Conferring with the Packing Experts

  When it comes to organizing, there are some ideas that are unique, but there's also a lot of advice that's consistent no matter whose book or blog post you're reading. Last week, I shared a True Confessions post about my packing style and so this week, I thought it would be interesting to see how it stacks up against advice from a travel pro.

The back page of the Summer 2023 issue of Explore Your AAA magazine featured an article entitled "Packing Tips for Any Trip." As I read it, I was excited to find that, over time, I've learned to do most of the things in the article, along with a couple of good tips to remember and/or consider.

Here's the rundown, with my comments. 

Give yourself plenty of time to pack. This tip inspired me to write "define 'pack'" in the margin. Like me, the article defines packing rather loosely, including things like making lists and dropping items into an empty suitcase (or, in my keep-it-simple "drop and run" case, a laundry basket). To that I'd add the suggestion of being as consistent as possible in where you jot things down. One master list (or an app, as the article suggests) is much more useful than a dozen random pieces of paper.

Create a travel checklist that details what you'll wear each day. I don't do this because A) I'm too lazy B) I like spontaneity and C) what if the weather changes? (But mostly A). I do, however, try to pack tops that go with multiple bottoms to increase flexibility and because spills happen. At least to me.

Pack an extra phone charger and a portable power bank. Yes! And somehow I only remember this about half the time. I need to add a note about this to my pre-packed bag which contains...

Travel sizes of grooming items. I have a makeup bag exclusively for travel which I keep pre-packed. There's also a packing checklist stored in the bin that houses that bag. For some reason (stubbornness?) I choose to use that list even less often than I remember to pack the portable power bank. (I always bring charging cords).

Stash an empty water bottle in your carry-on that you can fill at any water fountain. Granted, this idea was more appealing pre-COVID, but any time I can avoid paying premium prices for plastic water bottles, it's a win.

Put shoes in thin plastic bags. One of my favorite travel hacks. In addition, any time sheets come in one of those handy drawstring bags, I save them to use for this precise purpose. And, the other day, my new shoes came in their own individual bags (one per shoe, inside the box!). Definitely saving those! As with the water bottle, these hacks are good for the environment, too. I can wash and reuse those bags rather than having to replace the plastic ones which inevitably tear.

Invest in a set of packing cubes. Best packing hack ever! I just did this last year and it has revolutionized my packing.

Tuck a fabric softener sheet into your suitcase. I do this when I store the suitcase rather than when I travel. Either way, a nice-smelling suitcase makes travel nicer, too.

Stow necessities in your carry-on. For me, this even includes putting my medications in my purse instead of a suitcase, even for car trips. I don't want to have to rummage through suitcases to find my medications if we get delayed somewhere or if someone has an upset stomach or a headache.

The online version of the article has two additional tips: preparing for bad weather and tucking in some scented soaps to make a connection between home and your destination.  

No matter where you're going, it's always nice to be able to find what you want in short order, whether during the trip, or upon arrival. A little bit of planning helps to ensure that we can spend as much time as possible enjoying ourselves because we need to spend only a little bit of time accessing what we need.

Bon voyage!

STYLE Then & Now: Taking My Stuff on the Road

With everything that's going on this summer, last summer's events seem so far away. This time last summer, I was celebrating a new book and preparing to go to a conference as not only as an attendee, but as a presenter as well. 

Since my favorite tools list is, like organizing itself, a work in progress, I thought I'd look back at last year's recommendations and see if they still held true. Last year, three of my key packing tools were:

My conference bag. Though I try to keep the stuff I lug around to a minimum, it's helpful to have some sort of bag to corral everything so I can keep my hands free for handshakes, pouring water and handing out business cards. This time around, I chose to use one of my Know Thyself  totes so I could advertise, too.

The bags that my sheets came in. These fabric, drawstring bags that held my sheets when they were new are a great way to transport shoes. I've pulled the drawstrings all the way through on a few of them, so I now just tuck the fabric under or wrap the drawstring around the top of the bag and tie it shut. I have a couple of smaller bags that pillowcases came in; those are great for jewelry and perfume.

Pill sorters and toilet paper tubes. One of the things I love about Pinterest is that it's full of great ideas other people came up with. Pill sorters (the kind that have a compartment for each day of the week) are great for transporting earrings. If I slide the pill sorters into into the little pouch (otherwise known as the bags my pillowcases came in), the earrings stay safe even if one of the compartments pops open during travel.

And the toilet paper tubes? Drop one end of the necklace through the tube and bring it back around the outside of the tube to clasp it. This can also be tucked into one of the little pouches (or, failing that, a resealable plastic bag) to keep it from tangling. I like to decorate the tubes with Washi tape to make them look pretty.

This summer, a writing conference isn't in the cards but we did keep our reservations at the beach. I carried my usual bag of goodies for the car ride (in lieu of a conference bag), but I also pack plenty of reading material, writing stuff, and other things to keep me entertained. This year, I packed all of that into a sturdy, cloth-covered bin. It's the perfect size for magazines, file folders and, as you can see, a pad for doodling random ideas. And, as I said yesterday, it helps me stay organized and keep things tidy while I'm away. In addition, it stores easily in the car without tipping over. 

As for the drawstring fabric bags, pill sorters and toilet paper tubes? Staples in my travel arsenal, they all made the trip to the beach as well and I am happy to report that no necklaces became tangled in the process. 

How about you? What helps you stay organized when you're away from home?

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Key Items on My Packing-for-Vacation List

Photo: Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

When I'm packing for a week away, particularly one where relaxation rather than learning or sightseeing will be the main event, I try to bring things that will make it my home away from home for the week. Comfy pjs for down time (and leisurely mornings on the patio). Enough clothes so I don't need to do laundry. The electronics I use for work and play.

Since my organizational styles go wherever I go, there are a few things that are always on my packing list so that adrift is only a state of mind when I want it to be.

Prepacked (as in always packed, never unpacked) toiletries and medical/first aid pouches. Not only do these save me time and list-making before the trip, but they also help make sure I don't have to spend vacation time and cash on unnecessary trips to the drug store trips to buy things I already have at home. Restocking them and checking expiration dates when I unpack after vacation makes sure they're ready to go again when I am.

My satellite office bag: I have a small tote that houses my wireless mouse, earbuds and charger, pencil case and a small spiral memo book. I use this when I take my laptop and go, whether to Starbucks or another "satellite office." Grabbing that bag means I'm equipped for writing on the screened-in porch and shutting out the music from someone else's blue tooth speaker on the beach, as well as making sure I have just the right pen.

A notebook -- or, in my case, several. I always pack a medium sized spiral notebook for keeping track of random thoughts and ideas, as well as lists I don't want to lose. This time, I also happened to grab a legal pad, which came in handy for my Beach Pages (the notebook was too small) until I bought my dedicated journal.

How about you? What's always on your packing list?

And She's Off!

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It's that time of year again. The house is a cluttered mess as we empty out my daughter's room and bring all the things that have been stored in the basement for the summer upstairs so we can jam them into the car. In a few days, when we return home, everything will look much too empty. The odds and ends I've been grumbling about all summer because they seem to be everywhere will have disappeared.

We're getting ready to take my daughter back to school.

Fortunately, the organizing habits my daughter and I have developed when it comes to packing transfer here as well. Though I'm not as good at traveling light as she is, I've definitely learned how to streamline the packing process.

Since we're not doing this for the first time, we can replicate what worked last year (using garbage bags to transport hanging clothes, for example). In addition, much of the stuff that came home in May is still packed which, theoretically, gives us a head start. 

Here are a few of the other strategies that we hope will see us through:

Pack inside the stuff that's going to live at school. Now that we know what stores and resources are in her neck of the woods, we know what we need to bring from home and what we can buy once we arrive. Since storage is at a premium in this year's room, we did purchase one drawer unit, which is stuffed with the clothing it will house once she gets to school. I'm a big fan of anything that does double-duty -- packing containers now, storage later--so anything purchased before we leave has to be cheap, efficient, perfect for the space or, better yet, all three.

Keep similar items together and label liberally. This is one of those at-home rules that applies to travel, too. Move-in day is chaotic and, though this year will probably be a less emotional endeavor than last year when she was a freshman, I suspect the move-in process will still feel very scattered. Any simple step that reduces the chaos is a good one. Packing things by category and labeling containers makes turning a dorm room into a home faster and easier. And, these strategies eliminate the need to deal with with multiple mystery packages.

Keep it flexible. Smooshy stuff compresses more easily than plastic bins. Duffel bags and totes stand out in a sea of bins and garbage bags bursting with clothing. A collection of smaller bags can be tucked into nooks and crannies too tiny for a foot locker or trunk. Under circumstances like these where every inch of space matters, assess your packing space and choose your containers accordingly.

Now I'm going to hand off to you. If you've been down this road, what suggestions can you offer?

Do Your Styles Take a Vacation When You Do?

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When you go on vacation, where do you put your stuff? Do you unpack or live out of a suitcase? Do all of your organizational plans go out the window, or are you better organized when you're away than you are at home? Do you drop and run? Cram and jam? Put things in a "safe" place?

I've written often about the importance of finding the right location for things. In fact, I'm such a firm believer in this that I try to put this into practice even when I'm on vacation. This is made much easier when we visit the same place each year (the same condo complex at the beach, the same hotel when we visit my daughter), but it works wherever you go.

I'm not suggesting that you have to move in when you're only away for the weekend -- simply finding the drop spot that works for important items (cell phone and keys, for example) and using it every time avoids those last-minute panicked moments when you're in a hurry to get to your next destination.

Packing patterns can help, too, even when it's as basic as using the compartments in a suitcase to store the same items every time. When we're going away for more than a day trip, I use the same bag for the same things each time so I know where to look.

Ironically, as I write this, I have yet to find two things I packed when we left the beach. One was a new purchase, so it had no assigned home. The other (my Fitbit charger) got tossed into an available spot that made sense when we left (an I know I put it somewhere habit I don't usually fall prey to); I have yet to determine what that space was. I'm sure it will turn up, but, had I put it in its assigned spot, I'd have found it (and used it to rescue my poor, uncharged Fitbit) by now.

Location, location, location.

Unpack, Prepack, Pack: The I Hate to Pack Packing Method

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This has been a summer of short trips. Last week, I returned home from a visit to my parents just two days before we were leaving for the beach.

Unpack? Seriously?

Nope.

Instead, here's what it looked like/the plan.

Wednesday evening: Return home. Dump bag in bedroom. Open it only to remove the things that needed to be washed and the toiletries I'd need in the next 24 hours. Then, leave the bag alone until bedtime when I needed to retrieve medication.

Thursday morning: Ignore bag. Begin washing clothes that I want for the next trip. While getting dressed, take out stacks of clothes likely to be worn or packed. Choose one pair of shorts, leave the remainder on the bed to put in the suitcase. Also lay out other things I want to wash and/or pack as I come across them. Don't put them in the suitcase now, or they'll get more wrinkled.

Thursday afternoon and evening: As laundry is finished, leave clothes I want to pack neatly folded in the laundry basket. Retrieve packing list from the bin where I keep travel items like my toiletries kit (still in the suitcase from the last trip), extra travel toiletries and bags to pack shoes in (repurposed drawstring bags that originally held sheet sets). Time permitting, start packing linens (as they come out of the washer and any kitchen items/food we want to bring along. Refill containers in toiletries bag as needed.

Friday: Serious packing. Take stock of everything that's been laid out, is sitting in a laundry basket, or still in the suitcase. Fill in the gaps. Fit as much as possible into the already partially packed suitcase and determine how big a bag I need for the rest of the stuff.

My Type A organized friends are shaking their heads, but, you know what? This works. It fits my I need to see it personal style, keeps the clothes I love in rotation until the bitter end when they must go in the suitcase and most important....

It makes me hate packing less. That gets my vacation off to a happier start, which has a payoff all its own.

What packing plans fit your styles? Your family's? Don't be surprised if each family member has a style all his/her own (my husband starts packing a week ahead of time) and, if you can, honor those styles.

After all, who doesn't want vacation mentality to set in as soon as possible?

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3 Keys Thursday: 3 Keys to Packing Them up and Bringing Them Home

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

Yesterday, we moved my daughter out of her dorm, piled into our packed vehicle and made the five-hour trek home. Getting ready to do the same thing? Here are three keys to making the whole process go more smoothly.

Preparation. Since they've been entrenched in finals and spring fever (not necessarily in that order), your kids may or may not have actually planned ahead and started packing and/or sending things home ahead of time. Whether you start the packing or they do, encourage them to separate the things they'll need for the summer from the things that are going back to school in the fall and then label the boxes. And, if you live far away, consider renting a storage unit for the summer. Your child's roommates or friends might be interested in sharing the space -- and the cost.

Tools. Even if your kids say they're almost finished, it never hurts to have a few boxes, bins and one-step packing containers with you, just in case. Bins and boxes work well for things that can be stashed away for the whole summer while fabric totes are handy for last minute items and things that need to remain accessible on the way home. In addition, they're lightweight and crushable, so, if they remain unused, they won't take up valuable elbow room on the way home. Don't forget labels and/or a permanent marker for keeping track of which box is which.

Patience. You may be ready to empty the room and hit the road, but keep in mind that these departures can be emotional for your child, who is saying goodbye to all of the people he or she has spent the better part of the last year with. Sure, technology makes it easier than ever to stay in touch, but, as you already know from your year apart from your teen, it's not the same. If time is of the essence, warn your child ahead of time, but be prepared for things to be more free flow and less efficient, especially if it's a long ride home.

Already have this pack-up-and-go stuff down to a science? Share your tips in the comments below where newbie empty nesters like me will be sure to appreciate them!

Moving Day

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Today's the day! Our daughter is coming home from college! We're optimistic that we can fit all of her stuff into the car and still have room for her (after all, we did it in August, right?), but there's one thing I'm less optimistic about.

Where all of that stuff is going when it gets home.

I'm resigned to the fact that I'm going to be tripping over boxes for a bit, and this might actually be cute for the first few days. She's home, after all, and this is the evidence!

But it will also get old fast.

So, last weekend, in preparation for this, I considered clearing some space in the basement. But, it was finals week and I had stacks of papers to grade, along with an out-of-town party to attend, so this was an optimistic plan.

Luckily, when we arrived yesterday, she was nearly packed and the piles were not as enormous as I'd feared.

I think we might just pull this off.

Still, when we get home, all of that stuff needs to find a place to live for the summer. Much of it will go into her room, some of it will go in the mud room, disappearing bit by bit as she eases back into life at home, and the rest will go into the basement, where the lack of available space will, I hope, inspire me to get rid of a few things (mine, not hers).

In any event, this transition will inspire changes, as transitions usually do. I'm sure this move will teach us something about the impermanence of this time of life, along with generating some useful ideas for dorm life next year.

It should be interesting.

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Keys (x2) to Sending Them Off to School

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

This is, as I might have mentioned once or twice before, my daughter's last full week at home before she officially becomes a college freshman. I promised myself I'd be at her disposal this week, so shopping lists have replaced my to-do list nearly every day this week...which is why I'm writing this post about six hours later than usual.

I've learned a few things this week, as well as being reminded often that organizing is a fluid process, one that doesn't always go according to plan. Here are a few of my lessons from this week of preparing to send my baby out into the world.

Make a list--early. Last spring, I found a fantastic list of all the things (and then some) my daughter would need for school. It was a wonderful starting point, and I've been both adding to it and chipping away at it since sometime in May. Its sheer length inspired me to pick up extras of toiletries on each trip to Target so we didn't have to do a massive shopping spree when nerves were stretched and tempers were short. In addition, it nudged me to consider things I hadn't thought about and, now that many things have been crossed off, it's serving as the "last minute details" list.

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Personalize it. In addition to the adding and chipping away we did on our own, we added things that my daughter wanted. I also sought out advice from those who'd done this already, specifically, what were the things they'd wished they'd had but didn't think of? This list included everything from tools to cold beverages and snacks to Amazon Prime, which will keep me from packing everything but the kitchen sink since whatever we forget will be just a few clicks away, and....

You will forget things. This one's for all of you perfectionists out there. Reduce your stress by making it your goal to forget as few things as possible rather than to forget nothing at all. If you haven't done this before, or haven't done this since your own college days, you will forget something. Aiming to do otherwise merely adds unnecessary stress to an already stressful situation. Why do you think the parents who've done this before recommend Amazon Prime?

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Resign yourself to the fact that it won't go as planned. Beautiful, detailed plans can be tools, but they can also be recipes for disaster. This college thing is a big deal in your child's life, and probably yours as well. There will be days (weeks...) when your allegedly grown-up kid can't deal with the realities of this transition and/or she gets a better offer from one of those friends she's going to be saying goodbye to all too soon. When those days hit (and coincide with the days you planned to shop and reduce the to-do list), it's easy to get frustrated. One of you has to stay calm, and you've got a better shot at it than your child does.

Be flexible. Make lists and make plans, but expect them to change (see #4 above). In addition, be prepared to be flexible about who's in charge and let your child lead the way sometimes. This is their life they're preparing for, so let them own the preparations as much as possible. Not only is it good practice for what lies ahead, but sometimes, they have good ideas.

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Make your relationship with your child the most important thing. When I stop to think about the fact that this is my last week with my child in this phase of our lives, I begin to dissolve into a puddle. Consequently, I don't think about that very much, but instead, focus on enjoying every moment she grants me. Long after these preparations are complete and your child is launched, he or she will remember how you handled these days. And, even if she doesn't, you owe it to your child--and yourself--to relish this time. No matter how challenging he or she may make it.

I know I still have a lot to learn, and I'm hoping that this time next year, I won't be undone by last minute orders and shopping trips, but somehow, I don't think that will be the case. As I read the posts of other parents who are traveling this same road, we all seem to be reminding ourselves (or are being reminded by someone else) that our children's readiness for this next step is a reflection of all that has come before.

And that's something to celebrate.

Packing it In

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I've spent a lot of time traveling this summer, and have really come to appreciate the organizing habits I've developed when it comes to packing. Though I'm not as good at traveling light as my daughter, who managed to get everything she needed for a weekend in New York into one backpack (thanks partially to supplemental space from her parents), I've definitely streamlined the packing process.

But now, we're getting ready to pack my daughter up and take her to school, and, from what I'm reading, this process comes with a whole new set of rules. While it can be hard to know what to pack and what to leave behind for a week long vacation, that's nothing compared to sending your first (and, in our case, only) child off to school with "the basic necessities." (Luckily, she's more low maintenance than her mother).

Then, there's the process of getting it all into the car. I still remember how stuffed my dad's car was when my parents took me to school. What I don't remember is how we got it all in there.

From what I've been reading, and from what I've learned, flexibility is key. I keep hearing about trash bags and laundry baskets and, while some of that makes sense (smooshy stuff compresses more easily than rigid crates or suitcases), my I need to see it style is cringing at the uniformity and wondering how on earth we'll distinguish one garbage bag from another upon arrival, making unpacking much more complicated than it needs to be.

So, while we'll use garbage bags to cover the hanging clothes, that's about as far as I plan to take that particular container. So far, here's the rest of the plan.

Pack inside the stuff that's going to stay. We're not buying a lot ahead of time, but my daughter does have a few things in mind (including the aforementioned laundry basket, which she already got as a graduation gift from a clever friend). Those will need to do double duty--packing containers now, storage later.

Keep similar items together. This is one of those at-home rules that applies to travel, too. Why make extra work if we don't have to?

Label liberally. It's going to be a very emotional day. No need to add to the drama with multiple mystery packages.

Keep it flexible. As I said before, smooshy stuff compresses more easily. Duffel bags and totes are easier to distinguish from one another than a whole cache of white garbage bags.

Now I'm going to hand off to you. If you've been down this road, what suggestions can you offer?

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3 Keys Thursday: The Procrastinating Packer

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving for a weekend conference. Yesterday was crazy, but when I got to the end of the day, I was excited to realize that I had all day today to plan for my trip. 

That is, until late last night when I remembered that something important had to be done today -- something that would take a big bite out of my planning time. Panic ensued. 

I'm not one of those people who plans everything out ahead of time, so when I say I need to devote the whole to packing, I mean pretty much the whole day because I waited until today to do what needed to be done.

Fortunately, I'm always more ready than I think I am, even if it doesn't look that way, partly because I've done a few things leading up to the packing.

If you, like me, are a packing procrastinator, here are a few tips to help you get ready:

• Pre-Pack. With the exception of make-up and medicine, all of my toiletries are always packed. And long before I put anything in a suitcase, I'm making lists and tossing odds and ends into bags so I don't forget to pack them.
• Pack as you go/stash it when you think of it. I always pack make-up and medicine the day I leave, immediately after I use it. That way, I'm less likely to forget something I need. On days like today when I'm behind, I pull out contenders for the suitcase as I pull out the things I need for the day. One pair of pants to put on, another to pack. 
• Develop your own routine. For me, it's laying everything out on a flat surface where I can see it, which makes it much easier for me to figure out what I have and what's missing. To my husband, my plan looks like chaos, but it works for me, so I stand by it. Likewise, your plan doesn't have to make sense to anybody else; it just has to work for you.

I certainly don't recommend waiting until the last minute to get everything together. But, if you find yourself in that situation, as I so often do, getting it together successfully is possible.

Happy Trails.

Organization Extra: How to Pack

Photo: Kolobsek via Morguefile

Last summer, I bought a notepad that says, "I love to travel, but I hate to pack." It's a packing checklist, one I use only when I'm going on a longish trip -- one that lasts longer than a weekend.

Certified professional organizer Janine Adams has a list of her own: Five Ways to Make Packing Easy. I'm proud to say that I do all of them, but the make-up packing idea is my favorite. The nice thing is the things on the list don't only make packing easy -- they are easy.

How do you pack?

Packing it In: 6 Tips for Successful On-the-Go Organizing

Having just returned from a trip, I have packing on the brain. Once again, I've stumbled upon ideas not through training as a professional organizer, but as a real-life person who's sometimes (okay, often) messy and has to work at this organizing business.

Worse yet, when it comes time to pack for a trip, I can elevate my procrastination skills to an art form. Unlike my husband, who packs up to a week ahead of time, I can think of 10,000 essential things that must be done the day before we leave, all linked by one common denominator.

They have nothing to do with with packing.

Packing list photo: 1bag1world.com

Before this last trip, I wasted at least half an hour trying out several packing list apps in an effort to simplify the process and make sure I didn't forget anything. And you know what?

The best way to simplify the process is a plain, old-fashioned, hand-written list. Packing apps and online packing lists are a great start, but until we personalize them (sound familiar?), they're not a relevant shortcut.

So, beginning with that list and in no particular order afterward, here are six things that worked for me on this trip.

A list. General lists are a great starting point, providing the major categories we need. From there, we can fill in the details. For a great time waster, or to explore these in more detail, Google "packing list" and click on any of the pages (and pages) of lists that pop up.

Pre-packing. I keep travel-sized toiletries pre-packed in a bag I use only for travel. Over the years, we've also acquired duplicates of necessary items (an extra peak flow meter for my daughter, for example, and extra sets of sheets for the condo we rent at the beach) as well as stocking up on supplies necessary for specific trips when they're on sale (liquid hand soap for that same condo). I used to store all of these in a suitcase, but have since come up with a different plan -- stop back tomorrow for details :-)

Multiple suitcases. My husband and daughter, both of whom are taller and stronger than I am, prefer to cram everything into one oversized suitcase. I, on the other hand, prefer two smaller, more manageable bags (one has wheels and therefore rolls, the other has multiple straps). For maximum efficiency, I subdivide by category (tops, bottoms, pajamas, etc.), putting all items of each category into the same bag so I can keep the rummaging through bags to a minimum. When hanging space is limited, this prevents additional wrinkles, too, since I'm not disturbing every item of clothing I've brought along just to dig out a sweatshirt at the bottom of one suitcase.

Shoe bags. One of my all-time favorite repurposing successes was using the cloth bags that sheets sometimes come in as shoe bags. Some are too small for shoes, but make great little bags for other small items like belts, scarves or even toiletries. On this last trip, the drawstring came out of one of the casings, so I just bunched the cloth up and tied the string around the top. Shoes are contained and other items in the bag are protected.

Thirty-One Gifts

Flexible/expandable bags. Years ago, on a cruise, I found a great bag that expands via a zipper in the middle. It's the perfect bag for any trip where shopping and souvenirs are inevitable. Just unzip the bag at the center and it expands to create more space for all the goodies you want to bring home.

A catch-all bag...or two. No matter how organized I am, there are always a few last minute "oops" or overflow items that need a home between destinations. My go-to bag, an oversized reusable grocery bag, is at right. It's simple to toss things into and sturdy enough to be both squishable and overstuffable. Perhaps best of all, it's waterproof and can be wiped clean inside if sand or crumbs hitch a ride along with the intended contents...or if you decide to use it for dirty laundry...or shoes...or just want to clean it out between trips.

I got my wild, purple print bag like this
at Borders years ago. These are from
halo.com.

One thing I typically toss into this bag is a tote bag on a carabiner clip that folds up into a little (matching) case. It's small enough to fit into my purse, too, so if the shopping gets serious, I have a place to put everything.

It never hurts to be prepared.