Diane Backes

We "mature travelers" (i.e., well past the backpacking, "shorts and T-shirt age") are leaving for three weeks in the Greek islands, so here's how I packed everything into our two carry-on suitcases! (This is the same amount of luggage that we used when we traveled around the world for seven months.) [PHOTO] Here are some essential packing aids that I like: Clothes for hubby: three knit short-sleeved shirts and two long-sleeved shirts. [PHOTO] I like to fold them this way and slip them into a bag to keep them wrinkle-free and all in one place. [PHOTO] Eight T-shirts, three hankies, a hat, and seven pairs of socks should be enough before doing any laundry. [PHOTO] Toss in a casual pair of slacks, as well as a dressy pair, sandals, and some underpants, along with the swim trunks! [PHOTO] Now for my things: the swimsuit, underwear, and knit pj's that work for lounging also. [PHOTO] Eight tops (probably more than I need—but heck, I'm a female!). [PHOTO] Stick 'em in the bag. [PHOTO] Two cardigans to keep me warm, dressy black slacks, white capris, and a pair of shorts should give enough variety, with sandals and slides that will also work as slippers. [PHOTO] Now to get everything into the suitcase—I create a flat surface with rolled T-shirts, etc. [PHOTO] Pants and shirts can now lie flat and wrinkle-free. [PHOTO] In go the hats—and since there's room left—a little black knit dress and a shawl (with hopes for a special evening) and slippers for hubby. Ready to zip it up, weighing in at 29.2 pounds! [PHOTO] Hubby decides he wants a lightweight shirt for sun protection, so that goes in, along with his rain jacket, with reference paperwork slipped into the top pocket. [PHOTO] Some more items we always take with us: day pack, clothesline, laundry bag, expandable tote, blow-up neck pillow, and eyeshades. [PHOTO] I save bulky items like shoes, etc., for the second bag. It's a breeze to pack, using underwear to fill in spaces. [PHOTO] Toiletries go in last. My raincoat slips into the outside pouch for a total of 26.8 pounds. [PHOTO] Mini containers of cosmetics and liquids fit into our Ziploc bags and then into Larry's attaché, along with camera equipment, snacks, magazines, and blow-up pillows for the plane trips. A purse, travel docs, and a pouch for miscellaneous items go into my waterproof beach tote. And we're ready to go! [PHOTO]

One of my favorite packing tips is to go through my closet and pick out things I never wear. Maybe it's not the best fit, or it's slightly faded, or I just never wear it. I pack these items for my trip, wear them, and leave them behind! This is a quadruple-win situation: I clean out my closet, my bag gets lighter as I go, my disposable items (especially if I'm traveling to a developing country) are treasures to someone else, and I have more room in my bag for purchases...perfect! It's also a good idea to have a printed copy of your driver's license and passport inside your suitcase in case your carry-on is lost or stolen. And for the ultra-scary event like an armed robbery or a fire where a suitcase and carry-on could be lost, stolen, or damaged, I scan my ID, passport, and traveler's checks and e-mail a copy to myself. This way you can go to any computer and print a copy of your documents. I know when people think of travel items they think high-tech and expensive—Kindles and iPods and packing cubes. But I believe one of the best packing products is extremely low-tech and ultracheap: rubber bands! I got a package of large rubber bands for $2, and they are my travel best friends! Not only do they give me 50 percent more room in my roll-aboard suitcase so I don't have to check a bag, BUT they also have many uses while you are on vacation! I have used them to keep chip bags closed, as a makeshift key chain, and to hold together a bag that had a broken zipper. Three cheers for the old-fashioned, low-tech, cheap, and fabulous rubber bands! [PHOTO]

In the past, everytime I traveled I seemed to leave something behind in the hotel room. On my my next stop I would always have to spend time looking for a replacement for the missing item. Not a fun way to enjoy traveling. I learned to make a list and bring along copies for each new location on my travel plan. I tape the list to the back of the hotel-room door upon arrival, and then I check it off before departing for the next city. It is an easy process and has really made my trips more enjoyable. I described it below. Make a list and check it twice Of all the items you packed for your trip Make a copy for each change of location on your travel plan Tape a copy of your list to the inside door of the hotel room Before leaving the room for the final time Check the items off your list Arrive at your next location with everything you brought with you No missing medications, baby binkie, or computer Your next stop on your itinerary will have all the items you need for a fun stay Repeat the process all along the way You will return home with all of your items And memories of a stress-free trip

Upon reading about this challenge, my eyes went wide, my heart started racing, and a huge grin covered my face. Some call me neurotic; some mock me. I've been told I have too much time on my hands. I've even been told by my dear, loving sister that she was going to commit me to the loony bin. But I knew this day of validation would come. The day when I would be privileged to be numbered amongst those who have made the perfectly packed bag their ultimate goal in life. I spend weeks, sometimes months, in advance of a trip putting together and refining my packing list. I will often have a "dry run" packing a week before my trip to ensure everything fits the way I have it planned. My packing lists are divided according to which pocket of the bag that item will be placed in. Often there is color-coding involved to match outfits. Nothing goes into my bag if it isn't going to be worn twice. And if an item is going to be worn twice, it's going to need to mix and match with another item so that I don't wear the same outfit twice. So in order to plan accordingly, I might as well determine what day each piece will be worn. Once you've gone that far, you might as well plan out which days which items will be laundered in order to guarantee that the item has been washed and had time to hang dry (to minimize ironing) before being worn a second time. If you're going to plan out the laundry schedule, that means making sure you wear clothes in the same color group on consecutive days, such as dark shirts and pants the first few days so that there is enough clothing to make a decent size load. These are logical leaps in organization. Most normal people simply don't spend enough time thinking about it to make those leaps. I don't just pack light and smart, I pack stylishly. Some light packers sacrifice fashion over function—not I. When I scrapbook my vacation, I want to look good in my pictures. I search out the right type and style of clothing for the destination and climate, ensuring that it is a fabric that either won't wrinkle or is designed to be wrinkly. I buy the gadgets and gizmos that are created to make the lives of travelers easier. The iPhone is the best thing to ever happen to my packing list. I have sought after the perfect carry-on bag (as I rarely check luggage) that marries capacity, organization, versatility, and style. Now I can write all sorts of prose about my packing methods, but you are intelligent people. You need specific examples to be convinced that I am the clear winner of this challenge. I've packed for a week in Budapest using only a 21-inch rolling bag. I spent a weeklong road trip in Germany (during the winter, mind you) bringing only a carry-on bag. I managed a 10-day Mediterranean cruise taking a large backpack, each day wearing cute skirts, blouses, and espadrilles in perfect European style. The crème de la crème of my examples is my recent humanitarian trip to Ghana, Africa. I packed for the 10-day trip using only a small messenger-style purse and a school-size backpack. I was even prepared for deplorable sleeping conditions and washing my clothes in a plastic bag. However, we stayed in a very delightful location with clean sheets and a washing machine, so I had actually overpacked. My traveling companions had their doubts, but my thorough but smart packing list proved its weight in gold when items only I had brought along were necessary to assist in an emergency surgery. When friends make me the butt of their travel jokes because of my packing passion, I take it like a champ while they laugh. When I pack only what I need, nothing more, nothing less, I am the one who's laughing. The very same people who call my quirky obsession neurotic in advance of a trip together often come groveling, begging to borrow something. As they struggle with large rolling suitcases up and over countless bridges and cobblestoned paths in Venice, I sprint past them with my small backpack. When they realize they forgot Tylenol, I'm the one who is there with two pills and a collapsible canteen of water. And when a nurse needs a headlamp in the jungles of Ghana to save a woman's life, I'm ready to hand her the one in my purse. I pack light, smart, and stylish, and I'm proud of it.