I travel semi-frequently, mostly for work, which is a complicated endeavor. Or, rather, it was until I started using Mack Weldon’s Travel Kit. But let me explain the issue: I often have to pack for a wide variety of climates and occasions and duties. It’s not uncommon that I’d leave NYC (32 degrees) to go to, say, Spain (65 degrees) for two days, during which time I have one overnight travel leg, two business dinners, one day that’s a mix of business-casual presentations and very casual driving plus another daytime travel leg; on top of all that, I need camera gear and a computer (and reading material). Greatly compounding all of this is my obsessive approach to all things packing: everything must fit in a small carry-on and small backpack; I must be fully prepared for any and all circumstances; everything must be in a container.
For the latter, I use packing cubes from Eagle Creek, which I cannot endorse enough. Being fully prepared for all temperatures and occasions is on me: it sometimes takes me a couple hours to decide which jacket, sport coat and shirts to take with which all-purpose travel pants so that I can easily, imperceptibly mix-and-match during the trip with the smallest amount of clothing in order to stay looking sharp without letting on that I’m reusing any clothes.
But most important is the dopp kit. Needs: toothbrush, floss, Q-tips, prescriptions, deodorants, face wash, face lotion, nail clippers; things I might need: Tylenol and Rolaids, a comb (my head is currently buzzed, so…), eye drops, Emergen-C, face wipes, hand sanitizer, a couple packs (?) of gum, et cetera, et cetera. Beyond the embarrassment of feeling relatively crazy, the worst part of all this was that I used to try and pack it all into a single-compartment canvas bag. Very stressful.
The Travel Kit, from Mack Weldon’s all-new Ion Series (the Weekender is also great), has been in my arsenal for a few weeks now and everything is completely better. It’s got multiple compartments, elastic loops inside to hold bottles and tubes and exterior pockets. It’s antimicrobial, water-resistant — even comes with travel bottles. And even I can’t fill it all the way. So now I breathe easier when packing because I have everything I need — plus all the crap I don’t. It’s great.
