On my latest adventure, a press trip to Lake Tahoe and its many ski resorts, I was determined to put the packing advice I sought from fellow jet-setters recently to good use.

Starting with the basics for any trip, I packed a pair of wrinkle-resistant dress pants (from boutique retailer Cathy Cross) and a 'travel skirt' (from Chicos) and, along with a few solid-color cotton shirts and pair of jeans, rolled them burrito-style in my luggage.

I abandoned the notion of bringing several items of clothing in order to dress based on how the moment struck me; I decided my fashion sense could take a break, and my back and shoulder muscles could do the same.

I threw in a spray bottle of wrinkle releaser (Downy makes a good one, but pack it in a plastic bag in case it breaks in transit) to avoid packing a travel iron, or ironing all together, and moved on to adding the many layers needed for a few days on the slopes.

First, I made the decision to leave my own skis and poles at home and rent upon reaching Tahoe. Traveling with skis is, in a word, atrocious. To avoid lumbering through the airport with my Elans, I instead brought only my boots to save money on rentals and ensure a familiar, comfortable fit.

I packed them in my suitcase and stuffed them with socks, gloves, and anything else that would fit, sandwiching the rest of my belongings in between them. My ski jacket and bibs were unruly blobs when rolled into tight little balls, so I laid them flat under my boots and rolled only my thermal shirt and long-johns (tights), fleece vest, and sweater
(hint: If you're planning a long trip, consider packing a similar amount and taking advantage of your hotel's laundry service.)

Because of the airy, puffy nature of my bibs and coat, I was able to smoosh everything down without busting any seams using the tried-and-true method of sit-n-zip: Plant your keister on top of the bag and pull, pull, pull.

In the suitcase's pockets and compartments, I made sure I packed travel sizes of mountain musts, including sunscreen, lip balm, and individually-wrapped granola bars, along with sunglasses, goggles, hand warmers, and hair elastics. I also printed out some information from the Web on ski resorts, restaurants, and other points of interest, and threw those in a simple plastic folder this is also a good way to save photos, postcards, and other mementos for the return trip, while preserving much needed space.

I opted to buy items like bottles of water and additional snacks upon arrival, and relegated my remaining toiletries to one small bag. In the end, the boots added only negligible weight to my luggage, and while traveling from hotel to hotel within Tahoe, I laced them through the handle of my suitcase instead of wrestling them back inside each time.

The aisle seat on the red-eye home notwithstanding, I returned home relatively unscathed, pleasantly sore from the ski, and less so from lugging 80 pounds of miscellany across the country.

Learn more about this author, Jaclyn C. Stevenson.
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