Who travels with what

[SarahZ]

That's what lists are for.

Uh huh, and a sense of humor should be somewhere on that list.☺

I have one, thanks. My comment was for the travelers who pack in a hurry and forget lots of things.

If your comment about using other people's space was sarcasm, I simply didn't pick up on it. Once I know you better, I'll be able to "hear" your tone.

 

[glomor]

Years ago a columnist in our local newspaper wrote a piece about a trip through Europe with two other young friends. They were inexperienced travelers and took the largest suitcases they could find. At some point, feeling burdened, they decided to put them in storage and carry only genuine necessities. She said, "For the rest of the trip, we never worried about clothes or cosmetics or curlers. So what if we looked the same every day? No one was looking. What mattered was what we were seeing..."

The article was titled, "The less I have to carry, the further I can go!" It was actually a metaphor for life, getting rid of things that burden us down and keep us from progressing. I clipped that column and take it to heart, both literally and figuratively. Recently downsized my suitcase, still working on life....

 

[glomor]

This is my favorite travel companion. It holds toiletries and personal items in plastic pockets on the sides. When zipped up, the center compartment is quite roomy. It has room for my Kindle and/or a book, camera, iPod, Chargers, a folding rain poncho, flashlight, and other miscellaneous small clothing or other items. It also has roomy zipper compartments on the top and the front.

The entire bag will open flat and has a tab to hang on a hook. It folds shut with zippers and Velcro and can be carried with a handle or an adjustable shoulder strap.

The brand of this particular bag is "Protocol" and I've had it for several years. I can't remember where I got it--possibly Penney's. Very handy to have on the train!

 

[Asher]

That's what lists are for.

Uh huh, and a sense of humor should be somewhere on that list.☺

I have one, thanks. My comment was for the travelers who pack in a hurry and forget lots of things.

If your comment about using other people's space was sarcasm, I simply didn't pick up on it. Once I know you better, I'll be able to "hear" your tone.

I'm sorry and I hope you will accept my apology. My post was tongue in cheek and my reply to you was not meant to be rude. This

I have thoroughly learned to enjoy the train from you along with many others who share their experiences on this cybe rail.

 

[SarahZ]

No worries.

Glomor - that bag looks awesome! I need something like that for weekend trips.

 

[Palmetto]

What about appurtenances for the seniors among us? Like CPAP machines and/or POCs? Anyone travel with those?

 

[glomor]

My husband traveled with a portable oxygen concentrator a few years ago. We got a roomette because, at the time, coach seating did not have power outlets. It seemed to work fine.

 

[BCL]

My husband traveled with a portable oxygen concentrator a few years ago. We got a roomette because, at the time, coach seating did not have power outlets. It seemed to work fine.

I saw someone walking with one last night on #14. I'm pretty sure it was battery powered, but of course the battery would need to be charged.

 

[norfolkwesternhenry]

Well, what ever it is, weather or otherwise, it is three big bags, although one is a computer bag, that would probably bring down a 747, (weighs more than the space shuttle, see below) interesting how a 737 supports that bag, (40 LBS/20 Kilos) I am pretty strong, (no bragging) and that weighs more than MY computer bag and clothes/other bag combined, oh, plus a carry on purse.

 

[zephyr17]

I am trying to prove that some people (they don't want their names included) travel with WAAY too much luggage. My usual "load out" is:

backpack with clothes, toiletries bag and maybe extra shoes.

backpack/computer bag with laptop, radio scanner (BC75XLT by Uniden), a deck of cards, laptop charger, mouse, over ear wireless headphones, extra batteries and charger (for scanner), flashlight(s), souvenirs (if any), some snacks, camera, and a water bottle.

what do YOU pack for a train trip?

Here are the two bags I use.

For what kind of trip? Is this a day trip? Is it a business trip? A "working" vacation?

How can you "prove" that someone travels with way too much anything? The entire premise is flawed since it is purely subjective.

Who I am talking about takes a curling Iron camping, or three MASSIVE bags for a two day buisness trip MSP-CHI by stupid plane

Any one who takes three massive bags on a two day business trip doesn't take many business trips. Experience is the best teacher.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I am trying to prove that some people (they don't want their names included) travel with WAAY too much luggage. My usual "load out" is:

backpack with clothes, toiletries bag and maybe extra shoes.

backpack/computer bag with laptop, radio scanner (BC75XLT by Uniden), a deck of cards, laptop charger, mouse, over ear wireless headphones, extra batteries and charger (for scanner), flashlight(s), souvenirs (if any), some snacks, camera, and a water bottle.

what do YOU pack for a train trip?

Here are the two bags I use.

For what kind of trip? Is this a day trip? Is it a business trip? A "working" vacation?

How can you "prove" that someone travels with way too much anything? The entire premise is flawed since it is purely subjective.

Who I am talking about takes a curling Iron camping, or three MASSIVE bags for a two day buisness trip MSP-CHI by stupid plane

Any one who takes three massive bags on a two day business trip doesn't take many business trips. Experience is the best teacher.

I've taken three massive bags with me on multiple business trips. Usually to deliver/pickup hardware to/from a remote job site, plant location, or district office. Unfortunately I only have experience from traveling a few million miles to a couple hundred different locations, so what do I know right? I guess I know that anyone is a word that is best used sparingly. ^_^

 

[zephyr17]

I am trying to prove that some people (they don't want their names included) travel with WAAY too much luggage. My usual "load out" is:

backpack with clothes, toiletries bag and maybe extra shoes.

backpack/computer bag with laptop, radio scanner (BC75XLT by Uniden), a deck of cards, laptop charger, mouse, over ear wireless headphones, extra batteries and charger (for scanner), flashlight(s), souvenirs (if any), some snacks, camera, and a water bottle.

what do YOU pack for a train trip?

Here are the two bags I use.

For what kind of trip? Is this a day trip? Is it a business trip? A "working" vacation?

How can you "prove" that someone travels with way too much anything? The entire premise is flawed since it is purely subjective.

Who I am talking about takes a curling Iron camping, or three MASSIVE bags for a two day buisness trip MSP-CHI by stupid plane

Any one who takes three massive bags on a two day business trip doesn't take many business trips. Experience is the best teacher.

I've taken three massive bags with me on multiple business trips. Usually to deliver/pickup hardware to/from a remote job site, plant location, or district office. Unfortunately I only have experience from traveling a few million miles to a couple hundred different locations, so what do I know right? I guess I know that anyone is a word that is best used sparingly. ^_^

Sorry, I was really only talking about if all you need is business attire and a laptop, which is common for a lot of business travelers. Having to take hardware/tools/hard copy plans, etc, certainly changes things.

 

[fillyjonk]

I guess I'm pretty "old school" - I carry books, actual paper books, to read on the train. And I take earplugs and a cloth eyeshade to help me sleep.

Usually I travel with a standard-sized (the small size - counts as an Amtrak carry on) roll bag and then either a backpack or a large tote bag for the things I need overnight (toiletries and books and extra sweater, etc.)

I also confess I travel with a small stuffed animal; it makes me feel more at home.

This go-round (end of this week) I am going to a conference so in addition I have a poster tube with a poster in it (a roughly 3' 6" long cardboard tube with plastic caps on the ends). I am hoping Amtrak has no problems with me carrying that on - where I get on you can't check luggage and also it is THE most essential thing to my trip, so it would be awful if it got lost. (Guess I load the poster onto a flashdrive and have that as a backup - I think there's a Kinko's or whatever they got renamed to in the town where I'm going). I've transported posters in the past but it's been a few years since I tried carrying one on.

 

[jis]

Yes, I do take along real paper books to read too!

 

[tricia]

Yes, I do take along real paper books to read too!

Me too. Also stop at used bookstores while traveling. Perhaps needs a thread of its own: Bookstores near Amtrak stations....

 

[Bob Dylan]

Yes, I do take along real paper books to read too!

Ditto! I try to go to Independent and Mom and Pop Second Hand Book Stores for my reading materials!

 

[bmjhagen9426]

Depends on what my purpose of travel is. But usually with a backpack and briefcase, and a suitcase or two. However I always bring my laptop, my iPad 3 (which is dying unfortunately), some good books and/or magazines (can't go wrong with a Trains magazine), and the April 6, 2015 edition of Amtrak system timetable (If I need up-to-date information, I can pull up the PDF version of the January 2016 system timetable on my laptop). Sometimes a cooler with some extra food/drink (no booze unless I have a sleeper room)/snacks.

 

[norfolkwesternhenry]

I am trying to prove that some people (they don't want their names included) travel with WAAY too much luggage. My usual "load out" is:

backpack with clothes, toiletries bag and maybe extra shoes.

backpack/computer bag with laptop, radio scanner (BC75XLT by Uniden), a deck of cards, laptop charger, mouse, over ear wireless headphones, extra batteries and charger (for scanner), flashlight(s), souvenirs (if any), some snacks, camera, and a water bottle.

what do YOU pack for a train trip?

Here are the two bags I use.

For what kind of trip? Is this a day trip? Is it a business trip? A "working" vacation?

How can you "prove" that someone travels with way too much anything? The entire premise is flawed since it is purely subjective.

Who I am talking about takes a curling Iron camping, or three MASSIVE bags for a two day buisness trip MSP-CHI by stupid plane

Any one who takes three massive bags on a two day business trip doesn't take many business trips. Experience is the best teacher.

she takes probably ten to fifteen MSP-CHI-MSP short business trips a year

 

[SarahZ]

I wouldn't take the train between MSP and CHI either. The EB is unreliable, and the schedule might not work with her work schedule; there's a chance she'd have to take vacation days to make that schedule work. Also, that's more time away from home.

If I had to take 10-15 business trips per year, there is no way I'd use vacation time and spend more time away from home than I had to. There were many times my trip ended early and I'd try like crazy to get an earlier plane home so I could get back to my bed, boyfriend, and pets.

Speaking from experience, business trips and vacations are two wildly different things.

 

[jis]

Yes, I do take along real paper books to read too!

Ditto! I try to go to Independent and Mom and Pop Second Hand Book Stores for my reading materials!

I have such a huge backlog of reading material already in my possession that I don't have to worry about acquiring additional ones for quite a while.
Currently I am reading "The Great Game - The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia", by Peter Hopkirk. A must read for anyone who wishes to understand what is going on in Afghanistan today.

 

[caravanman]

I think "The Gilgit Game" is a similar book, Jis, set in much earlier times?

Likewise I have many books waiting to be read, not sure why, but I haven't done so much reading recently.

I often "vacuum up" (do you guys say "hoover up"?) a bag full of assorted books when they have a sale at the charity shops, often getting interesting books for 15 or 20 cents each.

Can I make a plea for the older generation here not to be too harsh with the youthful enthusiasms... we are all different, and our kids are different too...

As to Who travels with what, I guesss that would be the Tardis?

Ed.

 

[tricia]

I think "The Gilgit Game" is a similar book, Jis, set in much earlier times?

Likewise I have many books waiting to be read, not sure why, but I haven't done so much reading recently.

I often "vacuum up" (do you guys say "hoover up"?) a bag full of assorted books when they have a sale at the charity shops, often getting interesting books for 15 or 20 cents each.

Can I make a plea for the older generation here not to be too harsh with the youthful enthusiasms... we are all different, and our kids are different too...

As to Who travels with what, I guesss that would be the Tardis?

Ed.

Unlike our baggage, a Tardis is bigger on the inside than on the outside.

 

[neroden]

Thanks to allergies, I travel with a bag of food and a bag of bedding. I would rather not.

Then I can start thinking about the things the rest of you are bringing.

My fiancee has to add a wheelchair and a CPAP to that list, as well as her own bag of food. And enough prescription medications to fill a small bag.

Some of us have gotta travel heavy, whether we want to or not. I actually buy as much as possible at my destination or en route.

 

[Lonestar648]

I use a 22" roller with lots of pockets, plus a backpack designed to carry my laptop. Traveling week after week, everything had its assigned place, so an empty space was a red flag. I generally packed the same for flying as I did for car travel as I did for my travel on Amtrak. I just made an 11 day/10 night trip on Amtrak, used my SOP packing my two bags. Those who know me are amazed at what I can fit into my roller and all the contingency items I can pull out of my bags for an unexpected happening. My advice is to plan ahead, research your locations, make a list. If your things will not fit into a roller and a backpack then you are taking too much. I do not come home with unworn clothes unless my trip was cut short. Pack efficiently, feel for soft areas as you pack the suitcase, fill these in with socks, underwear, and/or pajamas. Then I have a smooth surface to spread out my pants and shirts and ties. The front pocket carries my good shoes for those important meetings, and if I need a sports coat, I wear it, hang it up in the room. Again, be efficient. Can you run if necessary through the station or the airport when you are arriving late. I always carry everything I need with me so I can deal with any circumstance that comes my way, so rarely check anything. My wife and I never add bags, we prioritize our needs so everything fits. I know that my roller fits on its side on the step in the Superliner I Roomette, and the strap wraps around the bag on the Superliner II Roomette. My backpack is generally next to me on the floor.

 

[Asher]

I try to pack things where I can get to them easily at certain stages of a trip. Nothing worse than digging trying to find socks and underwater, I put them in a separate plastic grocery bag in the suit case. A backpack with 3/4 compartments holds electronics snacks, beverage's, Change of underwater and toiletries.