Many years ago, when I was returning from a business trip to London, my luggage was loaded into the taxi, I got in, and we just sat there at the curb. After a while, I asked the driver why we weren’t leaving for the airport. He replied, embarrassed, “Oh, Sir, I’m so sorry. With all of that luggage, I just assumed we were waiting for your wife.”
Since that (entirely justified) humiliation, I thought I’d become a pretty efficient packer. David, though, puts me to shame. The amount of clothing, shoes and gear he can fit into his standard roll-aboard and tote seems to defy the law of physics. Watching him unpack always reminds me of that scene in Mary Poppins when she pulls a coat rack out of her carpet bag. And everything seems to emerge unwrinkled and neatly organized.
One of the tricks he taught me is to use several small shaving or “dopp” kits when I pack. I use one, of course, for my grooming supplies. Another I pack with my ipod, charger, and computer power cord, and in a third, I keep camera gear. This keeps these small items together and out of the dark corners of my bags, and it at least contains the inevitable tangle of cords. The small size and sleek shape of the kits also helps –they’re easy to tuck into the edges of a packed suitcase or slide into gaps in hand luggage.
The kits we use are from Coach. They’re relatively expensive, but they’re handsome, functional and almost indestructible –worth the money if you’re willing to commit to a bag you’re going to keep for a long time. My favorite is the all-leather Transatlantic Travel Kit, $128 at www.coach.com.
Of course, it’s not necessary to spend nearly this much to get a stylish and functional shaving kit. I also like the Knomo wash kit for $49
and the F1 Flyer Survival Dopp for $35, both at www.flight101.com.
