Just so’s you know–spray sunscreen does not work nearly as well as the lotion (although it’s more convenient).
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We use the spray on too which of course makes transferring impossible. We also put everything in plastic bags - it helps in case of a leak and I find them useful while away.
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I didn’t know that. Thanks for the info.We live in a beach town and always have a vast array of sunscreen products, mostly spray types. I find them easier to apply evenly so I guess it’s a balance. As is so much in life.
Spray-on sunscreen tends to result in more waste. It also requires being careful to avoid breathing any spray that missed the intended target.
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I am not a fan of spray sunscreens. The toxicity of sun blocking chemicals to the lungs have not been extensively tested. Unless you are really good at holding your breath, you will be inhaling some while spraying.
I find spraycan convenient. But it seems more of a burden on waste management. Hubby has strong preference for it, so we buy a mix.
If you are getting sunscreen for a destination like HI and plan to go in the ocean, be sure it is reef safe (recently passed law) so you aren’t killing our coral, please. Our stores sell reef-safe sunscreen and we have Costco and Walmart and ABC stores that carry things for decent prices. Thanks for trying to help keep destinations nice for everyone.
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Enough underwear for each day. I roll clothes always. One shirt per 2 days at least one short and one long, one shorts, wear the pants and bulky shoes (hiking) and a jacket. Bring an extra pair of shoes (athletic). Very minimal makeup. Most clothing in black if going to Europe. Neutral colors otherwise. Inevitably I have not brought a pair of shorts and there was 90+ temp, or not a jacket and it was 40’s. I learned no matter what, I will probably predict wrong.
I found that a nice REI thin type raincoat works for most weather. Rain, snow (layers) and packs really well. I wore one in snow, summer rain, cold weather.
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The cruising minimalist wishes that she packed a few more things that would have made her vacation experience more enjoyable.
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Hey, this is my old thread! I’m just updating to say, I love my pacing cubes. I’m packing again and it’s not a chore. I’m going to take more suggestions from last year to minimize even more! 
Thank you to everyone who contributed!
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So glad you circled back with an update!
I just converted my husband to using the packing cubes and he is loving them and won’t go anywhere without them now.
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Glad they worked well.
This thread led us to buy them for our S21 this summer and he loved them so much that I bought two more sets for H and I to have here at home.
They do make packing easier.
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I too love packing cubes.
Just back from a 3+ week road trip to US coast. Our new packing “trick” is to leave the roller carry-on bags in the car for the 1-night motel stays. We just plan ahead to put a few things (toiletries, underwear and an extra shirt) into our backpacks that we use for electronics / cameras. My husband likes to pack those heavy roller carry-on bags in the back of the trunk, to put weight over wheels. So it’s handy to just grab the backpacks and go.
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I’m a minimalist and used to travel a ton for work. I once went from Canada to Palm Springs CA to Germany with just a small carry on for two weeks. Some ideas:
Pick a color combo. For me black and white are easiest. Take one nice blouse ( white silk or very nice cotton), a b/w sweater ( easiest is silk or light cotton/cashmere if it’s cool), a black pair of pants, a white pair of pants, a flat walking pair of shoes (nice but comfortable), heels only if you really need them.
The rest: Pjs and undergarments should not take up a lot of room.
-I roll everything. I also like natural fabrics ( especially washable cotton, silk etc).
-I used to also bring a silk/cotton poncho in a vivid color to punch up a simple dress/outfit and one scarf.
-A simple dress that’s washable and casual can also work. I have a lot of black ones that are comfortable. I also have a dress that works as both a beach coverup and regular dress.
-Sometimes, I take jeans but only if I’m really going to use them.
-Beach/Swimsuit: One bathing suit that dries quick, one coverup and flip flops. I used a beach bag I have to carry wet stuff and put extra toiletries in.
-Shell( also black in case it rains). I have several and take one based on location.
For me the trick is to bring natural materials and better quality clothing so it doesn’t look like I rolled out of bed.
I also put things together in the bag. Sometimes, I also organize by color as well.
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This is topical for anyone who has or is planning a trip to Europe this summer.
The airline and luggage situation all over Europe is dismal to say the least.
I just bought a new carry on since my last bag was ruined last summer. It’s a hard sided suitcase and we will see if I can get as much in it as I was with my soft sided bag
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We thought we had it all down pat. THEN we find out that the last leg of our upcoming trip is on a turboprop. Carry-on limit for our transatlantic flight is 21.5 inches, but only 18 inches for the puddle-jumper. So our carry-on limit for both flights is reduced to 18 inches.
18 inch carry ons tend to be children’s bags. A bag with Baby Yoda or My Little Pony is not my style… I find the 15 inch under-seat bags just not worth it–so little space.
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Absolutely agree about the smaller luggage…it is frustrating try to find anything really worth purchasing. We finally settled on a travelpro bag when we flew the last leg on a turboprop during a visit to our D at St. Andrews. Not perfect but allowed us to bring some essentials just in case our checked bags had any issues. It would be challenging to use as an “only” bag.
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For that size limit, wouldn’t a non-wheeled backpack have more capacity with less weight and more squishability into small storage spaces?
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It could but we only brought 1 large checked bag and I wanted a wheeled secondary bag for that trip. In other travels we’ve used backpacks. Just depends on the situation. My D used a great Cotopaxi backpack with packing cubes on a recent trip to Israel. Held a huge amount of stuff. But no wheels. Always a trade off.
Thanks for the reply. We found a Samsonite bag from Best Buy with the max. dimensions. Ordered it, will return it if we don’t like it. As @ucbalumnus added, our tour company sent us very nice well made backpacks with our trip documents. Will put the tape measure to one of them when I have a chance, and that may be an option.
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