Pack like a pro for Calgary

Can’t decide what to take to the Rotary Convention? Take it all. Here’s how.

By Diana Schoberg

Watching Jennifer Jones pull items out of her suitcase is a little like seeing a string of clowns peel out of an impossibly itty-bitty car. It seems to defy the laws of physics.

For her trip to Singapore in May — which included the Rotary International Convention and a Trustees meeting, preceded by a five-day vacation in Bali, Indonesia — Jones, the 2022-23 Rotary president, squeezed all her items into a carry-on and a personal item. Those two pieces of luggage held more than a dozen dresses, several jackets, pants and a skirt, wraps, four pairs of shoes, a curling iron, flat iron, hairbrush, electric toothbrush, computer, an iPad, jewelry, and other toiletries and necessities.

Jones learned her method about a decade ago from (where else?) a YouTube video. “It’s been the miracle packing mechanism from thereon out,” she explains, and she uses it not just for dresses but formal suits too. Countless aides have asked her for packing lessons over the years, wondering how she packs so lightly. “That’s all you have?” they ask. “This is all your luggage?”

Jones gave Rotary magazine a packing tutorial. Try the method on your next holiday travels or your trip to Calgary in June for the Rotary Convention, and drop us a note to let us know how you did at magazine@rotary.org.

1. Pick your clothes and gather your luggage

   Jones likes a two-sided hard-shell suitcase that unzips in the middle, and she swears by a trifold toiletry bag. “This thing takes up a lot of real estate,” she says, “but it’s all I need.”

2. Layer your items

   Start with your longest items such as pants or long dresses, placing the waistband (for pants) or neckline (for dresses) at a short end of the suitcase. Lay items flat along the length of the suitcase and let the remaining material drape out. Alternate as you go, starting items at the bag’s top or bottom. On top of long clothing, stack shorter items like shirts and skirts along the width of the suitcase. Start their necklines or waistbands along the bag’s long edges. Keep alternating sides until everything is stacked.

3. Interfold into a bundle

   In reverse order, begin folding the draping material back into the suitcase one item at time, once again alternating sides. As you fold the clothes back in, take care to stretch and smooth items so they lie flat. “Nothing wrinkles. It all comes out ready to wear,” Jones says. Once you bundle everything up, if you still have space, stack additional items on top. When you reach your destination, unpack everything. “It takes two seconds to put back in,” she advises.

4. Pack shoes and toiletries

   Jones uses the other half of her suitcase for toiletries, a curling iron, full-size brush, shoes, an evening bag, and more. The smaller bag that serves as her personal item holds additional clothes, electronics, and medication.

This story originally appeared in the December 2024 issue of Rotary magazine.