Organized Packing

Photo © Howard Dratch, 2007.


When I was in Miami recently I, yet again, discovered the usefulness of a backpack. It shows my generation. One when we carried books home from school arranged atop the 3-ring binder. That was before the backpack idea swept the world and before every kid had a travel bag filled with cell phones, laptop, iPod, iPhone and maybe a book or two.

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It is the age that leaves me forgetful of the weight-balancing act of the backpack. In Miami I needed to walk some distance to a supermarket, the mall, the local Target and I would be exhausted by the seemingly greater weight of those bags held by each arm. Each step weighed upon you. The backpack helped those shopping trips, the journey by ship. Suddenly one carry-on with cameras and papers and another with computer played the same trip on energy. The backpack carried computer and one camera, second lens, lens-cleaning supplies, filter, cell phone and enough medications for a few days in case luggage sets were lost. One on-line resource for travel supplies and luggage, LuggageSource.com, also has some discounted leather backpacks that would be great to replace my $50 Target one.