Strategic packing for a holiday

I'm the biggest geek/nerd I know and proud to admit it. I enjoy getting things around me organised and running smoothly. I am a bookkeeper and I love its underlying simplicity. My absolutely favorite thing is getting a complicated reconciliation to balance.

I'm currently planning a holiday and one of my favourite parts of the planning is deciding what to pack. So today I want to point my readers in the direction of a site that has been a favourite of mine since about 2001. The site is: OneBag.com. My favourite quote from the site is "remember that there are two kinds of luggage: carry-on and lost." Doug Dyment, the creator of the site has designed a one page downloadable .pdf file with his entire suggested packing list for a trip of any length. I've used his packing list many many times and passed it on to friends who've appreciated it as much as I do.

This luggage would need a porter to carry it all

Here is the most desirable method to take everything I could possibly need. Even the kitchen sink might fit in there somewhere. I usually strictly reduce the amount of make-up and beauty products that I carry when going on a long trip but if I had this many cases, I could take everything my heart desires.



The slightly worrying part is that I am often disappointed when I find that I've packed clothes that I didn't wear and "necessities" that I didn't end up needing.

Wardrobe trunk

This wardrobe-trunk (right) is an item I would love to have although it belongs more to the bygone days of sea travel (as do the tower of suitcases in the image above). Mostly I'd like one just to keep as a collectable item of beauty and style.

For this trip I am aiming for the type of neatness shown below. Any suggestions from fellow lovers of travel would be most welcome.

Keeping things neat and tidy