Pots and Cans

Pots and Cans

Sunday, August 24, 2014

C MINUS 43 AND COUNTING ...

Travel pants.  Not top of everyone’s holiday packing list but if you’re going to California for a month as we are in October then pants and how many to pack are a key consideration.  A 23 kg long haul flight luggage allowance means space is at a premium so a more scientific approach on what to take and how to pack it is a must for a month’s long vacation.

I’m using a creative and practical approach to maximise my 23 kilos as I begrudge forking out £55 to buy an extra suitcase.  Now hear this - firstly, I’ve invested a few quid in disposable travel pants.  Of course, if the idea of throwaway knickers seems disgusting to you, the idea of lugging round a month’s worth of smelly kecks and socks in the back of a hire car is even more revolting to me.  Travel pants are definitely the way forward.  I’ve managed to get proper fine cotton ones too from Ebay which look and feel like ultra-fine undies, not crinkly hospital-type paper under-crackers and a month’s supply has only set me back £15, an average of 50p per pant.

Socks can also be disposed of en route and I’ve already come up with a cheap solution from the 99p shop.  Packs of fine, black cotton socks for 99p - just the job!  These packs can also be supplemented with thicker, boot socks for more rugged outdoor pursuits plus a pair of comfortable sandals to cut down on the overall number of socks to take.

A shopping spree at Primark is also top of the ‘to do holiday list’.  For baggage constrained travellers those ‘see-your-nipples-through-the-cotton’ T shirts will be a space saving Godsend.  I could probably buy an entire month’s supply for under £50 quid whilst keeping the Bangladeshi garment industry afloat at the same time.  It’s a no brainer for the budget savvy like us and these too can be left behind.

My disposable wardrobe is being smartly packed into eBags, zip up nylon cubes designed to maximise packing volume.  If you’re a bit OCD about packing like I am, you’ll love eBags.  They come in different sizes and colours allowing you to devise your own coded system that means you won’t need to rummage or empty the entire case at each stopover hotel when you need clean clothes.  Not cheap to buy but a worthwhile investment I’d say for road trips or backpacking.  

Our holiday will be like the Hansel and Gretel tour of the American west coast, with a trail of soiled garments rather than breadcrumbs tracing our route from San Francisco to San Diego and back again.  


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