Wednesday, May 4, 2011

PACKING HEAVY

Yesterday I was waiting for a meeting to start that I was attending at the local PBS affiliate office.  I picked up a brochure to read while I waited. It was “Rick Steve’s Europe Newsletter.” If you haven’t seen “Rick Steve’s Europe” on your public television station, Rick hosts these mini-travelogues around Europe that are fairly enjoyable in a nerdy kind of way and air in those PBS ten minute intervals between regular programs. The show tends to present Europe in that sweet, nothing can go wrong, the sun is always shining, nobody will yell at you if you don’t speak the language travel magazine kind of way.

In Rick’s newsletter there was an article about how to pack “light” for stress-free travel. It was illustrated by a photo of a smiling, almost-middle-aged couple who were both wearing jeans and light rain jackets. They were hefting fairly substantial back packs – which were apparently, according to the article’s advice, filled only 2/3 full to leave room for the day’s lunch and for buying souvenirs.  Are they kidding!?!

Their backpacks looked like they held about the volume of stuff I carry in my purse! And still looked heavy! Are they not staying in a hotel where they can dump their stuff and just carry a wallet? Are they walking through Europe?!? Don’t they want to look good by changing clothes every once in awhile? Is every picture they take going to show them in the same outfit? “Here’s me in front of Michelangelo’s David in my jeans and red rain jacket!” “Here’s me at Big Ben in my jeans and red rain jacket!” What if they decide to dine in a swanky restaurant? In jeans and a red rain jacket? I don’t think so! What if the weather gets hot? Or cold?  What if the only pair of shoes they’ve got gets wet? Are they risking trench foot just because they “packed light?”

The wet shoes thing happened to Ken and me in Quebec City once. Wet jeans, wet undies, the works. We only had two days to see the city. We packed relatively light with only one change of shoes – one walking, one dressy. But on our first day there was a torrential, all-day downpour. We could have played cards in our boring hotel room all day, tried to get on a tour bus with a thousand other grumpy tourists, or we could do what we intended – get out and walk. Our sneakers were soaked in minutes. We had rain jackets but they were only knee length and wicked all the rain around the lower legs of our jeans – which wicked its way all the way up if you catch my drift. We had wet sneakers - and undies - for the remainder of our 10-day trip to the Maritimes. The undies dried out hung on bathroom towel bars, but the sneakers started to stink of mildew after three days in plastic bags – and even though we rented a car once we got to Halifax and could unpack them – those sneakers never dried out. What would the backpack couple have done about that situation?

I have never accomplished the art of packing light – or even, as the fashion magazines encourage you to do – packing non-creasing, interchangeable-outfit, coordinating clothing pieces that can take you from day to evening with a simple change of accessories. Instead, I have made an art of packing all the wrong things – and way too many of them. I like to take clothing for weather contingencies. I like to change outfits from the afternoon walking tour khaki capris and Ecco sandals to the romantic evening dinner linen (suitably wrinkly) pants and tunic sweater with cute ballet flats. I never get the look just right for any location or event, but I at least like to try. I like to use the iron supplied in hotel rooms – it gives me something to do between outings. I like dry shoes.

Fortunately, Ken has given up trying to convince me when we fly to “just carry-on.” He never even challenges me any more when I start to pack the big suitcase that will need to be checked. Packing for a road trip is license for carrying everything I own. But for flying I have a system. The airlines lose bags a lot less frequently than you’d think.

So, here’s my counter proposal to Rick Steve’s “pack light.” Buy a great carry-on bag that has wheels and that fits under the seat in front of you. In it you pack all the stuff you’d need if your luggage never makes it to your destination or you have to get a hotel room when your flight is cancelled, plus reading materials, crossword books and snacks. Then go to town packing all the outfits you can cram into the big suitcase, rain jackets and maybe your favorite pillow and check it.

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