Grab Case, Insert Socks

It seems appropriate that I should answer Question 12: "What is your suitcase packing method?" while half-way through actually packing a suitcase.


I'm a minimalist traveller by nature.  Certain relatives (I shall name no names here) are prone to packing absolutely everything including the kitchen sink, even when they're only going away for two nights.  An entire separate wardrobe must be taken along for each possible weather, no matter whether or not there's any realistic chance of that weather happening, and so on and so forth.  Wellies rub shoulders with bottles of suncream.  But me?  I just grab a case, stuff in the bare minimum of clothes (calculated by a very advanced mathematical formula, which I'll explain below), pencils and related gubbins, the emergency ideas pad which usually lives under my bed in case I have inspiration at two in the morning, a book or two, some cash, and one or two other essentials like cotton buds (you know how they say not to put theose things down your ear?  I never use them for anything else.  How else are you supposed to get rid of itchy earwax?).

So, that formula.  Assuming I'm going away for n nights, the formula requires exactly, and only, the following items of clothing to be packed:

• n+1 pairs each of pants and socks (the +1 is in case of hideous accidents involving unexpected puddles of mud and suchlike)
• n/2 t-shirts
• if n>1, then 1 spare pair of jeans, 2 only if n is fairly large and the trip is expected to be a really messy one
• 1 jumper, or 2 if n>~4 and weather inclement
• pajamas, irrespective of n
• shoes - the one item which can't be reliably extrapolated from n

Exceptions may be permitted if n is a particularly large number (say >7) and the destination is known to have clothes-washing facilities and someone capable of using them properly.

Depending on the destination, my minimalism may be supplemented with some esoteric extras.  For example, as I'm going to Cardiff tomorrow to see Tim and Sarah, we're hoping to shoot a bit more of Alpha One's Winter Wonderland, and I've got two new sets (admittedly small ones) in flat-pack form ready to take with me.  So, bare minimalism plus odd-looking accessories to the business of stopmotion animation.  That's what I call a suitcase packing method.


And to finish off, here's a handy travel-size blob of statistics:

• Twenty Questions status: 9 down, 11 to go
• Days until Root Hill: 12
• Latest book read: I skim-read the introduction to Dianetics by L Ron Hubbard yesterday, and my inner being was deeply amused by the stupidity of it all
• Latest film/TV watched: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
• Latest music listened to: I think I overheard a few minutes of the Tangled OST on little sister's CD player sometime today
• Latest edible item eaten: fish and chips
• Predominant colour of clothes: bluuue, uuuuuee-uuue-uueeeeee-uuu... ahem... *stops singing*
• Programs and web pages currently running: Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, Firefox (tabs: MatNav 6.1; Blogspot Dashboard; Blogspot Create Post)
• Webcomics posted today: Cylinder and Miserable #1330

- The Colclough