I am certain that I am not alone among travellers — even frequent travellers — in saying that I almost always take too much luggage with me.
Although I try to pack sensibly, there are always items that are never used. And, if you’re dragging your suitcase around with you, they seem to get heavier and heavier the longer you’re away.
The first question, of course, is: what kind, and how many, items of clothing to take? There was a time when you could be pretty certain about the weather, so you’d know whether to stow the winter woollies or the all-weather jacket.
Nowadays, it’s not so easy. As I write it is unseasonably cold and wet in Abu Dhabi. Earlier this year, when it should have been chilly in Germany and Italy, I was wandering around in short-sleeve shirts.
When I go on a cruise, which is often, I always pack my suit for the formal night. But on my most recent cruise, last month, I didn’t put it on, because so few people do these days (except on those liners where it’s de rigueur) and I couldn’t really be bothered (also, I forgot all about the captain’s cocktail party, but that’s another story).
I always pack my swimming shorts, but I haven’t been near a pool or the ocean for a couple of years. And I never really know how many pairs of underpants or socks is enough, considering they are easily washed and dried overnight.
I also pack three pairs of identical black jeans. Is that too many, considering nobody is really going to know which pair I’m wearing?
And how many pairs of shoes do I need? Two — one to match the suit and some trainers for every other occasion? What about the hiking boots?
But most of the clutter comes from those gadgets, including power adaptors and cables, and toiletries taken from hotel rooms, and brochures and souvenirs from trips gone by that never quite got unpacked.
Somehow it all manages to accumulate in the bottom or in the pocket of the suitcase, and go with me on trip after trip.
I’m writing this because they say that acknowledging a problem is the first step towards solving it. The truth is that I pack the way I live — it’s all a clutter of stuff I think I may need one day but I really don’t.
So, here’s my vow: not only to stop hoarding things in my luggage, but to stop hoarding it at home. Of course, I’ve made this vow before. Let’s see how it goes this time.
