10. A new camera has arrived in the house (SLR!! eee!)
9. A notebook is busting full of errands and to-dos
8. The winter gear is seeing the light of day
7. A new International Hostels card has arrived too
6. Work is going bananas
5. Distinct rising level of panic at all the beds not booked and the tickets not bought
4. Distinct rising level of panic about how the hell I fancied myself a backpacker
3. Sudden franticness about organising stuff for after I get back (in a month!)
2. Gut-wrenching twistingness about the ever-expanding cost
and...
1. it's T minus 6 til take off!!
Showing posts with label luggage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label luggage. Show all posts
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
How to Pack for a Long-Term Trip Part 2: Macktastic-Style
When it comes to packing, there's a few schools of thought. Some want you to layer like kuih lapis, others want you to roll like a baguette.We here at Macktastic have come up with the soon-to-be legendary, ground-breaking and much more delicious, "swiss roll" school of thought.
Layer then roll. The idea is to keep stuff in a category in the same bag/roll/sack. Like so:
1. Collect all the same category of clothes together. Here are my pants/jeans in a lengthwise pile on top of a larger piece of clothing laid flat.
2. Roll the pants up toward the dress.
3. Then wrap the resulting sausage with your cover piece and secure with rubber bands. This pic doesn't have it, but you should label your sausage before you forget what's inside!
Awesome! Now you can go ahead and wrap sausages made from all your categories of clothes e.g. t-shirts, jackets, dresses etc. Since you're going somewhere for a long stay, you're not going to be too worried about keeping everything creaseless, more like keeping everything identified.
OK, that's the big clothes done. Here's how you can handle the other trickier stuff:
Necklaces and bracelets can be laid out on a plastic bag...
..to make jewellery roll!
Delicates or anything in a fragile state can go into ziploc bags.. (just get a whole bunch. You'll also need one for your tiny-ass in-flight toiletries). Not pictured here are the mesh handwashing bags that can be got for a few bucks at supermarkets. Keep undies/bathers/bras etc in them. Also awesome.
The all-important shoes! Not much you can do about their space-hoggingness, apart from stuff every cavity with socks. But, having a pic helps you remember which ones you are missing weeks and months later when it's all a foggy blur.
The end product: Sanity. You've effectively created drawers in your luggage, so open a roll to take out or put something in and you'll always know where your stuff's at.
Delicates or anything in a fragile state can go into ziploc bags.. (just get a whole bunch. You'll also need one for your tiny-ass in-flight toiletries). Not pictured here are the mesh handwashing bags that can be got for a few bucks at supermarkets. Keep undies/bathers/bras etc in them. Also awesome.
The all-important shoes! Not much you can do about their space-hoggingness, apart from stuff every cavity with socks. But, having a pic helps you remember which ones you are missing weeks and months later when it's all a foggy blur.
True story: After having already been delayed 12 hours by No-one Worse Airlines, I stood gobsmacked at the Singapore Airlines counter in SF facing sour-faced unhelpful crew who "can't find my (re-routed) reservation". I needed the number of my travel agent in Singapore to get the booking code to sort it out. It was on my SG phone in the depths of my 25kg bag, which I fished out in a minute from the electronics bag, called from a friend's phone and saved my seat from the depths of SIA's booking system.
Good, huh? That's what I thought. You know what would be better? Not having this much stuff to worry about in the first place.
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
How to Pack for a Long-Term Trip Part 1: How Much Crap Do I Really Need?
I've had to pack for 3 long-term trips now, and it's daunting and hard.
They are the kind of trip to fall somewhere between "I'm going there for a few months" to "I'm going there and maybe staying", and everything that falls in between. You can't bring your whole wardrobe (i.e. you're not using movers), but you also can't survive on 5 black separates either.
If this is useful stuff to you, then congrats on your big trip! Maybe you are studying, maybe you landed a new gig. Maybe you're not sure and going anyway. Well done on having some cajones cos you'll need them. But, you won't be needing that 3rd pair of black shoes (just sayin..)
Packing list: Pants-Yes, Cowboy boots-NO
This first post will be about how to edit your random crap into some kind of sharply-honed fashion miracle. Why? Because when you're away from home, terrible, cataclysmic things can happen. I'm not being dramatic. When traveling, you should just expect it (yes, wonderful, delirious things happen too, but let's not harp on about it).
So when that thing happens, and you're ready to kill yourself or someone else, you can at least look in the mirror and be reminded you too used to be sane once.
The second post will be how to pack it all. Not just for the trip, but for the week you'll probably spend re-packing, finding stuff when packed and un-packing on the other end too.
Be a happy monkey: Pack wisely
Be warned, it gets quite anal. But then, attempting a big move requires a kind of military precision in the details in order not to go completely monkey-nuts crazy (for me, anyway).
GETTING A FIRST CUT
When at home, our wardrobe is like a government department. Entities can languish inside for years and never have any use.
However, taking the show on the road immediately demands a justification for everything that's taken. Suddenly everyone has to pull their weight or even do double duty. So, who makes the pick?
A little research will let you know what's going to be appropriate culture-and-weather-wise. After that, it gets a little murky, which is where some self awareness helps. Use the following handy spectrums to scientifically ascertain your packing persona.
If you're happy to go ahead with a random sampling of all your beige clothes, then you're probably not reading this anyway.
To my fashionistas: My advice is to tone down the variety of your clothes and dial up the tone of your accessories. Belts, scarves, jewellery all can pack a sartorial punch and take up less space. Shoes are always going to be a big space-hogger but they also make a lot of difference, so bring something fancy if you must, but make sure you use it! Same goes for bags.
Another point to note–if you're also contending with seasons or weather very different from your own, don't bother too much about getting stuff beforehand (I'm thinking of Americans buying sarongs and flip flops from Macy's or Southeast Asians getting winter gear). Your local shops probably a)aren't going to be up to snuff in range and b)the bargains will be better in the new place. Bringing bare essentials will suffice.
If going to Cambodia, for example, a Gap t-shirt at the Russian Markets runs about USD$1-4. At those prices, you can go with just the clothes on your back! Meanwhile, those same t-shirts are $16-20 in the 'real' Gap in the States (bitches). So feel relaxed if your dollar is strong, but if not, keep in mind the different situations you'll need to be prepared for.
I'm going to America (bringing a sink).............I'm e-baying Mary Poppin's bag right now
Depending where you go, and what kind of airline you go on, luggage allowance differs so get clear on it early. Trips to America allow 50kg in 2 bags whilst budget intra-Asia flights allow only 15kg. If traveling budget, I would plan on springing for the extra luggage space. Even going to the States on the largest allowance known to woman was not easy and involved many borrowings once I got there.
Start off with the right luggage and work from there. If you are lucky enough to be buying luggage, look for sturdy but store-able. My Victorinox (something like this)fit 25 kg easily and packed down flat(ishly) to fit under the bed when I got to the States. Which left me feeling very smug. Which is about all that we're really after, isn't it?
EDITING DOWN
Once you have pretty much covered your bed and surrounds with stuff you think you'll take, you can call it your first cut. Now it's time to examine your collection more carefully for:
1) Quality
Nix anything that doesn't look as though it can take a rough washing machine (you'll want to keep the hand-washing down to a minimum)
Nix anything that isn't in good condition, or get it fixed. Buttons, hems, seams all fall apart like a mofo once they leave your area code.
2) Fit
Generally everything should be just so, but especially jeans, bras and shoes all need to be doubly examined for fit and quality. They are often not easy to get right, so finding replacements won't be easy either. Consider carefully! If something pinches or is not quite right at home, you always have options. But on the road, you'll be stuck with it until you get round to finding a replacement who knows when.
Someone I know, I'm not saying who, went to the US and packed on the pounds, promptly ruling out half her pants in 2 months. Something you may want to keep in mind when considering your 3rd pair of skinny jeans!
3) Usefulness
Hold on, it's still not ready to go into the bag yet.
Ask yourself:
Can I use this in at least 3 different ways?
Will I really be going to that many cocktail parties/yoga classes/wilderness hikes/[insert sartorial situation here], to justify taking this?
Once an item has jumped all those hurdles, then it can go in. Congratulate it, cos it's fit for travel!
Next post: Getting it into the bag
Not this hard, but pretty tough
They are the kind of trip to fall somewhere between "I'm going there for a few months" to "I'm going there and maybe staying", and everything that falls in between. You can't bring your whole wardrobe (i.e. you're not using movers), but you also can't survive on 5 black separates either.
If this is useful stuff to you, then congrats on your big trip! Maybe you are studying, maybe you landed a new gig. Maybe you're not sure and going anyway. Well done on having some cajones cos you'll need them. But, you won't be needing that 3rd pair of black shoes (just sayin..)
Packing list: Pants-Yes, Cowboy boots-NOSo when that thing happens, and you're ready to kill yourself or someone else, you can at least look in the mirror and be reminded you too used to be sane once.
The second post will be how to pack it all. Not just for the trip, but for the week you'll probably spend re-packing, finding stuff when packed and un-packing on the other end too.
Be a happy monkey: Pack wiselyGETTING A FIRST CUT
When at home, our wardrobe is like a government department. Entities can languish inside for years and never have any use.
However, taking the show on the road immediately demands a justification for everything that's taken. Suddenly everyone has to pull their weight or even do double duty. So, who makes the pick?
Most obvious question is: Where are you going?
A little research will let you know what's going to be appropriate culture-and-weather-wise. After that, it gets a little murky, which is where some self awareness helps. Use the following handy spectrums to scientifically ascertain your packing persona.
My fashionista status is DoA................................................Vogue is on hold
If you're happy to go ahead with a random sampling of all your beige clothes, then you're probably not reading this anyway.
To my fashionistas: My advice is to tone down the variety of your clothes and dial up the tone of your accessories. Belts, scarves, jewellery all can pack a sartorial punch and take up less space. Shoes are always going to be a big space-hogger but they also make a lot of difference, so bring something fancy if you must, but make sure you use it! Same goes for bags.
Another point to note–if you're also contending with seasons or weather very different from your own, don't bother too much about getting stuff beforehand (I'm thinking of Americans buying sarongs and flip flops from Macy's or Southeast Asians getting winter gear). Your local shops probably a)aren't going to be up to snuff in range and b)the bargains will be better in the new place. Bringing bare essentials will suffice.
My moolah is stronger than Moses................................I'm drafting up a ramen budget
Those looking to travel light always back it up with, "If I really need it, I can get it there". That's true, but travel is an expensive business mostly and how much shopping you can do there depends not just on your available funds, but also a lot on the strength of your currency.If going to Cambodia, for example, a Gap t-shirt at the Russian Markets runs about USD$1-4. At those prices, you can go with just the clothes on your back! Meanwhile, those same t-shirts are $16-20 in the 'real' Gap in the States (bitches). So feel relaxed if your dollar is strong, but if not, keep in mind the different situations you'll need to be prepared for.
I'm going to America (bringing a sink).............I'm e-baying Mary Poppin's bag right now
Start off with the right luggage and work from there. If you are lucky enough to be buying luggage, look for sturdy but store-able. My Victorinox (something like this)fit 25 kg easily and packed down flat(ishly) to fit under the bed when I got to the States. Which left me feeling very smug. Which is about all that we're really after, isn't it?
EDITING DOWN
Once you have pretty much covered your bed and surrounds with stuff you think you'll take, you can call it your first cut. Now it's time to examine your collection more carefully for:
- Quality
- Fit
- Usefulness
1) Quality
Nix anything that doesn't look as though it can take a rough washing machine (you'll want to keep the hand-washing down to a minimum)
Nix anything that isn't in good condition, or get it fixed. Buttons, hems, seams all fall apart like a mofo once they leave your area code.
2) Fit
Generally everything should be just so, but especially jeans, bras and shoes all need to be doubly examined for fit and quality. They are often not easy to get right, so finding replacements won't be easy either. Consider carefully! If something pinches or is not quite right at home, you always have options. But on the road, you'll be stuck with it until you get round to finding a replacement who knows when.
Someone I know, I'm not saying who, went to the US and packed on the pounds, promptly ruling out half her pants in 2 months. Something you may want to keep in mind when considering your 3rd pair of skinny jeans!
3) Usefulness
Hold on, it's still not ready to go into the bag yet.
Ask yourself:
Can I use this in at least 3 different ways?
Will I really be going to that many cocktail parties/yoga classes/wilderness hikes/[insert sartorial situation here], to justify taking this?
Once an item has jumped all those hurdles, then it can go in. Congratulate it, cos it's fit for travel!
Next post: Getting it into the bag
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