packing list strategizing
Feb. 7th, 2024 12:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silverflight8I quite like tinkering with and thinking about packing things for trips. I always like thinking about how to improve it too, it's very satisfying for some reason.
Good packing:
-> Overall very good!
-> Previous mistakes fixed this time:
* sandwich bags to bring lunch, insulated lunchbag
* flipflops (in fact flipflops are from Michigan 2023 when I didn't have any and had to grab some from Meijer's)
* snacks
* cable for USB to car
* sunglasses
-> Pretty much had all the stuff I needed or wanted, with room still to spare in suitcase and backpack
-> Packed some casual wear, which was really, really useful. I usually shower as soon as I get back from birding, because sweaty and also to tick check, wash them off, etc. But I don't want to get back into my dusty/sweaty/muddy stuff, nor my pyjamas right away. This time especially since there were family-style meals, I would get back in the afternoon or early evening, shower, and change into regular clothing. So glad I packed this, otherwise I'd have to wear hiking stuff intended for the next day. Will continue to pack some "sitting around" clothing.
-> 3 waterbottles, 1 collapsible, worked well for tiding me over while in SJO when I was unsure of water safety and did not have facilities to boil or sanitize. Recycle the metal one as it leaks every time I use it, though.
-> small IKEA blue tote surprisingly useful. Stored camera, binoculars, harness, daypack, and some other sundries well and made getting in and out of van with all my stuff easy. Compresses to nothing but provides lots of carry, will do in the future.
-> did not forget ANYTHING on plane, car, unlike last time (RIP my Kobo Clara 2E just six months old)
Bad packing:
-> USB cable for car connection did not work with phone case, had to take phone out of case constantly to use. Fortunately never dropped the phone while it was out of the case. How did I take the only cord which does not work with my case? All the other ones work.
-> forgot tretinoin
-> no sink stop for laundry
-> when doing underwear counting calculations, forgot I needed to treat the period underwear separately (long dry time, needs to be available for wearing suddenly and is not interchangeable with normal underwear), result: emergency underwear laundry the night before flight to SJO of regular underwear as I had come up short and would be doing brief stays, which are not ideal for drying laundry. With the A/C on I hoped they would dry easily, which they kinda did...but I realized late at night and woke early so yeah, slightly damp underwear time that finished drying on me. Not the worst thing in the world but not the greatest either.
-> what the heck happened to the grey/heather base layer???? Could not find it anywhere while packing to go the first leg, did I leave it elsewhere? Could still do with more shirts. Warm climates suck.
-> pack more sanitizing hand wipes
-> need thin hair-ties to do multiple braids. One braid is ok but doesn't always play well with hat.
-> need to carry more cash since electronic payment not as accepted there, and I forgot about bringing extra for tipping (because of some extra splits in the cost, and borrowing cash + repaying via e-transfer with a couple, I did kludge enough/actually more than enough cash to tip and pay in the end, but that was stressful)
-> pack gloves - forgot altitude means cold
-> pack a little note paper, was scribbling ID notes on napkins
Not sure:
-> packed two small tubes of toothpaste by accident but honestly this was all for the best, as the first tube ran out literally the day I left. I might have scrimped without the second tube, unnecessarily
-> did not need first aid kit except to help with a developing blister/callus, but need to look up and get a proper first-aid kit
-> tried to use a small plastic water bottle as an ice pack to keep things cold, but the mini-fridge was too weak to actually freeze the water into ice. Experiment postponed.
-> having rainboots was clunky but useful, still had lots of room so maybe bring second pair of sneakers next time in case rained out
Good packing:
-> Overall very good!
-> Previous mistakes fixed this time:
* sandwich bags to bring lunch, insulated lunchbag
* flipflops (in fact flipflops are from Michigan 2023 when I didn't have any and had to grab some from Meijer's)
* snacks
* cable for USB to car
* sunglasses
-> Pretty much had all the stuff I needed or wanted, with room still to spare in suitcase and backpack
-> Packed some casual wear, which was really, really useful. I usually shower as soon as I get back from birding, because sweaty and also to tick check, wash them off, etc. But I don't want to get back into my dusty/sweaty/muddy stuff, nor my pyjamas right away. This time especially since there were family-style meals, I would get back in the afternoon or early evening, shower, and change into regular clothing. So glad I packed this, otherwise I'd have to wear hiking stuff intended for the next day. Will continue to pack some "sitting around" clothing.
-> 3 waterbottles, 1 collapsible, worked well for tiding me over while in SJO when I was unsure of water safety and did not have facilities to boil or sanitize. Recycle the metal one as it leaks every time I use it, though.
-> small IKEA blue tote surprisingly useful. Stored camera, binoculars, harness, daypack, and some other sundries well and made getting in and out of van with all my stuff easy. Compresses to nothing but provides lots of carry, will do in the future.
-> did not forget ANYTHING on plane, car, unlike last time (RIP my Kobo Clara 2E just six months old)
Bad packing:
-> USB cable for car connection did not work with phone case, had to take phone out of case constantly to use. Fortunately never dropped the phone while it was out of the case. How did I take the only cord which does not work with my case? All the other ones work.
-> forgot tretinoin
-> no sink stop for laundry
-> when doing underwear counting calculations, forgot I needed to treat the period underwear separately (long dry time, needs to be available for wearing suddenly and is not interchangeable with normal underwear), result: emergency underwear laundry the night before flight to SJO of regular underwear as I had come up short and would be doing brief stays, which are not ideal for drying laundry. With the A/C on I hoped they would dry easily, which they kinda did...but I realized late at night and woke early so yeah, slightly damp underwear time that finished drying on me. Not the worst thing in the world but not the greatest either.
-> what the heck happened to the grey/heather base layer???? Could not find it anywhere while packing to go the first leg, did I leave it elsewhere? Could still do with more shirts. Warm climates suck.
-> pack more sanitizing hand wipes
-> need thin hair-ties to do multiple braids. One braid is ok but doesn't always play well with hat.
-> need to carry more cash since electronic payment not as accepted there, and I forgot about bringing extra for tipping (because of some extra splits in the cost, and borrowing cash + repaying via e-transfer with a couple, I did kludge enough/actually more than enough cash to tip and pay in the end, but that was stressful)
-> pack gloves - forgot altitude means cold
-> pack a little note paper, was scribbling ID notes on napkins
Not sure:
-> packed two small tubes of toothpaste by accident but honestly this was all for the best, as the first tube ran out literally the day I left. I might have scrimped without the second tube, unnecessarily
-> did not need first aid kit except to help with a developing blister/callus, but need to look up and get a proper first-aid kit
-> tried to use a small plastic water bottle as an ice pack to keep things cold, but the mini-fridge was too weak to actually freeze the water into ice. Experiment postponed.
-> having rainboots was clunky but useful, still had lots of room so maybe bring second pair of sneakers next time in case rained out
no subject
Date: Feb. 7th, 2024 05:33 am (UTC)Optimizing the sorting! Much fun.
no subject
Date: Feb. 7th, 2024 04:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Feb. 7th, 2024 05:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Feb. 7th, 2024 04:17 pm (UTC)I thought of our discussion re medication and the difficulty of trying to find cough medication in a different country while sick and dazed haha. I need to work on the first aid/medical kit!
no subject
Date: Feb. 7th, 2024 09:52 pm (UTC)ETA: my summer gloves are fingerless.
no subject
Date: Feb. 9th, 2024 04:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Feb. 8th, 2024 06:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Feb. 9th, 2024 04:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Feb. 9th, 2024 04:26 am (UTC)Also tretinoin - any tips on not always looking like a lizard shedding skin?
no subject
Date: Feb. 9th, 2024 04:35 am (UTC)I take it for acne (I'm not prone to dry skin at all haha) but I remember it took awhile for my skin to get used to it, I think it was a bit uncomfortable at first. I think you're supposed to wait at least 10 mins after washing your face to apply, you can stagger it so it's not immediately every night, make sure you do it at night to avoid immediate sun exposure, do it on top of moisturizer first, and so on.
no subject
Date: Feb. 10th, 2024 06:27 am (UTC)I may just have to live with the mottled skin, heh. I just bought a big ol bottle of micellar water for a cleanser. Safe. Gentle. Hydrating. So they say. My right eye is BURNING, ITCHING and WATERING.
I really do have to just bite the bullet and travel. I make excuses. It's costly for just the trip, but pet care, travel to airport, etc. Wah, poor me. ;)
no subject
Date: Feb. 11th, 2024 03:01 am (UTC)Ha, my trip planning often goes like this. "It would be cool to travel to x place" -> look at flights -> find a good deal (sometimes in a completely different place lol) -> book flight -> am therefore obliged to frantically look for accommodation, etc. It all falls into place once you put the money down for the first part of the trip ;) Occasionally like for this trip, since I really wanted this lodge, I'll book accommodations first, but same principle applies.