Packing tips? Let's have 'em!

aloft

aloft

New Member
Gonna start living out of a 22" rollaboard for 6 days at a time starting Monday, and would love to hear the packing tips you pros have learned. I had a pretty good system during my mapping days, but that was for a significantly different set of requirements and I had the luxuries of extra space and weight--I could take pretty much whatever I could stuff into that 172. Now, however, I'll be dealing with airline carry-on size and weight restrictions.

I'll need to pack for 10 days or so this first time, so I might need to carry a small gym-sized duffel bag too, but my schedule will settle down to a 6 on/4 off routine after that.

So...what are your tips and tricks?
 
Roll your clothes and don't bring anything you don't need. Put stuff in your shoes (if you pack any). Beyond that good luck... you will figure out what you need and don't need after a while...
 
I`m not an airline pilot, but I travel really light, not because I can`t carry more stuff I just don`t want to. When I travel I m away a lot more then a week and I really only need 3 changes, when needed I wash my stuff and it dries overnight. On my last trips I was living out of a 28L backpack, you can pack a ton of stuff in a 22`....

1st don`t bring anything that sounds like "maybe i need it" or "what if", take 3 pilot shirts, 2 pants and maybe 2 changes of normal clothes (if it`s cold a jacket and a sweater), you can totally wear the pilot pants to go out, coupled with a shirt or something looks pretty nice, I would not carry any extra shoes, maybe some flip flops if you fly to warmer places...

Ditch your laptop and get an ipod touch....
 
I can pack for 12 in a 22" rollaboard.

Less is more. You really REALLY don't need to put that in your bag. No "just in case" stuff.

Learn to properly fold.

If you have to bring gadgets, spend the money and get multitaskers. IE, if you have an MP3 player and a regular phone, but a smart phone.

If you're on the road for 10 days, pack for 5 and do laundry mid-way thru.

You can wear a shirt two days in a row if you're not a nasty sweater.

You're a dude. One layover outfit will suffice. Besides, you're not wearing it that long anyway!

You don't need a laptop. Get a iPad or some other table-style device. Seriously, you're not crunching numbers or rendering animation. An iPad is small, thin and can stay in your bag through security.

Take out your belly button piercing, Aloft! It's just going to be a pain in the ass to take it out and put it back in through security.
 
I pack very light and carry a netbook rather than a laptop. If you max out your suitcase, then look for extra room in your flight bag.
 
Use the hotel "dry clean" bags to toss in used socks, underwear or anything else that gets dirty. When you get home all you have to do is pull the bag out and dump it into the washing basket.

Find a pair of shoes that are good for going out, as well as going to the gym. When its warm out, a pair of flip flops work great.
 
Doug hit the nail on the head. The biggest one is to find laundry facilities half way through. Most hotels will have guest laundry facilities, and ALL will do it for you if you have the time. Another thing you can do is pack (or buy on the road) a small bottle of woolite and clean your socks and underwear in the sink. That should keep you fresh for a couple days. Just leave the curling iron and pimp suit at home, and you'll be fine..
 
launchpad said:
Another thing you can do is pack (or buy on the road) a small bottle of woolite and clean your socks and underwear in the sink.
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I use Dr. Bronners Soap, good for laundry, showering, shaving and if you are brave enough you can brush your teeth with it!
 
-Purex makes laundry sheets that have detergent, softener, and dryer sheet all in one-just toss it in the washer and transfer to the dryer along with the clothes. I keep 2-3 in a ziploc bag.

-Be sure to really utilize all the external pockets on your bag. I have the 22" PNT and stick things like iPad/Phone chargers, plastic utensils, laundry sheets, etc in the outside pockets to maximize the internal space available.

-As someone said, you don't need the "just in case" stuff. Plan for the best, deal with the worst.

-Jeans, a t-shirt and a light sweater for the overnights. I also have a rain jacket that rolls up into a fist-sized ball. That goes inside one of my tennis shoes, which are the lightest weight ones I could find. In summer it's shorts, a tshirt, and flip flops.

-Roll clothes AND dirty clothes. Clothes take up considerably more space when wadded up (like dirty clothes) than when folded or rolled.
 
v1valarob said:
Find a pair of shoes that are good for going out, as well as going to the gym.
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Ooh!

Impossible!

Don't get your fellow crewmember mugged by wearing your white sneakers in Rome. Don't make him pull a "Sideways" by asking if you have any other shoes.
 
Good stuff here, thanks! I already roll my stuff and use the packing cubes that came with my luggage. Also just bought a netbook that's nice & light/compact. Thought about getting an iPad, but I could buy two netbooks for what an iPad costs, and with the pay cut they dropped on us on the last day of training....yeah.

What's the current situation on liquids? Last I heard, the 3 oz limitation had been applied to crews too, which blows. Travel sizes on everything, I guess?

Also, what's different going through security? Someone told me that if I'm out of uniform, I can still cut the line with my company ID, true?
 
Doug Taylor said:
Ooh!

Impossible!

Don't get your fellow crewmember mugged by wearing your white sneakers in Rome. Don't make him pull a "Sideways" by asking if you have any other shoes.
Click to expand...

Hmmmm never thought about that. I always use the same of cross training shoes for workouts and just going out. BUT I stay domestic. Something to think about if you are overseas.
 
v1valarob said:
Use the hotel "dry clean" bags to toss in used socks, underwear or anything else that gets dirty. When you get home all you have to do is pull the bag out and dump it into the washing basket.
Click to expand...

When I get home, I dump ALL my clothes from the suitcase into the dirty laundry basket. If you don't, you're bringing too much stuff.
 
Liquids restrictions don't usually apply to crew in uniform. The UK was (maybe still is?) enforcing them, and Mexico just started recently. In the US you can bring just about anything you want through in uniform.

Cutting the security line (or even using the crew line) out of uniform with an airline ID depends on the airport in question. Some you can, others enforce a "uniformed crew" policy only.

If you're carrying liquids, food, or want to cut in line I suggest commuting in uniform. Makes it a lot easier.
 
Doug Taylor said:
Ooh!

Impossible!

Don't get your fellow crewmember mugged by wearing your white sneakers in Rome. Don't make him pull a "Sideways" by asking if you have any other shoes.
Click to expand...
Yeah when I put on a ball cap and a T-shirt back "home" she makes fun of me and we have a game of how soon before the gypsies are over ya, or how long with my head stay attached to my body in Riyadh.
The nice pair of leather dockers work fine for the cockpit, and trainers for the gym. Trainers can hold your sweaty stuff too, and those plastic bags in the hotel work well.
 
One pair of jeans in the winter, shorts in the summer. On top of that are a couple t-shirts. I do usually pack 4 sets of white undershirts. Those get nasty after a day, but they can fold pretty tight. On top of that is a sweat shirt and the uniform shirt folded. I only bring one pair of uniform pants for the entire trip, as mine don't really wrinkle or get dirty very quickly. In all my clothes take up about 14" by 12" of space. The bottom of my bag carries my sneakers with socks stuffed inside. They are stacked on top of each heals touching the toes. Below those is my toiletry kit. All fits perfectly. I use the mesh zipper pouch in on the cover for undies and eventually dirty clothes. Side pockets carry more socks. The top side pocket has my phone charger. The other pockets carry a few other gadgets as well. My phone charger always stays in my bag, so I don't forget it at home. So buy two phone chargers, one for home, one for travel.

You'll become an expert packer after a few trips. I sometimes carry a few extra things as I'm a commuter and sometimes like to take days trips instead of going home. I'll carry a collared shirt as well so I can jumpseat if I have to as well and my uniform shirt is a little too wrinkled.
 
Lots of great advice above! I just lived out of a 22" bag for 10 weeks. It can be done. If you're going to training, you'll want an extra duffel to put your books into on your way home, but that's about the only reason you'll need one.

Beyond that, guest laundry is your friend.
 
See, I'm so different. I pack a LOT. I pack a different shirt for each day, socks, I don't wear draws [did you catch that, Doug?], coat, PS3, Gun Oil (not for firearms . . . hehehe), "accessories", external speakers, Emergency rations (tuna, salmon, microwavable rice, etc), cables for EVERYTHING, laptop, external hard drive, overnight outfit (usually a pair of pants, and two shirts), pajamas, PT gear, toiletries, and some other things that shouldn't go on the Innernets.

I REFUSE to do without when I'm on the road!

Oooo - but some manuals are about to start getting left behind. We've been approved to use a personal Kindle in lieu of the GOM and POH! :):)
 
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