I’d Leave if I Could Pack My Bags!

Posted on January 06, 2010 By Joseph

I hate to pack.

And even though I’ve been a travel journalist for thirty years,  I still haven’t figured out how to do it easily.  I mean it’s just one decision after another.I tried each and every packing tip.  I’ve made lists, and ended up spending more time making the list than packing.  I get stumped on accessories.  How do you accessorize a white shirt and black suit?  Wear brown socks?
I’ve tried putting everything I want to take on the bed and putting half back.  I can never decide on which half to put back.  I thought about hiring someone to pack for me, but I couldn’t afford it — I wouldn’t trust them anyway.  Yet, every suitcase has a velvet lining, and after much trial and mostly error, I finally came up with a solution that works — a travel uniform.  Every travel uniform is made to satisfy basic needs.  I start with a Gore-Tex outer coat with lots of pockets for stuffing my tape recorder, camera, film, notepad and pens.  My jacket has so many pockets, I sometimes misplace things.
Underneath my jacket I wear a raw silk safari-style shirt that I had made in Bombay, India.  I don’t know if Bombay’s tailors are noted for making fashionable clothes, but they’re fast.  It was finished in a day and since I never have clothes made at home, it was fun.  Isn’t that one of the reasons we travel?
My pants are heavy cotton.  Cotton because it’s cool, and heavy because, as my mother used to say, I’m “rough on clothes.”  And I’ve gotten considerably rougher over the years.

A pair of comfortable shoes is essential to a travel uniform.  I have a pair that is all-purpose — good looks and comfortable. Depending on the destination I may take a hat.  I have one I brought for Nepal that is rain resistant and has wool flaps that can be brought down over the ears and attach under the chin.  Not stylish, but great in high winds — besides, it makes me feel like an adventurer.
I have incorporated into my travel uniform my favorite bit of clothing:  “my travel writer’s tee-shirt.”  I picked it up years ago.  It has a map of Tanzania on the front, but the reason I wear it is the quote on the back.  It’s by Mark Twain and reads, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.”  It reminds me why I pack my “travel uniform” and seek out the travel experience.

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