Smart Packing for Today’s Traveler

By: Susan Foster 
Publisher: Smart Travel Press 
Publication Date: March 2008 
ISBN: 978-0-9702196-7-1 
Reviewed by: Lauren E. Victor 
Review Date: April 2009 

If you find yourself stressed when it comes down to packing, then Susan Foster’s Smart Packing for Today’s Traveler is for you. However, if you are already confident in your own packing skill set, then this book probably won’t add significantly to your packing repertoire except provide a few new ways to tie a scarf.

Smart Packing will probably be most useful for the conservatively dressed travelers who are interested in packing lighter no matter what the cost. Especially if you have not traveled by plane within the past few years, or purchased new clothing in general, then this book will catch you up to speed on current fabric and gizmo technologies. If you need assistance in how to be prepared at all times, then Smart Packing will most definitely help.

This book is very well organized, with extensive illustrations and charts, to boot. The corresponding visual explanations are well done and make concepts very easy to understand. Although the general concepts of packing could potentially be adapted for most readers, specific clothing styles described therein might be too conservative or outdated for many. It should be noted that throughout the book a good deal of common sense is used: bring comfortable shoes for sightseeing, do not travel with expensive jewelry, do not pack fire works, bring various clothing pieces that can all be coordinated. Unless you truly have limited organizational skills and travel experience, you probably already follow most of these steps Ms. Foster outlines.

Quill Says: With admirable diagrams and in-depth explanations, Smart Packing can be a useful tool for the inexperienced traveler.