To Fold or Roll
By Denise Walker
To fold or roll…that is the question.. I love travel! But I hate packing! Is that how you feel? Well folks, in 2 days I’m headed to California!! I’ve been up and down the East coast…From Canada to the Bahamas and all states in between.I even had a little excursion in New Orleans in high school and lived in Mississippi for about a year. But, I never been out to the West coast. I am beyond excited!I don’t know about you, but I am an over packer. Even if I stay somewhere overnight I pack no less than 4 outfits. What if it’s colder than I thought? What if there’s a fancy dinner? What if the person I’m going to see wants to go out? Or stay in? Or??? I’ve hit a point my life when I’m going to be able to travel a little more and I would like to do things as cheaply as possible. Some airlines like Frontier and Allegiant will let you travel with just a personal item(backpack size) can you charge and there’s there’s a really cheap! I have not learned to get everything I need, or think I need in a backpack yet, but I’m going to work on it.
For this trip to Cali I get a carry-on at no charge but I know I still can’t bring my whole wardrobe. So I found some tips on how to pack lightly.
1. Look at the weather in your destination city Looks like it will be in the high 80s during the day but high 60s at night so maybe I will bring a little sweater. Two options for clothes…Make a list of needed items and then:
2.A. choose a travel palette... You can pick several neutral colors black or gray or tan and then one or two accent colors. And then you’d be able to mix and match your outfits.
2B. 3 to 1 ratio for clothing... Bring 3 shirts for 1bottom…the bottoms are generic colors like tan, white , black or gray but go wild with the color for the tops. This way you can mix and match and have a lot of outfits with just a few pieces of clothes.
3. For reading material go digital…
4. Pare down your original list… Maybe you’re going somewhere where you need a wetsuit or hiking boots or snow boots. These items take up a lot of room in your suitcase. And you might only need them for an hour or two out of your whole excursion. This might be something that you can rent as opposed to bringing it from your home.
NOTE: your travel routine will mirror your home routine to an extent so pack accordingly…
5. The answer to the original question: ROLL THE CLOTHES!! Why? Folding keeps clothes wrinkle and crease-free. Better organized luggage. Optimizes the space in your bag There are lots of good ideas on Pinterest about how to best do this!
6. Shoes: One pair of tennis shoes one pair of sandals one pair of heels (if you wear heels) is probably all you need.
7. Toiletries: There are some really good travel packs that include shampoo, razor, deodorant, tweezers, etc. I say buy one of those and stick it in your suitcase. They are not very expensive at all. It’s really very simple when you think about it. You don’t really need as much stuff as you think that you need will you go on a trip. While traveling is so much fun, it can be stressful as well. I hope these tips will help you when you pack for your next trip!!
As for me it’s Cali or bust…see you all soon!!