Anne McAlpin

That's the down-to-earth approach to packing light Packing Expert Anne McAlpin likes to take. Anne learned how to pack lightly for her first trip abroad: A student bike trip across Europe when she was 16 years old. Biking from Vienna to Paris, through 5 countries, she had to pack everything she needed for 6 weeks into her bike bags. "When you have to carry everything, it makes you cut-down on what you pack". Which leads into one of Anne's number one packing tips: "If you can't carry your luggage around your block without putting it down (or wheel it) then you've packed too much!" Studying European History and Languages in Germany and Spain, Anne realized she needed a career that would take her around the globe. After several world cruises (and sailing through the Panama Canal 98 times) Anne noticed how much luggage travelers packed and how much they really didn't need. From this experience, she wrote "Pack It Up" now in it's 15th year of printing. So where does Anne travel on vacation? "New destinations-I really enjoy adventure travel". What is one of her favorite packing secrets? "Use the free shower cap in your hotel room as a shoe cover to keep all the dirt out of your suitcase"! When Anne is not living on a plane, she makes her home in Southern Oregon.