Packing, Unpacking and Photo-packing Efficiently

I unpacked a weekend bag containing a night dress, a swimsuit and wrap, two caftans, one set of matching underwear and socks, a matching baseball cap, and a folding fan.

I now have four choices.
1 STORE CLOTHES IN WEEKEND TRAVEL BAG
Leave the contents in the bag which I store in an overhead cupboard, under a bed or chair or in the attic.

2 PHOTOGRAPH CONTENTS
Photograph the contents and keep the bag already packed for another weekend trip. I used to keep a bag packed when I was at my busiest as a travel writer in the 1980s and 1990s, until my mother died and I became a carer for my late father.

My first photo was just of all the items jumbled up. That looked untidy and was discouraging. So I folded everything into oblongs - easier to re-pack or store in a drawer, and matched the hats and underwear by colour.

I could have added, or noted, any missing, matching items such as a swimming cap and shoes. My other missing items would be swimming goggles, slippers, a small flannel or towel, spare socks, toothbrush and toothpaste, or wash kit (usually in either handbag or pocket or acquired en route on airline. Plus mosquito repellent or sign relief or both.

WASHING
You wash the contents at the destination. Then wash your travel clothes and put them back in the bag on top of the other clothes.

Make sure you don't leave a wet swimsuit in the bag. If it has gone mouldy, you may have to soak it in a mild bleaching solution to get rid of visible mould, then run it through a washing machine three times to get rid of the smell.

I did this once, after getting mould on a brand new swimsuit. I was not prepared to throw it away.

I reckoned that even if I ruined the elastic, that was no worse than throwing it away. If the elastic had gone, I would have recycled any fastenings and cut the good parts out in strips, spiralled and sewn in place, to make rosettes on black swimsuits and/or black sarongs.

3 RE-PACKING FROM THE LIST
If you need to use the clothes back home, or want to use the wheeled bag, you unpack the contents. However, you keep a photo of the contents as a visual packing list.

You might change the contents seasonally in the USA and Europe. But take a photograph to speed packing next time.

SEASONAL CLOTHES
Or keep two or four small bags colour coded for seasons. Red for summer. Orange for autumn. Pink for spring. Black or white for winter.

If you possess only one suitcase on wheels, such as a black wheel on bag, just photograph the contents with a piece of coloured paper or seasonal pictures such as Santa, daffodil for spring, autumn leaf. Or simply print the word of the season to place alongside the contents:
SPRING
SUMMER
AUTUMN
WINTER.

Keep the picture on your computer under the title packing. Or print the list and put it in the top of the suitcase or the outside pocket, if it has one, or the inside of your wardrobe / closet door.

You are now ready to re-pack for the next trip using the visual aid to find the contents. You can also use this as a checklist in a hotel to be sure your swimsuit has not been left behind hanging to dry in the bathroom or balcony.

VALET PACKING
If you are in an accident, or hospital, or are on business half way to the airport and running late, you can ask a family member or colleague or hotel valet to pack using the photo list.

I've never had valet packing. Only valet parking. But now with the aid of the photos I can be my own valet. It's so much simpler and quicker to use a photo as a packing list. I feel more efficient.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer,a author and speaker.
Author of How To Get Out of The Mess You're In.