Discussion
About 3 weeks until my epic trip, that will include lots of lectures (both for researchers and the general public), meeting with research collaborators, and hopefully a tiny bit of vacation time.
I have SO much to do to get house/farm animals ready for the farm sitter, packing, eating up freezer food... I am at the stage where I have lists started on scraps of paper scattered around my desk, my kitchen table, a notebook, and a couple on my phone and computer. Any good organization tips?
@sundogplanets for your house a list of tradesfolk to call for house emergencies (add vet in their too for your critters) and a local neighbor who can help in an emergency (for house or critters or need a cup of sugar) for your trip one of those knife/fork/spoon plastic combos. Nothing is worse than grabbing something to eat while traveling and realizing you forgot to pickup utensils.
@sundogplanets Do not forget a tiny notebook and pencil next to your bed. So I hat you do not have to worry: what was it that I thought of before I fell asleep???
@sundogplanets might be a neurodivergent hack, but my lists got way easier when I sorted them by piece of luggage, not category (like clothing). For example, some meds go into my purse, other meds go into my toiletry bag. Some cables here, other cables there.
@sundogplanets Most camping stores sell small tubes of travel laundry wash, but secret pro-tip: you can do basic handwashing quite well with hotel shampoo. For the long plane trip down to the southern hemisphere, you’ll be glad of cucumber facial wipes and moisturiser. For major timezone shift, a couple of emergency muesli bars because you’ll be hungry in the middle of the night when everything is shut. One of those foldable small shopping bags that stuffs into a pocket will save you on many a run to the local store. My biggest travel tip has already been mentioned: a light pashmina wrap will see you through hot, cold, the plane, when you need to dress up, when you’re feeling low. Have a lovely trip!
@sundogplanets A travel router might be useful. Set it up at home so then when you are at a hotel and have it working the other devices can attach to it.
@sundogplanets A scrapbook? That way you (and family) could look back at it in ~10 years and go: "wow, how did I pull that off"
@sundogplanets honestly, top recommendations are, electolyte powder (Ener-C or similar), mouse w retractable cable, wipes in a resealable pouch and one of the multi-adapters with slide in/out plugs. I found a cheap round plastic one ages ago and been carting it around the world for ages. No pieces to lose, no fuss, found a pic of a similar one, not a brand endorsement btw, the name on the side of mine has been eroded off for decades. Good luck!
@AstroHyde All great recommendations, thank you!
@sundogplanets I've had a few of those trips, and found that if at all possible 'less is more' is the way to go for packing. Also, laptopping while in economy is impossible without real contortion once the person in front of you reclines, so bring a few paper copies of whatever articles/etc you thought you were going to read/review 🤣
@sundogplanets I travel with a twin or full sized flat sheet. For one, it gives me something to sleep on if hotel is yucky. But also, it can be used to organize things before and during packing. And it can be used folded as a place to sit at airports or parks, people respect a cloth on the ground more than invisible personal space. I also like traveling with my own body towel and washcloth.
@sundogplanets I also pack everything I'm taking early, like 2 or 3 weeks early and put it aside. Then I know I've got everything I need and I can focus on prepping the house for my time away.
I should add...other than obviously consolidate my lists into one list...
Are there things that you wished you had brought on a long road trip? Or international trips? Or keeping track of things while frequently moving between hotels/friends' houses on a long trip? Or setting up your house for someone else to live in it temporarily?
(I realize these are all incredibly privileged things to worry about, and I'm so grateful I get to do this)
@sundogplanets Once you have packing finalized, I warmly recommend a Pack Out list, that goes in each suitcase or travel container.
Then, when you're leaving a new location, you don't have to think: you just have to follow the list, and nothing gets left behind.
Can be a paper list or a list on your device, whatever works for you.
@sundogplanets I've mentioned or co-signed the major ones, but another one is a travel clothesline.
They've come in handy not just for clothes but other hacks I've had to use them for, like hanging a privacy curtain. I got my packing cubes, travel clotheslines, etc from Rick Steves. He's a good guy, kept his employees during the pandemic travel downturn, etc. And it's on sale now.
Though you have to remember to check it, Swiss Army Knives (with scissors) always handy.
https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/travel-clothesline
@sundogplanets I have their Mark I, which had suction cup attachments and Mark II (as shown), which has velcro loops. I'm currently using the suction cup one in this Albanian bathroom since the bathroom has no hooks and the suction cups stick well to the tile walls.
I advise buying suction cups to use with the current Mark II, that way you get both choices. Best of both worlds.
@sundogplanets I find that places away from home often don't have convenient lights for reading, so perhaps take along a rechargeable reading light, ideally one that charges with the same plug you need for another device (phone? computer? that takes USB-C, e.g.). If you don't have one and want a recommendation, i like this one: https://glocusent.com/products/glocusent-upgraded-neck-reading-light-pink.
@sundogplanets A spoon and a bowl. There is nothing that centers me as well as having the right bowl and a bouillon spoon.
@sundogplanets I use a label maker to add instructions directly onto anything the house sitter needs to worry about. It might work better for ovens and dehumidifiers than farm animals though.
@sundogplanets A very nice sketchbook/journal to dump thoughts, ideas, and memories at the end of the day, make some sketches, maybe a travel watercolour kit, a glue stick, because it can all fly by in a blur. Very relaxing too.
@sundogplanets Small personal gifts for people that help you along the way. Such as postcards of the area you're from or prints of your favourite aurora photo. I sometimes take small self made amigurumi along. Plus pattern, yarn, crochet hook and a bit of stuffing to make more.
@sundogplanets one small thing I have done on family trips that sounds small but is almost always incredibly useful is I pack a bag of bags (ziplock bags in sizes from gallon to snack sized) often adding a few other handy to have when you need them things like a few disposable gloves or a couple sets of disposable silverware. I find I always need to seal up some unfinished chips or contain a bunch of small somethings. I also always have at least one reusable shopping bag
@sundogplanets
I use bar shampoo and conditioner bc airlines don't want liquids in volume. However, if you're there a few weeks, I would pack liquid toiletries for a weekend, and plan on buying some when there. You get to check out local stores and products that way.
Good EARPLUGS can save you from a long flight with an unhappy baby aboard.
@sundogplanets Comfy things for while you’re actually at the trip destination. Like sweats and slippers for lounging if you can fit them. A good checklist for your house. Maybe bring a friend over and have them go through it - what do they need to know that you take for granted.
@sundogplanets I like to second what everyone is saying: packing cubes are gold!
I like to bring a little foldable daypack(10 Liters or so). It folds down to fist size. On travel days it holds my book, eye mask, bottle, everything I need on a plane/bus. It can be a shopping bag, hold my jacket and bottle in the city, food and drink on short hikes... And if I don't need it it lives in the suitcase und does not bother me.
@sundogplanets For live-in visitors when I’m not there: accessible power bars for *their* electronics, clean sheets and towels out of the closet so they don’t have to hunt and wonder which to use, an envelope of cash for unexpected household necessities, and an up-to-date shared doc with all the info they could need (incl. passwords, emergency contacts, vet info), especially anything weird/idiosyncratic.
@debcha I had thought of a lot of this, but definitely not all, thank you!
@sundogplanets @debcha
I do a farm sit for a cousin & her family at least once a year (Ireland: sheep, horses, goat, chickens, dogs, horses, cats, bunnies but not quite the same weather challenges as you). First couple of times she gave me instructions by video - that made things so easy to follow, I simply followed her lead. Inform the vetinarian that someone else might be in contact about your animals (I had deal with a lame sheep dog).
Enjoy your trip!
@sundogplanets @debcha tell them where the water shutoff is and put some flagging tape on it to make it very obvious in case a pipe explodes or something.
@sundogplanets packing cubes will literally save your life. On longer trips, I separate different items of clothing in them (shirts, pants, underwear), on shorter trips I pack outfits together. Bring one international converter and your local power strip. if you’re driving in strange cars, bring a charger that plugs into the cigarette port and connector cables that are both power and data in case you need to plug them into the car instead of using AirPlay.
Re moving between hotels: I clean my room before I leave. Collect all the trash in the bin. Put towels in the tub. Kinda make the bed. That way I can see what’s mine and may have gotten left behind.
@eniatitova I've never heard of packing cubes! Cool!
Thanks for all of this!
@sundogplanets comfortable earplugs, an eye mask, a couple of wooden clothespins for closing the gap in hotel room drapes with terrible glaring lights outside them.
@brennen psst: binder clips!
Good for holding conference paperwork together, loose charging cables, hotel curtains, or a bag of crisps. They generally have better grip strength than a clothespin and I’ve found they hold up better to being tossed around in the bottom of a random carryall. @sundogplanets
@mycrowgirl @brennen @sundogplanets I find bulldog clips even nicer than binder clips for the same purposes
@sundogplanets I keep a list on my phone of everything I've packed and add to it as I but things, so when we change from 1 hotel to another I can check off what's packed.
@sundogplanets S-hooks with silicone caps on the ends are incredibly useful for hotel showers, drying laundry, hanging a bag on the edge of a table, etc.
I like to organize things in my luggage with compression cubes and lots of little pouches, especially if I'll be moving around a lot and having to constantly repack. Easier to Tetris and I'm more likely to remember where things are if they're grouped together.
@sundogplanets when packing layout stuff and take a picture if it - much faster than writing a list and can be easily passed onto other yo make sure they have packed their own stuff
@sundogplanets I put post its on every cupboard with what’s in it (on category level, ie “bowls”, “electrical stuff”).
Load up your ereader with one of every type of book you like, the meaty and especially the frivolous
@sundogplanets I have a pretty detailed packing list with lots of subsection that i go through before any trip (I would share, but mine is a wild mix of English and German).
Anf trips that mix work and vacation are the worst for packing - that's like packing for different people in part (although the students for the next two weeks will have to mostly get taught by me in hiking tops and hiking shorts 😅)
@vicgrinberg Haha yes! Also this trip includes Saskatchewan winter (freaking cold), BC winter (wet and cold), and NZ summer/fall (warm, and maybe wet?)
The packing is absurd.
@sundogplanets feel ya - I have Buenos Aires, Iguazu falls and all the way South in Patagonia in a 15 kg suitcase. It's... interesting. Hope you manage well and have more luggage allowance!
@sundogplanets a good bag with interior separators can be super useful for multiple stop journeys - or just buying or mental using interior organizers for bags you already have. All the charging cables in one place, all the bathroom supplies in another etc so you just mentally know 'this space should be this full' and can figure out what's missing before you leave.
@sundogplanets I can't remember if you're an apple computer person or not? If yes I can send you all my old NZ plugs for their power adapters?
@PatrickHerd Oh that's a really nice offer! But I'm one of those Linux People :)
@sundogplanets Sometimes even linux people just like the hardware 😂 Anyways offer still stands if you're after any such things. Thinking some more: Last time I was out of the country for more than a week, I found I used my basic toolkit very frequently. Biggest regret for not bringing with me: My 3d printer (probably not applicable to your situation) haha
@sundogplanets slippers or some kind of house shoe/grippy sock situation
@sundogplanets and a full size towel, most hotel towels are bullshit
@sundogplanets portable extension cables with all the things I need on them. Electrical outlets are never where I want them so some kind of retractable extension cable that has lots of plugs and also usb and usb-c charging, helps me a lot
@sundogplanets Sounds like you're in prep mode for an epic trip! For organization tips, I'd say try consolidating all those lists into one digital spot like a notes app on your phone or a task manager like Trello. That way you can access everything from one place and check things off as you go. Also, making a timeline of tasks leading up to departure might help you stay on track. How's the farm sitter prep going?
@sundogplanets Glad to hear you found a sitter. Have a great time!!
@sundogplanets Try a reMarkable tablet. I have the Paper Pro Move: easy to carry, syncs with iOS and MacOS apps and you can access the documents via browser. Handwrite, type, and convert handwriting to type on the go. Reason: you have one device with all your information, but flexible input and access options on other devices. https://remarkable.com/
Just don't forget to drain all your water pipes
@GustavinoBevilacqua The farm sitter will be living in our house, so no need for that! (And we already drained the outside water lines, that aren't 9 feet underground...that's something we have to do every year. Yay Saskatchewan...)
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