Editor’s Note:  Mary Connor joins Bayou City Press today with her first column, this one on a subject dear to her heart—how to pack for trips. Having traveled with Mary, I can only tell you that I envy her ability to pack so lightly. I have taken advantage of her extra space a time or two by having her carry an item home for me that I was unable to stuff into my own overfull suitcases. As we all get ready for our summer jaunts, this is a useful primer and/or reminder. All praise to light packers!

When I was 22, I went on my first big trip. I was traveling to Europe, and I did not know what to pack for such an extended journey, so I asked for my mother’s advice. This was a big mistake!

My mother had gone on many long trips before, but those trips usually entailed traveling by car. She could leave large amounts of luggage in the car and not have to carry everything from place to place. She helped me pack and, when we were through, I had a large backpack; a big, wheel-less suitcase; and a full carry-on bag. I could barely waddle from the front door to the car. I learned my lesson.

You might say that packing lightly sounds great, but how do you do it? This is my advice. When packing your suitcase, be brutally honest with yourself. Ask yourself what you really need, not what you want to bring when traveling “just in case.”

I approach packing with this three-pronged approach: personal care items, clothes, and other essentials.

Personal care items make up the majority of the things a traveler must remember to pack. When traveling, particularly when traveling to foreign locations, it is nice to have the personal care brands you prefer. I have a large plastic bag in which I pack my personal care items. First, I buy the small travel-sized items, such as shampoo, hair conditioner, toothpaste, mouthwash, powder, deodorant, and skin lotion. Travel sizes cost more, but the savings in weight is well worth the extra price. Things that do not come in a travel-size, I improvise by making my own. You can purchase little screw-tight plastic bottles and fill them up with the liquid items you need.

Next, I use snack-sized baggies and fill them with cotton balls, Band-Aids, bobby pins, and Q-tips. Toilet paper is not always available, so I pack those little facial tissue packs, one per week to be safe. Then once at my destination I carry one of those in my handbag. Other personal items that I pack in the large plastic bag include a small brush, comb, and stretchy headband.

Here’s a tip: I never unpack this bag, but store in under my sink for future trips.

I also pack a make-up bag. I keep it down to the essentials, which for me are face power, erase stick, blush, eye liner, brow pencil, tweezers, nail clippers, nail file, and a modest-sized, reversible mirror on a collapsible stand that I found at my local drug store. I keep my make-up in a baggie so that all of these small items are in one place and easy to find. The mirror and the make-up baggie then go into a large plastic bag. When this large baggie is packed, I push out as much of the air as I can and seal the bag. This double-bagging is important because, if during the journey one of the liquid containers leaks or bursts, all the mess is kept in the bag and not on the inside of my suitcase.

Now comes the hard part, selecting clothes. Check ahead of time on the type of weather you will encounter on your trip and then plan to dress appropriately. This is my clothes-selection philosophy: everything I pack must be able to be worn with every ensemble that I could possible make. I don’t choose heavy garments unless the weather dictates otherwise. The maximum number of shirts and pants I pack is three of each, plus the ones I am wearing on the plane. I select the bulkiest clothes and shoes to wear on my travel day. I also bring a sweater and as well as a light weight scarf which can be used to keep my neck warm or to shade my face when needed.

Regarding undergarments (bras, underpants, and socks), I bring enough for seven days no matter how long the trip is. (I can always do a little hand washing.)

And last, but most important, are the shoes. They absolutely must be broken-in and comfortable. I like those tennis-shoe clogs because they are well-cushioned, comfortable, and can double as a shower shoe.

The third category on my packing list includes all those other essential items. I bring these things in my carry-on luggage because losing them would be devastating. For me these essential items include medicine, passport, travel book, travel notes, travel cards, money, and glasses. I prepare one week‘s worth of medicine in a small organizer box and also bring my prescription bottles with me on my travels. If I need to acquire more medicine, the relevant information is on the bottle label.

I also bring a travel book and my research notes that include my hotel voucher, flight information, and any research that I did in preparation for my journey.

In my carry-on are my travel cards, bank card, and credit card. A lot of banks give you access to ATM withdrawals, but I say that it is best to come prepared. Local currency is needed to get around or to eat, so bring a couple of hundred dollars of it.

Before I travel, I investigate how to access public transportation and make the appropriate preparations, such as buying a travel pass if one is available.

Lastly, from my point of view, if I cannot see, I cannot enjoy what is in front of me. I bring an extra pair of glasses and also a pair of prescription sunglasses if I am visiting a sunny location.

So why go to all this trouble of planning all of this out in advance? Here are some advantages to packing light. The less you have, the easier it is to get from place to place. Remember, YOU will be carrying or pulling your own suitcase most of the time, so give yourself a break and pack lightly. Also, the chance that your suitcase will go over the weight limit and that you will be hit with an expensive surcharge at the airport is minimal with a lightly packed suitcase. And my favorite benefit, a lightly packed suitcase leaves space in your suitcase for those purchases you are sure to acquire.

Over the years I have got packing down to a science. My motto is, LESS IS MORE! Keep saying LESS IS MORE! to yourself as you pack. Bon voyage!

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