Pre-embarkment Questionnaire

Packing used to be my least favorite part of a trip because I have to plan ahead what I am going to wear; look-up the forecast; remember a lot of little (and very important) things like socks and toothpaste and a comb; and think about which pair of shoes to wear and which to pack; and it all seemed like a long, tedious process that took the fun out of traveling. Part of what makes packing difficult is figuring out the line between not enough and too much clothing. While packing for Europe last summer I considered the following four questions: 

1)    How long is the trip?

2)    What kind of trip is planned?

3)    How many cities will be visited?

4)    What type of transportation will be used?

Each question leads to a new set of questions

How Long is the Trip?

Knowing the length of your upcoming vacation is important because it leads to two more questions:

1)    How many outfits will be needed?

2)    Will laundry be an issue?

 
What Kind of Trip is Planned?

Knowing what you will be doing on your trip will help with choosing clothing and footwear.

1)    Will attending a conference be the main activity?

2)    Will sightseeing be done on foot, bus, subway/metro/underground, and/or train? Or will a car be available?

3)    Will volunteer work be the main focus?

How many cities will be visited?

1)    One city and one hotel room? Or

2)    Multiple cities?

Each destination is another place everything will have to be packed up and moved.

What Type of Transportation will be used?

1)    A Car? A car is the least limiting in terms of packing; just don’t use it as an excuse to over pack.

2)    Plane? Review what is and is not considered a liquid carefully. I like to check my bags because my favorite pair of sneakers has gel inserts.

3)    Train? Will you be able to toss your luggage above your head if necessary?

4)    Bus? There is not a lot of room to navigate on a bus and sometimes luggage will have to be left in the luggage area and other times it will have to stay with you.
 
 

      Thinking about the details can be overwhelming, but it is important to think about them ahead of time instead of arriving at your destination and realizing that you over packed, or didn’t take the appropriate clothing.