I must confess, though, that I did not actually pack my own suitcase by myself. My mother is the master packer. Thanks to her and her packing methods, I was successfully able to take everything I wanted and needed with me on tour. Granted, my bag is sooooooo heavy but ITS SO WORTH IT.
"Laura, what is the mystery to packing all of your items?" you may ask. I'm going to tell you!
ZIPLOC BAGS. For my purposes, I used 8 Ziploc bags. I am going to try and explain, to the best of my ability, how these magical, zippered, plastic totes work.
"Get on with it!!!!"
When you're right, you're right.
Initial Packing Day
- I think it is absolutely necessary to give yourself two days to pack. This initial packing day should be spent on organizing. Separate everything you think you might want/need into a pile near your suitcase. You will probably stare at it for a long time and contemplate not even going on your trip due to the fact that it's too difficult to transport all your personal belongings.
The Second Packing Day
- This is when you get to the meat of the packing. After the initial shock factor of the first day, you are able to more reasonably separate what you want/need versus what you will ACTUALLY use. Once you toss aside the expendable items (wipe those tears away!), you can start categorizing everything. I separated my stuff into these different categories: pajamas, tanks and short sleeve shirts, pants, long sleeve shirts, sweaters, underwear, socks, and a heating pad (yes, this has its own bag).
Creating a Vaccuum-Seal with Your Ziploc Bags
- This is as simple as it sounds. Squeezing all the air out of the bags and creating a vaccuum seal will allow you to more easily pack your belongings. This idea was given to my mother by Mrs. Tax, one of my mom's best friends. To create the vaccuum seal, make sure you have a stable chair- NOT a rolling chair. It will make things a lot harder, trust me. Fill your Ziploc bag with your categorized items. Set the filled bag on the chair and then sit down. While sitting on the Ziploc bag, carefully zip it up. AND THERE IT IS, FOLKS. You own vaccuum-sealed clothing and accessories bags. Easy.
The Final Step: Tetris
- Figuring out HOW to pack everything is exactly that- a game of Tetris. Use every nook and cranny you see for belts or stockings or tissue packets. Small things like these add up so finding those little hiding places between bigger items will be useful.
In my suitcase I was able to fit:
- one pair of sneakers
- one pair of lace-up boots
- 16 pairs of underwear
- 7 pairs of socks (fuzzy socks included)
- three pairs of yoga pants
- one pair of jeans
- one pair of shorts
- two t-shirts
- one pair of sweatpants
- five tank tops
- two long sleeve shirts
- one sweatshirt
- one bulky sweater
- heating pad
- bag of medical things
- toiletries
- portable humidifier
- slippers
- tea bags and granola bars
- electronics
- a few accessories including a cute necklace and my favorite rings
- a stretch band for working out
INSANE. I'm mildly impressed.
Happy packing,
Laura
Up next... Adventures in Missouri
Love it, you are such a good packer. Looks good!!!!
ReplyDeleteLaura I am so proud of you and even more proud that two years later your mom is still using the tips and tricks I taught her when we trained and completed the SGK Breast Cancer 3 Day!!!!! Ziploc baggies rule.
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