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Hate packing?! Four rules for easier travelling
Some call me a little overzealous when it comes to packing, but I like to think I am being utilitarian and practical. There are several rules I follow when it comes to packing and I’ll explain each in some detail. Rule 1. You don’t want to over pack, but you don’t necessarily want to under pack either, unless you plan on shopping for clothes while abroad. You also want to have something that isn’t too heavy to haul around. Toward this end I usually determine the total length of my stay and add 1 day’s worth of clothing for traveling, usually choosing the bulkiest of the bunch, but making sure they are also loose and comfortable. If the number of days exceeds around five, I usually try to plan for a washing day half way through my trip. I always try to book a hotel in a less touristy neighborhood where there will be a local service laundry. I can drop my laundry off in the morning and pick it up later that day. In this case, I count the days, add one extra day and divide by two. Make sure the middle day doesn’t fall on a holiday! I don’t always bring the exact number of pants because you can wear them twice, but for shirts you do need one for each day. For socks and underwear, I always bring an extra pair. The British don’t call them smalls for nothing and if you are unfortunate to get caught in the rain, you will appreciate dry socks. For shoes, I try to bring 2 pairs, wearing the bigger pair and packing the smaller of the two inside 2 plastic bags. I use these for dirty laundry along the way. It’s nice to switch pairs, one for day and one for evening and, if it rains, you’ll appreciate dry shoes. Rule 2. Once you have figured out how many of each item to bring, you need to get them sorted. Pick out your pants first. Pick something comfortable and that works in both casual and more formal settings. Above all, pick clothes that make you feel good when you wear them in addition to them making you look good. There’s no point in wearing a fabulous outfit if it does not feel comfortable, especially while on vacation! Next pick a couple of shirts to go with each, even better if they all can be mixed and matched. I know this sounds a bit like Garanimals (a kid’s clothing company specializing in colour coordinated clothes), but why bring a shirt that doesn’t go with any of your pants? Next add the socks and underwear and you’re halfway there. Watch the local weather for about a week before you leave and then check the forecast about 2 days before. Be prepared for a 10-20 degree variation in both directions! You never know when there will be a cold snap or warm weather and you don’t want to be stuck with t-shirts and shorts in 50 degrees F (10 degrees C) or flannel shirts in 80 degrees F (27 degrees C). Bringing a thin sweater is also always a good idea. Lastly, bring something to sleep in! If you sleep in your underwear or in the nude, bring some shorts or a robe in case you need to cover up to answer the door or, god forbid, evacuate due to a fire or emergency.
Rule 3. Now that we have all our clothes selected, we need something to put them in, don’t we? I usually select the smallest bag possible, so it’s lighter and easier to travel with, but don’t forget the dreaded vacation obstacle, something I call “luggage growth”. This is the tendency for your luggage not to fit back in when you come home. This is usually due to 2 things: one, the trinkets and souvenirs you have picked up along the way, and two, your bag isn’t quite as neatly packed on the way home. To offset the first problem, I always leave some room in my bag. If you can barely close when it’s time to leave, it means that you need a slightly bigger bag. The second is easier: repack your bag the same way you packed it the first time, including refolding your dirty laundry! You’d be surprised how many people never think of that, but they take up a LOT less room that way. Rule 4. Some people swear by rolling their clothes and others lay things on top of each other, but I use a somewhat different approach. I fold pants in half and then in thirds, shirts in thirds, and lay them on their ends. It helps to prop the front of the suitcase up when packing. This way you can see everything you have and don’t need to unpack to get at what’s on the bottom. This is especially helpful when moving from hotel to hotel along the way. It’s also very appreciated by airport security since they don’t have to dig around and unpack the bag to see what’s in it. One time the airport security selected me for a random bag search. He opened up my bag on the table and in a loud voice said “WOW! I have never seen a bag packed like this before!” About 25 fellow travelers in line were craning their necks over so they could have a look and you could hear some saying “What a great idea!” and “I wish he would pack my bags!”
While I won’t come pack your bags (well maybe for a LARGE fee, I would..), I did just teach you all my best tricks! I hope that helps make packing a bit easier and efficient for you. Happy travelling!
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