Backpack cum trolley bag - size and safety

 I like the idea of a backpack cum trolley bag. The trolley feature is useful to relieve your back. But going up stairs if you have a second bag, it is handy to be able to put it on your back and leave your hands free to hold the banister, or help a child or older person. The trolley is useful if it is flat on top and can balance something else.

I watched a useful video about the extra features of one trolley rucksack, which was selling at near a hundred dollars/euros/pounds. 

Price Point & Postage

On ebay I could see prices ranging from about £14, £13.99. Some of them charged £6 six for postage which brought them up in the range or rivals selling around 19 or twenty. However I found one which was the cheaper price, post free. Then I read the description and saw it had two wheels. What was the specification for the others?

You might need a bigger bag or one with a front pocket if you are travelling with a laptop or a book to read, or just extra brochures.

Beware Of Muddling Matching Suitcase Sets

You could buy two bags, one to use as a backpack, the other as a trolley bag, to look co-ordinated. Fine if you are single. Or the bags are different sizes.

But beware of his and hers bags in identical sizes. Once my husband and I both had identical black bags. We were lucky to be on similarly timed flights the same day from the same airport going in different directions.

Five minutes after we said goodbye, he came dashing back to find me. He realised he had my bag and I had his. He was about to arrive at a conference, having gone through various security inspections with high heeled shoes and ladies underwear. Minus his laptop.

 I would have arrived minus - well, you get the idea, the message.

Add Stickers, And Covers, To Suitcases

Some people don't want brand new luggage in poor countries because that makes them a target. They also think bright colours are conspicuous and attract unwanted attention. One solution is to put an old stained tee-shirt on your suitcase in public places, which also covers exposed zips and soft parts which could be slashed.

The old faded, stained or torn tee-shirt can be removed when you arrive at your conference, business meeting, or expensive hotel and want to look smart.

The solution to this is a second colour tag or sticker or painted stripe on one or both. 

Backpack and Suitcase Colour Choices

I like pink, orange and red. My husband sometimes uses my suitcases. He doesn't want pink, but can manage with red or orange. Some of the suppliers had sold out of the pink, red, and orange options. However, they had purple, blue and green.

I have a large blue and green suitcase bought on holiday to replace a broken item same size. That was my only colour option in the size large enough to take the items already with me. So the blue or green smaller bag would co-ordinate with my larger suitcase, as well as going reasonably well with my orange, pink or red summer clothes.

Backpacks At The Front

Regarding backpacks, several online websites and videos warn against having valuables in pockets on a backpack worn on your back. The suggestion is to wear the backpack on your front in crowded places, lines for buses or at attractions, or sales.

There you have it. All the options to check on.

Buying On Holiday

The bigger department stores and bargain stores have suitcases. You can buy before leaving home, or bring back an extra bag from holiday for souvenirs such as heavy bottles of wine.

We did this, paying extra for the transport of another check in bag on RyanAir, but only one way, not the outward journey. 

Some sellers say that their luggage fits all airlines, others say their luggage fits most. Check your airline. If you are starting on a big international airline and then transferring to a smaller flight or ferry, or a small car, you need to have luggage to fit the smaller vehicle.

Suitcase Sizes

Check the luggage for all the family fits hidden in the boot (called trunk in the USA). If you give a lift (called a ride in the USA) to somebody else you need room for their luggage as well as the extra person.

You might need to book a bigger car and warn the car rental agency that you need a bigger car for the number of passengers and pieces of luggage. , in case they otherwise tell you on arrival that their larger cars are not available, only for people carriers which cost a lot more.

Websites - Useful Backpack & Suitcase Sources

amazon

ebay

temu

Create Your Own Travel Diary

An inexpensive travel journal you can buy.

You can buy one, or make your own.

Finding A Blank Book
Failing all else, select a suitable blank notebook from your nearest store, online, or an old notebook or diary sitting unused. Unwanted gift. stock for next Xmas or las Xmas but still not found a recipient.

Cover And Number A Blank Book
Number the pages.
List the country on the cover
List date on cover.
List date on back.
Add a ribbon.
Now on to the inside

How do you add a ribbon? Find a discarded ribbon from a box or chocolates or cake or last year's diary which you never look at. Or buy ribbons, cheaply from sewing departments and stationary departments and online. Stick down the top of the ribbon. (You might also be able to sew the ribbon in place at the top, inside the spine. See your other similar size books or diaries with ribbons to see how the ribbon is attached.

You could add a piece of stiff card as a bookmark, attached to the ribbon. use a hole punch to creat a near hole to attach the ribbon.

Contents Page
Write in pencil, title page, contents page.
Check the number of pages and allow one line per page on the contents page.
For example, one page for contents is not enough if you have less than 30 lines on the page and more than 60 pages. You might want the contesnts list on the back and front of one page. Or draw a pencil line vertically down the middle. allow a tiny margin for page numbers and a wide column for contents.
Later you can type up the contents and past the printed list over the written pages.

If you want a neat book, you could, in advance of the trip, or while sitting waiting in an airort or station, label every page, or every third page, with the dates of your trip. Start with the travelling day and end with the day of the return.

Picture and Text
You could have text on the left hand page, photos on the right. On the right add pictures, drawings, sketches, maps, landmark photos, photos of friends, on the right page, with or without a title.
Allow room for the page numbr top corner, or footer, or signature if it is a drawing.

Alternatively, divide the book horizontally. Have the text at the top. Paste the pictures below the horizon.

Cut Horizontally.
If you cut horizontally, you can keep the map from page one permanently visible as you turn the text pages.


Alternatively, divide the book into sections for each day.
If you don't fill the whole section with writing, fill the gaps with plan,e bus and train tickets. Or stick on photos from travel leaflets, or print photos from you holiday snaps or wikipedia.
If you are short of space, stick in supplementary lined or blank pages from aanother notebook.
Carry spare pages with you. Keep the book and spare pages together.
List contents.
Stick on train maps
Put your family photo on the front.
Past a map on the front.
use a cereal box in a foregn langauge as a notebook holder.
Print your photo for the cover or index page.

No time, no money, no Book!
I have had to dash off to meetings with no notebook for notes on the meeting, for myself or to give evaluations and handouts to others.

Many hotels can supply a free bedside notepad.

Once I was in a remote hotel whilst my husband was at a conference and I wanted to create a mini notebook with the words of a speech, as cue cards.

I had several options.

Diary Blank Pages
Tear pages out of my diary - blank pages
Tear out unused pages from January.
Or keep the used part from early in the year and buy another cheap diary for the rest of the year.

Business cards, leaflets, menus
Take business card of leaflets from a rack, the cards with blank backs. If the hotel prints a new menu every day, yesterday's menus are thrown in the bin, or today's menus will be thrown away when the restaurant closes. You can ask for the spares and use the backs.

You don't want the writing on the back to distract? Stick two pieces back to back. Seal with glue, Sellotape (sticky tape), or staples. This turns two flimsy pieces of paper into something stronger, firmer, better.

Only one piece with writing on the back? Fold it in half with the two pieces with the writing stuck together.

What can you do with your new blank travel diary?
Take a free leaflet with the name of the country and cut out the flag or country name or city name to paste on the cover of your blank book.

I often get home and find two members of the family have brought back the same map or travel leaflet. I don't like to throw away the duplicate. It can be used to decorate or label a holiday notebook.

Covering boxes
An unwanted empty cereal box or shoe box can be covered with maps and headings.

Useful Websites

https://www.amazon.sg/My-Travel-Journal-AA-Publishing/dp

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, the author, (not related to Angela Lansbury the actress) is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover? Visual and contradictory sayings from around the word.

Problem
Proverbs and idioms contradict each other.

Answer
Never mind. Just as well. You can find one to suit any circumstances and any occasion, and trot it out to agree with anybody.

In English we say, You can't judge a book by its cover.

However, the Koreans say, What looks good, tastes good.

Truth Versus Trompe L'oeuil
Do appearances mislead? Or does observation tell you all you need to know?

I read a book about contradictory proverbs. May be I bought it and it is hiding somewhere. Maybe I read the first page in a bookshop and got the genral idea.

TIME

a) Haste versus b) Procrastination

a) He who hesitates is lost.

a) Time waits for no man.

a) Time and tide wait for no man.

a) Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

a) Tomorrow is the busiest day of the week. (Spanish.)

b) Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

b) Look before you leap.

a) Persistence versus b) obstinacy

a) If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
b) Don’t beat your head against a stone wall.

b) Don't shut the door after the horse has bolted.

a) Fatalism Versus Hope and Responsibility

a) If your number's on it ...

a) In the long run we are all dead.

b) While there's life there's hope.

a) Distance Versus b) Closeness

a) Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

a) Distance lends enchantment to the view.

a) No man is a hero in his own country.

b) Out of sight, out of mind.

a) Romance Versus b) Practicality

b) Plenty more ships in the sea.

b) There's someone for everyone.

b) Paddle your own canoe.

a) Love Versus b) Money

b) When money flies out of the window, love runs out of the door.

b) If you are rich - you sing well, too.

b) Don't marry for money, but marry where money isl

b) What attracted you to the millionaire. (Comedy.)

a) ACTION PLAN AND b) DELAY

a) Do it now.

a) The time to plant a tree is yesterday.) Or the time to plant a vine is yesterday.)

a) You don't plan to fail, you fail to plan.

a) Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

b) It’s better to be safe than sorry.

b) A fool and his money are soon parted.

b) Haste makes waste.

b) Don't cross a bridge until you come to it.

b) If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

b) Let sleeping dogs lie.

b) All things come to those who wait.

a) AGE VERSUS b) YOUTH
a) You’re never too old to learn.

a) Age before beauty.

a) An old broom sweeps clean.

a) Age is only a number. (Benjamin Franklin.)

b) You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

a) TEAM WORK VERSUS b) SOLITUDE

a) Many hands make light work.

a) No man is an island. (Poet and priest, John Donne.)

b) Too many cooks spoil the broth.

b) If you want a thing done, do it yourself.

b) He who travels alone travels furthest.

a) For GIFTS b) versus Gifts

a) Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

a) Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

a) What goes around comes around.
b) Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.

b) There's no such thing as a free lunch.

b) Nice guys finish last.

No good deed goes unpunished. (Ironical.)

a) Hitch your wagon to a star.
b) Don’t bite off more that you can chew.

APPEARANCE VERSUS THE INNER SOUL

a) Don’t judge a book by its cover.
b) Clothes make the man. 

b) Dress to impress. 

b) You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

SPEECH VERSUS SILENCE

a) A word to the wise is sufficient.
a) The squeaking wheel gets the grease.

b) Talk is cheap.

b) Silence is golden. 

b) Loose lips sink ships. (WWII UK warning slogan on posters.)

b) Can you keep a secret? So can I!

b) Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. (American writer, Mark Twain or American President Abraham Lincoln.)

Author, Angela Lansbury
Author of Who Said What When?

Make Your Own Tiny Cards - and try out my Tiny Cards on Proverbs (for Travellers)

Problem
Do you want to remember capitals of the world? Somebody has already made a set of tiny cards which you can use to test yourself. Do you want to remember or learn a few words in Chinese or Spanish? Somebody else has already created a tiny cards set. What else do you need to remember/ The best way is to create a set of tiny cards to remind yourself. No point - you are already bilingual. Want to set yourself up as an authority or teacher?

Answer
Create a set of tiny cards. I just made a set of proverbs. To me they all sounded obvious. However, when I tried them out on a member of my family, I was gratified to find that at least one of my cards was entirely new to them. That means that several will be new to other people.

I wanted to find out how it is done. It's ever so easy. Type in the title and you are offered a dozen or more possible covers for your set, different typefaces and styles.

Then you have the front and back cover and type in what you like. I chose English language proverbs.

Subjects covered are what travellers should remember, and include tidiness and being late. Can you guess what the proverbs are?

https://tiny.cards/decks/318d7066-525c-4100-940d-6183771b8169

(In case you are wondering why the tiny cards are in a different name, Lansbury is my maiden name which I use for most of my writing.)

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Travel insurance - what to look for

What to look for:

• Cover for missed flights. 
• (Cover for delay (leading to lost connection? I thought recompense for delay over a certain number of hours was now given in UK by law by the airline?)
• Cover for cancellation due to illness of partner or travelling companion.
• Requirement to have items in locked boot, when your own car or potential hire car is a hatchback.
• Cover for items over £500 (such as a laptop).
• Medical insurance. (Or flight back to your country where you may already be covered by eg by NHS or your insurance.)
• Length of trip - if there's a limit on time of any one trip.
• Age and health limit on medical cover.

https://www.ttgmedia.com/news/news/holidaymakers-warned-over-worthless-travel-insurance-5194

Angela Lansbury, travel writer, author, speaker. Author of How To Get Out of The Mess You're In.