Packing

We did a complete pack today just to make sure we could get everything into 2 carry-ons. Here's a picture of Peter's 2 bags, 1 rolling bag and 1 new Tumi backback. These 2 include everything, well, except for the PowerBars he plans to include (got to have something readily available to eat just in case).

We are taking a 747 over, and this plane typically has a lot of overhead space. Hopefully there will be enough overhead for both, but we managed to get an upgrade to business class, in the upper deck no less, a section neither of us has ever been in. A lot fewer seats in the upper deck, 2 seats on each side, but less overhead due to the curvature of the the plane.

We do not have a lot of time in Hong Kong to get through customs and catch our next flight to Beijing, so having carry-on bags will allow us to go right to customs rather than waiting for bags to come off the plane, which can often take a while.

Just in case you think we are a little light on clothing, these bags have 4 shirts, 2 pants, 4 pr socks, 1 pr shoes, assorted other clothing and toiletries, plus a computer, camera, books, noise cancelling headphones, and other stuff. We have to wash clothing every few days, or use the laundry service at the hotels, but that will allow us to go light. The new mantra is: take half as many clothes and twice as much money! This is the first time we have tried this, so we are entering a new approach to traveling.

A good source of info is www.onebag.com that includes info on how and what to pack. In fact, onebag.com and rick steves (www.ricksteves.com) both advocate 1 bag, total! We are still at 2, so we a ways to go with those super light travelers.
Peter