TOURS: Tips for Packing?

[CBT]

Hey CBT - Yep, I'm with Seth B!  How do you know Seth?

I shadowed him on Hairspray in Philly! Small world!

Agreed about the eating habits... I'm a huge foodie, so if I go on tour and go rampant, it will be bad... I think I'm going to start a Salad Across America blog, so I'll eat greens everyday. I'll switch to hard liquor instead of beer 

BayAreaSM - Great idea on the laminates. I've seen them used on many other tours. Seems like a much better idea than reprinting in every city.

[bemalk]

I was recently out for a few months doing all one-nighters and brought 2 bags with me(one large and a carry on sized bag), one thing I did that made my life much easier was once a week or so I would bring both bags into the hotel and pack my small bag so for the next week I only needed to bring that one bag in.  It was very helpful when checking out of the hotel at 6am.

Also it is a minor thing but on a TYA tour when call can be extremely early pack your bags and put whatever you can in vehicles the night before.  That extra 10 minutes in the morning is a God send.

If you are a coffee drinker, bring your own travel mug(most places will charge you less if you have your own).  And for birthdays/Christmas/any gift giving occasion ask for Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Panera, etc. gift cards! Hotel coffee can be horrible!  Something I am going to try next time is buying my own grounds and keeping them in ziploc bags so I can make my own in my room since most places have coffee makers in room and then use the hotels cream and sugar.

[nick_tochelli]

In reference to Lamination: My PSM and I actually found a lower rent version of this. So if you don't have the money for a lamination machine buy a bunch of sheet protectors, and some dry erase markers. Same idea, but this way is cheaper and you can create new signs as need be per venue and not have to worry about laminating them.

Bemalk has the right idea with the two bags. We called ours the "Bus Bag" which we would create for long hauls across the country. It's the bag we would bring on the bus with the essentials, and would also double as an overnight bag in hotels when we stayed in them. It's far easier to carry a duffle bag through a lobby after 4 hours of sleep than all your luggage.

[LizzG]

Oh cool - it is a small world CBT!

[On_Headset]

As a heavy reader, I would like to heartily endorse all manner of ebook readers. Just... just get one. Your bag gets much lighter, you can keep more books around, nobody ever nags you to hurry up because they want to read it next, and most ebook readers have either wifi or 3G connectivity these days, so they can double as basic email-and-Wikipedia machines when you aren't close to a computer. (Wouldn't want to use it as a regular internet connection, but if you're just shooting out e-mails and looking up directions, they'll do.)

[BalletPSM]

Bemalk...whether traveling for business or pleasure I pretty much always bring my own coffee with me - and a portable electronic water heater (which you can pick up at REI for $9.99), and a mini french press.  everything can fit in the french press which gets wrapped up in something soft so it doesn't break.  I pack the coffee in tupperware so grounds don't go bursting all over everything.  So I can always have coffee in the hotel, whether there's a coffee pot or not.  =) When my boyfriend was out on tour he bought a little coffee pot and traveled it, along with filters and coffee, in his trunk for me so that it would always be there when I came to visit (he's not a coffee drinker at all).

But I'm also the person who gets a headache within 30 minutes of waking up, if I don't have coffee...so there's that.  =)

[Candy0081]

Pack a hoodie, preferably a black one, or two.  I practically lived in mine for the last few years.  I would also suggest your own water bottle and one nice outfit to go out in. 

[Mac Calder]

But I'm also the person who gets a headache within 30 minutes of waking up, if I don't have coffee...so there's that.  =)

So you're an addict

[BeccaTheSM]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I wanted to get some weigh-in on a packing question. Mods, feel free to move this somewhere more appropriate if need be.

I'm looking for information on suitcases. I'm going to be flying to South Korea for a show this summer. I have a very basic suitcase at this point, but I think it is pretty much about to be useless (I think I've had it for 10+ years now). Bottom line, I'm looking into investing in a new one. What are your recommendations for suitcases (for checking, not carry-on)?

Also, does anyone have any touring/packing/travel tips for international trips?

Thanks!

[Mac Calder]

I use a light weight duffle bag now instead of a suitcase for all my clothes & toiletries. They are lighter and tend to be easier to manage.

As far as tips - Bring your own power board and pack more socks than you could possibly need. South Korea use a US style plug so you should not need an adaptor.

[Bwoodbury]

I'm a huge fan of the Eagle Creek packing system: http://www.eaglecreek.com/travel-system
Their products help you to compact your belongings and keep them wrinkle free.

[LizzG]

Ogio and Burton are two brands that myself and a lot of touring friends seem to like - they tend to stand up better over time, and since they are made for boarders, are a bit more rugged - also, they come in cool designs that make them easy to spot at baggage claim.

I've gone off on a rant about spinner wheel luggage earlier in this thread, but bottom line, they are no better than regular wheels, and sometimes, are worse.

[ChaCha]

Antler make really light weight wheelie suitcases. They have a great design where the base is wider than the to -the whole case is faintly triangular- so it doesn't topple over when full of korean gifts for the family... Only flaw in mine is that it doesnt expand. But I can pack it to be overweight anyway so doesnt really matter.

ps you might want to take some small gifts from home. korean crews seem to like getting pins/caramello koalas/etc...

[Jessie_K]

I use a light weight duffle bag now instead of a suitcase for all my clothes & toiletries. They are lighter and tend to be easier to manage.

As far as tips - Bring your own power board and pack more socks than you could possibly need. South Korea use a US style plug so you should not need an adaptor.

Sorry, Mac, I think you're wrong about this.  South Korea uses a type C or E/F plug.  It's the kind with 2 round pins.  You can usually use the plugs with the skinny pins (most common european type) but most outlets actually were the slightly fatter pins (less common european type). The small pins fit in loosely but still make the connection.  The small pins are what comes with most "world adapters" I had to buy a separate adapter for the larger pins.   Voltage is 220 to 240 so bring a convertor (not just adapter) if you have appliances that can't receive that voltage.  (You just need to read the writing on the plug itself to check the input range)

For South Korea, it is a good idea to get a bilingual dictionary and/or a Korean language iphone app.  Many people don't speak English there.

It is fairly easy to find familiar food and products in South Korea, so don't worry too much if you forget to pack anything, you can probably buy it there.  (Except bras if you happen to be well endowed.)

[BeccaTheSM]

Thanks for all the tips so far! I really appreciate it! (And feel free to keep 'em coming - I'll take any thoughts out there!)

I was planning on bringing my full set of plug adapters - just to be sure.

Mac Calder - Do you feel comfortable sending a duffle bag into the cargo hold of a plane?

ChaCha - great idea about gifts for the crew there! It will also ensure I have room in my suitcase that I can later fill with Korean gifts for everyone at  home!

Bwoodbury - THANK YOU for sending me to this site! It's like the Office Max of luggage! I wish I could afford everything I see, but I will definitely be picking some things up there.