Packing for a Trip Around the World

How do you pack for a 21-day trip? This is my current dilemma – 8 countries, a broad range of temperatures, and a very full agenda of activities from water sports to climbing Ayers Rock! 

Over the years, I've become a very 'lean' packing machine. I feel foolish when unpacking after a trip and find that I haven’t worn many of the clothes I hauled half-way around the world. My experience with trips to Africa taught me that it’s okay to wear the same outfits repeatedly and that laundry facilities do exist. Plus, I love wearing  jeans (over and over).

Usually, with a couple of pairs of pants and  tops, a sweater, and a rain jacket, I'm done.“Carry on” luggage is my travel philosophy. By and large, I’ve been successful with packing, although France in May was a disaster. Unusually bad weather caused me to wear my one yellow cashmere sweater non-stop - I felt, and looked, like a bumblebee!

So, as for those upcoming 21 days and nights….I see the packing issues as:

·         The tedious nature of repeated packing and unpacking
·         Finding the things you want without having to dump everything out of your bag
·        The  range of possible weather – from tropical to blustery and cold
·         Shoes!         

Our travel company recommends a few pairs of pants – hmm- I’m up to eight pairs of pants and capris already. That's not so good. So, my starting point is going to be a strategy of organization. I've purchased several small bags for different items such as:

• Drugs I need
• Drugs I hope I don’t need
• Underwear
• Items for the beach, from suits to sun tan lotion
• Shoes!

The shoe bag

I found a three-tiered 'shelf' with mesh sides that fits into my carry-on bag and then lifts out to fit on a closet rod – this should be both easy to view and easy to use. We'll see. Currently, I'm organizing my flexible 'shelf' this way: shelf # 1, scarves; shelf # 2,T-shirts; shelf #3, sweaters.

My folding 'shelf"

Remember: rolling clothing, rather than folding it, maximizes space and reduces wrinkles.

It remains to be seen whether my organizational strategy works. Time will tell. I'll keep you posted!