The Browns' Guide to Packing

Perhaps you have noticed that we travel a bit.  Truthfully, most of it is for work.  In fact, 80% of our trips this year are work-related.  We often turn them in to mini vacations, usually with one of us arriving after the other.  That means that we're usually packing for both work and vacation at once, and we've gotten good at getting it all in to one small suitcase that's never over the weight limit.  (Do we even own a 'big' suitcase?  I'm not sure we do!)

In fact, my father-in-law once picked me up at Dulles and seemed confused that my plaid duffel bag and I didn't want to wait at baggage claim.  "Where's your luggage?" he asked.  "This is it," I replied.  He eyed me suspiciously, before remarking "no....way."

Way, dude.  Here are our secrets!

Tip #1: Use packing cubes.
A flight attendant friend introduced me to these.  I love 'em for a few reasons:

• It makes all of your stuff more compact.
• You can bring a packing cube for each day (I did this on our trip to Scotland, where every day required lots of clothes: jeans or cold gear leggings, thick socks, underwear, long or short-sleeved top, sweater, scarf)
• More often, I use them by clothing type: tops in one, bottoms in another, etc.
• I bring an empty one--or two--for dirty laundry
• Chris says to roll your clothes for extra room and to prevent wrinkles
• If you are one of those people that destroys your suitcase as soon as you open it at the hotel, you need these right now.
• Bonus: if you have extra, you can also use these to store your out-of-season clothes

Packing cubes and cat helper in action.

Tip #2: Bring three pairs of shoes, max.  Wear the biggest pair on the plane.

I feel like this is where lots of people take up valuable real estate unnecessarily. I promise you that I only take 3 pairs of shoes--sometimes only 2--and I've never had the wrong footwear.  Typically this looks like:

• Cold weather vacation - Boots on the plane, tennis shoes & dress flats in the suitcase
• Warm weather vacation - Tennis shoes on the plane, flip flops & dress flats in the suitcase
• Work trip - Tennis shoes on the plane, heels & dress flats in the suitcase

Figure out your version of this.  Whatever you take, your footwear needs to be neutral and comfortable.  You do not need your leopard wedges and your red peep-toe pumps here.  Pick black, nude, or brown.  The end.  No one cares about your shoes.  Unless you are Imelda Marcos, you will be okay.

No!  Bad!

Tip #3: Have a standard list.
A list makes is to much easier to cross through anything I won't need, then check off the rest.  A total time and sanity saver.  It's a file on my laptop, and I print one out for each trip.

I'm dying that "anxiety medication" is now under Basics.  Welcome to 2017, everyone!

Tip #4: Pack all your clothes, makeup, and jewelry then put at least 1/3 of it back.

• Be honest about what you'll really use.  There are a few myths you tell yourself, and these mostly involve believing that 1) you're going to use the hotel pool during a non-tropical trip, (2) you're going to use the hotel gym ever, and (3) you're going to be invited to dinner with the Queen or go out to a fancy dinner even though you don't have one planned.  Put the bathing suit, workout clothes, and fancy clothes back.  The exception is that if you of course DO regularly do any of these things.  Then by all means, go ahead and pack the appropriate stuff.
• Evaluate your piles of clothes--how much 'extra' have you packed?  Extra underwear = fine.  Extra everything else = nope.
• Pick a color scheme and put back what doesn't match.  Why do this?  It helps you bring less stuff, and what you do have will be interchangeable.  When you inevitably spill something on yourself or there is unexpected weather, you won't have to redo your entire outfit if you need to switch out a piece or put on more layers.  For example,  Canada was dark bottoms and tops in the blue/purple/pink family (both long and short sleeved).  Almost everything in Scotland was black, blue, gray, white and burgundy which worked really well when I had to pile on or subtract layers.  
• Simplify jewelry: one silver necklace + earrings, one gold necklace + earrings, one 'everyday' pair of earrings (diamond or sapphire studs or faux diamond or sapphire studs).  That's it.
• Simplify makeup: Foundation, mascara, 1 eyeliner (yes, one), 1 lipstick (yes, one), 1 eye shadow palette (yes, one), 1 blush (starting to see the theme here?).  Bonus for Bare Minerals, since it's all powder, it's less stuff that can leak or has to go through the x-ray machine if you're carrying on.

This is a good example of how 10 pieces (3x pants, 3x jacket/cardigans, 4x shirts) combined with 2x pairs of shoes and 2x scarves = 14 outfits in fall colors.  You could easily do without the scarves, depending on where you're going.

Tip 5: Always pack these three counter-intuitive things:

• A t-shirt for cold weather destinations.  Even the U.K. in the fall.  It ended up freakishly hot for a few days, and I even ended up washing my 2 t-shirts in the sink.  Plus you can layer them with your sweaters if it stays cold.
• A hoodie/cardigan/sweater for hot weather destinations.   Always.  Even in Hawaii.  As I now own overpriced hoodies from Hawaii, Disney, and the Bahamas, now I always pack at least one.  And I usually bring it on the plane, because the plane is always cold.  Mexico this year?  Got sick and was glad I had a hoodie.  Quebec?  One weird rainy/windy day, glad I had a (pastel) cardigan.
• A compact umbrella.  Ask me about my international umbrella collection as well.

Tip #5: Use Saran Wrap & Plastic Bags.

• When you pack anything that could leak (shampoo, conditioner, aloe, whatever) take the top off, put a little piece of Saran Wrap over the opening, seal.  Taa daa!
• Put bigger stuff (spray sunscreen) in plastic bags.
• Bring a few extra bags for when you buy liquids that come back with you.  Like maple syrup, ice wine, or whisky.

Tip #6: Bring your own first aid kit.  I have, unfortunately, learned this one the hard and/or expensive way.

• If you're traveling internationally, it is sometimes hard to figure out what the equivalent of Dayquil is.
• If you're not traveling internationally, the Dayquil will cost $15 a bottle.
• That is, if you can even GET to the Dayquil.
• What's always with me: Advil (better than Tylenol in my opinion, because 800mg will treat inflammation in addition to fever/pain), box of Band-Aids that has a tiny tube of neosporin in it, chewable Pepto Bismol tablets, Dayquil caplets, pseudoephederine, 3 ounce aloe with lidocaine.  You don't need huge amounts of these (and Lord, don't pack the boxes).  ALL of this fits in a small-sized cosmetic bag.  But you will be happy that you have it.
• Obviously, adapt this to whatever you frequently use.  Chris only ever asks for Advil and Band-Aids.  

Ooooh, pill case!  An even better idea!

Tip #7: Wear it Twice
You can wear jeans way more than once.  You can wear leggings usually twice.  Cardigans at least 3 times.  Hang them on a hanger in the bathroom so they get steamed when you take a shower.

I do have friends (all hail them) that pack minimally and plan to wash stuff in the sink.  I am not a member of that tribe, although I do it on occasion when needed--if I spill something that shouldn't sit for the whole trip, or if I'm out of of clothes near The Sea of Hebrides and it's either wash stuff in the sink or learn to knit.

The trick is, once you've washed your stuff, (1) lay it flat on a bath towel, (2) roll the towel up so it's shaped like a tootsie roll and (3) step all over your tootsie roll towel.  When you unfurl it, the towel will be wet and the clothes will be mostly dry.  MAGIC!  This blog explains it in detail with pictures.  Some people will tell you to use your hands to press the water out--ignore those people.  Standing on it with your feet will get more moisture out.  Just be sure to wear shoes or have bare feet, as socks will get wet.

Tip #8: Declare a Truce

This one may sound silly but...I find that when traveling with/around other women (hi, fellow HR professionals) the need to "dress up" because of other women is high.  If you agree to not do this in advance--even if you're only expectation setting with yourself--life is so much easier.  For example:

• My best friend and I agreed to only wear 1 pair of earrings and wedding rings to Mexico.  I literally wore a pair of cubic zirconia studs on the plane and was done with it.
• Hot Jewish Lawyer and I declared in advance of our UK adventure that we were not going to dress up for dinner.  This also helped us save money by agreeing to no fancy dinners!  It set the tone for "who gives a $*!*" in the wardrobe department, and we dressed for comfort and warmth, not to impress each other.  Side note: we ended up wearing the exact same outfit one day, which was brown boots, jeans, blue long sleeved tee.
• On the HR Conference side, I've just decided to bring the brains, other people can bring the looks.  (Some people manage to bring both--kudos to them.)

Here we are at dinner!  We are not dressed up but still look aight.
We ate haggis at this meal, by the way.  It was good!

Bonus Tip: Keep a stocked carry-on if you fly a lot.

We have the same carry-on backpacks, they're only used for this purpose, and they live in the same place in the house at all times.  The following things permanently stay in them: ear plugs, headphones, book, pen, tissues, granola bar, Advil, gum.  We always need that stuff on the plane, and those are nine things (including the bag) that we don't have to worry about finding and packing.

So, to summarize:
1. Use packing cubes.
2. Pack 3 pairs of shoes max, wear the biggest pair on the plane.
3. Have a standard packing list.
4. Edit! Put stuff you don't need back in your closet.
5. Use cling wrap to prevent liquid spills.
6. Bring your own first aid kit.
7. Wear stuff twice.  Three times even.
8. Declare a truce about dressing to impress others.

Safe travels and happy trails!