Packing Your Personal Items Successfully by Sophia Cacioppo
As a young adult preparing to start my college career at Arizona State University, it is important for me to bring some of my cherished belongings so that I can have some of the comforts of home while I am away. Doing this involves packing items that are fragile, sentimental and deserving of care. Fortunately, my family is no stranger to moving and one of the best packers I know is my father. He has taught me how to “squeeze ten pounds of stuff into a two-pound bag” without damaging anything.
Space is always limited when packing and that is why strategic planning is essential to a successful move. My family has always had limited finances and while not a high dollar item, bubble wrap was never an item they relied on. My father relies on old newspapers to carefully wrap each breakable or easily damaged item. Not only is newspaper adequate to protect each object, but it is easy to mold to each object and therefore does not take up any additional space that could be used by another object. Newspaper can not only protect the outside of each object, but it can also be used to fill the void inside a breakable object, such as a cup or drinking glass. Admittedly, we sometimes use socks or other articles of clothing to fill these voids. Not only do they help protect the object, but it allows us to consolidate what we are shipping. This is important if you are paying by the box, or trying to fit your life into your car, with hopes of still being able to see out the side and rear windows. When the availability of newspaper begins to dwindle, t-shirts and other thin garments of clothing can be used.
Space is always limited when packing and that is why strategic planning is essential to a successful move. My family has always had limited finances and while not a high dollar item, bubble wrap was never an item they relied on. My father relies on old newspapers to carefully wrap each breakable or easily damaged item. Not only is newspaper adequate to protect each object, but it is easy to mold to each object and therefore does not take up any additional space that could be used by another object. Newspaper can not only protect the outside of each object, but it can also be used to fill the void inside a breakable object, such as a cup or drinking glass. Admittedly, we sometimes use socks or other articles of clothing to fill these voids. Not only do they help protect the object, but it allows us to consolidate what we are shipping. This is important if you are paying by the box, or trying to fit your life into your car, with hopes of still being able to see out the side and rear windows. When the availability of newspaper begins to dwindle, t-shirts and other thin garments of clothing can be used.
Wrapped and protected items should be placed into each box one at a time. While grouping is important for efficiency, some creativity should be used to incorporate different shaped objects to fill voids. Filling voids not only saves space but minimizes any movement within each box during transport. Each box should be filled in layers, with voids filled before the next layer is added. Forethought should be taken to ensure lighter, more fragile items are packed last so that they are not crushed by heavier items on top of them. As with a competitive cheer team, you cannot expect your smaller and lighter team members to be at the bottom of a human pyramid, supporting the larger and heavier members.
Even when a box is filled, there is typically either some available space at the top of the box, or the box is overfilled. You should never overfill your box. Doing so creates an uneven surface for stacking which can cause stacked boxes to slide or tip over. In addition, the top layer of items that do not properly fit into the box can be more easily damaged. Alternatively, under filling a box leaves that void space that can allow objects to shift. Shifting objects can throw off the weight distribution of a box, causing the box to again slide or tip over. Often, even when a box does not move, shifting items have a higher tendency of breaking. Any excess space in the top of the box should be filled. I recommend soft, light items such as shirts or other garments, or items such as pot holders.
Once a box is full, with as much of the void spaces occupied as possible, the box should be securely closed. Produce boxes from a supermarket tend to be reinforced at the bottom for added durability. Plus, most supermarkets are still willing to let you have their used boxes for free. This saves them from having to break the boxes down and process them for recycling. While these boxes are strong, it is important to remember that your prized possessions are in these boxes, and no stone should be left unturned. Each box should be reinforced with duct tape, shipping or a similar tape that is durable and meant for transport. The tape should be applied along the seams and corners of each box, with additional layers of tape running perpendicular over the previously applied tape and seam. This reduces the chance of the bottom giving way, or sides tearing. Once securely taped, each box should be labeled so that when it is time to unpack, each box can be relocated to the proper room.
Once each box is ready for transport, they should be carefully carried to the vehicle and positioned to maximize the number of boxes that can be accommodated. Most likely, boxes will be stacked two or three high. As such, heavier boxes should be placed first, with the light boxes on top. This will reduce the potential for damage to the items in the lower boxes and will minimize the potential for heavier boxes to shift and fall. Speaking of falling, stacked boxes should be placed in tight proximity to each other to minimize the movement. If you are packing boxes into your car, like many of us new college students will be, it is important to ensure you do not obstruct your visibility. As such, you should periodically sit in the driver's seat and assess your remaining visibility out the side and rear windows. If your vision is blocked, you should reposition some boxes. After all, the safety of your boxed items is less important than the safety of you and the passengers in other vehicles.
Once everything you want to bring is boxed, loaded into the car and transported to your new location, you need to take an appropriate amount of care with the unwrapping. You did not get this far only to now damage something! Relocating to college means that others are coming and going. Instead of throwing away your used boxes and newspapers, you should offer them to others. This can be done through word of mouth, physical postings or social media. Every experienced box and newspaper deserve a good home! As a token of yesterday and to remember where I came from, I like to save one newspaper page that shows the date and location of the paper.
Once boxes and newspapers are given to others, and personal items are organized for use and display, it is time to relax and enjoy college, your new job or whatever brought you to your new destination.