Expert's advice: Travel light, carry 'perfect bag'

Q: So, what's on your list? A: I have something like 100 items, which sounds like a lot. But itisn't things you take on the trip, it's things you'd consider taking. It helps make sureI don't forget critical items like a belt for my trousers, and itconstrains me: If it's not on my list, it doesn't go in the bag. Q: Wheeled carry-ons are ubiquitous these days, but you're not afan. Why? A: The compromise needed to incorporate the wheels inside the bagmesses up everything else. … It becomes a lot heavier than itneeds to be, and it holds a lot less stuff. Q: But what about all those aging baby boomers? It can get prettypainful lugging a bag on your shoulder. A: It's not hard if the bag doesn't weigh 50 pounds. There willalways be people who have physical limitations, though even then Iwould say, if you really need wheels, you're better off getting awell-designed bag plus one of those wheeled collapsible carts. Thebag I most often use on business trips weighs 3 pounds, and I havea cart that weighs 2? pounds, so the sum total is 7?pounds. That's less than what most wheeled bags weigh. Q: Describe your perfect bag. A: It should be soft sided and look like a box, with no curvededges or doodads hanging on the outside. The main failure point onluggage is zippers, so you should make sure you have a good one. Q: How realistic is it for families to go the carry-on route? A: It's extremely realistic, with one exception: babies and youngtoddlers. But once the child reaches an age where he or she canreasonably be expected to carry something, absolutely. I havegrandchildren who, other than when they were babies, travel withtheir parents and have never checked a bag. Q: Let's talk about the "Carrie Bradshaw factor." How many womenare really willing to travel with only two pairs of shoes? A: The good news is that women have far fewer constraintsclothing-wise than men do. … They can be a lot more creative,and make a smaller amount of clothing look like more. But shoes arethe biggest packing problem for everybody, and women who believethey need to carry five pairs of shoes are setting themselves upfor a serious problem. I know, because I get lots of e-mail, thathundreds of women travel very happily and very smartly with twopairs of shoes — a dressy, strappy pair and a casual,comfortable pair. Q: What about the TSA's 3-ounce limits on toiletries? A: A lot of the stuff people bring with them — shampoos,cleansers, sunblocks, toothpastes — is mostly water. You canget rid of a lot of space and weight by using things like toothpowder instead of toothpaste. In my plastic bag, I have aquarter-ounce bottle of shaving oil, which is a replacement forshaving cream. It's less than the size of my thumb, and that's it.Everything else is in a solid form. Q: How important is the packing process itself? A: In general, it's just common sense — don't leave anyspaces (such as shoes) unfilled. But when it comes to clothing,most people just fold clothes the way they came from the store,cram them in and slam the lid down — that's the worst thingyou could do. Rolling is certainly better than folding andstacking, but it doesn't work for everything. How do you roll ashirt without getting it wrinkled? The best way is bundle wrapping,which involves starting with some core object — I use a tinyzippered pouch filled with socks and underwear — and thenjust wrapping clothing around it. It takes me all of a minute and ahalf to wrap everything I have. Q: This summer, American Airlines is set to start charging $15 forthe first checked bag on domestic flights. Any predictions on whatwill happen to the carry-on scene if other airlines follow? A: My guess is that people will want to check less, but they won'twant to adjust the way they travel. They're just going to want tobring all this "stuff" on the plane with them, and there's notgoing to be enough room. I have the big advantage of knowing my bagwill fit underneath the seat in front of me. I prefer not to put itthere, because I have really long legs — but in a pinch, Iknow it will work.