Over the years we've gathered tips and tricks that have helped us become independent travelers. Not everything is easy, and we've learned by making plenty of mistakes. Hopefully, there will be something here that will help you avoid some of the potholes we encountered. Check back, as we occasionally add updates.
Carry-On Only
We have a relatively strict rule that we only take carry-on luggage, no matter how long the trip. Our logic is pretty straight-forward:
I am a big guy. If I check luggage and it is lost there is likely no way for me to replace my clothes in most of the places we travel to. It's one thing to be not have clothes for a few days, something completely diferent for the entire trip.
Lufthansa has lost Karen's luggage three times in the past - once when we were on a trip with a lot of moving around. It took nearly a week for them to catch up with us after midnight in Lithuania.
There are laundry facilities everywhere in the world. For a very small amount of money, and maybe two hours of my time I can handle getting our clothes clean. Most of them are conveniently located near a pub or restaurant, and you frequently get to meet some new people. Top laundramat so far globally was Bubbles in Budapest....
I've learned the way to do it is you have to have a "capsule". Every item you pack should be able to be worn with any other item. Black and grey make great colors to build a capsule around, and the best news is no one remembers what you wore yesterday, or cares.