The Art of a Well-Packed Suitcase, or Step One of Learning How to Live on Less

The hardest part of any trip, particularly an extended one, is figuring out what to pack. Personally, I prefer to feel needlessly over-prepared so that in the event that anything at all goes wrong I can breezily whip out my hair dryer/double AA batteries/extra phone charger/spare pillow or what have you to fix the situation. I’ll admit --frankly-- that my extra amenities usually end up occupying unnecessary space since they rarely get used in the first place. When travelling I often get double takes of my luggage, mostly because I’ve packed my entire house with me. And it shows. But I prefer looking frivolous, because it also means not only looking, but actually being unflappable in the wake of often inevitable and trifling difficulties. So, when I decided to study abroad, I pretty much instantaneously recognized that packing, embarrassingly enough or not, would be my biggest challenge. I mean, how do you fit four months into a single bag?

Throughout my entire winter break people, well-wishers, I suppose, constantly perpetuated the mantra ‘pack light’, which seems to connote a certain ascetic humility, a socially admirable ability to skim the superficial straight off the top. Well, I don’t have that. For the past week or two I’ve desperately tried to separate the absolute essentials from the excessive frills. I composed, and promptly lost, several checklists that, incidentally, covered the front and back of one college-ruled sheet of loose-leaf. Over-the-top? Perhaps. Then I stumbled upon denial and refused to pack my bag, assuming that everything would somehow, inexplicably, OK, magically work out at the last minute. So much for preparation. I’d rather have my bag pack itself. Now, with roughly two-and-a-half days left, I’ve reached the last-ditch stage where I’m irrationally shoving bulky sweater after bulky sweater into my suitcase with reckless abandon, wondering why I had to pick England in the winter when clothes occupy so much more space. The seemingly simple response of ‘just take less’ is honestly harder than it really appears upon any further consideration.

When it comes to packing, I understand the basics, no problem: stuff your socks inside your shoes, keep your valuables and paperwork in your carry-on, minimize all toiletries, embrace plastic bags like old friends, etc., etc. It’s really the matter of fit that troubles me. Both the study abroad office and my program recommended purchasing as many items as possible post-arrival and countless relatives have preached about the value of carefully considered layers, layers, layers… Still, I’m hesitant about how to pack as minimally as possible for winter AND spring. Granted, the seasonal shift in England is probably slight and I expect that over the duration of my stay the weather will most likely vary from rainy and freezing to rainy and chilly. As it stands though, I’m still responsible for attending to two fairly heavy bags and a backpack. I didn’t realize that signing up for study abroad would require mild weight training. Expert packing, apparently, requires precision.

NPR advocates bundle packing over rolling or individually packing clothing. In their article, How to Pack Everything You Own in One Bag, professional packer, Doug Dyment insists that bundle packing, where clothes are, obviously, wrapped together in bundles not only saves potential unused space, but additionally prevents clothes from wrinkling. Guess I can leave that travel iron at home now. Although, I’m not entirely sure my airline would appreciate the highly practical bundle method. After all, they’re not about efficiency; they’re about making a buck. When it comes to my luggage snag, exerting effort for an extra bag isn’t the only issue. In reality, affording one is, as I’m not exactly enthusiastic about the prospect of dropping another fifty dollars just to check more clothing that I already own in the first place. I think the plane ticket cost enough. No matter what though, I’ve really got to cut back.

Some of the most simple, but maybe most helpful, advice came from my university's study abroad office. The staff suggested that every student should pack his or her bag, carry it up and down a flight of stairs and then around the block a few times. Then after that trial run we’d see if we really wanted that extra pair of shoes. Dyment maintains that travelers should only take two pairs anyway. I have four. And I’m still not packed. At this moment, my room’s beyond disastrous and my bags are basically in shambles. Looks like Saturday might be a packing all-nighter. ‘Bare bones’ has become my recent key phrase and I’m going to do my absolute best to streamline all my belongings. Because even if I don’t have my hair dryer/double AA batteries/extra phone charger/spare pillow the world won’t collapse, right? I’ll adapt.

Info courtesy of: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90297199

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