How to pack in a smart way
In this period it is all a ferment of holiday, festivities and weekend getaways : if you are worried about packing for your next trip, DON’T PANIC!
Today’s post is a decalogue to pack your luggage in a simple and effective way:
THE MAGICAL POWER OF MAKING LISTS
I’ve already told you about my passion for lists. Well, in order to pack in a smarter way, it is essential to draw up a list in the previous days (or weeks): only in this way will you be sure not to forget anything.
I even have a “continuous” list, valid for any trip: it contains the things I bring with me every time.
LET US GIVE THE FLOOR TO THE WEATHER REPORT
Whatever the destination of our trip, even the most exotic, we must pack a suit based on the weather we will find, not on the one we would like to find …
To avoid unpleasant surprises then, before you even take your suitcase, take a look at the temperatures expected.
SMALL IS GOOD
Packing is not very different from what we do with a normal everyday bag. The theorem is the same: the bigger it is, the more we will fill it (of useless weights).
So we choose comfortable standard measures and instead commit ourselves to organize them in a smart way with a few things …
LESS IS MORE
The temptation is to bring with us almost everything we have in our closet … just in case!
But in this way, once we arrive at our destination, we will stay in front of the suitcase looking pretty mush as our full wardrobe: we have a wardrobe luggage full of clothes but nothing to wear …
Here we are: it is not a matter of quantity, but of quality (and clear ideas).
THE CONCEPT OF CAPSULES
The secret is to pack like a capsule: a few items that, mixed together, give life to an infinite number of outfits. How is it possible, you ask? Well, it’s very simple: just bring only clothes which have coherence in color, fabric and style.
Needless to bring our brown jacket, if we decide to bring with us only our gray bag. Needless to wear the linen shirt if we packed two velvet pants. Needless to bring some eccentric accessories, if we are not carrying anything that actually looks good on us.
PRE-CONFIGURED COMBINATIONS
If you are of those people who need certainties and if you actually have a precise planning of the trip (for example for business trips), then you can pack with a mathematical certainty.
I mean: agenda at the ready, you can decide the changes you will wear on each day / occasion and stay true to that. All the rest is useless weight with a risk of duplication.
MUST HAVES
Speaking of versatility, a garment that never fails in my suitcase is a neutral-colored pashmina. It takes up a very little space but it is a real life saving in case of sudden changes in temperature, violent air conditioning, a boring outfit, a jacket not warm enough, … I could go on for a long time …
In general, you always wear more tops than pants / skirts because you may need to change them more often.
And do not forget a bag to store dirty laundry every day.
ORGANIZERS
Packing cube from Muji are my favourites, but you can find them at Ikea or on Amazon.
They allow you to organize your suitcase as you would do with the wardrobe, that is by category: tops with tops, pants with pants, underwear with underwear, etc.
Advantages: first of all the garments do not get dirty or crumpled. And then, when you need something you do not have to rummage through the pile, but you know where to put your hands, without creating disorder.
SHOES BESIDE
The footwear deserves a separate theme: let alone!
Do you know that there are some brilliant travel cases: practical, hygienic and safe, to carry our precious shoes?
In any case, to recover space, fill your shoes with socks or other small accessories.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
If you travel in pairs with two suitcases, do not use one per head, but both for both: if you lose a suitcase, neither of you will be completely broken down and in practice the risks are halved.
Also, during the trip, remember to: use a badge for your luggage; keep the most precious things on you; wear the most bulky shoes so as not to weigh down the suitcase; insert bags and handbags one inside the other; bring in your hand baggage a lingerie change and basic necessities, in case the suitcase arrives late …
Well, now that we have discovered how to pack in a smart way (or at least by method), all that remains is to get busy …
Have a good trip!
Rossella Migliaccio
Italian Image Institute
