The Makings of a Packing Nightmare
I’m usually pretty good at squeezing quite a bit of clothing (and assorted things: magazines, toiletries, audio devices, shaving gear, affiliated chargers, etc…) into my luggage when I travel. I know all about the quart zip lock bag and 3-oz liquids rules. I know how to roll my clothes up so they wrinkle less.
But I checked the weather for Paris last night and it’s one of those forecasts that warrants packing more than I’d hoped. The highest temperature is now predicted to be in the low 70’s…but there will be days in the low 60’s (for a high). It also indicates chance of showers every day. Now I need to consider clothes for warm days, clothes for cool nights, clothes for wet warm days, clothes for cool wet days.
It’s easy to incorporate layering when you’re going from temperature to temperature. But when you calculate moisture (rain) into the equation it changes everything. Should I bring the (non-waterproof) sneakers I’d planned as my second pair of footwear if it could rain every day? Should I bring more short white socks to wear with shorts/sneakers? Or more black socks to wear with the shoes and pants? What about the khaki pants I was considering as my second pair of jeans? I’ve got back-splat problems so those would surely get dirty with mud drippings in the back of the leg after the first hour. And will polo shirts be warm enough on a cool, damp night? Even with a jacket? And which jacket should I bring? I don’t want to lug something too heavy around on those days I’m traveling from city to city.
I’ve been fortunate in my last few trips: California is pretty consistent. Same with Mexico. For those places I brought just the pants I wore on the plane, two pairs of shorts, and a slew of t-shirts.
Two years ago when I went to Paris/London in June it was 90+ degrees and hazy, hot, and humid. Last year, Paris was comfortably sunny and 70’s (which I packed for based on the previous year), but London was in the 40’s with torrential rain the entire time (which I did NOT pack for). It was one extreme then the other…in the same trip.
Maybe I should just go to a nudist resort and be done with it.
3 Comments
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Works for me. Just be sure to take lots of photos!
Remember – you CAN wash socks in the hotel sink if you must…and you can always buy a cheap umbrellla there….
Good luck!
I love reading about your “problems” 🙂 It reminds me how lucky we all are.