Packing for the next trip

Packing for a cruise to a colder and, possibly, wetter climate from a dry and warm location always raises the question of what clothes to include and how much to pack. The convenience of a cruise trip is that you can take a larger suitcase and be better prepared for a greater range of temperatures and activities. Of course, luggage fees,  cramped overhead bins and commuter jet limitations must also be considered.

This time, we're traveling with rolling duffel bags and carry-on bags. We use the Atlantic Ultralite 28" rolling duffel bags which weigh a little over six pounds each. This is about half the weight of a traditional 28 inch roller-board suitcase. These bags have survived trips to Europe and Southeast Asia and we're generally pleased with their sturdiness. The main downside of the bags is that they require careful content balancing to keep the duffel from falling over when standing as shown in the below image. Packing with cubes helps to keep the duffel contents somewhat organized as the duffel is essentially a cavernous bag.

Atlantic 28 Inch Rolling Duffel

January 2013 update: It seems that during baggage handling, the duffel was grabbed by the lock on the zipper for the thin side pocket. When we picked up the bag from the carousel, the zipper pulls and lock were gone. Luckily there was nothing in the side area of this duffel. We sewed the zipper shut after we arrived at the hotel. We will likely replace this duffel with the same - but perhaps will not lock this side slot in the future!

I'm also carrying a DSLR on this trip which presents some carry-on challenges. My carry-on bag, with my camera, an extra lens, flash unit, Kindle, miscellaneous electronic leashes and laptop computer is likely too large for the smaller overhead bins on a commuter jet that is part of the flight itinerary. Being a bit uncomfortable with placing this stuff with checked-in luggage, I've packed a sling in my carry-on so that I can transfer at least the DSLR and 11 inch computer to a smaller bag that will fit in the smaller plane luggage bin and then let the carry-on be hand-tagged at the gate for last minute check-in.

Lowepro Passport Sling Camera Bag-Mica