The rules of Packing
Posted by Júlíana Björnsdóttir - 21/06/09 at 03:06:03 pm
Photo by geishaboy500
Obviously, all of us Dohop-bloggers share a certain passion for travelling. But it does not mean we do not frown upon certain aspects of the process; I am referring to the act of packing. I am a master of late-packing! I have found myself packing at 2am knowing that I have to be up 3 hours later to make a long flight. Being tired on a flight is pretty bad. It’s not only exhausting to sit through a flight for several hours, but also having to get to the accommodation site. It also happens to spoil the first day if time of arrival is during mid-day. So how to avoid such inconvenience?
First of all, WRITE A LIST! A general rule is to bring one pair of jeans, tracksuit pants, shorts, one nice dress and one casual (for females mostly), and the same applies to skirts. In terms of shoes, never bring more than one nice pair that matches pretty much any outfit, flip-flops/thongs or sandals, sneakers and a pair of boots if you´re a girl (again a pair that matches most outfits). Of course, this list must be adjusted to the destination. Obviously bring more of the clothing appropriate for the local climate. In terms of t-shirts and tops I fail miserably every time and bring too many. Under normal circumstances you should never need more than 10 at the most. In fact if going to Bangkok, bring less and buy more there. Same goes for the Greek Isles, I have always bought the best bikinis while there.
If you happen to be departing from Paris do yourself a favour, go to Rue de Rivoli, right across the Pont de Neuf. There are some great shops there, not only bikini but also shoes, etc. But if your currency is down the drain then maybe give it a miss – I am foreseeing some rough times in that department.
If you want to avoid the sleepless night factor, start packing at least a day earlier and pack every item you want to bring. Then start making piles and categorize them into a No-No, Maybe, and Yes-Yes. Work your way through the pile until you are left with all you need. Do not bring any extra items. I know it´s tempting to bring all your favourites but lets face it, it´s far too painful to carry all these favourites! So be smart about it and bring necessitites only.
I certainly plan to TRY and follow my own advice. Whether I´ll actually succeed I don´t know. For the 10 day trip I am on at the moment, I brought my medium-sized suitcase and guess what, it´s full of mostly my things. Only a couple of items belong to my husband. What was my excuse this time? Well, I´m travelling domestically and I am not flying to a single location, so I can get away with it. If you find yourself driving to your destination, then maybe allow yourself to bring more…otherwise, categorize and eliminate until you can remove no more.
Good Luck!
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The Dohop Blog had a great post last year on the subject of traveling light. After reading it and the good advice it points to, my travels have changed. Today a medium-sized suitcase sounds huge for a 10 day trip. But then again, I’m not a girl.
http://blog.dohop.com/index.php/2008/06/11/carry-on-and-traveling-light-resources/
Comment by Jon — June 30, 2009 #