I was just reading an article in National Geographic Traveler magazine February-March 2013 issue titled, “Excess Baggage”. It’s a short article and gave some great tips on packing.
Weeks before departing for a trip I start thinking about what to pack. Okay, its more like obsessing. I remember my first trip to China. I was going to Beijing for 3 weeks on business. I took 2 suitcases and a carry-on bag. The next trip I took 1 suitcase, one carry-on roller-board and a wheeled briefcase. My load on the departure was lighter than the first trip but then I had to buy a suitcase in Beijing to accommodate all the treasures I purchased.
Now I start planning what to pack a couple days before a departure. Regardless of the purpose of the trip, I try to limit my wardrobe to items that are versatile for daily wear or dressing up. Knowing whether laundry facilities will be available or not also helps with packing for trips more than a few days.
I’ve also learned that you can only plan for what you know. My most recent travels took me to Malaysia and China. I knew the weather in each location I would visit and my planned activities. I knew Malaysia would be hot (somewhere in the 80 Degrees Fahrenheit range) and Chengdu, China would be much cooler (somewhere in the 40 Degree F Range). The key for this situation was layers, simple long sleeve tops accessorized with a scarf. During this trip, most of my planning paid off. Malaysia turned out to be hotter than expected. Chengdu was exactly as expected. I had not originally planned to venture out of the airport in Beijing before my return flight home, but our plans changed at the last minute and the temperature in Beijing was 20 degrees F. Luckily I purchased a sweatshirt in Chengdu which came in very handy walking around the Forbidden City (that’s another topic all together). There’s only so much you can plan for, the rest you have to improvise.