Packing for a 7 day tour

[a&p cfiguy]

Bring 2 White UnderArmor shirts instead of 7 cotton t-shirts.
They can be washed in the shower or the sink every night. Hang them up and they are dry in the morning.

Uniform shirts -- 4 SS shirts dry cleaned with light starch. Can be worn in the hotel shower and washed while wearing with the shampoo and soap. Hang up and the shirt is Dry next morning. Need very little ironing. So one shirt can last 2 days.

You're kidding right? You don't really take a shower with your uniform shirt on, washing it with the shampoo and soap, do you??? What about laundry service at the hotel? Can they take your laundry at night, and have it ready the next morning? Can you expense the charge to the room?

 

[blueridge71]

I have heard about one guy who washes out his clothes in the sink every night. He then hangs them up in the bathroom, turns on the hairdryer, and closes the door. This expedites the drying process.

That's just nasty. You might be able to get away with 2 days per shirt, once in a while, but never 3.

You must be a heavy sweater. I change my undershirt a lot more often than my uniform shirt. I can wear uniform shirts for several days unless I spill something.

Skip packing the "workout shirt." Just wear your undershirt from the day. Less stuff to pack.

Yeah, but you don't look as cool to the chicks in the hotel fitness center.

 

[learflyer]

Nice, you must be a redneck. Just the kind of image we should be projecting to owners.

Nah. I only do this when i'm at an fbo for extended periods, and know when the pax are coming back. I am kinda becoming a redneck as I age I guess.

 

[gunfyter]

You're kidding right? You don't really take a shower with your uniform shirt on, washing it with the shampoo and soap, do you???

Yes I do wash the uniform shirt in the shower. You can do something like that or carry 7 shirts.

 

[DO-82 driver]

I'll stick with carrying 7 shirts...thank you very much.

what I carry in a 22" TravelPro bag:

6 S/S uniform shirts
6 t-shirts
6 pair of black socks
6 underwear
2 polo-type shirts
1 t-shirt for the gym
3 pair gym socks
running shoes
sandels (summer time only)
1 pair jean shorts
1 pair long jeans
shaving kit bag.

It all fits.

 

[Ultra Grump]

You must be a heavy sweater. I change my undershirt a lot more often than my uniform shirt. I can wear uniform shirts for several days unless I spill something.

Nope, but my nose works just fine, and I'm guessing yours doesn't.

 

[FLYLOW22]

That's just nasty. You might be able to get away with 2 days per shirt, once in a while, but never 3.



Skip packing the "workout shirt." Just wear your undershirt from the day. Less stuff to pack.


Nice, you must be a redneck. Just the kind of image we should be projecting to owners.

I didn't say that I WORKED every day dude. Some fleets don't work nearly as hard as others. Believe me, I look good at work.. I have nothing to fear from the Uniform police and I'm not a sweat hog.

This week, flew 3 legs... one revenue. I have shirts to burn.

 

[mushroom]

I work internationally for an ACMI carrier, and have often been on the road for more than 30 days at a time. Since I often had to jumpseat to boot and could not bring a bigger bag and check it, I made a checklist and got down to the bare minimum of what I could cram in my 22" Costco bag and a flight kit.

We generally have free laundry service contracted with our hotels, so that helps a lot. As far as helping to decrease, overall, what you need to pack:

Gunfyter had it right when he talked about bringing Underarmour stuff. But what I bring as opposed to Underarmour are some things made by Ex-Officio (http://www.exofficio.com/). Why are people bringing 6-7 pairs of underwear/socks and multiple casual shirts and taking up all that room in their bags? Bring 2 pairs (3 at most) of Ex-Officio travel underwear instead. They are really comfortable, and when you finish wearing one pair for the day, you wash it in the sink or shower and it dries totally in about 2 hours. They make other nice travel stuff too, which not only look nice but also can really help to save space. Their stuff isn't cheap but I think it's worth it. The stuff I have bought from them has lasted a long time and is still going strong.

$0.02 contribution over now.

 

[fly26]

Don't forget the swimsuit too!

 

[mainiac]

You're kidding right? You don't really take a shower with your uniform shirt on, washing it with the shampoo and soap, do you??? What about laundry service at the hotel? Can they take your laundry at night, and have it ready the next morning? Can you expense the charge to the room?

Never showered with my shirt on myself, but this isn't the first time I've heard it! As to expensing laundry service to your room/company, I don't now that your company will get real excited about that every tour, I guess it depends on your contract?
Regarding your earlier question, "Do the company encourage you to travel light?"
It's not really question of encouragement, purely the available space in your roller. Lots of guys are commuting with the 26", and most airlines are being pretty cool about allowing it as a carry-on,(if you're commuting in uniform), but I personally hate checking my bag at all, so I've stayed with the 22".
And, I agree with many here, 2 days per shirt (obviously with a clean t-shirt) is no problem. Carry some Shout wipes, and a Bleach pen, and iron every night. You'll look fine every AM!

 

[Dooker]

You can also save space by wearing a banana hammock. They're super easy to wash up in the sink and keep all your junk from shifting around too much.

Or so I'm told.

 

[NJA bound]

One more time people, 7 shirts, one for each day, the cockpits stink

 

[B-J-J Fighter]

I was wondering if I was the only one to wear underarmour shirts even though I don't work for the fracs.

 

[a&p cfiguy]

Okay, I'm out of the loop. What's the deal with underamour shirts? What are they made of?? Obviously not cotton, some type of symthetic?? Never seen or tried them. Are they skin tight like speedos? I'm a boxer type of dude. Cool in the summer? Where do you get them?

 

[blueridge71]

One more time people, 7 shirts, one for each day, the cockpits stink

In a Bravo in the summer, clean shirts stay clean for about 30 seconds.

Thank goodness for GPUs!

 

[B-J-J Fighter]

Okay, I'm out of the loop. What's the deal with underamour shirts? What are they made of?? Obviously not cotton, some type of symthetic?? Never seen or tried them. Are they skin tight like speedos? I'm a boxer type of dude. Cool in the summer? Where do you get them?

They have several different fits out now. When they came out 7 or 8 yrs ago they only had one fit that I remember and that was the skin tight fit. Now they make lots of different articles of clothing including shorts and underwear. I love there underwear. I have always been prone to getting jock itch, especially with this job sitting around all day in the cockpit in your uniform pants. Uniform pants don't breath well and in the summers was constantly fighting jock itch. Well I started using underarmour underwear and it has really helped a lot. Matter of fact I would go so far to say it is a miracle material. To answer your other questions yes it's a synthetic material that can be found at Sports Authority or Dick's.

 

[acaTerry]

Dirty Beech:
You need to tell that Loch Ness monster to get its own doggone three fiddy.

Heres how I pack:

2 underwears (4 days each: day 1-front, day 2-back, day 3-inside out, day 4-right side in)

2 pairs black socks 3 days each

1 pair white socks, can be put over uniform shoes to emulate sneakers

2 T shirts, one for uniform, one for workouts

This works because it all fits in a gym bag and nobody wants to sit near me on the airliner.

OK now for the shalllow: just kidding, there's enough real packing tips here, just thought I'd give a laugh here.

 

[Ultra Grump]

It's simple. Bring enough stuff for the week. The last thing you want to be doing after a long day, or after a short day when you have time to see the town you're in, is laundry. It will all fit in most rollaboards, and if it won't fit, buy the 26" Stealth bag. It'll all fit in there.

 

[DirtyBeech]

Don't forget to pack the Succubus espisode of Southpark

THOMAS
-August. There's a knock on the door.
I open it, and there's this cute little
girl scout-
NELLIE
And she was so adorable, with the little
pig tails and all.
THOMAS
-And she says to me, "How would you
like to buy some cookies?" And I said
"Well, what kind do you have?" She had
thin mints, graham crunchy things-
NELLIE
Raisin oatmeal.

THOMAS
-Raisin oatmeal, and I said "We'll take
a graham crunch. How much will that
be?" And she looks at me and she says,
"...Uh I need about tree-fitty."
NELLIE
...Tree-fitty.

THOMAS
Well, it was about that time that I
notice that girl scout was about eight
stories tall and was a crustacean from
the protozoic era.
NELLIE
The Loch Ness monster.

THOMAS
I said, "Dammit monster! Get off my
lawn! I ain't giving you no tree-fitty!"
It said, "how about just two-fitty?"
I said, "Oh, now it's only two-fitty!!
What?! Is there a sale on Loch Ness
munchies or something?!"
NELLIE
Lord, he was angry.

THOMAS
Damn right, I was angry!

NELLIE
Not you, the monster. He was about to
kick your ass.
THOMAS
Aah, shut your mouth, woman!

STAN
Uh, could you just tell Chef we were
here?
THOMAS
Sure. That crazy old monster Now, then
the fourth time I saw the...

 

[AirBear8]

I use a 26" 104NG Luggageworks bag:

http://www.luggageworksonline.com/product.asp?CatID=1

with the matching 10" deep model 304A"

http://www.luggageworksonline.com/product.asp?CatID=3

For a 7 day trip I pack (in addition to what I leave the house wearing):

6 uniform shirts (less in the winter)
1 extra pair of uniform pants which I've only had to use once in 2 years
8 T-Shirts (extra for working out)
7 underwear (extra for working out)
6 pairs of black socks (in external side pocket)
Running shorts
Running shoes and 3 sets of ankle socks (other side pocket)
Shaving kit
Two 8-packs of cheese crackers plus 4 or 5 ready-mix tunafish packs.
Breakfast bars in the small side pocket
One pair of civilian pants or shorts and 1 shirt or sweatshirt

I also use the "space-saver" bags that compress the air out. Those things are as hard as bricks after a long flight in the unpressurized nose compartment. I carry empty ones to seal my sweaty workout clothes into.

Fully packed the 26 incher weighs in 45-50lbs but it does have a heavy metal frame.

In the smaller bag I pack the FOM, laptop computer, DVD's/CD's NetJets sweater, Raincoat, umbrella, chargers for my gadgets, reading material, etc.

In uniform I've never had a problem carrying on the 26" bag and I've been using it for over a year.

I did manage to break the zipper on an outside pocket of the 26" bag. I spent $18 to send it in and got it back within a week. Very impressive turn time.

AirBear