[I got to speak to Taylor and Zac Hanson (yes, that Hanson!), about how they pack for extended trips such as a tour. For background on how this “interview” from October 25th, 2024, came to be, please check out this post. Note that answers have been edited for brevity, but remain true to the spirit of what was said.]

taylor, zac, and isaac hanson, on stage in finland; Image from hanson.net

Amélie: I am a professional home organizer certified by Marie Kondo. My husband and I are from Montreal, QC and now live in San Antonio, TX. We typically drive up for the summer, so I know firsthand that packing for four days or two weeks is completely different than packing for two months! What are some packing tips you have for long trips – some things that you bring with you or do for yourself that spark joy?

Taylor Hanson: One of the gifts of travel is that it removes options and forces you to get down to the essentials. It can be stressful at times because you don’t have all the things that you like, but you have to ask yourself what you actually need. And in some ways, it’s comparable to what Marie Kondo tries to do, which is to minimize and to get rid of the things you don’t use and that become clutter. So, in one sense, it’s one of the greatest ways to force yourself to get organized because you don’t have the option, you just can’t take everything.

There are two big categories of things that I bring: show stuff [instruments, equipment, etc.] and non-show stuff [personal items]; there’s work and play. You have to bring a laptop and phone, because technology is so present these days. Zac brings video games, everyone knows that. I always have my camera, and some drawing and art supplies. I also force myself to bring an iPad loaded with books and movies (which then take up so much less space). Having something to draw with and something to read is my outlet. You need a go-to brain release thing! But touring is its own unique, bizarre thing that most people never get to experience; it’s like the circus, and you put up a tent in every city.

Force yourself to start with what’s essential; the peripheral stuff comes last. That’s my answer.

Zac Hanson: There’s a reality to how much weight you can carry. I learned years ago that you really can’t take with you more than two weeks’ worth of clothing. I’ve got four [packing cubes]: one for shirts, one for pants, underwear, exercise clothes… And once those are full, that’s all that can go! And I don’t stress over it. My wife asks how it is that I can pack for a two-month tour in 12 minutes! [Laughs] It’s just a question of whether I want to bring brown shirts or gray shirts, but it’s going to be the same number.

On tour, the biggest thing that you don’t realize is that you have very little personal space or time. Overpacking is when you bring everything you think you’re going to do, but really, you only need things that will give you a little bit of peace and a little bit of mental privacy. For me, that’s always been video games, which bring you into another world and are relatively small. So even if I’m sitting next to Taylor, I’m in my little private space for an hour or however long I have. And I think books can be the same way.

You have to prioritize; you can’t do as much as you think you’re going to do, so focus on those one or two things to help you relax.

Taylor: Bring the things that give you peace and that spark joy. Also, for me, the love of food, the love of place, and discovery, is a huge part of the balance of not being able to have your stuff or a room full of your favorite whatevers. You need to appreciate what is unique and the opposite of your safe space at home, so enjoy being present in the moment when you travel.

Zac: Bring with you what you really want to do, not everything you could do. Don’t bring with you what you don’t want to find yourself doing.