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packing

May 23, 2002

Packing has been on my mind a lot lately, because, well, that's what I'm doing. Now that school's done, the Relève is over, the diploma's (soon) in the mail, and the potential employers don't seem to be beating down my door, my energies have been pretty focused on preparations for my upcoming trip to Europe. And on how to get enough belongings for two months into a suitcase measuring 29"x20"x10".

Having asked around for packing advice, most people simply give generic answers like "pack light" or "take less stuff". Duh! That's what I'm trying to do! But it seems that whenever I finally think I've got all the bare necessities, I think of something else that I simply can't live without. Suddenly, the bare essentials have multiplied, such that they no longer fit in any suitcase or backpack ever constructed. And removing things is sheer hell. I can't possibly take out that extra t-shirt, cause then I won't have a black t-shirt and what kind of person goes away to Europe without a black t-shirt, huh? Huh? HUH?

Then comes the challenge of squishing it all into the bag. I never took physics beyond high school, but I'm getting ready to rewrite some of the laws on volume and density, it seems. When packing, there are several methods that can be employed:

  • The folding in neat piles method. This is traditionally how I've packed in the past, and involves simply tossing in piles of folded clothes. It's great for us lazy folks who like the single motion of drawer to bag. Unfortunately, it doesn't pack down very small, things tend to wrinkle along the folds, and those neat piles invariably become not-so-neat after a day or two.
     
  • The roll method. I'm giving this one a try on this trip. Involves rolling all clothes into little cylindrical packets about as big as a teaspoon. Okay, maybe slightly bigger. I'm told it's a big advantage over folding, although I'll have to wait and see how that goes.
     
  • The expensive fancy gimmicky method. Companies such as Eagle Creek sell these fancy pack cubes, compression bags, and organizers designed to pack everything as small and neatly as possible. To me, they're a waste not only of money, but also of the valuable bag space that all these gimmicks take up. No thanks. Although I will be using numerous plastic bags for things such as shoes, towels, and anything that has the potential to leak.
     
  • The if-all-else-fails method. I suspect that, despite my best intentions and neat rolling, this one will be used quite a bit on the trip. It involves tossing everything haphazardly into the bag, and then jumping up and down on it until the zipper closes. Messy, but effective.
     

With all my dozens of lists, debates on backpack-versus-suitcase, and careful planning, I know I'll probably end up with too much of what I don't need and not enough of what I do need. But at least I'll know I tried. Europe, here we come!!!