Traveling, Packing and What Your Luggage Says About You
You are what you pack and how you pack. When you travel, your stories go with you—even if you’re traveling on business, even if you’re going to a family reunion to visit your crazy cousins—what we pack, how we pack and the bags we pack them in are tell-tale signs that play a part in revealing who we are as individuals.
Big Bags and Personalities
Everyone packs differently. Everyone travels differently. But, it’s safe to assume that we all like to do things a certain way and traveling is far from an exception.
Keep your techniques in mind. Do you like to wait until the last minute? Do you pack one hundred options? Do you fold your clothes, roll them up like burritos or throw your shirts and pants in without a worry or care for how well they fit in your suitcase?
What Kind of Traveler are You?
The Premeditator (Type A)
When you are a Premeditator, you’re the traveler who knows exactly what you need, how many you need, and what kind of options you have at any given moment. Your main goal in traveling is knowing (and maybe even predicting) how your trip will go.
To you, the small things like packing the right clothes and bringing the right accessories is a necessity. Everything is tallied, everything is clean, everything is labeled. You are the efficient traveler, ready for any obstacle—being mentally two steps ahead of the game is your cup of tea on a rainy afternoon.
Possible Packing Thoughts of the Premeditator:
- “Heavy at the bottom, light at the top, double-bag the liquids, socks folded inside the shoes.”
- “Better weigh the suitcase another time, I might be able to fit more in my carry-on to balance it out.”
- “Monday through Friday are covered, labeled and sectioned off by weather options.”
Possible Packing Habits of the Premeditator:
- Printing Airline Itineraries, Travel Itineraries, Hotel Lists, Taxi Service Lists and phone numbers
- Organizing travel papers in a travel binder
- Bringing all necessary dual-language dictionaries and maps and First Aid Kits
Luggage Preferences:
- Protected, rolling, balanced
- Bags/suitcases with sections (compartments)
- Matching Luggage Sets
- Easy to store away in a hotel
- Easy to secure
The Accidentalist (Type B)
The Accidentalist likes to travel as the wind blows: preparing to catch the current and go with the flow. You don’t see packing everything as a necessity. To you, traveling is an experience, something you let happen. And you do. You can manage without having every detail planned out.
When it comes down to the specifics, you pack what feels right to pack: your favorite sneakers, your comfortable pants, your trusty headphones, etc. Of course, you pack the necessities, clothes and items you might need for sight seeing and business ventures. But, at the end of the day, you’re not worried if you forget something at home because there are stores if you need them.
Possible Packing Thoughts of the Accidentalist:
- “Do I really need five pairs of pants?”
- “I’ll wear my blazer on the plane, it’s cold and I won’t have to pack it.”
- “As long as I have my ticket and we’re on time, we’ll be good to go.”
Possible Packing Habits of the Accidentalist:
- Taking clothes at random, at the last minute, throwing them into a bag
- Packing clothes that can be thrown away, if necessary
- Never checking a bag (even on extended trips)
- Planning to stop at in many cities without making a reservation
Luggage Preferences:
- Anything with two straps/backpack
- Easy to toss/durable
- Multi-use or flexible in function (can also be a pillow)
- Soft or comfortable on the back
- Not too bulky (but tall, endless backpacks are A-O.K.)