Packing: pack light, pack tight, pack carefullyWritten by Gareth Powell
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Packing hanging suit bags is slightly different. If you are using a hanging bag do not believe that your clothes will, as a result, emerge unwrinkled and wearable. They will not, unless you take special care. The best way to load is with bag laid flat, not hanging up. Put shoes in plastic bags, one at each corner, so that they remain at top when bag is folded. Make sure heels are in corners with toes pointing towards handle. Hang trousers with two folds so that you do not have a single fold across knee. Do not fasten jacket, but close it so that one side is about a third of way across. Fold sleeves up at elbow, then pack other garments on top to hold in place. I carry a small traveling iron which even has a steam feature. It is light, in a neat bag and takes little space. It is, in a sense, my one luxury. When you have finished packing try closing case. It should be as tight a fit as possible without needing excessive force. If it is too loosely packed, lay sheets of tissue paper on top to fill gap. Many experienced travelers lay a collapsible carry-all on top for inevitable excess of baggage on return journey. Unpack both suitcases and hanging bags, completely as soon as you arrive. If there are any wrinkles, hang your clothes on shower rail and run a very hot bath. You only need a small amount of water. Do not bother filling bath up. It takes less than an hour to steam wrinkles out. Other points Bottles leak, powder spreads, creams escape and make too much of themselves. The only way that you can be sure that these dread happenings are not among your travel memoirs is to keep all your toiletries in a zip up plastic bag that you have tested for air tightness. Try never to carry any glass bottles. Decant into small plastic holders wherever possible. Always carry a large bar of soap. The little tablets issued in most hotels are not suitable for cleansing of grown-up bodies.
Gareth Powell is the author of several travel books, has been the travel editor of two metropolitan newspapers and has a travel website - http://www.travelhopefully.com
| | Test your stress levels before you bookWritten by Gareth Powell
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• Is trouble with in-laws causing tension within your family? 6 points. • Is there anyone at home or at work whom you dislike strongly? 6 points. • Do you frequently suffer from premenstrual tension? 6 points. • Have you had a resounding personal success, such as rapid promotion at work? 6 points. • Have you experienced "jet lag" at least twice? 8 points. • Has there been a major domestic upheaval such as moving house or having an extension built onto your house (though not including a change in family relationships)? 5 points. • Have you had problems at work that may be putting your job at risk? 6 points. • Have you taken on a substantial debt or mortgage? 3 points. • Have you had a minor brush with law, such as being prosecuted for a traffic offence or failure to have a TV licence? 2 points. As a general guide, a score of under 30 suggests that you are unlikely to suffer stress-related illness or accidental injury now or in near future. Your choice of holiday is pretty much unrestricted in this particular area. If your score is 60 or above, pressures on you are greater than normal. This means you are at risk from one or more stress-related problems. The higher number more relaxed your holiday must be. Note carefully that jet lag gets a score of 8. If you travel internationally more than four or five times a year you will become ill. Bet on it. If you fly over four hours and you do not fly in business class you can add 50 percent to those figures. Which is why you need to carefully evaluate your health before you decide on a holiday which involves very long flights. It can make you quite ill and stuff your holiday.
Gareth Powell is the author of several travel books, has been the travel editor of two metropolitan newspapers and has a travel website - http://www.travelhopefully.com
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