Europe Travel: Winter Wardrobe
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Winter, of course, means special packing problems. It can be quite cold in Europe, even in Spain and Italy, and you must be prepared with heavy, sturdy, woolen clothing. And that means that you must be even more stern with yourself. Because your bulky winter clothes will weigh far more, you must take far less. You simply cannot afford to fill your suitcase with any inessential item. Trudging through the snow with a heavy suitcase is even worse than trudging in the hot sun. Here are my suggestions for a woman's winter wardrobe:
4 pairs of nylon panties
6 to 8 pairs of nylon stockings (or 4 to 6 pairs of mesh "can't runs")
2 petticoats (nylon)
2 bras (also nylon)
1 pair of black woolen stocking-panties
1 heavy woolen cardigan sweater
1 long-sleeved pull-over sweater, perferably something you can combine with the cardigan, if need be
1 pair of heavy corduroy or woolen slacks
1 pair of all-purpose nasty-weather snow boots
1 pair of good sturdy walking shoes
1 pair of dressy high heels
1 pair of warm bedroom slippers
1 woolen or wool-knit daytime dress
1 heavy woolen traveling suit
1 Wash 'n Wear-Drip Dry cotton blouse or 1 washable cotton-knit shirt
1 wool-knit or silk-jersey dress which can double for afternoon and evening wear
1 pair of heavy warm flannel pajamas
1 very warm robe Jewelry, scarves and accessories
1 super warm coat, rain-proofed, and preferably with a detachable lining
Your "traveling to" Europe outfit.
And for men, the following should be adequate:
3 pairs of shorts
3 cotton T-shirt
3 pairs of socks (of which two should be heavy woolen ones)
2 handkerchiefs
heavy sweater
sport shirts (including one flannel one)
1 Drip-Dry white dress shirt
1 woolen bathrobe
1 pair of heavy warm flannel pajamas
1 pair of dress shoes
1 pair of heavy walking shoes
1 pair of galoshes
1 tweed sports jacket
1 pair of heavy slacks
1 winter suit
heavy coat, water-repellent
2 neckties
toilet and shaving articles.
Spring or fall wardrobes? Strikes a happy medium between our summer and winter suggestions, and also take into account the area in which you'll be traveling. Generally, if you'll take the kind of clothes that would be suitable in New York or Chicago during these seasons, you'll be covered for most areas in Europe.
THE SUITCASE ITSELF: For carrying these clothes, you'll want to buy the lightest suitcase available: either a plastic suitcase, or-better yet-one made of fabric. Cloth luggage is really quite durable, comes in several varying sizes, and is feather light (girls particularly, take note). Equally important, they're the cheapest on the market and yet offer the greatest amount of space. You'll value the expandable nature of a fabric suitcase when you start to cram in all the little "odds and ends" you just couldn't resist picking up along the way! Try, too, to be a one-suitcase traveler.
If you're a couple and feel that one suitcase per person just will not do, then, instead of getting another valise, buy a "valpac" (a fold-over, portable wardrobe) as your third piece of luggage. With a valpac, you simply hang up your clothes inside, lock the clothes rack, zip it up, fold the case and-presto-you have a suitcase with a convenient carrying handle. Most valpacs also contain extra inner pockets for shoes, underwear, or other soft goods, and they have loads of useful extra space on the bottom and along the sides. All in all, these foldable bags are the best gadgets I know for keeping wrinkles and creases out of traveling clothes.
For girls, by the way, most luggage stores sell small wheels that can be affixed with straps to the bottom of your suitcase, making it mobile.
HOW TO PACK: Whenever possible, carry all liquids in plastic bottles. They are flexible, provide more room, and prevent accidents. If you must take along a glass container, such as a perfume bottle, avoid spillage by sealing the cap of the bottle with a layer of wax.
Roll into scroll-like shapes whatever is Tollable: underwear, slips, bras, and so forth-all the things that don't have to be wrinkle-free. In that manner, these items can be placed along the sides of your suitcase easily, or into the most unusual cracks and crevices (you'll discover plenty of them while packing). For items that do wrinkle, a layer of tissue paper placed above and below the garment will prove to be a surprising wrinkle-preventer.
Finally, conserve space. Don't let anything go to waste. A handbag should be jammed with small articles, shoes jammed with socks, and so on.
One packing method which I've never found satisfactory is the use of plastic bags to compartmentalize the contents of your suitcase-but some lady travelers swear by this system. The theory goes that you should have a different plastic bag for each category of clothing-i.e., that you place all lingerie in one bag, all nightwear in another, and so forth, thus enabling you to extract each item as needed, without disarranging the remaining contents of your suitcase. When I tried the plastic bags, it seemed to me that they filled with air and thus added unnecessary bulk to the case. I also found it a patience-tryer and a time-waster to be constantly sorting things out.
What to do instead? I like the layered principle of packing, which simply enables you to flip along the edge of your case to get what you need!
ODDS AND ENDS: Since you will probably be doing your own laundry, however, you must take at least one plastic bag, with a zipper, for carrying wet clothes or wash cloths from town to town. Also recommended is Wool-Ite, the cold water soap. Take as many packets as you think you'll need-one packet will do for a full washbowl of laundry.... Since most European hotels do not provide soap, you will also need a plastic soap dish with a lid, and, of course, soap. Towels are provided everywhere, so you needn't worry on that score... To repeat a point that cannot be overstressed, invest as heavily as you can in drip-dry shirts and underwear-the type that can be washed in lukewarm water, and hung up overnight to dry. Eliminate the clothes that require a fancy cleaning-and-pressing job.
Unless you do, you'll spend enormous sums for cleaning and laundry, you'll be continually inconvenienced, and you'll end up-in our worst nightmare-lugging a suitcase full of useless, dirty clothes... To drip-dry your clothes in a hotel room that lacks a private bath, or in a hotel that has no laundry room, start by blotting up the excess moisture with a towel ("towel-drying"), and/or spread newspapers below to catch the dripping... How about taking pharmaceuticals, water-purifying pills, and the like? Don't. You'll soon discover that Europe is civilized, that there are pharmacies everywhere, and that all these items can be picked up on the spot-when and if needed. Furthermore, the water, milk and food in all major European cities is today as safe as anywhere you can name.
FOR LADIES ONLY: Do take small, compact packets, filled with washcloth, shower-cap, little capsules of cold-water detergent, and a portable rubber clothes line (complete with tiny clothespins) capable of being tied and hung up anywhere. These packets are practically weightless, and they can be purchased in any drug or department store.... For feminine hygiene and comfort, try "Bidettes"-individually packaged cloths that provide you with a miniature toilette... Purse-sized "Wash 'n Dri" towelettes, for quick semi-dry washing, are a wonderful complexion aid, and can be a life-saver in any number of travel emergencies (I always carry a cleansing cream as well)... Another item you might find helpful is a packet or two of Argenta Hand Lotion Pillows, which are purse-sized items containing individualized packets of hand lotion. Each is cleverly wrapped in strong tinfoil, and each "pillow" contains just enough lotion for a single use... A pocket-sized plastic case, containing a tiny toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste, is also a great comfort on long plane or train trips. These are available at most drugstores.
If you plan to travel by air, buy the largest shoulder-strap purse you can find, and load it with all the articles that would send your travel weight up (bottles, books, even shoes if you can fit them in!). Your purse will not be weighed by the airlines and won't push you into a $$$-costing overweight problem.
Source: Europe On 5 Dollars A Day
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   Beauty Health Fashion TravelEurope Travel: Winter Wardrobe
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