Have any of you been watching Race across the World? I love this programme. It both irritates and frustrates me as well as inspires me. I love seeing where they go and how they choose to get there, their grit and determination, and how, for so many of them, they work on ‘issues’ that they’ve had before the race; relationships, health, confidence etc. I also get frustrated with some of their stupid choices, (not that I’m saying I’d do any better, but it’s easy to be a judge from the safety of your armchair no?).
This time they’re heading from Japan to Indonesia and both my eldest and I were annoyed with ourselves that we didn’t apply! This is one of our favourite parts of the world.
Anyhoo, I am digressing. Hubby and I will be off before long to one of the places we were inspired by in the very first RATW. I am not going to say anymore than that, so you can have a think. It is in Asia too…
I am in a league of my own when it comes to packing, not because I’m good at it, I’m pretty useless actually, despite having done a lot of travel in my time. I have been known, in days gone by, to pack for everyone else in the family and then to forget my underwear or any t-shirts for myself. It really is a new found freedom to have adult children who now all go off on their own adventures and discover they don’t have clean crackers!! I also over pack hideously. I took my Brownie oath of ‘Be Prepared‘ to extremes!
So in my excitement of this intrepid ‘adult only’ exploring and glorified ‘backpacking’, we are taking on together, my packing has now gone to new heights and I am ridiculed (and understandably).
At least a month before I’m due to depart my wardrobe is on the floor with me sorting out what I’m going to take. It then sits, in piles, gathering dust for a couple of weeks. I then choose to pack it to check it fits (bear in mind, I’m likely to unpack it and repack it at least twice before we actually leave!). Hubby on the other hand is from the ‘pack the night before’ club. We are chalk and cheese!
Does this improve my packing, do I end up remembering everything, being able to find everything when I get there or on the flight? Does it bugger!
So after being the brunt of my kids’ and other half’s jokes for several years, I’m trying a new tack. I am still an early bird, it’s in my genes: time, bed, packing, handing in assignments at university, I can’t help it. However, I am a bit late to the party here, but I have found packing cubes. So not only can I now pack in advance I can pack it into small neat cubes that make me squeak with joy!!
Rather than my original packing routine of somewhat random crap being packed from the floor, rolled if I’m using my rucksack, or folded (ish) if using a case, I now pack using these. I lay out my ‘outfits’ and how they might go together and I’m trying SO hard to reduce the amount I take too as I never wear it all. I can make t-shirts go twice and take a small amount of travel wash to rinse stuff through. I then pack stuff into the cubes and, this is the best bit, if you fold it right, it stays fairly uncreased (how sad am I to say that to the public?).
The other tip I have, is something I’ve always done. I pack a separate bag (cube in this case) of a couple of days of outfits, just changes of t-shirt and trousers/shorts and clean underwear and put it in my carry on. This has been a long standing thing since a. having kids and needing a change of outfit due to one or other puking on me or themselves mid flight and b. my luggage being left behind one time and being stranded with nothing but the clothes I was in.
This extra clothing in my hand luggage doesn’t take up much space at all as I tend to travel with my favourite harem style pants. I have lots of pairs that I’ve bought over the years from either festivals or in Asia and they are really lightweight (so they dry easily) and pack small. I have them in so many colours and patterns that they can be mixed and matched. I also have literally one patterned top in my drawers, everything else is either black or a plain colour as it can then be mixed up too, keeps it simple.
So that’s it. From this:
To this, 2 weeks worth of clothes and kit required in three main cubes:
My carry on bag, if I’m taking a rucksack (which I am this time as there’s a lot of travelling within the country) is either a hold all style if I have a rucksack, or a brilliant Gandys weekend backpack if I’m using a case. In either I have a little travel bag that holds all my gadgets including: powerpack, metal or silicon straw, lip salve, cables, an eye mask, ear plugs, a little fan (god that is the menopausal travellers best pack ever!), my kindle, a collapsible water bottle (with a filter) and hair ties. I also carry a separate little plastic bag with teeny refills of my favourite skin stuff for long haul flights and if my main bag goes missing, and I always carry a scarf wherever we go for either warmth, to ‘jazz’ up a t-shirt in the evening, but more importantly to cover my head for respect if needed. Most of this stays put throughout the year so I don’t have to find it all each time I go away.
So that’s it. From crap-packer to backpacker for the over 50’s.
