Getting Ready to Leave--Packing Woes (Throw Back Blog Post)

Wow! What a whirlwind. Amidst anxiety, tears, excitement, and stress, was PACKING! AAAH!!! I am super challenged in that area as it is—I tend to severely over or under pack for any trip. For example, after spending a summer in the UK where I was very aware of the weather patterns, I forgot to bring rain gear and instead packed over 8 pairs of jeans! Yet on other trips, I have had experiences where I didn’t pack enough t-shirts or underwear. The point is, it is not that I am attached to stuff, it is that I am generally, not a thoughtful packer.

Couple my “thoughtlessness” with the fact that I don’t backpack or know the world of athletic/sports/camping wear…makes me a complete disaster. I pack things that are more “urban” and heavy (though fashionable) as opposed to more functional clothing. Needless to say this packing experience for a family (for a year) has been a cluster.

After multiple discussions with Kapil (who has much more experience and comfort in this area) and a starter list, I attempted “picking out our clothes for packing” experience and failed. I tried to minimize from that chunk of clothing twice before I attempted to pack it into an EagleCreek ORV 36 trunk (roller duffel and ORV 30 for the kids). I really struggled to meet a 50lb weight limit.

What saved the day? Compressible packing cubes! I also kept a bag of “wish list clothes/items” and then kept weighing it to make decisions. In my third iteration I veered from the family and went with the Patagonia Black Hole Duffle (which was a little lighter) and the following came out: jeans, hairdryer, perfume, cozy sweater, Alexa spot (for family to “drop-in” on us), scarf, back-up face wash, and some clothes. Looking back on this list, it seems absurd that I would try to take those items but trying to plan for a year is daunting.

Kapil also helped me get select a great North Face backpack (after lots of trial and error) which had the right amount of pockets and support for my body and gear. I added a few carabiners (thanks to my friend, Megan’s suggestion) to it for things like my Chacko sandals which were a bit heavy but useful and voila!

Thanks to patience, good advice from experts and friends, and good gear, we did it! By design, we are at our heaviest (kids averaging 40lbs and Kapil/me at 50lbs). We also have approximately 60 lbs in curriculum in two small carry-ons—phew, it is a lot! Our plan is to ditch weight as we go by using the bug sprays, sunscreens, going through the curriculum, and ditching clothing that were already on their way to a second life. We are also carrying two REI foldable duffle bags just in case we need to adjust weight along the way (thanks to my friend, Anessa’s suggestion). Should be interesting…wish us luck!