ADU, Travel, Community
Lina Menard
Maui, Hawaii

After A Week Long Send Off, My Round the World Trip kicked off with eight days in Maui visiting my sister Sarah who has split her time between Hawaii and Alaska for many years. What an epic way to start this adventure! There was mist falling when my sister greeted me at the Kahului airport on Maui a week ago, so she teased me about bringing the rain from the mainland. We headed straight for Paia where she presented me with a young coconut and a lei, accompanied by the chant for the gifting-of-a-lei.

Maui, Hawaii
Tiny House, Travel, Planning
Lina Menard
Lucky Penny Moves to Walla Walla

A number of circumstances collided recently to compel me to move the Lucky Penny to my property in Walla Walla where I have a ground bound small house called Valencia Cottage. So on Tuesday trusted tiny house movers Linh and Stephanie Pham helped me move the Lucky Penny safely from Portland to my place in Walla Walla.

Lucky Penny Moves to Walla Walla
Minimalism, Workshop
Lina Menard
Downsizing Tune Up

As I packed up recently in preparation to travel cross country in my Honda Fit, I did some downsizing… It was harder than it had been during my last couple of moves because this time I had more stuff. I’d been living in a bigger space…My apartment was a studio, but it was still about 6 times bigger than the Lucky Penny! I talked with several people about the experience and a handful of them said “oh my goodness, I need to do more of that!” So I’ve decided to offer a 6-week Downsizing Tune Up…

Downsizing Tune Up

Travel Capsule Wardrobe

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My International Travel Capsule Wardrobe

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My International Travel Capsule Wardrobe

This week in our Downsizing Tune Up E-Course we revamped our wardrobes. So my personal challenge this week was to complete my international capsule wardrobe. My itinerary isn’t finalized, so I’m not yet sure exactly what I’ll be up to, but I’ve got a decent enough sense of it now to get packed. Over the years, I’ve learned How to Travel with Just a Carry On and I’ve gotten pretty darn good at packing densely.

How to Travel with Just a Carry-On

Travel with Just a Carry-On I'm better at packing densely than I am at packing lightly. So as I wrap up 5 Weeks in a Carry-On with My Travel Capsule Wardrobe, I’d figured it would be nice to share my favorite tricks for packing densely and traveling savvy:

  • First things first, whether I'm traveling or not, I keep my phone, wallet, and keys all together (see Don't Leave Home Without It & I Still Don't Leave Home Without It) for more on that. When I'm just out and about on a summer day I slip my finger through the key loop and my pod becomes a little clutch wallet. When I'm wearing a coat my pod is usually in my pocket.
  • If I’m just headed somewhere for a week or less, my 25 L daypack is usually sufficient. I use my mesh bags (see below) with My Travel Capsule Wardrobe.
  • When I'm flying I bring one of my Gregory backpacks as my carry on. I’ve tried using a roller bag as my carry-on, but I’ve found that a backpack is much more comfortable since the conditions for rolling are often not present. It’s more frustrating to lug around an awkward suitcase than to shoulder a pack. (And Gregory packs are super comfortable, very well built, and cleverly designed. They’re one of the few brands I rely on so all three of my backpacks are Gregories!)
  • If I need to bring a sleeping bag, as I did for 5 Weeks in a Carry-On, the 50-liter Jade pack is the best fit. If I don’t need to bring a sleeping bag, the 35 L Jade will do the trick even for a multi-week trip. And if I’m just headed somewhere for a week or less, my 25 L daypack is usually sufficient. I’ve found that if I pack densely, cinch down the straps, and orient it properly, the 50 L pack fits in the tiny overhead compartments of all but the tiniest puddle-jumpers! I’ve even tucked my 35 L pack under the seat in front of me in a pinch.
  • As my personal item, I bring a scrunchable Sea to Summit bag into which I put everything I need to get through airport security quickly: my Eagle Creek shoulder bag, my 1-quart clear zippered Sea to Summit toiletry pouch, my laptop computer, my snacks, my Eagle Creek travel pillow, and my water bottle. Once I arrive at a new destination I put my laptop and toiletries into my backpack. Then I scrunch the bag back up and slip it into my shoulder bag and I’m good to go!
  • I wear my jacket onto the airplane for three reasons. First, the jacket is often one of my bulkier items but it doesn’t count if it’s on my body. Second, I often get chilled on a plane without an extra layer. Third, a jacket can be bunched up to give me more back support or to create a pillow if necessary.
  • I wear my boots on travel days when I’m on an adventure that requires them so that I don’t have to pack them. Yes, this makes the trip through security more cumbersome than if I have quick on-and-off shoes, but it’s still worth wearing my boots for the weight and the space. Any other shoes I pack are stuffed with undergarments before they’re put into my bag so that the space inside them isn’t wasted.
  • If I’m bringing my 15-degree REI Downtime sleeping bag, I use a Sea to Summit cordura compression sack to make it a wee little lump in the bottom of my pack.
  • I can’t stand the slippery inside of sleeping bags, so I use a ½ cotton and ½ silk travel sheet from Cocoon, which makes my sleeping bag tolerable.
  • I tuck a face mask and a pair of silicone ear plugs into the cover of my Eagle Creek blow up pillow so they’re handy if the person next to me is reading or if there’s a screaming baby nearby.
  • I roll my clothes and sort them into two mesh zippered pouches. (These came with my rock climbing harness and shoes years ago and I repurposed them to sort my clothes while traveling!) Depending on the trip, I may sort my mesh zippered pouches by tops and bottoms or by work clothes and play clothes or by outerwear and undergarments. I bring as few clothing items as possible, sticking to My Travel Capsule Wardrobe, and planning to wash as needed.
  • As I approach the security line I make sure I have everything I need ready and waiting.  I grab three bins: one for my laptop, one for my toiletry bag and jacket, and one for my scrunchable bag. My shoes go on the conveyor belt first so they’re the first thing to grab at the other end. Then I run my scrunchable bag bin through. I put my laptop in the middle bin so I can keep an eye on it. The toiletry kit and jacket bin goes through next and then my carry-on bag. Once I get through the screening process I put myself back together again: slip shoes on, tuck laptop and toiletry pouch into scrunchable bag, jacket on, pack on, and I’m good to go!

Give these tips a try and let me know how they work for you! And, of course, please share your favorite traveling strategies with me in the comments!

Disclaimer: I included brand names because I often want to know which brands other travelers rely on. I am not sponsored by any of these companies. I just love their stuff!

Disclaimer #2: I know, I know. I’m smaller than lots of people. I recognize that if you’re bigger than me you (and your stuff) may take up more space. Let’s just say it’s karma for all the teasing I had to endure growing up. When I started traveling I quit crying about being little!

5 Weeks in A Carry On

Carry On I’ll confess: I’m really excited to wear something new tomorrow! I’m writing this post on my flight home to the Pacific Northwest after five weeks of traveling with just my carry-on luggage. So I’ve worn the same outfits repeatedly and although My Travel Capsule Wardrobe has served me well, it’s going to be great to switch it up!

Over the years, doing domestic and international trips ranging from 2 days to 3 weeks, I’ve learned the difference between Packing Lightly vs. Packing Densely. I’ve discovered that I don’t typically need to pack differently for 2 weeks than I do for one. I just need to make a point to do laundry.

As I explained in Packing Lightly vs. Packing Densely, I haven’t checked luggage since 2003 when I studied abroad in Florence, Italy. Once I learned how much more fun it is to travel with less, I started honing my packing lists.

Check out My Travel Capsule Wardrobe to see what I brought on this 5-week trip.

This may be my most Spartan packing list yet, considering all I needed to do on this trip. My five-week trip included a week taking a Cabinets & Built-Ins Class at Yestermorrow, 2-weeks teaching a Tiny House Design-Build class at Yestermorrow, a weekend with friends in Vermont, two days in hot and humid Atlanta, a long weekend at Tiny House Jamboree 2015, and three days attending a conference in Denver, CO. During this time I camped in a tent for three weeks, stayed in two hotels and one Airbnb, and crashed at a friend’s place for five nights (thanks, Sherry!) I worked on a construction site, instructed in a design studio, and presented on a stage. I went out to nice dinners, hung out in front of the fan sipping sweet iced tea, and hiked in beautiful places. I explored by foot, transit, and car. I traveled through warm dry places and hot humid places. I experienced almost daily afternoon thunderstorms and several cool rainy nights.

So I had to pack a variety of different things for a variety of different situations. And I still managed to fit it all in a carry on.

Check out How to Travel with Just a Carry-On and My Travel Capsule Wardrobe to learn how I did it!