travel

To roll or to fold, that is the question!

0 Comments 16 January 2012

Image from candicecabe.wordpress.com

We all pack differently. In terms of what we pack, some of us pack enough clothes for 2 weeks when heading off for a long weekend and others rely on what they can buy at the other end of their journey. How you pack is basically affected by the material of your clothes, as natural fibres hold creases much more easily than man-made fibres, such as polyester. Once you’ve decided what you’re taking with you (sorry, we can’t help with that!), here’s some tips on the best way to pack it all;

To roll or to fold? This has been heavily debated over the years. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

Folding and stacking clothes like you would in your drawer at home is apparently the worst way to pack, as it increases both creases AND wrinkles. If you’re able to fold items along the creases they are supposed to have (like the creases in pants or jeans) it seems to work well, but other creases often appear where the item has been folded in half.

Rolling clothes into compact rolls can allow for tighter packing which means you can fit more into your luggage. It does seem to cut down on creases but can cause lots of wrinkles for some items.  It is very useful for small items and/or things made from synthetic fabrics (nylon, polyester) as they are less likely to wrinkle. It’s also good for socks, shorts, pajamas and tracksuits. Backpackers SWEAR by rolling and in a large backpack where you’re trying to fit as much as is physically possible, it is definitely the best option.  For shirts, lay the item face down, fold back the sleeves and then roll from the bottom up.

Now, there is also third option that could possibly silence the argument forever…

Bundle wrapping utilises a technique that literally packs all of your clothes into a single solid bundle that will fit snugly into your luggage. It will also leave your clothes with the fewest wrinkles and unwanted creases. The crux of it all is to put the smallest and not-so-easily-wrinkled clothing on the inside of the bundle and then add layers of clothing surrounding the previous layer. You then end up with layer, upon layer, upon layer of clothing with the most easily wrinkled items on the outer layers. Here’s a very simple guide from inner to outer layers: shorts; sweaters or knits; pants; short-sleeved and then long-sleeved shirts; dresses; skirts; and finally jackets.

For further information and a detailed description on bundle wrapping, including a diagram, go to http://www.onebag.com/pack.html and check out this video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7j6-6UYhlI

HAPPY PACKING!!!

Thanks to onebag.com, independenttraveller.com and traveltips.usatoday.com

Netball, travel

Sportsnet Staff Travel Story – David Thomas

3 Comments 12 January 2012

In July 2011 I was fortunate enough to travel to Singapore to host approximately 500 Sportsnet guests for the World Netball Championships.

An avid netballer myself, this was a trip I was very much looking forward to – being able to watch the new look Australian Diamonds team take on their nemesis the Silver Ferns, all in a country I had never travelled to previously.

As soon as we landed at Changi Airport and left the air-conditioned building for our transfer, I knew that I had packed too heavily and that at best I would need the same 3x pairs of shorts, along with a few singlets and polos for the duration of my 1.5 week stay. Man, it was STICKY and HOT! At that point I prayed the air-con in the stadium was going to be adequate otherwise our clients would have been sitting in pools of sweat for hours at a time watching sport!

A cold beer was a welcome relief from the humidity during the trip

At the first opportunity for some free time, I grabbed my camera, slapped on a little sunscreen and started walking. I still maintain that the best way to see a city is to walk, walk, walk… then walk some more. Some of the best experiences I’ve had overseas have been when the plan for the day is simply ‘no plan, just walk’. I meandered and noticed that vast array of cultures in Singapore, from Indian to Chinese to Western and more.

Walking around Singapore I noticed this nail salon and snapped a photo I think that the name might have been lost in translation!

The MRT (railway) network is by far the best I have seen in the world (so far). Completely automated (no drivers) and underground, it runs like clockwork – a far cry from the timetables in Melbourne, especially during summer! Clean, easy to navigate, air-conditioned, all linked and very safe, the MRT nothing short of exceptional! Friends will tell you all I did when I returned back to Oz was drone on about how impressive I thought their underground ‘world’ was, however what do you expect from a Systems and Communications Manager?!
If I had to highlight one thing I took away from Singapore above all it would have to be the forethought in the planning of the city. I thought that the MRT underground ‘world’ was impressive enough, then I learned from a local that it was built that way deliberately – to sustain the city underground – in case of an act of war from a neighbouring country! The highway to and from the airport to the city doubles as an emergency landing strip for military aircraft! It takes 45 mins, from the initial signal, to down all hanging signs over the highway so aircraft can land… I mean, Wow. Such a small nation yet such Big Picture thinking.

The MRT underground network was a whole new world in itself

The pool atop the Marina Bay Sands, from a 'visitors' perspective! You have to stay to enter.

But back to the netball (which was the purpose for the trip), nothing could have ended the journey better than witnessing yet another over-time match between old foes the Diamonds and the Silver Ferns. At the end of normal time, the Diamonds had clawed back a 6-goal deficit to level the scores. A short break and the girls were back on court, everyone in the stadium sitting on the edge of their seats while the ball went back and forth down the court. As it were, the New Zealand fans were on the opposite side of the court to the Aussie fans which resulted in an electric atmosphere. Golden girl Caitlin Bassett got a quick inside pass from the centre court in the last second and, in keeping with her near-perfect tournament record, slotted home the winner.

The crowd went ballistic. The team went ballistic. I went ballistic. Turning to my Sportsnet colleague sitting next to me, I jumped into his arms and he hoisted me upward – a fair feat for both of us let me add – and I screamed in joy at the win.

It was the most exciting sporting experience of my life as a spectator by far and a moment I will cherish forever.

The reason we went the Aussie Diamonds as World Champions in 2011