GABIT attendees thread

[scifithinker]

hehehehe



Maybe you should consider changing roommates?

Are you volunteering?

Mandy can have the room number. I'll ward her off with....SUGAR!!! See if she crossed *that* line.

And Jan, I know things.


Depends on who's side you choose. Think very carefully....


suse

I'm on Antoa's side. She's safer than the whole lot of you. I think.

[scifithinker]

OK, this might be a strange question.

I am trying to figure out what would be the best way to haul all my crap to London. Right now I have one medium-ish size rolling suite case (it's expandable) and one that is at the top limit of the 'carry on size' (i.e. I have to take things out of the front pocket in order to shove it in the overhead bin). I was planning on brining these two along, checking the large one and carrying on the smaller one with my Camera backpack (as my personal item).

The thing is, I thought it could be a pain lugging around 2 rolling suite cases. I have done it before, walking to the metro station here (1.3 miles or 2 km) and taking the subway. Would a larger rolling suite case be better? With a duffel or shoulder bag for the carry on? Of course this would mean that I would have to buy a new suite case.

Any suggestions?

*edit* and in case it matters, I'll be staying at the Ren for the first 4 nights, then moving to a hostel somewhere in London (possibly Victoria area) for 3 nights and then flying to Dublin where I'll be staying in a hostel for 3 nights. We are then renting a car to drive across the country and see the sites (most likely staying at B&B's along the way) for 5 days.

I've been driving myself nuts with this question the last few weeks. I would rather take one large suitcase than a couple of smaller ones, but I'm not going to because of weight limits. The best solution I've seen is a set of two pieces where the smaller case actually fits over the handle of the other case , so they roll together. Samsonite has them, but I won't pay that much for something I may only use once or twice. I use a backpack for my carry-on. I found it so useful the first time I flew that I've used on ever since. It's handy to not need your hands for at least one bag, and it won't slide off your shoulders as you walk.

The last I read, flights out of the UK are requiring one carry on bag only. If a person chooses to carry a purse, laptop or other small bag, it must be packed inside the one carry on bag, or one of the two pieces must be checked or left behind. Apparently, this rule is frequently followed rigidly. Some airports in Britain are in the process of dropping this requirement, but as of two weeks ago, Heathrow had not done so. It is currently being considered, but I doubt it will change in time for AT3. Apparently it's the smaller airports making this move, not the larger ones.

[antoa]

I'm on Antoa's side. She's safer than the whole lot of you. I think.

Bwahahahahaha! That's what you think!

Actually I am mostly harmless.

So I've been looking at laptop/camera combo bags (I have an SLR camera with multiple lenses) and I think I found one that will work. It will hold my camera gear, my lappy plus some other stuff. If I get this, it will be my only carry on. Then I can bring my biggest roller (which really isn't that big) and maybe a duffel that can be strapped to the roller while rolling.

Maybe I'll do a test packing a week earlier to make sure everything will fit. Then if I need a bigger roller, I'll have time to buy a new one.

I am glad I am not the only one worried about this stuff!

[JanSam]

Sites I bookmarked and used last time:

http://uk.weather.com/weather/local/UKXX0085
http://uk.weather.com/weather/climat...?dayofyear=116
http://www.weather.com/outlook/trave...ortprofile/LHR
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?world=0008

LOL! Best bet is to plan for 50's (F) it seems. And look at the sunrise/set times - 5:30 a.m. sunrise, 8:30 p.m. sunset. Much better than in November at the last con!

Thanks Shimmering and Becky!

My question would be the rain factor in comparison to November. It says much less, but is it much drier? (The heavy rain in Vancouver last March killed my little travel umbrella!)

LOL, something tells me you don't like our liquid sunshine

[ShimmeringStar]

I've been driving myself nuts with this question the last few weeks. I would rather take one large suitcase than a couple of smaller ones, but I'm not going to because of weight limits. The best solution I've seen is a set of two pieces where the smaller case actually fits over the handle of the other case , so they roll together. Samsonite has them, but I won't pay that much for something I may only use once or twice. I use a backpack for my carry-on. I found it so useful the first time I flew that I've used on ever since. It's handy to not need your hands for at least one bag, and it won't slide off your shoulders as you walk.

The last I read, flights out of the UK are requiring one check on bag only. If a person chooses to carry a purse, laptop or other small bag, it must be packed inside the one carry on bag, or one of the two pieces must be checked or left behind. Apparently, this rule is frequently followed rigidly. Some airports in Britain are in the process of dropping this requirement, but as of two weeks ago, Heathrow had not done so. It is currently being considered, but I doubt it will change in time for AT3. Apparently it's the smaller airports making this move, not the larger ones.

Methinks you meant carry-on bag above where I bolded. But yeah, where you could fly in with a carry on and a purse/tote, when you get to the airport to leave the UK and go through checking in and security, yep, you do go through with just one carry-on bag. (Many of us stopped before getting in the security line to smoosh our purses/totes/etc. into the carryon.)

But as soon as I was past security, I pulled my smallish tote (full of camera, papers, snacks,etc.) back out so I could have it handy for waiting in the airport and for the 8-hour flight back.

[dipsofjazz]

This may help you re. baggage Heathrow security information.

[ShimmeringStar]

Thanks Shimmering!
You're welcome.
LOL, something tells me you don't like our liquid sunshine

LOL! I didn't mind it, but it literally was pouring down - flood warnings and all that Friday morning that the con began when we were going out to the Capilano suspension bridge. I mean like *pouring down.* It did wean the GW group down from 30+ to about 10-15 of us hardier souls.... and we *did* have the bridge and the paths on the other side to ourselves for quite a while...

Spoiler:

*grins* Of course the pic doesn't do justice to how hard it was raining....

(And to give the area its due... it was beautiful two days later....)

Spoiler:

[scifithinker]

Methinks you meant carry-on bag above where I bolded. But yeah, where you could fly in with a carry on and a purse/tote, when you get to the airport to leave the UK and go through checking in and security, yep, you do go through with just one carry-on bag. (Many of us stopped before getting in the security line to smoosh our purses/totes/etc. into the carryon.)

But as soon as I was past security, I pulled my smallish tote (full of camera, papers, snacks,etc.) back out so I could have it handy for waiting in the airport and for the 8-hour flight back.

Thanks for pointing out the error. I edited my original post. The change certainly has an impact on the meaning, huh?

This may help you re. baggage Heathrow security information.

This link was very helpful. Thank you, O Dippy One.

[SEREN LWCH (MAL)]

76 DAYS TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[t_2]

Thanks Shimmering and Becky!



LOL, something tells me you don't like our liquid sunshine

Hey Jan, asking about our weather is like asking how long is a piece of string! Last year April was like our summer and May turned into one of the wettest on record! It barely stopped and it wasn't particulary warm. Yet previous years it's been sunny and warm. So all you can do is as Becky says, pack layers and a wet jacket and check the long range weather forecast before you leave.

T

[becky_preen]

The last I read, flights out of the UK are requiring one carry on bag only. If a person chooses to carry a purse, laptop or other small bag, it must be packed inside the one carry on bag, or one of the two pieces must be checked or left behind. Apparently, this rule is frequently followed rigidly. Some airports in Britain are in the process of dropping this requirement, but as of two weeks ago, Heathrow had not done so. It is currently being considered, but I doubt it will change in time for AT3. Apparently it's the smaller airports making this move, not the larger ones.

There is actually a really good reason for them insisting you only take one bag through. they are required to search so many bags in every ten that come through, so if you have a little hand bag and a normal carry on that's two bags so they have to special search more bags than if you stuff the purse in your carry on to go through the scanner. then it's just one bag.

I really doubt that heathrow will be reverting back/ relaxing the rules. they are a very busy air port and so to keep the queues down, they have to make savings where they can.

In general they actually make you take a lap top OUT of the bag so they can "see through it" more easily. SO make sure it's not too deep in the bag.

Becks

[Mandysg1]

Jan and I have now been booked!!!!

No PengYn, not that kind of booked, you don't have to bail us out
we finally booked our flight

(check one thing of the list of things to do)

[ShimmeringStar]

Jan and I have now been booked!!!!

No PengYn, not that kind of booked, you don't have to bail us out
we finally booked our flight

(check one thing of the list of things to do)

What? Here... Oh....

*slides Get Out Of Jail Free card back into wallet and wanders away whistling*

[SEREN LWCH (MAL)]

75 DAYS TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PengYn]

Jan and I have now been booked!!!!

No PengYn, not that kind of booked, you don't have to bail us out
we finally booked our flight

(check one thing of the list of things to do)

*narrows eyes suspiciously* uh huh.

What? Here... Oh....

*slides Get Out Of Jail Free card back into wallet and wanders away whistling*

Could I please borrow that ^^ when you get here because.. with those two.. something tells me I'm going to need it!!