Packing
Essentials
The next time you are
packing for a trip, whether it is for an adventure-backpacking trip to the
jungles of Panama or for a weekend in New York, consider our list of “can’t
do without these” items:
-
Expandable
clothesline and clothespins
These are handy after you have hand-washed your clothes in the river or
hotel sink.
-
Paperback
book A
book will help pass the time on a long plane trip or a wait in a customs
line.
-
Small
hotel-size shampoo bottle
Shampoo is actually a mild detergent, handy for washing your hair, of course,
but also for washing your clothes.
-
Travel
alarm clock
Don’t depend on wake-up calls or a hotel clock to keep you from an important
meeting time.
-
Small
flashlight
You never know when a flashlight will come in handy. Even five-star hotels
have been known to lose power at times. Invaluable for snake spotting at
night in the woods!
-
Zippered
plastic bags These
are so handy for storing a number of things: snacks, dirty clothes, wet
clothes, small items that would get “lost” in your bag, like pens, tape,
and your expandable clothesline and clothespins!
-
Guidebook
There are many great guidebooks that range from guides for students on a
shoestring budget to guides on shopping for fine antiques in Italy. Take
advantage of available research to obtain general background knowledge of
your destination.
-
Backpack
Backpacks are versatile, easy to carry, and have enough style variations
to appeal to all ages and sexes. They hold a lot of your essential items!
-
Packing
cubes Packing
cubes are zippered nylon bags that are great for organizing your packed
items. You can squeeze the air out of the packed cubes, conserving space
in your bag.
-
Bubble
wrap and tape
Keep a few feet of small-sized bubble wrap in your bag for wrapping breakable
souvenirs you pick up along the way.
Avoiding Wrinkle
Woes
It is discouraging to
arrive at your destination with a suitcase full of wrinkled clothing. You
want to look nice while traveling, but not if it means spending your vacation
ironing. Cleaning services away from home can be very costly. Here is an excellent
method of packing that will almost guarantee that your clothing arrives at
your destination in good condition.
Steps in Packing
a Suitcase
-
Decide
what items to take.
-
Lay
them out on a bed.
-
Arrange
them in piles (socks, underwear, toiletries, shirts, ties, slacks, skirts,
etc.).
-
Remove
half of the items – you don’t need all that!
-
Put
small items, such as socks and underwear, in packing cubes (see p.26 of
our Spring catalog).
-
Begin
at the bottom of the suitcase with a folded cleaner’s plastic bag.
-
Fold
one of the larger items carefully; place it in the suitcase, and then top
with another folded cleaner’s bag.
-
Continue
layering until the larger items are packed, ending with a plastic bag.
-
Tuck
the smaller items into the side edges of the suitcase.
-
Walk
around the block with the packed suitcase.
-
Is
the suitcase too heavy for you to carry fairly easily? If so, remove half
of the items.
-
Unpack
as soon as you arrive, then shake out the clothes.
