packing
A few notes on how to pack. Packing things into other things can in general look very easy, consume a lot of time, and end with a reluctant success. I like to think about packing more than I enjoy the actual act of packing. This is a brief (living; gradually extending) note that sums it all up.
Start with taking less
One thing that I have been learning, bit by bit, is that, in general, I need less than I think I need when I'm packing to get going somewhere. For the most of my life it's been about clothes, but recently it has become apparent that I pack way more things, especially electronic devices, than I need. Taking fewer things with me has in general been a very hard thing to achieve. Not impossible though.
If it is possible to take fewer things, take fewer things.
Go for miniaturized options where possible and safe
I used to have several chargers. Now I have two: one 100-Watt and another 65-Watt, each with several USB-C ports. All my cables are USB-C on both ends. Most devices have USB-C ports, some do not, but can charge on a wireless pad that has. I take quite some cables, but then everything is small and takes way less space than used to before.
The only concern is that smaller versions are usually less safe, regardless of what the manufacturer says. They dissipate heat less efficiently, they try to achieve more with less, and it never comes for free. So yes, it adds a bit of anxiety, but I manage it by making smarter choices, such as not leaving a 100W charger in the outlet for several hours without oversight. It's been going fine so far (knock on wood).
Counter-intuitively, more smaller bags are easier to manage than fewer bigger bags
I found it fascinating, and perhaps that's how my eye-hand-memory system works, but having a greater number of things, up until a certain point, comes easier to me than having fewer bigger things. If there's a choice between two smaller suitcases vs. one bigger one, I'd go for the former. YMMV, of course
There's the general rule of 5±2 and it seems to be true for my brain, too. If it's fewer, it feels easier, but in reality a bigger suitcase is just an abstraction layer over a 5±2 things, grouped poorly to fit into the specific constraints of that one big suitcase.
Prefer one-time items and smaller things with throw-away containers
This one is controversial. I generally don't feel good about leaving trash behind, but still, no way to live a civilized life and be entirely waste-free, so I usually calculate such resources as shampoo and soap in a way that they will almost or entirely run out by the time I need to get going, so I can get rid of the bottle, ideally by putting it into a sorting container. This way I get to drag fewer items and lesser weight back. Small win, but feels significant in the haste of the moment, when I need to fit what fit before but somehow doesn't anymore, and it's check-out time already.
When packing to come back, sort and group things
Coming back means doing laundry, usually quite a lot of it. Fairly recently, I realized that if clothes are ordered and grouped into a few piles, it makes things significantly easier on the other end, upon returning, to get through the laundry work as fast as realistically possible.
A few tips:
- first group by temperature: separate the clothes that need 20-30º from those that require and/or will survive 40-50º (e.g., synthetic sport stuff from cotton stuff)
- then split these groups into smaller groups by color: if we're talking ≥40º, light clothes go into one pile and dark clothes into another
- put each of the piles into a separate bag, if possible
Upon arrival, I empty the bags, one after another, straight into the laundry machine, sprinkle some detergent on top, and start the program. No thinking required. The good thing is that, as the first program run finishes and the second starts, it's a good time to use the tumble dryer, if needed.