Packing Like the Pros

After traveling over 3 million miles, through 6 continents, 48 states and 60+ countries, I have learned a thing or 2,000 about how and what to pack. I've made mistakes in both under packing, over-packing and ridiculously WTF was I thinking-packing. We've all seen them - travelers who struggle with 7 steamer trunk sized suitcases, and others who supposedly manage to live out of a carry-on the size of sandwich bag.

So what do you do and how do you plan for that magical journey away from home? I'll share with you the packing hacks I've learned along the way, but first, there are some general themes it is important to understand. Travel should be fun, simple and educational. I'll show you how.

• Know your destination's dress code norms - from climate to culture. Do you really need that diamond tiara for dinner at the Captain's table? Do you expect to get into the Vatican wearing a Speedo and crop top? Love the alpaca sweater, but do you need it in Singapore? What is considered acceptable attire for a business meeting in Italy? Some quick research can help you, or email me and I'll tell you what I know.

• Keep it simple. Travel light. I recommend traveling with carry-on luggage only, and I'll explain more about that later. Unless you are headed to a completely unpopulated part of the world, chances are you'll find a store if you need to buy something. Clothes, toiletries, underwear and socks are surprisingly used throughout most of the world, so fear not! Also, taxis, trains and airlines outside the US may have strict luggage restrictions. So your 7 pieces of luggage you get for being an airline Platinum member may be ok for your flight, but you're going to have some trouble fitting it inside a tiny taxicab just about anywhere in the world. Planning ahead, keeping it simple and traveling light is the key.

• Pack your meds in your carry-on. Pack your prescriptions and over the counter drugs in a carry-on and in their original packaging. Make sure you bring relief meds for stomach/intestinal distress, motion sickness, sunburn, headache & pain from your home medicine cabinet. Chances are, they're not as readily available as back home. Also, do research to make sure the legal medicine or supplement from your home country is not illegal in your destination country. Melatonin is technically banned in many European countries, as well as Japan and Australia. CBD oil? Remember Brittney Griner? Unless spending two years in a Siberian gulag is part of your travel plans, make sure you keep illegal or questionable substances at home.

Packing Your Suitcase

Bill's Wardrobe Tips:

• Choose a simple color palette so you can mix and match your clothes and accessories. Sure, your lime green jeans embroidered with sunflowers are nice, but will they work with your other garments or be usable for multiple occasions? Probably not (and if they are, I'm not sure I even want to know where you're going.) Fashion statements aside, if you want to pack light and simple, then leave the fashion statement clothes at home (or just take one.) Plus, loud clothes will make you stand out like a target for thieves,

• I like to stick to colors like blue, white, grey, khaki, black and an accent color (maybe something you find while traveling that can bring back as a gift to yourself.) A planned palette also simplifies your socks, belt and shoe choices. You don't have to be boring with a little organization and planning! I also narrow down my shoes to one pair for walking/hiking/working out and one pair for a more polished look. Oh, and I always wear one of those pairs while I'm traveling, so I only need to pack one.

• Finally, adjusting to changes in temperature does not require you to bring a separate wardrobe for each climate scenario. Temperatures fluctuate and weather changes, so pack for flexibility. Unless you're heading to the North Pole or Death Valley, most of the world's climates can change quickly. Maybe you don't need a parka, but you can layer with thin sweaters, undergarments and a waterproof shell jacket to keep you toasty. Even warm places during the day can be very cold at night, so a light long sleeve shirt (that you can wear again) can take the edge off. And remember, not every hotel in the world has air conditioning. I like to bring a small, portable USB chargeable fan I bought on Amazon to put next to the bed if it's super warm weather. See the link!

People ask me why I became a champion of traveling with only carry-on luggage. Well, (long story warning if you need a pee or snack break) it was several years ago and I was traveling to Brazil for a meeting with the President of a large automotive manufacturer. I carefully selected what I would wear, checked my bag all the way to my destination, and climbed into the plane, clad only in sweat pants, athletic shoes and a tee shirt. I didn't have my toiletries, medications or an extra stitch of clothing with me, since it was all tucked into the belly of my jumbo jet. I'd never had a problem with checked baggage before, so what could go wrong?

Twelve hours later, I landed in Sao Paolo, and after watching the luggage carousel circle for 30 minutes, I accepted the fact my luggage was lost. I logged a claim for the missing bag with the airline counter, who assured me I would have my luggage the next day, at the latest. Confident in their ability to deliver it, I was driven to my hotel and didn't give it another thought. But by late afternoon the following day, I was still luggage-less. I called the airline who told me my bag was on a delivery shuttle. I waited another hour or so, called the airline back and they told me they had no record of my luggage in their system. By now, I'd been wearing the same clothes for over 48 hours, and more importantly, I had nothing to wear to my upcoming meeting.

Desperate, I called one of my local colleagues to explain my plight/panic It was a Sunday afternoon and, oh yeah, the World Cup was on and Brazil was scheduled to play in the quarter finals later that evening. Find a men's store open...during the World Cup...while the National team was playing...in the quarter finals...in Brazil. I was so totally screwed.

By some miracle, my friend found a store that was getting ready to close. The annoyed shopkeeper reluctantly let us in to shop, pointing at his watch (the international sign for hurry the fuck up.) I think my colleague told the store owner I was a billionaire and here to spend a lot, as his demeanor suddenly improved. Relieved that I wouldn't have to attend my meeting dressed like Snoop Dogg, I fired up my credit card, excited by the prospect of being dressed in fine Brazilian couture.

I'm 6'3" and at the time weighed around 200 pounds (all muscle, I assure you,) so my size was not typical of an average 45 year old Brazilian man. I needed new everything from underwear to shoes and proceeded to try on pants, shirts and suit coats. Beggars can't be choosers, so I bought what they had and assumed the skin tight dress slacks would eventually loosen a bit once I had them on.

The next morning, as I was boarding my flight to Belo Horizonte, I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror. I looked damned good - had I been a 21 year old gigolo from Rio heading out to the Copacabana to dance with Lola (she was a showgirl.) Everything was tight, even though they were supposedly my size. My pants were tight. My shirt was tight and even my shoes (constructed from the finest faux leather) were tight. My new wardrobe looked like a disturbing hybrid of Chess King meets street pimp.

Brazil men like their pants tight, I thought, as I fell into my economy cabin seat, careful not bend and put added strain on my pants seams. High fashion is not about comfort, it's about making a statement, I assured myself.

I assumed, since I bought these clothes in Brazil, they would reflect what local businessmen wear to the office. Until I met my customer, that is. As I walked in to greet him, I noticed he was dressed in a well-tailored, Brooks Brothers-ish suit. I suddenly felt like Vinnie Velour meeting Calvin Coolidge. We sat down at a table to discuss business. He lit a cigarette, and offered me one. I declined, not only because I don't smoke, but because I felt with the amount of synthetic fibers encircling my body, I was a fire risk. The negotiations continued for two hours in broken English, and I had no idea what we were talking about, as my mind drifted into scary visions of self immolation. I just wanted to get the hell out of there and back into my comfy, non-flammable Snoop Dogg clothes. I likely agreed to sell one of my organs just so we could finish and I could get out of there. I bid farewell to my customer and was on a plane back to Sao Paolo. To this day, I still don't know what I negotiated. I was just relieved my edgy Brazilian suit didn't rip, unravel or spontaneously combust.

My sacrifice (besides cutting off my circulation to critical body parts) was $700 in personal money I had to shell out for the new duds. And no, I didn't get reimbursed by either the airline or my company. As luck would have it, my luggage finally did show up at my hotel - an hour before my driver arrived to take me to the airport so I could fly home. My Brazilian fashion saga forever cemented how I would travel in the future. Carry. On. Only.

Ok enough about me. Now that you have your carry-on, wardrobe, colors and layers ready (and you have double checked you have zero mind altering narcotics,) it's time to start packing! Everyone has their own ideas of how to pack clothes to maximize space and minimize wrinkles, and I've probably tried all of them. There's the rolling them up method. The vacuum sealing method. The disposable method (you throw clothes away as they become dirty.) None of those I tried worked for me, so I use my preferred method which is what I call Tight Retail Folding. Ok, I literally just made that term up, but this method entails folding clothes like you would find on a retail shelf. Clothes tightly folded, identically sized and packed so tightly into luggage that nothing can possibly move out of place. Kind of like me in that Brazilian suit.

By using this packing method, I've travelled for several weeks at a time, to Peru, Europe, the Caribbean, French Polynesia and many other places

The clean and crisp tight retail fold

Good luck with your own packing. I've included a link to Amazon where I purchased a very cool shirt folding board that helps me get that crisp tight retail fold.

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