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Travel Tales from India and Abroad
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The Mayhem Called Packing

Posted on November 27, 2014April 15, 2021

I love to travel but I hate to pack. Packing gives me anxiety; packing is akin to nightmare for me. For international trips there are visas to worry about. I have got them on the last possible day on so many occasions, which meant last minute packing! That is why I so love visa on arrival destinations. But over the years I have develop a method for the madness called packing. But you follow it at your own risk!

Documents First

Documents
Documents First is my Motto

For any trip documents are important and this is usually my starting point. For me this phase also means making sure I have enough money and a few cards for the trip. If it is a domestic trip life is a little simpler as it usually means having the travel ticket, money/cards and if I have done it in advance, hotel reservation proof. An Id proof is always to be carried.

If it is an international trip life gets a bit more complicated as that means passport, travel insurance and photographs in case of visa on arrival. I do bother about forex too but more often than not, I end up buying it from the airport. For visa on arrival I do thoroughly check all the documents required and make sure that I have it.

As soon as I have crossed this stage I relax a bit. The next bit is easy but very important to me.

Gadgets

Gadgets and Chargers!
Gadgets and Chargers Essential!

I cannot imagine traveling without my SLR, my cell phone- XperiaZ3 and my laptop. That used to be my complete list of gadgets. But now I have switched to an eBook reader so I need to pack that too. The SLR goes with about 3 additional lenses and a tripod. There was a time when I used to carry a point and shoot camera as well. But now with cell phones like XperiaZ3 having amazing feature rich cameras I do not carry a point and shoot any more.

As important as the gadgets are their chargers! I regularly ensure that I have 4 chargers with me. On the international trip the adapter for different type of plug points is a must. Without the chargers and the adapter, my gadgets soon become dead weight!

By the time I cross stage 3 I am certainly euphoric. I feel my packing is done. And you know who is coming down the slide head first, on my phone screen saver. No points for guessing that it is Chhavi!

Clothes and the Like

Clothes
Clothes get packed Somehow!

I approach packing clothes with mixed emotions. If it is hot weather I will ensure that I have my swim suit. After that I wish they could somehow get packed on their own! A few decent clothes which will cover ‘formal’ occasions and ‘smart casuals’ I manage to get ironed and packed. If it is winter I make sure I have woolens so that I would not freeze to death, I do not take cold well!

Footwear means comfort to me. I have never worm high heels in my life and I don’t have any plans to change. This category also means making sure I have a toothbrush and a comb. And I am all sorted. If I fear dry skin I will pack a Vaseline and moisturizer as well.

In the end, I just tell myself, “you have the documents, you have money, anything else that is really important and you forgot, you can buy.” And then I run out yelling, “yippee I am all done” and go out on that trip!

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22 thoughts on “The Mayhem Called Packing”

  1. Maniparna Sengupta Majumder says:
    November 28, 2014 at 12:02 am

    “you have the documents, you have money, anything else that is really important that you forgot, you can buy.” YES..that’s it 😀 … I always try to travel light..it helps a lot…

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      November 30, 2014 at 12:29 pm

      Maniparna I travel light because I can’t plan any better 🙁

      Reply
  2. Prasad Np says:
    November 28, 2014 at 1:30 am

    For me a few things are always packed in a separate bag and they form the travel kit like a separate kit for shaving, toothbrush towels etc. Same goes for some of the my worn out shorts and T-shirts that always go only for travels and are rarely worn at home…. + I have a secret weapon — my wonderful wife…. 🙂 who takes care of 90 % of the troubles in packing…

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      November 30, 2014 at 12:28 pm

      Hmm in my household both of us stay away for ‘helping’ each other from packing 😀

      Reply
  3. Ravish Mani says:
    November 28, 2014 at 9:39 am

    Useful tips, Mridula 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      November 30, 2014 at 12:27 pm

      Ravish only if you are not looking for anything in the clothes section 😀

      Reply
  4. yogi saraswat says:
    November 28, 2014 at 12:04 pm

    It will help others

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      November 30, 2014 at 12:26 pm

      I doubt Yogi as I care next to nothing about clothes!

      Reply
  5. Lady Fi says:
    November 28, 2014 at 1:05 pm

    Agreed – money, tickets, passports, Kindle, toothbrush and gadgets! All else is less important!

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      November 30, 2014 at 12:26 pm

      We think alike!

      Reply
  6. Indrani says:
    November 28, 2014 at 6:37 pm

    We at home too have a similar routine. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      November 30, 2014 at 12:25 pm

      Indrani it makes sense, right 😀

      Reply
  7. KVVS MURTHY says:
    November 28, 2014 at 10:07 pm

    Very nicely written…..!

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      November 30, 2014 at 12:22 pm

      Thank you Murthy.

      Reply
  8. Abhijit says:
    November 28, 2014 at 10:12 pm

    Packing is a hard job. Once I went for a jungle safari, forgot my camera charger. The area was remove I could not find a shop to buy one.

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      November 30, 2014 at 12:21 pm

      I know the scenario. I ran out of memory card on a trek in Nepal. Luckily I was able to buy one at Manang.

      Reply
  9. Priyashi says:
    November 29, 2014 at 7:04 am

    Useful pointers dear…..it is helpful….:)

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      November 30, 2014 at 12:20 pm

      Really? I thought I too much of a last minute packer for my own comfort!

      Reply
  10. myunfinishedlife says:
    November 29, 2014 at 6:42 pm

    Interesting…I have to travel extensively on work (apart from leisure) and my method is similar (though priorities are different!!)…

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      November 30, 2014 at 12:20 pm

      Thank you Sushmita. Why don’t you do a post? 😀

      Reply
  11. sindhoooo says:
    December 12, 2014 at 5:22 pm

    Very useful one, at least for me 🙂 Interestingly narrated 🙂

    Reply
    1. Mridula says:
      December 14, 2014 at 10:19 pm

      Thank you Sindhu, I am sure you are much more organized!

      Reply

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About Me

I am Mridula Dwivedi and I started this blog in 2005. It has been an amazing ride. I have visited 33 countries till date! I have worked with many tourism boards and prominent travel companies. My blog was featured on the BBC and the Guardian.

I did my Ph.D. from IIT Kanpur. I worked full time in academics till 2015! I quit my job as a professor, thinking I will take a break for one year, which turned into five.

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