By: Revanche

Packing, Me-sized

July 1, 2009

As much a lightly-packing ninja I fancy myself, there are always some fantastic tips out in the blogworld that are worth repeating:

From the Unclutterer:

Plan your wardrobe around a limited color scheme and choose your neutral first. I typically choose EITHER black or brown, and then plan the rest of my clothing around two other colors such as blue and tan. This way I can mix, match, layer and create a bunch of different outfits without needing a ton of items.

Use your shoes as containers. I can get three pairs of socks and my sports bra into my sneakers! Mens’ dress shoes are roomy too, as are some ladies shoes. Plus when your shoes are stuffed it keeps them from getting crushed. Bonus!

From Ms. Minimalist herself, FB:

Pack properly
Put your liquids, gels and aerosols ALREADY stuffed into that tiny little plastic bag (you can reuse them, they don’t care how new they look), and put it in the FRONT sections of your carry-on so you can easily grab them out and throw them into the bin before going through.

I have this down to an art now.

I also put my laptop in a section where it’s easy to pull out and throw into the bin as well.

My main rules about packing are:
1. Bring only what you NEED. Only one “just-in-case” top is allowed, because I have been known to muss myself.
2. Bring only what you can carry. I’m pretty darned small, and can’t expect to be helped by strangers, so if I can’t bench it, I can’t bring it.

For this nine-day trip, I’m going with browns/blues: two day dresses, two skirts, five tops. Also, two black dresses in case we go out or I go dancin’, business suit, and pajamas. A towel is stuffed into my most lightweight purse that I’ll use during the day, and the pair get packed into the carry-on suitcase, while the laptop goes into the backpack.

Five tops seems excessive, but I’ve been told to pack for hot and humid. I’d like to be a fresh smelling tourist, and I’ve got room to spare. As for shoes, I’ve got sneakers, the new pair of brown walking flats [pleaseplease be kind to my feet in NYC!], and one pair of sandals to go with the business suit and evening dresses. It’s all pretty flexible, but not as minimalist as I would like.

Since my experience with packing tends to be business-oriented, we’ll see how my business +vacation packing skills hold up.

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