Packing Light—My Packing Challenge
Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert
As I’m sure we have all experienced, packing the correct item but not taking too much is one of the hardest challenges for most folks when we travel. We all want to over-pack for that just in case scenario which leads to over-packing but do you really need all those clothes and items?
Taking less also presents at least 2 other challenges—looking nice or even professional and facing different seasons of the year.
It even gets worse when you have to go on a trip in the winter to Europe and then go to Egypt in a warm weather climate. We are about to take 2 river cruises at both locations—strange but true!
So here is the challenge for me—use my new 22” carry-on luggage and my trusted leather Tumi second piece of luggage to bring enough to handle 21 days of travel, in 2 climate conditions, look reasonably professional during part of the trip, and easily get my 2 pieces of luggage on a train, since large suitcases often pose a storage problem.
I do realize that it is much more difficult for women than men, as I don’t wear make-up, need several pair of shoes to look proper—you get the idea.
So, let’s explore together and learn if it is going to work for me!
What are Some Reasons for Over Packing?
I think the first and most obvious reason is the “just in case” approach to packing. It is the planning for the absolute worst case scenario. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have the motto ”Be Prepared” and that means for everything, not the most likely situation.
I also think you can’t ignore the comfort factor of having a lot of different clothes to choose from—less stress because you didn’t make hard choices before the trip.
Maybe the often overlooked reason, is that you may have bought new clothes especially for the trip and just can’t leave it home.
In reality it is a departure from your comfort zone—I can always just go to the closet at home, so if I bring it I will feel more secure. It reduces stress and anxiety—let’s face it sometimes travel is stressful but so rewarding and just a little something extra brings us comfort.
So understanding these concerns, can I pare down my clothes, look reasonably professional, be warm and feel comfortable?
I think I can, so here is my game plan.
Some Good Rules for Packing Light
The most obvious is you are not going to wear 1 item 1 time on the trip. My goal is to get at least 2 uses of each item such as shirts and pants. I will definitely need more shirts (top layers) than pants. 3 times wearing a piece of clothing or more is a bonus.
No more than 3 pair of shoes.
Anything that can do double duty such as a shirt that would look good during the day and could be worn at night in more dressy situations and still look good for both parts of the trip means I can cut at least one piece of clothing.
I must have clothes that make me look professional or at least not sloppy or inappropriate.
My clothes must also not offend anyone due to cultural norms.
Landry is my friend—it means less clothes and fresh clothes, which it is great thing, so I have to bring clothes that can be washed and dried without causing any damage to them. It will most likely get me into the bonus area of 3 or more uses on the trip.
I can’t suffer being uncomfortable just to save space—no more freezing nights in horrible weather like it was sometimes in the military.
If it is a toss up to bring or not to bring don’t bring it—be mentally tough and make the hard decisions early. The advice I have often read is lay out everything you might want to bring and cut it by one-half. I’m not sure I totally agree with this but I like the principle. I am a partial fan of the idea not to bring it if you only will use it once—evaluate the event—for example, even if you only use your swim suit once, it is probably better than a pair of shorts that becomes too revealing.
Don’t worry about looking perfect—just look good and be comfortable.
Pack early—reduce your stress.
You need a good packing list. I use the Packing Pro App, so i won’t forget things. I also play around with where each items goes, in the vest, the Tumi or the suitcase as it is amazing how often I forget.
Don’t be foolish and bring so little you will hate what you brought. Just go to a bigger suitcase.
A Closer Look at My 2 Pieces of Luggage
I’m using a new carry-on luggage from Solguard. (A quick disclaimer here—I don’t get any rewards from the makers of either piece of luggage or am I not affiliated with them in any fashion). It is 22 inches and on the inside has what they call a closet insert. The concept is at arrival you don’t have to unpack—just hand the expanding insert up in the closet or from the handle with the suitcase open. Here are a couple of photos:
The real question is will it work?
My new luggage empty
The design allows me to open it up and hang in a closet or use it with the suitcase open.
The inside insert part of the luggage. On the left is the fully loaded insert. On the right the insert is empty with the laundry bag.
My carry on is a leather Tumi we bought in Brugge. Trust me, they are proud of Tumi luggage and it is very pricey, but it sure does look cool. The true goal of any really light traveler would be to bring only this small luggage piece, but the truth is it just doesn’t work except for ultra-minimalists. Here is a photo:
My pricey Tumi leather luggage bag
Electronics and Essentials
It goes without saying, you will need some electronics.
My electronics bag (orange net bag) , my toilet kit, my binoculars and the European power strip to charge my electronics,
I bring a digital camera, a head lamp, my IPad, charger cords for my phone and IPad, my fit bit charger and a halo back up battery.
Packing 101 for Europe in the Winter for a River Cruise
As most of you know, river cruises have an informal dress code. During the tours, trousers, shirts and appropriate warm weather gear are the norm. So, I have 2 challenges that may require different types of clothes—the daytime activities and the daily night dinner onboard.
The Tours and Daytime
I need to stay warm but still look presentable. So I need 21 days’ worth of clothes. This is going to require some hard choices.
Let’s start with the outer layers. I am going to bring a light weight down jacket, my weather proof rain jacket, gloves, a scarf, a knit hat and my splurge item my special made hat from Germany. I sure wouldn’t need any of these items in the summer or even late Spring or Early Fall. Here is a photo:
My outer wear for Winter in Europe
As everyone advises you, dress in layers to help preserve warmth. For me, that means at least 2 long sleeve long john type underwear shirts. Since my legs seldom get cold, no long john’s for my legs. I also plan to bring my travel vest full of pockets as my inside layer and not bring a fleece vest.
The most flexible part is the pants and daily shirts. I’m going with 2 rather light weight cargo pants type garments. I’m going with 4 daytime shirts but 2 could be used for night time.
I will take 2 pair of shoes for day wear—my sandals I wear everywhere and my running shoes with 4-5 pair of socks.
The Dinner Meal
During the evening, many but not all get a little more dressed up. I always like to wear a jacket to dinner for 2 reasons. First, as a professional travel advisor, I think my appearance is important. Second, and perhaps the best reason, the dinner meal is a usually special 4-6 course meal, and I think honoring the time it takes to serve these meals deserves a little effort on my part to dress appropriately.
So, what is the game plan for these meals? I plan to take 1 Sports Coat, 5 dress shirts and 2 different pair of pants, and one pair of shoes. While I usually take 2 Sports Coats, this trip will be limited to just one. I just alternate my slacks, wear each shirt twice, so I look different each night.
My dinner clothes—2 pr slacks, 2 shirts (in the middle that can be worn dressy or for day wear and 3 shirts that could go with a tie,
My one pair of dress shoes are also very comfortable. I could easily wear them during the day with the slacks if I want to dress up a little.
Egypt River Cruise
I will need some really light weight shirts to add to the 2 pair of light wight cargo pants.
I have combination of short sleeve (middle of photo) and long sleeve shirts
I would not need the short sleeve shirts if we weren’t going to Egypt and the light weight long sleeve shirts are to prevent sunburn. I would probably cut out 4-5 shirts if I was only going in the winter in Europe.
Did it Work?
So how did I do—I managed to get almost all in my new carry-on suitcase. It weights 29.8 pounds or 13.5 kg. It is a little too stuffed and I also put the clothes I plan to wear inside the suitcase, so I have some adjustments,
It is really stuffed but the compression straps got it all compressed so I could get it closed. I tried to get as much as possible in but realize there is slightly too much, so I will learn and adjust.
I will also carry a clean set of clothes in the Tumi, that will come out from the carry-on. The Tumi will have my electronics bag, my Ipad, my hearing aid bag, my raincoat, my small binoculars, my camera and my sandals.
One concern is wrinkled clothes. With the outer wear, should be easy to hide.
My Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed this report. Packing is quite a challenge and after 50 years, I still probably don’t have it right, but I keep trying to refine and get it better than last trip.
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HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 49 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:
AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent
