June 11, 2020

The Art of Packing

The secret is rolling. If all
you're doing is folding, you
have not yet arrived. Start
with folding, but then go
further: smaller, tighter still.
Fold each article into a
narrow strip, not much wider
than your palm and as smooth
as you can manage – or as you
can live with. (Every wrinkle
will be magnified when
this luggage reaches its
destination and its contents are
exposed to the light of day, so
your degree of care at this stage –
your art – will be evident later.)
Press one end of the strip with
your fingers – ideally the more
open end, with the looser bits –
and roll inward and upward;
massage away any underside
wrinkles by outward sweeps
with your thumbs until you reach
the other end. Once there, take
the roll in hand and set it neatly
on its seam, where the far end
meets the accumulated body,
now compressed, of the rest of
the material. If your work is at
least fair – which is often, if not
usually, the best you can hope for –
gravity and the tension of your
surface should hold the work
together. Repeat the process
for each article bound for this
journey, before nestling them
like rows of nursing pups in
the suitcase. Since you won't
be traveling with them, feel
free to whisper Bon voyage!
as you zip or clasp them in.