Travel Tips on luggage for long distance travel
This article gives some tips on luggage we carry while traveling. Though the quantity and characteristic of luggage may vary, luggage cannot be avoided on long distance travel. Many people experiences problems in easy identification of their luggage among many other luggage, lose luggage for theft and pilferage, find difficulty in easily picking up and using the contents in side luggage etc. The article here gives many tips to avoid all these and make travel more convenient
Introduction
Whether one likes or not, most of us have to undertake travel on different purpose. We travel for visiting one or more relatives, to attend some special occasions like wedding, and other family and social functions. Travel may need long or cumulative for transit days in train or bus when we go on a tour or pilgrimage.
Even while keeping in mind the famous slogan "Less luggage more comfort"., certain luggage cannot be avoided..Category of luggage
The most essential luggage one carries during travel is clothes. Next come food and medicine followed by other items in luggage like cosmetics and toiletries, gifts and souvenirs and miscellaneous items. There will be some valuable items like gold and silver ornaments. The luggage will be considerable if one travels with family, group for visiting many places and many relatives.
In the following paragraphs we discuss some important tips on luggage care in travel. Tips on managing luggage of Clothes
For a long distance travel we have to take clothes for change, during travel and after reaching the destination. If the forward or return journey is also involved without much gap , then clothes are needed for period of stay and till return and reach back. Dresses have to be taken considering the laundry facilities at the other end. If there are more family members the luggage will be much. Hence there should be proper planning to select, pack carry and unpack and repack them.Tips on carrying food and medicine during travel
One has to carry food for transit period if there is no specific arrangement for supply during transit. For many, outside food may not be suitable and may not like it. Such persons have necessarily to carry their food suitable to them. The food also should be planned, packed labeled and arranged in a way that you can take the packets easily for use .The food needed on the first occasion after starting travel should be available as the first packet, and so on. Apart from the regular foods if possible one can take the ready to eat food packets for any unexpected situations. The fruits and water to be consumed are also to be kept separately so that they do not leak or get damaged in the same way.
Medicines taken regularly may be kept in small packets with proper label of day, time (Morning, afternoon, dinner time or bed time) and as full set for each time.
Extra stock should be there for essential medicines which may not be available at other places. Some common medicines may also be kept for normal simple illness for any one. Medicines may be kept in separate small bags or handbags of each one and not to be mixed with anything that children can take. Cosmetics and toiletries
There should be a separate bag or box for these. He items for each one's use if they are separate may be kept separately to be easily identifiable. As some of them may have chance of becoming wet, sufficient tissue paper and water proof covering may be taken for wrapping. The materials like toothpaste, hair oil, talcum powder, soaps and hand wash etc should be taken in such a way that the luggage gets reduced progressively. This can be done by taking a few small tubes or small tins instead of a single very large one. By this as and when they get exhausted, the empty container can be disposed and luggage becomes lighter.Gifts, souvenirs and miscellaneous luggage
We may be taking gifts to our friends and relatives or bringing gifts, and souvenirs purchased from tourist places. We have to very carefully pack and arrange them so that they do not break or get damaged. They should be readily available when they are needed to be distributed. Hence they also should be arranged as per our plan itinerary and visit..Tips on general safe keep of any luggage
Secure the luggage
We just cannot afford to lose our luggage. Hence they have to be properly secured by fastening or tying them with sufficiently strong ropes and threads.
Suitcases and trolley bags may be tied by extra lops and threads to avoid spilling of items in case the lid fails and box is opened upside down. Wrap, cover and cushion the luggage
Luggage should be covered or wrapped properly to protect from water seepage, dirt etc especially during rainy season.
Luggage should have sufficient cushion on sides to save from any damage or breaks in case some weight is placed accidentally on them. If carrying glass or crockery then special care to cushion them should be done. This is again very necessary when luggage is handled by others, as in air travel. Labelling
Luggages should be labeled for identification easily and to prove them as ours in case of dispute. This is very essential in air travel when luggage may not accompany us The label appearing outside should be short and need not be I detail to expose our details to others. For example it should have the date of travel, place of start and destination and name of the owner. -the name need not be as express and can be just initials. Put some large and clear identification mark and keep in mind so that you can pick up your luggage fast from the conveyor belts in the airports.
Labelling for purpose of our internal convenience is dealt with in the paragraphs under tips on luggage of "Clothes"
Valuables and essentials
There are certain items which are very valuable and some others which may have much damage potential if we lose them.
Hence extra care should be taken to carry them safe. As the thieves use even instruments to locate the gold and valuables, one should not keep them away from our view even if well secured and hidden from guess. It is said that many women keep certain amount of gold ornaments tied or stitched to their inner garments without showing any hint of it. Men can use the secret inner pockets to keep the ATM cards, Credit cards and other such things. Though these cannot be termed as luggage but personal belongings, the tips are useful for your travel. Travel insurance
It is advisable to take travel insurance on our luggage depending on the quantum, value and the loss potential of the luggage. If the travel insurance is a feature added in the Credit Card or other facilities we use, one may keep the updated information on that and see on is covered by that.Conclusion-better to be extra 'tip'ed on travel and luggage
Though the above given tips and cautions may be more practical for inland surface travel, they can be of use in air travel also subject to the special terms and condition for luggage for air travel.
While many may feel that they are well aware of the tips given above, it is better that one takes one more reading and be more tipped on this. By being careless many people have been put to lot of inconvenience of waste of time and peace of mind if not a big loss.
By follow the tips on travel one can stay secured and travel without tension and with peace of mind.
While I appreciate the author for taking time to educate the members on how to undertake long distance travel with planned luggage, I strongly feel that the luggage should be of lesser weight and we should not take more weight for long distance. If we take more luggage, the space problem either in air or train matters. Moreover while you are opting for bus travel , then taking big luggage are absolutely not possible. So we must always plan smaller luggage which should contain all the necessities and at the same time easy to handle so that transporting the luggage with self service wont hamper.