Pick-A-Day

February 2012
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18:00 CET: Packing to go…

I leave on vacation later this week – and so tonight was the designated “packing night” and I have to say that I’m simultaneously happy and unhappy with the results of my effort.

Honestly my serious photography hobby has thrown a wrench into my plans and is, unfortunately, causing me to take my big suitcase instead of my small suitcase – and the principal wrench is actually my combination of destinations and plans.

My suitcase, wide open, with clothing, chocolate, a camera bag, shirts, and blue jeans inside it. Behind it is another bag, my camera and computer bag.

The backpack behind the suitcase is my marvelous all-in-one camera and computer bag – not only can it carry my camera, lenses, and tripod head, it can carry my laptop computer and is perfect for carrying on – which is what I intend to do with it because I’m not going to check any of the aforementioned items.

However, on this trip I am going places where that bag will be too big to be carried in – so I need another bag to carry the camera on special days – and that’s now inside my big suitcase (currently stuffed with socks and underwear). I tried putting it in my regular small suitcase but realized that that inside my small suitcase left me room for… uh… nothing but a couple of shirts.

The big suitcase is, though, too big. It’s not full and I’m now concerned that things are going to roll around inside the suitcase and get damaged – but I don’t want to put too much into it because I plan on buying some blue jeans and shirts at Goodwill while I’m in the States.

I suppose, ultimately, that these are first world problems and that I’m kvetching about trivial things.

7 comments to 18:00 CET: Packing to go…

  • Reko

    Adamo,

    Hi! Looking forward like crazy to your visit in Bloomington!!!

    Friend Rex

  • My trick when I’m packing a half-empty suitcase: Balloons in a pillow case. They weigh nothing and keep everything in place. I quite often do a bit of extra shopping when I’m in the US or in Asia and the large suitcase I used before buying my current one was terrible at securing clothes when half-empty. The balloons did just the trick and I love to imagine what the DHS thought when they opened the case! 🙂

    Have a good holiday! 🙂

  • MT

    I hope one of those Ritter Sports is for me! 🙂

  • Mateo

    I can just imagine the scare when a balloon pops while your luggage is being examined! Interesting idea, though.

  • Reko – I’m excited to see you as well!

    Emily – the balloon idea is a good one — and next time I’ll use it. This time I just exploded what I had and bought lots of chocolate, which will not be coming back to Germany.

    MT – Naturally.

    Mateo – I would assume that the balloon isn’t fully inflated, thus giving it room to expand as the air pressure drops…

  • Heh. Photography equipment has seriously impacted my travel flexibility and earned oodles of frustrated sighs and rolled eyes from the missus. I feel your gear pain.

    • I need to think a lot more carefully about what I want (and/or need) to bring with me on each trip. That said, my tripod has been useful on this trip, just not every day!