And in my bag I packed . . .
Apples, Bugles and calendars may not cut it, but packing for summer trips doesn’t have to be a headache
Signy Holmes Staff
Ah, summer. Time to hit the beach, save up some cash, and if you’re lucky, get the hell out of Winnipeg. Whether you’re heading overseas or on a road trip, there’s one question that will always need an answer: what do I pack?
It’s a problem that has foiled travellers forever. Odds are, the average suitcase contains a dozen things that aren’t needed, yet lacks some essential items like a toothbrush or extra underwear. Lists and careful planning can help, but they won’t remind you that flip-flops aren’t actually ideal footwear for hiking, or that you need more than beer for a camping trip.
Some may deal with this problem by packing absolutely everything they own into steamer trunks, but unless you can afford a porter, this probably isn’t worth it. Even if you aren’t on a backpacking expedition, you’ll have to haul that stuff out of airports, into hotel lobbies and out to taxis. If you’re headed on a road trip, packing your own weight in wardrobe not only ruins your gas mileage, it also makes whoever sits in the back next to all of your crap your enemy for life.
It may be stereotypical, but most of these over-packers are women. This has less to do with some sort of girl-related syndrome or disease than it does with the sheer number of things women seem to be expected to have with them at all times. This list includes, but is not limited to, flat irons, hairdryers, strange hair creams for straightening, curling, smoothing and volumizing, make-up, assorted shoes and outfits, moisturizers and special brushes.
Guys, on the other hand, are much more likely to follow the sacred rule that trips equal no shaving, or in extreme cases, no washing. All T-shirts and shorts were pretty much created equal, and the purpose of hats is to avoid the comb. Such manly men may chuckle smugly that they can get by for weeks on nothing but the things in their bottomless pockets, but are sure to be sheepish when they have to borrow some aloe gel from their girlfriend for the raging sunburn on their sunscreen-free shoulders.
All this seems pretty simple. The moral is not to under-pack, but also not to over-pack. The problem comes from deciding just what it is you really need without leaving behind things you’ll later wish you hadn’t. Just what makes the cut will depend on you, but also on where you’re going and for how long.
Road trip!
In the movies, it seems so easy. Just hop in the car and head out to experience madcap adventures. The car may end up destroyed, but don’t worry, there’s a happy ending. If you live in reality, as many of us do, you may have to do a little more planning before you drive across the country — or the border.
As with many trips, a budget is a good idea. You probably won’t end up following it, but if you manage to then you’ll feel really great about yourself, and if you don’t, you can see where you went wrong and plan your next trip more carefully.
Budgets might not seem to have much to do with packing, but if you’ve allotted $20 to food for a week-long trip, then you might want to raid the pantry before you head out. If you’re planning on sleeping in the car after your hotel money mysteriously transforms itself into beer money, a pillow could be useful.
To keep your food as tasty and sanitary as possible, you can keep your cooler in the car with the air conditioning instead of in the trunk with the heat and the dirty socks. If you’re taking two coolers, try to split up the food and beverages so that only one cooler is opened and closed frequently, and the other mostly stays shut.
Most importantly, if you’re crossing the border in today’s political climate, don’t try anything funny and don’t talk back or you can bet that you’ll be waiting on the side while your car is picked through. If you aren’t supposed to take something over the border, just don’t. Things to make sure that you have when crossing the border include a car license (and if it’s not your car, written permission to have said car) and car insurance.
You can bring some alcohol and tobacco back but watch that you stay within the limits (1.5 litres of wine, 40 ounces of liquor or 24 bottles/cans of beer). No passport needed yet, but it looks like you will need one by the first day of 2007. Also, don’t lie about duties — or anything, really — or you might get caught. The rewards are slim and the cost of getting caught is just not worth it. If you stay less than 24 hours, you can bring back $50 of stuff without paying duties. If your are there more than 48 hours you can bring back $200 of stuff, and for seven day plus trips, you can claim $750 worth of merchandise.
There’s something about sitting in a car all day that just makes you feel gross, so this is a trip where lots of changes of clothes can be a necessary evil. You don’t want to be out of clean shirts when your buddy drools all over you in his sleep, after all.
Europe
When it comes to travelling in Europe, the man with the message is undoubtedly Rick Steves. The host, writer and producer of the television series Rick Steves’ Europe and author of multiple travel books advocates packing light when backpacking or travelling in Europe.
According to Steves, a bag weighing 20 pounds — or 20 per cent of your body weight if you’re particularly tiny — or less should do you just fine, no matter how long your trip is. That extra pair of shoes might not weigh very much, but add in the extra sweater, the hair dryer, the conditioner, the extra water bottle, the jeans that make your butt look awesome, and it starts to add up. The cost of those extras could be a sore back and a cranky mood, not to mention a gargantuan pack that will make you waddle like a penguin.
If you’re going to a remote location, it might be better to bring items like extra batteries and toilet paper just to be on the safe side, but Steves suggests to err on the side of under-packing when you’re headed anywhere major in Europe. After all, he points out, if 300 million Europeans can get by without something, it’s not likely to be essential. In other words, you should be able to buy anything you need in Europe — and to think otherwise shows a certain amount of cultural ignorance.
The nice thing about travelling in Europe, especially if you’re touring around, is that no one knows that the skirt you’re wearing today is the same one you wore to the disco club the night before. No one’s going to care that you only have three shirts because no one’s going to see them all except for your travelling companions, who are in on the scheme anyway.
What people will notice is that you smell like cheesy feet if you don’t keep those few items clean. Before heading off, do a trial run with your clothes where you wash them in the sink and hang them to dry. If they survive with minimal wrinkling, doing laundry on the trip just got a whole lot easier. Forget sketchy laundromats — all you need is a sink, some soap and some string to hang your clothes on.
If you really need to bring electronics, keep in mind that you’ll probably need an adapter and a converter for those strange European sockets. Don’t forget to get both: the adapter may let you fit the plugs, but without a converter, the higher European voltage could set your hairdryer on fire or scramble your iPod.
Another necessary purchase will be a money bag or belt to hide your passport and money under your clothes. The last thing you want is to be stranded in Amsterdam, stoned out of your mind, with no money, no passport and no idea where your hotel is.
Cabin fever
Another great summer destination is the drunken — or perhaps safe and quiet, if that’s your thing — excursion to a cabin or camping ground. The order of priority tends to be booze first, food second, and clothing and shelter a distant third. But please, for the love of all that’s good and green, make sure everybody has a place to sleep.
If that place is under the sink or behind the couch, fine. If it means squishing nine people into a four-person tent, fine. But if you end up passed out behind a pine tree because everyone assumed someone else would bring a tent, you deserve every bit of pneumonia you get.
If this is just a one-night deal, it’s probably not a big thing if you forget something. But if it’s a multi-day extravaganza, you might want to think about that sleeping bag and that change of clothes. Tooth brushing is also generally appreciated. Toilet paper isn’t a bad idea, either, as you have no idea when the park warden was last around to stock up.
In short, spontaneous trips are a great idea, but if you run out the door without thinking about what you’re bringing with you, you’re just asking for trouble.
