Customer Reviews

How to Pack: Experts Share Their Secrets (Fodor's)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What a wonderful little book. Not only does it give helpful hints and point out things I would never have thought of, it is written in such a way that it is a joy to read. This is not your average, dry how-to book. Lessons are given with a dash of humor in such a way that after you laugh there is a "A-HA" when the message sinks in. - It's the only how-to book I couldn't put down. I recommend reading it even if your next trip is not imminent.

What a find. Not only can I now fit more clothes into less luggage, but my wardrobe all looks as good when I get where I'm going as it did when I left where I was. With so many helpful tips and lists I'll never forget anything again!

I bought the book. From that fact we can glean some information: I felt unskilled in packing, and I thought that this book could teach me. Judging from the content of the book I already knew nearly everything I could possibly know about packing. My recommendation, if you are unskilled in packing, or think you are, is that you read articles on the subject from any available source instead. The only part of the book that I found useful was the Appendix of luggage and gear outfitters. However most of the information therein can be found on the Internet, so if you don't have Internet access, buy this book, oh wait...

I'm a fairly well-traveled person, but am always looking for new ways to improve upon my packing and traveling skills. I picked up this book with the intent of learning something new. Unfortunately, nearly every page is simple common sense for anyone who has been away from home for more than a week. The conversational style of the book is very engaging (the author was a journalist for some years), and the packing illustrations are helpful. Beyond these two points, though, this book was a waste of my time.

If you haven't traveled very much at all, you will probably find a lot of helpful tips tucked away in this book. You will probably enjoy the read, because it isn't your usual cut-and-dry packing guide. However, if you'd like a guide beyond simple common sense, I would suggest visiting [...] instead. Out of all the packing guides I have ever read, I have learned the most from this site. It's written for people who want to travel with only one bag, but whether your decide to do that or not, it's still one of the best packing guides out there. Much better than this book.

This is an excellent book if you have never gone on a major trip or if you are a seasoned traveler. When I bought this book, the biggest trip that I had been on was to California with my parents at age 13. I bought the book because I had a business trip to New York, and it was my first time not travelling with a partner or family. The luggage section was very useful, especially with the details about the different types of luggage and how to judge quality. Also, the information of how to actually pack the suitcase was very helpful, especially with the many different methods of packing. Something that would be very useful to others is how to travel with children and how to pack for them. Also, were I going on another type of trip, I would have needed the specialized packing lists, but I found the generic list very helpful.

Bottom Line: An inexpensive (33 cents) yet excellent resource on packing

"How to Pack" provides an incredible amount of information into an incredibly small book. As someone notorious for making lists, I just loved the checklists for travelling. This book provides thoughtful, insightful, helpful information to make your travelling smoother and more enjoyable. I often tell readers of my workbook for travellers (the emergency book) that this is a "must" companion book!