Laurie is the current organizer of the Albuquerque Solo Women’s Travel Club Meetup* and during the Covid-19 pandemic, she has been hosting Zoom meetings with members. The topic for the June 15th meeting was “What are some of your favorite travel hacks?” Here are the responses.
Janice B. said, “I type up a list of everything I’m going to wear for each day, including jewelry and shoes. Then I don’t have to stress about what I’m going to wear—it’s all mapped out ahead of time.”
Mary D. added, “I travel strictly with carry-ons; a small Nautica bag and a hobo (shoulder) bag that will fit under the seat in front of me (in the plane). If I’m traveling for two weeks, I pack enough clothes for two weeks, and the clothes must be interchangeable. I roll my clothes because it takes up less space.”
Jeannie K. said, “I don’t care what I look like when I’m traveling; I take a lightweight shawl and an oversized fanny pack, a wide hair band or gaiter and pin money on the inside of it. You can pull it over your eyes when you’re trying to sleep on the plane; buy a large one, cut it in half, and re-sew it.”
Jeanne S. likes the American Airlines credit card because no baggage fees are charged when you travel domestically.
Doris brings underwear for every day she’s gone because she doesn’t want to do laundry while traveling. Both Doris and Linda M. limit themselves to two pairs of shoes per trip.
Elsa G. said, “Once I was on a flight and I saw a passenger give all the flight attendants some chocolate. He got really good treatment because of that, and for the entire flight. I fold my shirts and place them in four-fold envelopes that close with Velcro. I bring a multi-purpose tool, the ones that are the size of a credit card, string, and a bungee cord. I also bring buttons—I place the metal ends of earrings through the holes of the buttons and then place them in a small plastic bag.”
Jean B. said, “I like bandanas, they can double as a scarf, a sweat band, something to put around your neck. I bring a silky, dark-colored short robe because it can fold up really small and fit inside a pair of socks.”
Emily A.’s hack will refund some of your travel budget. “When you’re at the airport of a foreign country, you can claim a refund on sales tax—it’s called VAT tax—you show your receipts and they (theoretically) will refund the money you paid on the tax. Many countries do this. I like the web site Scott’s Cheap Flights. I pack layers and a carry a pharmacy bag with everything I may need. You can’t always count on a place having a drug that you need.”
Janice B. couldn’t attend the meeting, but she offered this, “I went on a week-long trip with only bringing a personal item (I detest paying for checked or carry-on bags). I wore six shirts, layered; one pair of shorts with two pairs of pants. My undies and swimsuit were in my Vera Bradley bag that was my personal item. This save me $35 x 2 for the checked bag fee.”
Click on the Photos tab here at Blue Morpho Press, and you will see a photo of my hack. “I buy lip balm tubes at the dollar store, remove the lip balm, roll up a $20 bill and place a single bill in each of the tubes. I carry one in my pants pocket and in my jacket, anywhere on me, so that if I’m robbed, I’ll still have some money on me. What thief would ask for your lip balm? I also have a back-up, inexpensive cell phone that I carry with me in case my iPhone freezes or stops working for some reason—this has happened to me several times. The phone hack won’t work outside the U.S., though.”
Vicky uses a cross-body bag with stainless steel mesh inside the strap to prevent potential theft.
Thanks to everyone who contributed their travel hacks!
* The “Solo Women” in the name means women who live on their own but want to travel with other women.