Overstuffed Stuff

StartFragmentTrip planning is a dicey proposition in the Hallmark household. My wife is hampered by a husband who doesn't plan so much as reacts, usually at the last minute by throwing everything I can think of into a suitcase or the back of a truck. Whatever is forgotten or unanticipated is purchased as needed along the way. Since I'm little help, my wife consulted the experts on Pinterest to guide us in packing for our Alaska trip. She found an experienced Alaskan cruiser who was OCD enough to track everything packed and what was actually worn on her trip. This resulted in a list of things to pack not only from her experience but some poor soul who was married to her as well. This is how I ended up with 16 pairs of socks for a one week tour. We tried to apply logic to the Pinterest Travelogue's list and I tried whining as well but we still failed somehow. We over packed. Three pair of khakis (one unworn).... Three pair of jeans (one unworn)...16 pairs of underwear (none turned insides out for second day use) .... 16 pairs of socks.... waterproof tennis shoes, muck boots... This is how a party of two ends up with four suitcases and two backpacks to crowd into a tiny ship's cabin. You open the door and pray there is a space under the bed for the suitcases so they don't have to sit mockingly in the room for the duration. A clue ignored was when I had to take "Big Boy", the beige suitcase that often threatens the 50 pound limit to the veterinarian's office to use their dog scales. You just lead your pet onto them for fussless weighing. Big Boy came in triumphantly at 47 pounds, the same number as our elderly Beagle, who is also overstuffed. Our first life lesson was riding from the Parking Spot to the airport with a couple going to Belize for the same week we were going to Alaska. After chatting in the car on the way over, they got out and retrieved their two little bags and rolled happily off. I muttered something about their needing less clothes in Belize where there were naked beaches. We shouldered our backpacks, Jan grabbed her two bags and teetered off. I martialed my normal suitcase and took Big Boy by the handle and generated horsepower forward. As we struggled to gather speed we realized the awful truth... We over packed. EndFragment