How to Pack
No fancy verbiage here. No disclaimers or qualifiers. The
following article will show you how to pack. Pack for a day trip,
pack for moving your entire collection of earthly possessions,
pack for hiking... it's all here.
This article is not just for military members, in spite of some
of the techniques, it's for anybody that wants to learn how to
travel or move items efficiently, hikers, campers, etc.
Read on.
Start Off With How Many...
...bags you would like to take.
If you're hiking, obviously, for the majority of cases, you are
going to be taking one, which fits on your back, and needs to
be loaded at least marginally optimally to put the weight a
little higher up on your back to make the hike as easy as
possible.
If you're traveling on a plane, you obviously are limited to a
single checked bag and a small (and I do mean small! Don't be
the asshole trying to use Astroglide and his feet to jam a bag
into the overhead bin, or taking up all of your leg room with
some huge item) piece of luggage such as a backpack or gym bag.
If you're moving, however many boxes you can buy/scrounge up
and fit in your car or truck.
Start off by deducing this parameter from the items required,
which leads us right into:
What...
...do you need to take along?
If you're not moving or going on an extended journey, start by
thinking about what you're going to need. Then, divide that
number by half.
If you're going on a vacation, you're going to be spending
money anyway. Why not divert a little of that towards buying
things like toiletries, entertainment, and extra fluffy pillows
when you get to your destination?
Take advantage of "travel-sized" items. Instead of trying to
lug your laptop along, bring a book. Instead of bringing a
5-lb. bag of almonds to snack on, put some in a ziplock bag,
etc., etc.
A good step here is to lay everything you're planning to take
out on your bed/another flat surface before even starting to
pack. Take a good, long look, and then start to put things back
where you got them. Do you need a pair of sneakers and
running shoes? Do you really need jeans in Florida? These are
all questions which can help you cut back on weight and space.
How...
Look at all that extra space!
Now that you have everything laid out, start packing.
A Note to Seabag Users
Start by converting your bag into the world's largest, most
permeable condom. Roll the sides down until you have a little
less than a foot of total height. This will help you really
pack the bottom of your bag tightly.
Now, start with oddly shaped items and hollow items (like
shoes) first, while you still have plenty of "filler" to use,
like socks and T-shirts.
Fill your shoes with any small, non-crush-able items you may
have. If any of these happen to contain liquids, put them in
a ziplock bag unless you want to be running around in shoes
that smell like Chanel.
If you have aerosol cans, make sure they have a cap, and then
tape that sucker on (electrical tape works well and doesn't
leave behind the same residue as duct tape).
After your shoes are filled, "cap" them off with some socks.
You can then band shoes together with soles outward, heels at
opposite sides (like they come in the box new), with either
rubber bands or tape.
Place these, along with any other durable oddly-shaped items,
at the bottom of the back. You can optionally make a layer
under these by folding flat things like extra (empty)
luggage, cardboard, etc.
Now, pack the area surrounding these items using rolled
t-shirts, socks, and other items of clothing/bedding/fabric,
or flexible (durable) items.
Work one layer at a time. All of your clothes should be
rolled, not folded, this:
- Cuts down on space, as rolled clothing doesn't come
unrolled easily while packing, taking up extra space.
- Cuts down on wrinkles, if they are rolled tightly.
Pack each layer like you would stack a pallet of bricks. If
you've never done this (a majority), make one half of the
layer with rolls of clothing aligned "north-south", and the
other half "east-west", and alternate between layers.
It's here you should start thinking about what you need at
the top. Clothes that need to be relatively wrinkle-free on
arrival, and fragile items should obviously go at the top of
the bag.
If you're not packing one bag, especially on an airplane,
think about what you need in your carry-on. Things that
absolutely can't get lost in baggage claim are a good idea.
For military types, a complete uniform (for whatever day and
destination) is a good idea (unless you're travelling in
it... boot).
"Enhanced" Packing
Several products can make this a lot easier and save on even
more space:
- Vacuum bags
- Instead of packing each "layer" in by hand, place the
clothing (still rolled, if you just cram clothes into a
vacuum bag you deserve to look like a hobo when you put
it on) in a vacuum bag and asphyxiate your chinos and
t-shirts.
- This is by far the best space-saving way to pack a
bag. If you don't feel like buying purpose-built bags,
you can use large zip-locks and roll the air out of them.
- A little trial-and-error can be used to determine the
amount of aerated clothing that will form a de-oxygenated
"brick" large enough to take up the cross section of your
bag efficiently.
- Bags in general
- Using smaller bags within your larger one will not
take up too much extra space, and can help you stay
organized.
- Putting things you will need immediately or
in-transit at the top, organized into smaller bags, will
keep you from having to dump your larger bag and re-pack
in sub-prime conditions like a travel terminal.
Hiking
What you should take is up to you. I won't go preaching here
because each trip is different, and what you may or may not
need is highly variable.
I also won't say what should be more easily accessible than the
other. Use your own brain, and the tips above to plan
accordingly.
I will, however, talk about weight distribution.
With hiking, start by putting lighter stuff (like clothing)
towards the bottom of your pack.
Heavier items should be placed more towards the top with
whatever means you can contrive to keep them crushing what's
below them. Most packs are compartmentalized for this purpose.
If not, straps can be used to "hang" things near your
shoulders.
Water, gear, etc. should be placed above softer items to bring
the center of gravity of the pack near your shoulders. A little
trial-and-error can do this quite nicely.
The Purpose of It All
This article was largely written from my perspective as a
Marine who doesn't like to lug more than a couple of bags
through a travel terminal.
At the end of the day, would you rather be carrying two large
suitcases, your carry-on, and chasing your kid through the
airport, or would you rather take a single suitcase and some
kind of messenger bag carry-on, keep control of your rugrat,
and do without a few stupid things you wouldn't have needed
anyway, along with spending a little extra time on packing?
The answer should be obvious, but I leave it up to you. :D
