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Practical
packing of your luggage
ensures fewer wrinkles in clothes
By
Elliott Brack
editor and publisher
GwinnettForum.com
(Editor's Note: Some of you will be up traveling
soon we bet. We culled this list of luggage packing tips from a
video we got from the Gwinnett County Library. We used some of these
ideas on trips last year, finding the ideas really helped make packing---and
re-packing---easier.---eeb)
DEC. 18, 2001 -- Every long trip or vacation my wife and I make,
it seems to me that we take along too many items. Yet the best items
we took on a trip to Ireland and Scotland last year were the raincoats.
Yep, we barely had rain. But think what would have happened had
we not packed the raincoats!
Packing luggage so that clothes have few wrinkles, and so that
you can quickly get to specific items, can be much simpler if you
follow a few. Take note of these ideas.
First, choose basic, classic style of clothes, so that you can
wear two ways. Hold to two basic colors.
Be sure you do a check list, preferably a few days before your
final packing.
Put another name on your outside luggage tags, not yours. Be sure
to tell the other person, so if you bag gets lost, they will know
this unsolicited bag is yours.
BASIC PACKING IDEAS:
1. Use zipable plastic bags often for small items.
2. Put lingerie and small items tucked inside shoes. Put shoes in
plastic bags on bottom of luggage.
3. Put toiletries into plastic bag.
4. Pack a wash cloth and small soaps, shampoo.
5. Scarfs, etc, in plastic bag too. Put all these items in bottom
of luggage.
6. This is redundant, but pack extra plastic bags.
7. (Remember to include extra eyeglasses.)
Now here is a new idea which really works. Cut a divider of cardboard
to go between heavy objects in the luggage bottom and outer clothing.
We covered the liner with sticky wrapping paper for durability.
This divider can be lifted out, with all clothing intact, to get
to other items.
PACKING CLOTHING:
1. Blazer goes first, face down, with shirts, blouses on its back.
Then put dry cleaner bag (with no colored ads) on top to minimize
wrinkles.
2. Load blazer onto divider. Keep sleeves and bottom of blazer hanging
over edge of suitcase.
3. Roll t shirts, other articles, and fit into onto a layer on top
of blazer.
4. Pack raincoat next. Let bottom and arms overhang.
5. Put pants in, waist hard against edge of bag, with legs hanging
off side. Alternate pants from one edge to the other, and overhang
bottoms of legs over bag. Then start folding over the pant legs,
raincoats and anything else.
6. Fold over balance of blazer last.
Another idea: Be sure to include: Woolite, extra plastic laundry
string, an inflatable hanger.
IN AN INDIVIDUAL small daybag, put calculator, pen, map guides,
flashlight, camera, cards, tissue, zipper pouch of small items.
A TOTEBAG (like purse with long strap) has room for reading material,
medication, make-up kit. All this can fit into DAYBAG.
Many use a money belt around the waist for passport, checks, rail
or airline tickets, itinerary. Be sure one itinerary is at home,
one with a friend.
Get ready to take off on your trip. Enjoy it more because you packed
right. As for taking too many clothes.....well, that part will be
up to you. But be sure to include your raincoat, and hope you don't
have to use it.
FEEDBACK
12/18: Barr
and Linder waging battle in Forsyth County, too
Editor, the Forum:
Per your online comments on Barr and Linder, thought you would
like to know
they are fighting the same kind of battle in Forsyth County - the
difference being neither of them now represents any of the county.
They've both been here multiple times over last four months, everything
from visiting the City
Fair to showing up at the Chamber legislative breakfast. Forsyth
County News has gotten lots of press releases from both, though
neither now represent the county.
With 100,000 folks in Forsyth and no current allegiances to either,
we should be a major player in the district. The election should
be interesting, especially if a more moderate Republican with some
name recognition crowds the field.
-- Norman Baggs, Sugar Hill
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
What a library can accomplish
"A library full of thoughts will encourage thoughtful children,
rather than thoughtless children."
-- Brian Sturm, assistant professor, University
of North Carolina, 2000.
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