with friends (all females). I packed a carry-on roller and a backpack and everyone else packed massive suitcases that needed to be checked. I got yelled at for "not having enough", but I actually had just the right amount of clothes for the trip. They were all "well, I like to have options." I had options, they were just pre-planned. One girl said she brought 12 pairs of shorts, I couldn't believe it. She said she had the room, so why not. Their thought was since a checked bag was free, why not bring one.

They had to wait in line for 45 minutes in Italy to check their bags for our return flight. Unfortunately, I had to wait for them, but at least it was sitting away from the crowds. I told everyone that we need to do carry-on only next trip and they agreed, but idk if that will hold.

[melminimalist]

Greetings,
I've always avoided carrying a purse. If absolutely necessary, I have used a bag the size of the Travel Cubelet prior to finding Tom Bihn. My friends, travel companions, business associates, and military coworkers all have assumed that they can just have me tote their stuff in my bag. Um, no!

One, I'm not carrying a bag. But you're a woman. As if it's mandatory for women to carry a purse/bag. No.

Two, if you want to bring it, you carry it. But you have extra room in your bag. No, I'm not carrying your large heavy object. No.

I had to learn to say no and stick to it. It took a while. I have no problem if someone asks for help, but I'm not a Sherpa, either. elisa

This used to happen to me a lot with my bf. I love him, but one of the reasons I did stop carrying a purse was I was tired of carrying other people's shit in my bag. As a teacher on field trips, this happens, I tell my students no, they are middle school aged and capable of carrying their own stuff. I went on a family trip to Montreal and I usually do not carry a bag, however, on this trip I did take my a30 pcbp, somehow I ended up with other people's jackets and water bottles, never again.

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[pvn]

There is no way I would trust folding a men's suit into a backpack.

I travel with a brain bag exclusively, and occasionally need to bring a suit on a business trip. The Brooks Brothers method is extremely good for this sort of packing. Wool in general (and worsted wool in particular) is pretty wrinkle resistant, and when I unpack a good shake is pretty much all that is needed. I've travelled with cotton/seersucker suits using this method as well, and it's fine.

https://magazine.brooksbrothers.com/how-to-pack-a-suit/

There are clearly other reasons to use rollers, so this won't solve all of your problems but it may come in handy for you some day.

[cdh]

I travel with a brain bag exclusively, and occasionally need to bring a suit on a business trip. The Brooks Brothers method is extremely good for this sort of packing. Wool in general (and worsted wool in particular) is pretty wrinkle resistant, and when I unpack a good shake is pretty much all that is needed. I've travelled with cotton/seersucker suits using this method as well, and it's fine.

https://magazine.brooksbrothers.com/how-to-pack-a-suit/

There are clearly other reasons to use rollers, so this won't solve all of your problems but it may come in handy for you some day.

I could never quite figure out how to use the BB method, but any gentle roll that doesn't mess with the jacket collar or pant pleats too much generally works. I've rolled a suit in a Synapse 25.

Also, for a quick overnight trip involving plane travel, you can get away with one-bagging using the Empire Builder. It's wide enough to hold a laptop, paper files, and a packing cube with an extra shirt and underwear, and deep enough that you can stow your suit jacket (which you wore along with suit pants on the plane) on top of the aforementioned items if it gets hot. Plus, if you don't want to have to return to the hotel to get your clothes, you can bring the EB to your work event without having to lug a roller or backpack along too (this is especially important if, for instance, you have to appear in court).

EDIT: I have found that for overnight business trips to larger cities that require public transportation and extensive walking on the sidewalks, having a roller can be a real pain. Hence, the paragraph above.

[NClens]

It's probably very true that if you have time, you can fold suit jackets in a way that minimizes creases. My issue with this is I want to spend as little time as possible traveling, so I pack my schedule. This means I need luggage that makes life easier. Not luggage that I have to adapt to use.

For instance, I flew from NYC to SFO Sunday evening and drove to Sacramento. It was blazing hot in Sacramento so I threw my jacket into my roller in about 5 minutes and put it back into the trunk for my drive back to SFO. I am flying back to NYC on Monday evening. Folding a jacket would have been a huge hassle.

I live in NYC and clearly rollers are a problem for the subway. They work fine on the sidewalks. In fact, I’d rather drag my two wheel roller five blocks than strap it’s weight on my back for five blocks during the summer.

[BWeaves]

I either pack my small purse in my carry on, so it's not obvious that I even have a purse, or I wear a Macabi skirt and put my wallet, phone, water bottle, whatever in the deep pockets. Since it's a ladies skirt, nobody thinks the pockets work. BWA-hahahaha!

[SKIMT]

This is an entertaining thread. Been there...done that...not again! Thanks for the laughs.