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"  There&amp;#039;s nothing as exciting as being whisked away from your daily life to a foreign place of promise and inspiration. Even if it&amp;#039;s just a weekend jaunt, the idea of traveling can be at once thrilling and cathartic. Wasn&amp;#039;t it T.S. Eliot who said, &amp;quot;The journey, not the arrival, matters&amp;quot;?  Whether you&amp;#039;re traversing the wilds of Africa or making a weekend dash to the country or a cosmopolitan cityscape, packing your bag can be boiled down to a science. There are a slew of nifty accoutrements coupled with smart strategies from seasoned veterans that will make for easy, stress-free packing.  THE RIGHT LUGGAGE First things first. The right suitcase is a must. &amp;quot;It is all about a carry-on and getting as much into one bag as possible,&amp;quot; says Brad John, cofounder of travel emporium Flight 001. Martha Stewart was recently touting the efficiency of his company&amp;#039;s F1 Spacepak set (available on flight001.com), three nylon bags that compartmentalize one&amp;#039;s clothes, shoes, and toiletries. They all fit into a smaller piece of luggage and even have compression vents so that excess air doesn&amp;#039;t create extra bulk. Hotelier Andr\u00E9 Balazs swears by his Porsche rolling suitcase, while John also recommends that seasoned globe-trotters invest in a Rimowa 20-inch trolley (sized perfectly for overhead airplane storage). The case is lightweight and comes in fun colors, from chic champagne to sleek silver.  But one must also consider her journey. If you&amp;#039;re going away for three weeks, a hard-sided industrial-size suitcase is appropriate. But bring that on a weekend getaway and you&amp;#039;ll look ridiculous. A rolling carry-on will suffice for short trips that involve airline travel or the train. A sizable weekender or designer duffel is best for a jaunt to the country; the new Kate Moss for Longchamp (on longchamp.com) zebra-print version is a must for fashion devotees. Those with simpler tastes can opt for more utilitarian options in a host of neutral colors. Some highly organized frequent flyers dry-clean each piece they are taking and zip them straight into garment bags (wire hangers, plastic wrapping, and all) so each piece is fresh and clean upon arrival. Tumi&amp;#039;s Alpha wheeled garment bag alleviates the cumbersome nature of traditional models. PACKING STRATEGY J.Crew creative director Jenna Lyons has her traveling system down pat. &amp;quot;I am an awesome packer and can pack in five seconds flat,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;When you have a kid, you have to be quick.&amp;quot; She bases the contents of her Globe-Trotter for J.Crew Collection suitcase (available on jcrew.com) on a predetermined color scheme. &amp;quot;I stick with a really strong color story,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;If it&amp;#039;s nudes and blacks, then I&amp;#039;ll make sure there are different textures as well, like a chiffon dress or top with a silky black blazer or twill shorts. If it&amp;#039;s white, it will be a men&amp;#039;s cotton shirt and a white eyelet dress.&amp;quot;  Amanda Ross, stylist and global fashion consultant for the W Hotels, fills two Herv\u00E9 Chapelier duffels with her essentials. &amp;quot;I have a bit of a uniform,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;In the winter, it&amp;#039;s a coat, jeans, flat boots, high-heeled boots, and maybe a little something extra, like cashmere sweaters, at the end.&amp;quot; For summer, that will translate to &amp;quot;easy, versatile pieces&amp;quot; such as a Gregory Parkinson minidress or an LBD from Emilio Pucci, which can be worn with gold Grecian sandals by day and then heels at night.  TRICKS OF THE TRADE One woman who won&amp;#039;t be able to carry a lone satchel when she heads to Turkey and Greece for two weeks this summer is Lisa Airan. The Manhattan-based dermatologist, fashion lover, and avid traveler says that she wishes she had packing down to a science. But she does have one recommendation: &amp;quot;Use separate jumbo Ziploc bags for different items like underwear, bras, and costume jewelry so it is easy to see and pull when you are making multiple stops.&amp;quot;  This kind of transparent packing is currently a big trend in the luggage-sphere. Much like Flight 001 with the Spacepak, L.L. Bean (llbean.com) is producing mesh-and-nylon Ultralight Packers that divide your pieces into organized sectors. Leontine Linens has chic monogrammed versions. This takes the guesswork out of what to put where. Instead, you&amp;#039;ll know the exact location of that Eres bikini. Packing by category will make things easier in the long run. But Lyons&amp;#039;s space-saving mission is key. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;ll bring fewer clothes and more jewelry,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;It weighs less and actually gives you more options.&amp;quot; A statement necklace, a standard set of earrings (studs, chandelier, and hoops), a cuff bracelet or two, and \u2014 basta! \u2014 you&amp;#039;ll go from the beach to sunset cocktails faster than you can say Yves Saint Laurent.  Like all of these chic women, travelers will want to make room for their precious sparklers in their carry-on. Don&amp;#039;t test fate and check them! Ross puts hers into Herm\u00E8s canvas zippered bags and tucks them into her camouflage VBH handbag. WHAT TO BRING At the very least, if you&amp;#039;re uneasy about how to best organize your suitcase, a good rule of thumb is editing down your clothing choices to simple essentials. Beach vacations call for an array of floaty dresses for evening, two bathing suits, a sarong, a men&amp;#039;s button-up shirt, three tees, one pair of shorts, one pair of jeans or khakis, one flat sandal, and one pair of heels. More urban sojourns should include a light trench or jacket, three shirts, two pairs of pants, and comfortable flats for touring the city. Ross recommends packing two days before the departure date, then going back and revising the day before. Airan is already thinking about the ensembles she&amp;#039;ll take with her from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul to the Dodecanese islands in Greece: &amp;quot;Superlightweight dresses and stylish flat shoes for walking, such as raffia silk Lanvin flats in jewel tones.&amp;quot;  Which brings up the eternal question: What to do with those precious shoes? No one wants her high-heeled Louboutins and Manolos to get mangled. Opt for a Lapin Vilardi shoe bag or pick two pairs and leave the rest. &amp;quot;Plus, I always store a flat extra bag at the bottom of my suitcase,&amp;quot; says Lyons. &amp;quot;Wherever I go, I usually manage to check out a shoe store.&amp;quot; Heed all of this advice and you&amp;#039;ll abandon the rat race for the jet set. Sarah Cristobal is senior fashion editor of StyleList. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/travel-dining/advice/a531/packing-tips-0510/>