If you have not been a traveling T girl you are missing out on a great deal of fun. Hopefully that changes soon because it is more accepted than it was 30 years ago. Big cities like San Francisco, Portland and Seattle are no big deal. I don’t know that they are accepting or just don’t care because they have seen it all before.
For those wanting to join the ranks of traveling T girls and are ready to launch here are some helpful ideas for you.
FLYING VS. DRIVING
How you are going to travel will dictate how you should pack. Flying has limits on weight and number of bags. Traveling T girls need to plan ahead and be smart about what to take. If you go by car you can bring much more but still should not go overboard, planning is still a good idea. Don’t bring everything that you own because if you are like me you will need a convoy of trucks.
WHAT TO BRING
Personally I have found over the years that 3 consecutive days of dressing is enough especially if I am doing days and nights. I plan 3 night time outfits depending on where we are going with skirts and high heels. I lay the outfit on the bed and select earrings, bracelet, rings, watch, purse, shoes and wig. Yes, different wigs for each outfit unless the outfit colors are similar.
Setting the jewelry on the garment gives me an idea how it will look when worn with the clothing. Then I hang it on a door nob or cabinet nob so I can lay the purse and heels I choose below it.
I do this for each night time outfit then place the jewelry in a zip lock baggy. Using the hanger hook I poke a hole in the baggy so it can hang on the hanger with the outfit.
Daytime outfits are far easier to put together because the emphasis is on casual as opposed to the night time glamor. Makeup is toned down also as not to stand out so much in the crowd. Shopping rules the days so jeans and flats come first followed by a thin top so I can try clothes on over it. My preference weather permitting is a light jacket with a zipper in front. That way I don’t have to take my wig or blouse off before trying things on.
Jewelry is conservative also with smaller earrings and bracelets. My wig for daytime will be light brown as opposed to flashy blond shades. Again, the jewelry will go in a zip lock over the hanger. I also try to bring just one large purse for daytime. A tote or dump is best so I can carry sunglasses and put small purchases in it.
This packing system was thought up by my wife the organizer and works well regardless of how you travel.
FLYING
Packing your wigs especially large curly ones require some protection to minimize the need for restyling when you arrive at your hotel. Wig boxes are bulky and don’t hold up well for air travel so I use a process the late Jo Ann Roberts created.
Shoe boxes help keep crossdresser wigs from getting squashed while packed in your suitcase. All you need is a plastic shoe box from any Home Depot type store that sells closet organizing stuff.
PACKING
Mine measure 14 x 8 x 4 but if you wanted to put two or more wigs into one box you could increase the size but, I would not recommend that.
Remove the wig from the head stand holding it from the hairline in one hand. Place your other hand inside the wig to support it.
Place a kitchen trash bag over it so that one of the bottom corners of the bag is directly over the top of the wig.
Set the bag on a table pulling your arm out carefully then curl the excess bag around itself gently letting the air out.You must deflate it so it will fit in the shoe box.
If done correctly when removed the wig will look just like it did when it was on the head stand. The box has sufficient room it it that the wig does not get crushed while traveling.
When you arrive at your destination remove the wig from the box and bag. Place it on a collapsible stand as pictured or another option is just to buy 1 quart sodas.
Yet another option is use wine bottles but then you have to hold the wig in one hand while drinking with the other. We blonds have trouble doing that many things at once. Especially in front of a mirror!
WIG HANGERS
Another option for those staying in hotels which have advantages like room and maid service but some drawbacks also. It used to bother me a great deal that the maids would see my wig stands on the dresser which, is the only hint that Duke and Micki are sharing a room. I was worried they might tell other staff and snicker about a crossdresser in the room when they saw me as Duke but not so much any more.
I discovered these hangers on Amazon and tried them out on my last trip.
They go together quickly and disassemble quickly storing flat for shipping.
Dukes cloths LEFT side and Micki’s on the RIGHT
Maids don’t go into closets or open drawers so the wigs are out of site hanging in the closet. Wives traveling with crossdressers will appreciate the privacy also.
DRIVING
Driving offers the traveling “T” girl greater flexibility in packing but you are only going to wear one outfit per night so why take more. Weight is not an issue unless you take so much the tires go flat.
Although I fly to where ever I will be crossdressing I ship my luggage ahead to the hotel in a container. Weight is a big issue but it will only hold so much stuff so I still use this process. I also allows me to use different wig stands that are heavier and would be a problem with checked luggage. They are out in the open where the hotel maid can see them but I leave the do not disturb placard on the door.
I like them but have some issues mainly about the weight which is 1.68 lbs each. I need two so I am looking at over 3 lbs added to my 50 lb luggage limit. Because I flew this year and the weight I did not take them to DIVA Las Vegas 2019 this year as planned.
I like them the wigs stay put on the stand without slipping like my other portable wire stands.
The $40.00 is high given the fact that they are just cut from sheet plastic. In addition I had to widen one of the slots so the pieces would fit together without rocking.
