The Powersightseer's Guide to Packing

Packing is an essential skill for every Power Sightseer. It can make or break your trip. People have been known to marvel at my superpower packing skills. You know everyone has at least one superpower and this is my only one so don’t make fun.


When I first started traveling I took WAY too much stuff. I finally decided to make a rule. If I didn’t use something on my last trip it didn’t go in the suitcase for the next trip. Pretty soon I could go for a long weekend in London with just a backpack, Morocco for a week with one small carryon and a backpack and I was even carrying things for other people.

Here are just a few of my hard learned tips:

• No matter how special your hair is hotel shampoo won’t mean the end of your perfect do forever. If you think about it, beauty experts say it is good to take a break from your shampoo periodically, so you are really helping your hair. Also, if you do end up looking like something the cat dragged in you can always tell people you are in the next Twilight movie and going for am I am too tortured to wash my hair look. The same goes for blow dryers, rollers, straightening irons, etc.

• Jewelry – seriously??? I am the jewelry queen. The bigger and gaudier the better and I don’t even carry any on trips. Besides it will probably only end up being a tangled jumble of chains, baubles and beads. Your only use for it at that point would be to use it as a weapon in the case of a bear attack.

• Hotels do have laundry facilities or at the very least a sink. You really don’t need a new pair of jeans for every day. Besides jeans are heavy. If your outfit makes you cringe when you think of stepping on a scale choose something different.

• You don’t need four books. If you are really a Power Sightseer you will be too busy to read them anyway. As for travel guides, copy the pages showing things that interest you. Once you have seen the sight you can throw away the page.

• I am the pickiest eater in the world. I am a vegetarian and I only like a few things. On top of that I am a healthy eater fanatic. So I do carry food on most trips. You can go to one of the 99 cent stores and purchase a medium sized plastic contained with a lid. Make sure it fits nicely into your backpack. Fill this with breakable food, pretzels, rice cakes, etc., so you don’t end up with a pile of crumbs. Pick dehydrated soups or rice dishes. I put my protein drink mix into snack sized baggies. Tearing off one corner converts it into a perfect funnel to put the powder into a bottle of water. Bonus – as you eat things you free up space for souvenirs. You can always toss your 99 cent box or use it to transport breakable things you pick up along the way back home.

I will impart more wisdom as it pops into my head. Watch for future updates.