Thank you.
Magellons, America's leading source of travel products, presents Elaine St. James, author of the best-selling book Simplify Your Life.
Here are Elaine's secrets of simple packing.
Hi. I'd like to introduce my friends George and Amelia, who are heading off tomorrow morning for a two-week trip to Tour France.
Paris.
Now, I want to share with the two of you that the biggest mistake that most travelers make when they go on a trip of this sort is they take too much stuff.
Always.
And I think what people do is that they take all the things that they'll need for a two-week period, and then they take all the things they think they might need for a two-week period.
Like the left side of her closet.
Exactly, yeah. So you end up with two and three, four, five bags, and you're worn out before you even arrive at your destination.
And the truth is that most of us could eliminate 85% of the stuff in our lives, as well as 85% of the stuff that we feel that we have to have on a trip like this.
Really?
And still have a wonderful, simple, enjoyable trip.
So, for example, Amelia, one thing that you could do is take your handbag, which I notice you have with you, and we could empty the entire contents on the table here.
Wow.
And show you how you can cut back and not need to take a handbag.
Are you willing to try this with me now?
Would you be willing to part with your handbag for a few moments so that we can show how you can actually eliminate some of the stuff in that bag that I'm sure you carry with you on the theory that you might need it someday?
Of course. This is an emergency kit.
You really are going to part with it?
Well, okay.
All right. I'll take good care of it, but you won't get it back.
All right. So we're just going to empty the contents here on this table here.
Anything else floating around on the bottom there?
That's okay, Amelia. We've all done it.
I mean, millions of American women carry these bags around full of stuff that they never used.
Now, the keys are the first thing we can set aside.
We know you're not going to be needing your keys in Paris, right?
And you probably are not going to need a checkbook, right?
Won't need to take that with you.
And I think it's probably safe to assume that you won't need nail polish, right?
I mean, if you want to travel simply, don't paint your nails before you go.
You're right.
You've got the polish, you've got the nail polish remover, all that stuff.
It complicates your life. We're going for simple here.
So we can do without that.
And you have pretty hands anyway.
And you have beautiful hands anyway.
And so now we have four pins here.
Presumably we could get by with just one, right? Is that a safe bet?
One go. Yes.
So we'll do away with those.
And I see five lipsticks here.
And again, I think that...
Different colors.
Yes, but we're going to simplify your wardrobe and cut back on the number of colors that you take.
So we can get by with one.
Now, is it safe to assume that this is the one you'd like to take with you?
I think so.
No, this is a nice, easy kind to use.
So we'll take that.
We can get by without the perfume.
We'll take that in another section of your luxury.
But I can have it.
You can have it, yes.
Get by without the nail file.
Take that in another section, too.
Again, a mirror you don't need.
You've got George to tell you how gorgeous she is.
And she is.
He will.
So we're getting rid of all this lipstick, all this stuff here.
And this here, we have a little journal.
And also dresses.
Well, we'll talk about ways you can use this or something like that on your trip.
Now, here is the real challenge for most women because you think you've got all this stuff in here that you're going to need.
All these receipts and all these cards and all this cash.
Okay.
So we've got some cash there.
Now, let's just go through these cards.
And again, we can apply probably the 50% rule, the 85% rule.
We know you want a credit card and maybe even a backup card.
I do.
And possibly your Mileage Plus card.
And you'll need a photo ID.
We need photo IDs now when we travel most everywhere.
You won't need a library card.
You won't need a AAA card.
You won't need a Macy's card.
So we don't need this, okay?
Do away with the wallet entirely, this big bulky piece you don't need to have with you.
So now we've got here the few cards you need and a little bit of cash.
And I brought along, Amelia, just for you, a little Velcro strip that you can use as your new Gucci bag.
Oh, that's fabulous.
For one pocket.
That will simplify your life.
That will simplify your traveling.
You don't have to carry around that handbag full of stuff that you almost never use and it just ends up complicating your life.
So that goes in your pocket.
That goes in your pocket.
Just like this.
I have been traveling around the world for five years with a simple purse like this.
In fact, I went to Maui last year with just the clothes on my back, this and one shoulder bag.
I got to Maui.
The airport had lost my luggage and I ended up for 10 days with a simple purse.
I had one of the best vacations I ever had.
So what I want to do is share with you some simple tips so that you can take exactly what you'll need and not a whole lot more,
fit it into one small bag that you can carry on board with you and never have to worry about losing your baggage again.
That would be great.
Okay, we've already seen how it's possible to eliminate 85% of the stuff that we always feel we have to carry around that we never really need, right?
I mean, we went through the purse exercise. You know that now, right, Amelia?
So I'm going to show you how you can apply that same principle to all the things that we feel we have to have in a suitcase.
And now we're going to be talking about clothes.
I know this will be a subject close to your heart, Amelia.
And I'm going to show you how you can actually go for two weeks, the two of you, with eight or nine items apiece.
Eight or nine?
Eight or nine.
We're talking about clothes.
We want them to be comfortable.
They've got to be versatile.
Separates are better than single pieces because we can mix and match them.
It's good if they're washable.
We want as many of them as possible to have pockets.
We know how beneficial pockets are, right?
And we're going to limit our color scheme for the purposes of this trip to two, maybe three colors so that every piece goes with every other piece.
So I want to show you how with three tops, three pairs of slacks for you, George, maybe two pairs of slacks and a skirt for you,
a vest and a jacket and two comfortable pairs of shoes, you can go for two weeks or even longer all around Europe.
That's it?
That's it.
It'll happen.
You believe it?
No.
Okay.
This is the kind of thing you could wear traveling on the plane.
You've got a comfortable t-shirt, washable, a comfortable pair of linen slacks, have a little bit of polyester in them so they're not going to get too wrinkled.
They're washable, too.
A nice comfortable little jacket.
If you wanted to add a little bit of color or dress it up a bit, you can have a little scarf.
What about being seen in the same outfit day after day?
But Amelia, you're going on vacation.
You're not going to be seeing the same people.
And, you know, the point is you're not supposed to look like you're just stepped off the cover of Vogue magazine.
You're going to relax and have fun.
If you want to look like you stepped off the cover of Vogue magazine, then you need another four or five suitcases.
The object here is to keep it simple.
So here we have another set.
Again, similar colors.
Each of these pieces go with every other piece.
We've got a simple top, a nice vest for a little variety and warmth if we need it, a comfortable pair of cotton gabardine pants.
Each of these pieces will go with each of these pieces.
If you want to dress it up a little bit for your dinner out on the town, a simple little black top.
Again, the jacket will go over this if it's cool.
Or you can carry along a little sweater with another top that will go over the skirt and create another look.
Now, if you really wanted to add an extra little bit of color.
Oh, lovely.
Get rid of this scarf and throw on another one.
You can do it with just a couple of simple accessories.
Elaine, what about me?
I mean, I like to be able to dress up, dress down, but I want to make sure I'm comfortable.
Okay, I think comfort is a very important factor, and that's part of what all of this is about is to be comfortable and also to have some versatility.
So here you are, George, something that you could start out in.
A nice blazer, button-down shirt, and a pair of chinos.
Add a tie or two.
You can have a dress-up look there.
You have a little vest.
The weather turns cool.
Also adds a little versatility.
A couple of polo shirts and a couple more pairs of pants.
Chinos and dress gray slacks.
It'll take you anywhere through Europe for two weeks or more.
And all of that in one suitcase per person.
All of this in one suitcase per person.
Trust me.
Do you believe it?
No.
Okay, Amelia, we have your things folded here and ready to put into the suitcase when the time comes.
And as far as I'm concerned, one of the major reasons to keep the number of things that we take in terms of clothing to a minimum is that leaves us some extra room, since we only have one bag,
to carry what I feel are some indispensable convenience items that are going to make the trip so much more enjoyable.
And I want to start here and show you four things that make it possible to keep a limited number of clothes in your bag.
And one is a steamer.
And this is just a terrific item to have because you can use regular tap water.
And in a couple of minutes you can steam out any creases that you may have in your clothes.
You can also use this to heat water for your coffee or tea in the morning.
Then you can wipe it out and store any jewelry or valuables.
Of course you're not going to be taking a whole lot of jewelry or valuables on this simple trip.
But it's dual purpose.
And a lot of these things that we're going to be talking about are dual purpose.
And that's one thing that makes them convenient.
You're also going to want some kind of a laundry kit, you know, with soap to last you for the two week period,
some clothespins so you can hang up the items that you wash, a little laundry bag, and the best of all, a sink stopper.
Because many European sinks don't have stoppers.
So that's a nice little package of things to have to help you extend the life of the clothes on the road.
Another thing is this towel, which is a very absorbent natural fiber,
which absorbs a lot of the moisture from when you do the hand laundry so your things dry faster.
And you know, so many travelers now are doing their own laundry in the hotel room.
It's cheaper, it's faster.
And if you have some of these things like this that help you, it just makes it so much easier.
And of course a spot remover.
You know, get a spot in your suit or something.
And these kinds of things are helpful in terms of extending these nine items of clothing that you're going to be taking along.
Now before we start packing some of these things away, let's talk about suitcases, bags, that sort of thing.
I've traveled all over the world.
I've used practically every kind of bag imaginable.
And in my opinion, this rolling bag is absolutely the best there is.
It's got these wonderful sturdy wheels on it, which makes it possible for you to let the bag do the work for you.
You don't have to carry these heavy bags on your shoulder and be worn out by the time you arrive at your destination.
It's got wonderful little pockets around here and there.
It's soft, lightweight.
Carry on on all national flights and most international flights so you can have it under the seat in front of you or in the overhead compartment.
You don't have to worry about missing your next plane.
If you've got a tight connection, you've got your baggage right there with you.
It's so convenient.
Anything you need on the plane, you've got it right here.
And I'll show you how we pack some of these things that you want immediate access to in the outside pockets.
So the handle is right on the bag.
The handle is right here.
It comes out, makes it possible for you to carry it.
Roll it behind you all over the place.
It comes up like that, you know.
And it's great.
And you can also use it to carry another bag right on here.
Roll around so that you don't have to carry any bags.
Love it.
And there's a reason these things are so popular and you see them all over the place because they really make traveling simple.
And so we're looking at now starting to put some of the items in here and we put in some of the harder, heavier items
so that when the bag tips up, when we're rolling it, those items are already at the bottom of the bag.
So we'll just kind of tuck these in here.
Now, another thing, I know you're going to want your hairdryer.
And a compact, lightweight hairdryer like this, dual voltage, so you can take it anywhere around the world,
goes from 110 to 220.
And what I like to do ahead of time is set it on the 220 voltage so that I don't forget and plug it in and blow out the dryer.
I did that once in Sydney and I promise I'll never do that again.
Another great item that I love to have in my bag is a portable tote.
And this is a great little thing because, Amelia, you'll be able to do all your souvenir shopping with this thing.
Got handles, it's zippered.
And even if you don't bring back a lot of souvenirs, I find whenever I go on a trip that when I leave I can get everything in the bag.
But when it comes time to come home, even if I haven't purchased any additional items, somehow it just never all fits in the same.
So if you have a bag like this, it's carry on.
And I love these kinds of portable pockets.
They're great for lingerie, socks, that sort of thing.
They just fit right in here in the bottom very nice and neatly and kind of mush around in there.
And if they come in all sizes, they're great for any kind of travel documents you want to take,
a copy of your itinerary, copies of your tickets, copies of your travelers checks, anything like that.
And we have in here some silk long johns, which I think are just great.
Now these, again, are double duty.
They work as long johns for extra warmth.
If you need them, you're going to go sailing on the Bay of Biscay, right?
You want that extra layer of warmth.
And they're also great for sleeping and lounge wear.
So triple duty in this case.
And they wash out, you know, very quickly and easily dry quickly.
Cold water soap.
Real simple.
Now, my favorite, a hanging toilet kit.
And I love this kind of thing because it's got the pockets up here for the shampoos and the creams and the things that you need.
And it's got a zippered pocket for, you can put your hairdryer in here,
and a pocket here with a mesh cover so you can see what's in it.
And, you know, so many hotels these days, even really wonderful hotels, don't have enough counter space in the bathrooms.
So you can just hang this up on the door, on the shower rack, towel rack.
You have everything right there that you need.
Now do they have a men's version of that?
This is men's and women's.
You can have your own toilet kit.
Right. And there are some great items in here that I want to share with you that are so nice to have along on a trip like this.
A razor?
Retractable razor.
Right.
Size of a lipstick tube.
And you'll never again reach into your toilet kit and slice your finger on a razor blade.
I've done that.
Yes.
We remember that.
And this is just fabulous.
I know you'll love this, a folding brush.
Oh, amazing.
Isn't that great?
And a mirror.
The whole thing right there.
And it folds up to such, and the other thing about it that's so wonderful, it's round.
You know, many women like that, to get that little curl in your hair.
I know you guys don't care about that, but for women it's great.
And takes up such a little bit of space.
Another thing that I find very handy on a trip of any type is the little flashlight.
Map reading, you're in an unfamiliar room where it's dark, you have to go down the hall
in some quaint little pensione or something.
You've got a light to help you.
So you won't be waking me up?
No.
No, right.
You could read later.
Yeah, because usually you flip that light on.
I've also learned to take along a pair of slippers like this.
They take up such a little amount of space.
You can wear them into the shower, you can wear them down to the beach.
Again, dual purpose.
And you don't have to take along an extra pair of slippers or house shoes or sandals.
They even work as sandals in a pinch, if you need to.
So those come in all sizes?
Those come in all sizes.
So I get a pair too.
Oh yes, you each have to have your own.
Another thing that I love to have is this little snack pack,
which is kind of a little knife and fork and spoon that fits in its own little case.
So George, if you miss those reservations, the Place de l'Opéra,
you and Amelia can have dinner or even lunch, picnic on the scene with your own little snack pack.
Wow, great idea.
Cut your loaf of bread and glass of wine, and Amelia, what more do you need, right?
That's all.
And these little things are nice too.
This, for example, can hold a month's worth of face cream for you, Amelia.
You don't have to have a big, huge jar of stuff.
You can decant it into one of these.
And I like this kind of thing for earrings,
a few little accessory pieces that you can fit right in there.
And first aid cream and, you know, all the other goodies.
We all have our favorite things that we like to take along,
and most of it will fit right in this one bag.
They're all in here together.
They're visible, and it's real easy to pack them along.
Now, if you're going to take a camera,
I strongly suggest you use one of these x-ray protective bags for both your camera and your film.
Elaine, I have a question there.
The airlines have been telling me for years that you really don't need to protect your film like that.
Right, I know the airlines say that, George,
but, you know, it's interesting to me that all the film companies suggest
that you use some kind of a protective cover for film.
And I don't know a single professional photographer that doesn't use this kind of thing,
especially for high-speed film, because the x-ray is cumulative,
and it eventually affects the film negatively.
But my suggestion, if you want to have a really simple trip,
is to leave the camera and the film at home.
And you can buy postcards as mementos of your trip,
and simply learn to enjoy the moment.
And we also want to put the spot remover, the Janie stick, in your cosmetics bag,
and also, Amelia, all those others we talked about, the nail file, the pens, the extra things that you had,
of course, can go in your cosmetics bag.
You'll have them right here in your bag.
Great.
Now, are you going to put both pairs of shoes in the suitcase?
No, Amelia, you're going to be wearing one of them with your outfit that we've kept out here, right?
The comfortable pair.
Obviously, they're both going to be comfortable, and they're both going to be broken in.
And then for the other pair, I like to store the socks in that extra space.
Might as well take up that space there.
And for years, I used to use plastic bags to cover my shoes.
And a while ago, a friend gave me some of these wonderful handmade flannel bags,
and they're just terrific because they expand, they can fit your shoes as well, George,
and they go right in the side of the case, and they keep the scuffs off your clothes,
and you can also use them to shine up the shoes.
A great dual-purpose thing again.
Wonderful.
Sure makes it easy.
It certainly does.
It's all about simple packing.
Now, we've got all of our goodies in the bottom of the bag here.
And of course, you know, there may be special items that you each want to include, items of your own,
and there's room here in the bag for those kinds of things.
And now we're going to talk about how we can get the clothes and the rest of the bag.
And one thing that's going to help us do that is this shelf that comes with the roller bag kind of situation.
It fits right over the top there and makes it possible to include your folded items
and keep them from getting wrinkled.
So that just fits over the top like that.
And then you'll have your last two items on the hangers.
I like to pack them on the hangers, and I like to just keep my own hangers,
because you never know, you get to a hotel and oftentimes no hangers there,
and you can just kind of fold them in like this.
Elaine, how do you keep things from wrinkling?
Well, that's a good question.
There really is no surefire way of keeping things from wrinkling.
There's so many people who have their tips about stuffing sleeves with tissue paper
and wrapping the clothes in plastic bags and that sort of thing,
inner folding so you don't have tight creases.
As far as I'm concerned, if you're going to be traveling, you're going to have wrinkles.
There's no way around it.
And it's okay, you know.
That's why we have a steamer.
If it's important, you can steam them out.
And that's another benefit of this shelf.
It makes possible to keep these things folded flat.
You can have easy access to them.
Again, with the inner folding, the item that you want is always in the middle of the fold,
and you've got to unfold everything.
Here you just go right, pull out the top that you want, and you're in business.
So simple.
So now, Amelia, we know that this outfit is what you're going to be wearing on the plane.
Right.
So we'll do away with that.
And we put the skirt and the pants back in again.
Tuck them lightly around the edges.
Fold over the lid.
Zip up the bag.
And that is a simple bag.
Just one bag apiece.
One bag apiece.
Now, we have some pockets on the outside here, as you notice.
And I like to use these to keep accessible the things you might need as soon as you get off the plane.
For example, I almost never travel now without a poncho.
And I prefer a poncho that folds up nice and neatly into a single pack like this to a raincoat that you can't fold up,
and it's another thing that you have to carry.
And a poncho covers everything.
It'll cover your clothes, your bags, your camera, whatever.
And it's just so much more convenient and versatile.
And, of course, an umbrella is always nice to have.
Since you're going to France, you might want to have a little phrase book to help you find the museum.
That's great.
It's getting exciting, isn't it?
And, Mary, we talked earlier about your little journal.
And this is a nice kind of thing to have.
Again, double duty.
You can have your addresses and phone numbers in the back,
a place to write your records of your expenses and information about the hotels and the various restaurants and places that you stay.
You have the front pocket, the top pocket here for a ticket.
So you have easy access to it when you're ready.
And, of course, you'll want a good book for the trip.
Simple reading for a simple trip.
Now, I love to have eye shades and earplugs on a trip if I want to catch a few Zs en route.
I just usually keep these in my pocket.
These earplugs are nice because they're washable and you can reuse them.
And I love to have an inflatable pillow.
This is terrific because it's got a little cover that's washable and you can keep it clean.
And the trick is with these, if you just blow them up, not quite full, about three-quarters full.
And so you can just kind of sink your head back into it.
It's so much more comfortable than the airline pillows.
And you can keep it right here in the pocket.
So that's the first thing you grab when you go on a plane.
And comfy.
I also like to keep a couple of these toothettes in place of a toothbrush.
You can just kind of get rid of that fuzz that you find on your teeth.
And then we have, last but not least, the pouch that will carry your passport.
Various pockets in here where you can keep change and that sort of thing.
Goes right over the neck and fits down inside your blouse.
So it's accessible to you, but nobody else.
So we have, folks, a simple bag.
I like to have a set of luggage tags, leather, where the name and address is covered.
Nice, classy, but nobody can see.
And a cable lock is just a nice little handy thing to have if you want to make a last-minute trip into the duty-free shop
or you want to leave your luggage outside the restaurant or something, can't take it in.
You can just lash this on.
Great idea, honey, because you'll have me look after your bags.
And that just comes with a little combination lock.
You don't need a key.
And you come back out, flip this right off, and it goes right in the pouch.
So it's real easy to have along.
You know, it just kind of deters the casual thief.
There you have the simple bag.
Oh, and eyeglasses, for people who wear eyeglasses, this is a nice little compact case that you can carry that's crush-proof,
has a Velcro strap.
You can put it on your belt, and it makes it easy to have access to your glasses.
Great.
Well, I think there was another pouch in the back here, wasn't there?
Well, George, I was kind of hiding that from you, because this I was saving for a million.
I know she's not going to be happy with just three tops and three bottoms.
She's going to have an extra set that she's going to want to sneak in here when you're not with her.
Thank you, Elaine.
Thank you.
Just for you.
Simple bag with your water, which is going to be one of the tips I'm going to give you on how to avoid jet lag.
OK, guys, we've got a simple bag.
You've got just the number of clothes that you need and not a whole lot more.
You've got some items that are going to help you have a much more enjoyable trip.
And now let's talk about jet lag.
I've read practically everything that's been written on the subject.
I've experienced jet lag over the years, and I have finally figured out that there are really two or three things
that you can do that will make a big difference in terms of this issue.
One is to stay hydrated.
Before you get on the plane, drink lots of water.
While you're on the plane, drink lots of water.
When you're off the plane, drink lots of water.
It's very important to stay hydrated.
And the second thing is, when you get on the plane, set your watch to Paris time.
And when you arrive, hit the decks running.
Forget about circadian rhythms.
Forget about jet lag.
Go out in the sunshine or fresh air and have a good time.
OK, guys, here you are.
Bon voyage.
Au revoir.
And don't forget to send me a postcard.
It's going to be great.
Thank you, Elaine.
You're wonderful.
You've been such a help.
Thank you.
I'm Elaine St. James.
Thank you for joining us.
I hope you've learned some tips about simple packing.
And remember, the less you take, the more time you'll have to enjoy your trip.
And it could be a step towards living the simple life.
Thank you.
Au revoir.