Everything But The Kitchen Sink

How do you pack for a four week holiday? It's an absolute nightmare. What makes it worse is that I've no idea what to expect. Sure, if we were heading to the Bahamas for the duration it'd be easy. Shorts and t-shirts galore. Simple. Equally, if we were heading to northern climes you'd just have to pack every item of warm clothing that you owned. But with New Zealand....... well it's not as clear cut. So everything is going in. All eventualities catered for; from tropical heat to sub zero mountain tops. Monsoon to dessert. And boy it soon adds up to a whole lotta stuff.

Maybe I should've cut back on the number of pairs of shoes. Maybe. But I think that two pairs of running shoes, one pair of walking boots, a pair of approach shoes (handy for.... well you know... approaching things) and the all-important slippers is cutting it to the bone as it is. And then there is the gadgets. I'm still not convinced that an iPhone, iPad, eReader, GPS and a PS Vita is enough tech to keep me occupied on the long flight to the Southern Hemisphere. And with each one is a different charger. Don't get me started on chargers. Surely it is not beyond the wit of designers to agree on one type and stick to it? For goodness sake! And even though each one has been carefully rolled up and placed in my bag I just know that when I unpack them they will have somehow tied themselves in knots and resemble an explosion in a spaghetti factory rather than the organised hold-all that it currently is. At least it'll give me something to do for the next four weeks.

Hold-all? Well not quite. But I've done my best and have got most of the essentials in. Admittedly I had to jettison the idea of packing my guitar - due to lack of space but not lack of trying. Ah well. It'll have to do. New Zealand here we come. Hhmmmm. Should I pack some leads, effects pedals and plectrums just in case.....