Hanson on packing for a tour

[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.

Packing light

[This post became so unwieldy that I split it into two parts. For part 2 – in which I talk with Hanson! – click here. Also note that this post contains some affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase on Amazon using one of those links, I would get a tiny commission, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend items that I own myself and am glad I bought!]

In late August, I had to fly to Canada for four days for my grandmother’s funeral, and I managed to do it with only a backpack and a purse. I really felt like I had unlocked a new achievement by travelling so light!

I wore my travel pants (light, lots of pockets, easy to wash and air-dry), a simple black t-shirt (this one is made of isothermal wool), and an infinity scarf (adds a splash of color and doubles as a wrap if the airplane gets cold). I’ve written before about my favorite travel accessories (see part 1 and part 2, and if you only remember only one thing from that, let it be packing cubes).

I wanted to bring what I would need for the next 24 hours in my personal item. You see, even with a carry-on, sometimes there isn’t any room left in the overhead bins, so you have to check your bag and it might get misplaced. But the next day was my grandmother’s funeral, so it was super important that I have my outfit! And once my dress, shoes, cardigan, toiletries, and pajamas were in my backpack, along with my water bottle, wallet, book, etc., there was so little left to pack that I couldn’t justify bringing a rolling carry-on with me. So, I used a second compression packing cube for a few more clothes and stuffed it in the empty backpack pocket meant for a laptop. This meant I had to have a purse in addition to the backpack, but it was small enough that I was confident I wouldn’t have to check anything even though I was probably in the last boarding group.

The backpack I have is this 40-L model, and what I love most about it is that it is very structured, so that even when full, it will fit under an airplane’s seat (my other, larger backpack does not because it gets lumpy and expands too much). I have been using it for a year, which was a record of four roundtrips by plane or car, and so far, I really like it.

This all made me think of how different it is to pack for four days versus for two months. My family and I have often driven up to Canada for the summer, and while we typically had a rooftop carrier, last year we stayed for a shorter period of time and managed to fit everything inside the car. I always feel like we are bringing so much with us on those trips! Some of it is unavoidable because we bring a few gifts for our family in Canada and then bring some things back to the States with us (like cans of maple syrup). Plus, one of my kids celebrates a birthday in July, so we’re always bringing back presents. Taking that into consideration, we really have to pare back on what to bring with us!

And then, before publishing this blog post, I unexpectedly had the opportunity to talk to Taylor and Zac Hanson, who basically do this as part of their job, so I wanted to get their thoughts! Let’s back up a little: I have been a big Hanson fan for the past 27 years and was lucky enough to be part of a virtual meet & greet in October, during which I got to ask them a question. I didn’t really have questions about their latest album, and I thought that asking them why they don’t include San Antonio in their tour dates was a boring question. (I mean, they answer stuff like that every day, including twice from other participants in this very meet and greet, and honestly, what could I possibly learn from it aside than that the city where I live doesn’t have as big a music culture as Austin?) So, since packing was already on my mind, I went in another direction and asked them about their process when they pack for such long periods of time when they go on tour. This was the best I could do with less than 36 hours’ notice, alright? Here are their answers.

Travel accessories, part 2

[Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase on Amazon using one of those links, I would get a tiny commission, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend items that I own myself and am glad I bought!]

As a reminder, the first blog post I made about worthwhile travel accessories is here, and if you were to buy only one thing, it should be packing cubes. Or my printable packing list!

I bought several new-to-me things for my recent trip to Japan. I won’t talk much about the ones I didn’t like, beyond telling you not to bother with disposable water-less toothbrushes or individually wrapped towelettes. I think I’ll donate the ones I did not use; they’re just not for me. But here are some things that were absolutely worth it!

I’ve always disliked neck pillows: they are bulky, and I never got comfortable with them. They just go around your neck, and you can’t lean your head anywhere on it, right? I was always fine without it on domestic and short international flights. But this time, I had a 13-hour flight during which I *had* to sleep, and I was in a middle seat between strangers – no one to lean on, literally. So, I took a chance and bought a new-to-me model, the Trtl neck and travel pillow, which is not so much a pillow as it is head and neck support. There’s a band that wraps around your neck and secures with hook-and-loop closure, and a plastic structure inside that allows you to lean your head on it. I bought mine on Amazon because I wanted to be able to try it out before committing to it (if you buy straight from the retailer, it’s a bit less expensive, but once the package is open there are no returns or refunds). It turns out it was great! I was able to sleep relatively comfortably on my flight, it didn’t take up much space, and it has a travel pouch to keep it clean. I love it!

I decided to buy a new pair of pants to wear on the plane. I was a bit hesitant, because I was afraid the fabric wouldn’t be breathable, but it turns out this wasn’t an issue! I was comfortable the whole way, I knew I would be able to wash and dry the pants quickly if needed, and they had an elastic waist and pockets galore! As soon as she saw them, my mother-in-law wanted to know where I got them. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of use out of them!

I also bought a new travel wallet which had room for just about anything one might need: passport, credit cards, SIM card, pen, boarding pass, coins… This time, because it was a business trip during which I would have some personal expenses, I needed to have at least two credit cards with me, in addition to physical currency. This wallet was perfect! Plus, it blocks RFID, and it comes in lots of different colors.

I had heard of bar shampoo, obviously, but I didn’t realize they also made bar conditioner! I ended up getting some specifically made for curly hair, by Éthique (shampoo here and conditioner here). They smell like lemongrass, and I got some waterproof cases for easy transport. Not only were they nice to use, but they were easy to take with me in my carry-on without counting towards my limit of liquids!

I also got some laundry soap sheets that took up hardly any space! The downside is that they are so small that I had to use at least two just to wash a bra, but I loved having them and found them very convenient.

Finally, let me tell you about lens cleaning wipes. I always have a cleaning cloth on me for my glasses, but even then, there are times when you just get stubborn smudges on there that no cloth will get rid of! At home, I can just wash my glasses with soap and water, but on the go, that’s a different story. So I now love these wipes, because they take care of the problem easily! Plus, because they are individually wrapped, they are super easy to carry.

Worthwhile travel accessories

[This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you use my link to make a purchase, I get a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend items that I own myself and that I am glad I bought!]

Packing

I recently went on a trip to Europe with my family, so I had the opportunity to test some new travel gear, and I decided to share what I found useful. First, as I said in a previous blog post, I wholeheartedly stand by my dual-sided compression packing cubes. Not only do they help keep everything organized in my suitcase, they also help clothes take up a bit less space! I actually tried compression bags (the kind that have a one-way valve so that you can roll them up and expel air from them), but the cubes are definitely my favorite. They accomplish the same thing, but have the advantage of looking good and being much more practical in both open and closed states, so I’m sticking with them. I slip an AirTag in each suitcase, which gives me peace of mind by letting me track my belongings. I also like using TSA-approved combination locks, which make my life easier because I don’t have to also keep track of a key. Pro tip: Use the same code for all your locks.

The easiest way to travel light is to bring fewer clothes than you need for the trip and do laundry on the go. I love having my laundry travel kit for just this purpose! It also comes in handy if I (or one of my kids) get a stain and we need to treat it as soon as possible, before the trip is over.

Toiletries

As for toiletries, anything that comes in a gel form (moisturizer, shampoo and conditioner, hair lotion, etc.) goes into Go Toob + silicone bottles, which have a wide mouth that makes filling them (and cleaning them) easy. Meanwhile, true liquids (like mouthwash) go in Nalgene bottles. Both of these are completely leak-proof, and I am particularly happy to have found those Nalgene bottles – everything I had tried previously for mouthwash had leaked, but these are perfect! I then put my toiletries and personal care items in my Bagsmart toiletry bag, which has convenient clear compartments, multiple zippers, and is easy to hang behind a door.

Purse

I needed a cross-body bag big enough to carry my essentials (like a purse but also for travel items like water, sunscreen, passports, etc.); however, it had to be small enough that I could take it with me into museums and churches, where backpacks or large purses are not allowed. So I bought this medium-sized Travelon anti-theft cross-body bag and loved it! It was absolutely perfect for my needs, and I even had extra room in there for a few souvenirs. It doubled as my personal item on the plane. It was very useful during this trip and a great investment for future ones! I also got an RFID card holder so that I could carry an ID card, a few credit cards, and some cash, without the bulk of the rest of my wallet.

Children’s safety

Finally, if you have children older than 4 and want to keep them safe in vehicles, get a MiFold seat. This ingenious device folds up very small, and helps adjust a vehicle’s seatbelt to be safe for smaller kids, so that you don’t have to worry in a rental car or cab. I’ve used them for the past 6 years and absolutely love them! This time around, I also tested out SafetyTats, which I actually used on my kids’ clothing instead of on their skin. It allows me to write down a phone number when I can be reached in case we ever got separated, and the adhesive worked incredibly well – I could remove it from one shirt and apply it to another for a whole week!

My single best tip to pack a suitcase

The internet seems full of advice for packing a suitcase, much of it redundant or obvious. I mean, we all know already to pack toiletries in a resealable plastic bag and to put our heavy items at the bottom of the suitcase, right? So, I’ve decided to keep it simple and tell you about the one single thing that has improved my suitcase the most: packing cubes.

Yes, packing cubes have been an absolute game-changer for me! Gone are the days of the entire contents of my suitcase shifting during travel, or of having to riffle through everything just to get the one shirt that I wanted. With packing cubes, you can just grab the cube you need and reposition all cubes as you see fit without creating a mess! They are easy to arrange neatly in suitcases of any size.

I’m a big fan of these dual-sided packing cubes by Taskin for packing socks, bras, and underwear. I put all the items on the side with the mesh cover when I pack, then as the trip goes on, dirty items go in the water- and odor-resistant side until laundry day. I do the same for my kids. Taskin packing cubes are also expandable, which is a big help.

I like to separate my items among a few cubes (which, to be honest, are not cubes so much as rectangular prisms). On our family trip to Florida in June, I had my swimsuits and cover-up in one cube, then t-shirt-and-capri-outfits in one and skirt-or-dress-outfits in another. Some people might prefer to have one cube for tops and one cube for bottoms; one cube for business-wear and one for casual clothing; or perhaps one for their clean clothes and another for dirty clothes. It’s about whatever works for you on this trip. Obviously, I file-fold clothes in there just like I do in my dresser – that’s been another gamechanger!

I also love that packing cubes come in different colors, which is particularly useful if you are packing a single suitcase for two kids, for example. You can assign a color for each one and never have to riffle through a whole bag to get their things, since they’re visible at a glance. I also designate a color for the first aid kit so that it stands out among my black packing cubes. (Packing essential first aid items for a trip, by the way, is a great opportunity to organize your first aid and pharmacy items at home! Toss what is expired or no longer useful and replenish stock as needed.)

So, there you have it. – packing cubes. I wouldn’t live without them now!