Smart Packing

Strategic Luggage Planning

Packing efficiently is an exercise in image synthesis. The common mistake is to pack by "porsiacasos"; the wise thing to do is to pack by "ensembles".

Before putting anything in the suitcase, the days of the trip and the specific activities (meetings, dinners, walks) should be visualized.

Select the lower garments (which are the most repeated) and assign them interchangeable upper parts.

The key is to choose a "travel capsule" with a restricted color palette (maximum 3 or 4 matching colors).

This ensures that all tops match all bottoms, and that shoes (which take up a lot of volume) match everything. If a garment does not match at least two other things in the suitcase, it does not travel.

Material selection and stowage techniques

For travel, the selection of fabrics is technical: high-tech synthetic fibers, cool wools or fabrics with elastane that resist wrinkles and recover quickly are prioritized.

Linen or pure silk, unless traveling with a steam iron, are usually poor choices.

As for the physics of stowage, the layering technique is used: heavy items and shoes (in individual bags) go at the bottom (near the wheels) to provide stability. Gaps are filled with underwear and socks.

Garments that do not wrinkle (jeans, cotton) can be rolled up to optimize space.

Delicate garments (shirts, jackets) are placed on top, folded with the "hugging" technique or in suitcases, to minimize hard creases.

A well-made suitcase is one where there is no space left over, but nothing essential is missing either.

Summary

Packing is an exercise