DESPITE HAVING our pockets picked to support gov- knives but I'm happy with # small
ernment perks, a lot of us are still hitting the road. I’m
beginning to wonder if it isn’t cheaper to be away.

So, on the lines of ,‘‘pack up
and go,”” may I suggest a simple
experiment that may help with the
packing?

First look at your library of
hard-cover books. ;

Don’t stop to read any of them!

Instead, comfortably fill your
suitcase and handbag with the
volumes.

Pick.up both and walk to the
comer and back (or up and down
your basement Stairs, if you are
sensitive about the neighbors).

Imagine yourself tied to that
-load for three all-expense-paid
. weeks.

Here are a few of the areas to

consider when culling excess
weight:
Cosmetics: Glass jars are heavy.
‘Transfer small amounts of
creams, lotions and soaps into
plastic.

You don't need five tubes of
lipstick.

Perfectly adequate shaving soap
comes in tubes — leave spray cans
at home.

You don’t need hairspray,
mousse. or the giant-size
toothpaste.

Gadgets: One of the worst inven-
tions for travellers is called a can-
verter.

It allows you to take almost
every small appliance along with
you, providing. you also pack a
boxful of conversion plugs.

So we add an electric shaver, a
curling iron, a hair dryer, a travel
iron and maybe even a coffee
maker.

Anyone got a kitchen sink?

If you must have any of. the
above, dual voltage, lightweight
appliances are available — all you

“need isa selection of adaptor .

: Plugs. :

Another warning “about: elec- *

trical. ‘appliances:" power surges

-and- brown-outs: are common . in
‘other parts of the world...

-Often;. you":can dry. Your ‘hair

’ faster standing in front of a win-
dow than using the weak puff
coming from your dryer. ,

- You: don’t need.“ a. portable
clothes line — wash a little at a
time! and. hang over ‘doorknobs if

- you must.’ *”

_ 7. Hint: For fast drying ' of small
things like. underwear, try hanging
ona lampshade with the bulb on.
Watch it — you could ignite the
hotel.

Books: ‘if you must -pack’ any,

consider them expendable. _

Rip off covers. and tear out -
pages...Photocopy specific items

and leave the book at home.

I should ,warn you about pur-
chasing souvenir books — almost
guaranteed, you'll never. look at
them again when you get home.

One exception — - cookbcoks
(but remember how much they
weigh).

Keep a small notebook and jot

down things you want to

remember from pamphlets — then .

chuck the pamphlets.

“Walk England's.
Most Beautiful
Landscape

doin us on guided walking
tours of England's

spectacular Lake District.

Scotland & Yorkshire also.

Call or terite for free brochure
ENGLISH
LAKELAND

7 RAMBLERS
18 Stuyvesant Oval #1A
New York, N.Y. 10009 _ .
(800)-724-8801

arbara ;
MeCreadie

TRAVELWISE

Some very small items can make
the difference between comfort
and exasperation.

Here are a few simple things
that are worth their weight:

@ String shopping. bags. For
about 99¢ you can buy a simple
mesh bag with strong handles.

Many foreign countries wrap
your purchases in paper and a col-
lection of these is hard to carry.

Your string bag will hold a pic--

nic, a wet bathing suit or beach
needs. It scrunches up to nothing
in your handbag. -

@ A small pair‘of scissors.

@ Some swear by Swiss ‘army

bottle opener/corkscrew and a
penknife.

@ Plastic bottle caps. Essential to
cap large bottles
especially on trains!
@ Pre-typed address labels. How
easy it is to mail a postcard if you
don’t have to look for, and write
out, the address.

@ Slipper socks. Look for ones
with skid-proof plastic soles that
can be wiped off.

@ If you're staying in B&B ac-
commodation or modest hotels
with communal plumbing, con-
sider a pair of thong sandals to
wear in questionable showers!

@ A telephone credit card. I'd
rather punch in a number than try
to plop in coinage.

@ Zip-loc bags for laundry,
shoes, still-damp bathing suits
and even food.

@ Wash/dry packets. Expect to
find an absence of soap and water
when you most need it.

® Trial-size bottles of stuff like
hand lotion,

@ Brian swears
sunglasses.

by clip-on

eA highlighter pen — perfect

for marking map routes or
underlining important information

‘in booklets.

@A small sewing kit — I use
those little giveaways with
assorted threads, one needle and a
couple of pins. They’re about the
size of a match folder.

6 A little package of notions -— 2.
few Band-Aids, paper clips, pins,
string, tape, a book of matches —
no bigger than a sandwich bagful.

SCOTLAND
NORTH ENGLAND & WALES —

* Small Groups
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° Traditional Hotels
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_¢ Personally Escorted

SPECIAL SPRING PRICES

The Fraser Connection
1114 - 1124 Lonsdale,
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PHONE
980-3227

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