Heavy luggage to lug around, or the challenges of packing together

Are you sure you need this?

The prelude to a holiday together is packing together - a long, complicated procedure during which the flat turns into a real minefield. An explosion can occur for two reasons. First, when you inadvertently step on an important item that your other half has decided to take with them and, in order not to forget it, has put it on the floor next to your open suitcase; secondly, when, in your luggage, your partner finds an item that he or she absolutely does not need on holiday. In both of the above situations, the spectre of an argument takes on a disturbingly real form....

Although it is difficult to find a remedy for unfortunate incidents caused by inattention (a hearty apology remains), the second mentioned conflict can easily be nipped in the bud. The key is a deep tolerance and understanding of the male-female differences in approach to the packing process.

It's not a well-known fact that if the wardrobe is bursting at the seams in a couple's flat, the blame can be laid at the feet of the women's wardrobe. However, whether it's at home, in a hotel or in a tent, women just love to have something to choose from. The more decisive male gender may find it difficult to understand this aspect of female nature - especially when your beloved's suitcase won't close and there are two more pairs of shoes and a make-up bag waiting in line. And what is completely beyond a man's comprehension is a woman's absolute conviction that one dress (ba! even a blouse!) cannot be worn two days in a row. And it's by no means a matter of hygiene. Hence the plethora of clever containers and boxes, such as a travel case for jewellery.

A travel jewellery box, or perhaps a special container for plasters? For many female globetrotters this is a travel must have. For many men, it's a fun fad. And while their female partners are shuffling through their medicine cabinets looking for the most suitable plasters or beating their brains out when selecting jewellery, they can easily manage to pack for a fortnight in one bag. In the process, they leave plenty of room for the array of boxes/containers/sachets (e.g. the much-needed medicine box for every elegant woman) that their beloved will ultimately not fit into their suitcases.

Honey, how much longer?

A series of tough choices and not easy decisions, plus a whole lot of unquenchable doubts, prolong the female packing process to the maximum (to the dismay of men). The patience of the partner is put to the test, and the thought of the dream holiday pales in the clash with the "pre-holiday" mess....

But if a man cuts himself while setting up a tent or tears his shirt during the trip, he'll know who to turn to. Fortunately, my beloved remembered to pack a few plasters in a special sterile box, and to put a needle and thread in the side pocket of the inner compartment on the left side of the suitcase (zipped up). In two colours, just in case! And even a cleaning kit for shoes.