The Art of Packing

Posted by Rebecca Ford Aug 17, 2008

I’m off to Italy again to continue research for the new guidebook, so once again I’ve got to tackle the packing. It’s an art I’ve never fully mastered. I went through a ‘capsule wardrobe’ phase a few years: you know the sort of thing you see in magazines in which you have about one skirt, a pair of jeans, a couple of tops and a huge scarf - which you’re meant to tie in a hundred different ways to create everything from beachwear to a ballgown. It never worked and I always looked crumpled within a couple of days and never could do anything interesting with the scarf.

I’d really prefer to travel in ‘everything but the kitchen sink style’ like the celebrities do, with about 6 massive suitcases and, of course, someone to lug them about for me. I’d be prepared for every eventuality and type of weather. But as that’s not going to happen, and since I’m travelling around Tuscany on buses and trains, I need to find some sort of compromise between the capsule and the kitchen sink. The real problem is the amount of paper that I accumulate on trips – I grab every map, leaflet and brochure I can. Last time I had to buy a new bag to fit them all in, and they weigh a ton. On top of that there’s my camera and my notebooks and pens – no laptop, too heavy. And I always take at least 2 paperbacks with me – I hate the thought of being stuck without something to read. I’d better get going now.