🛫 Go. No, Stay, Bag
I’m putting together a combination go-and-stay bag.1 It contains all of my critical items, like identification, legal documents, and medication, along with some clothes strategically chosen for re-wearability and enough TSA-approved toiletries to last months.2
I pack up my personal laptop and critical camera gear each night and stow them nearby.3 In the event of an emergency, I just grab three bags and I have everything needed to get by anywhere reasonably civilized. Given a ten-minute head start, they can be consolidated down to only two bags.
Everything is modular, with different sorts of clothing packed tightly in clear plastic bags. Socks in one, pants in another, long-sleeved shirts bundled separately from short-sleeves, and so on, and those bags are stuffed into a combination backpack-suitcase. I realize that sounds a bit anal-retentive, but If I decide to take a short trip, I can remove what I don’t need for wherever I’m going and head out the door.
No stress. No fuss.
Footnotes
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Packing a Go Bag and a Stay Bag - United States Department of State ↩
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If I skip the deodorant and don’t brush my teeth too often. ↩
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Okay, most nights. ↩