Arrive at luxury hotels well-packed, says the gal

You need the right gear, wherever you are – and schoolgirls walking along Cape Town‘s Company Gardens have all they might need, presumably school books and the like, in backpacks. When it comes to serious, luxury travel, packing, there are some brands, like Samsonite, Tumi and Louis Vuitton, that travellers like, and even dear old Globe Trotter has its followers, but the gal sticks with her trusty Porsche Design Rimowa – see the big picture, in Milan, above. The current Girlahead Rimowa is now five years old, and has been on the go, over 300 days a year, since it started work, in London, November 2011 (the very-very-old one, which had seen years of nonstop travel, developed a small crack in Marrakech earlier that month).

I am often asked how I manage with hand-baggage only. The answer is simple. Anything that is not worn on a trip is never taken again. Every item of clothing is bought only if it is lightweight, easily folded and packed, and crease-free. Media commented, when photographing the baggage that accompanied Fergie, a..k.a Sarah Ferguson (and, in some cases by her pre-divorce title Duchess of York) on a trip a couple of weeks to Sydney that surely one case was purely for shoes. Perhaps she also took school books to dispense to all aspiring students in the entire city – perhaps she had not had packing lessons – see the YouTube video below.

My secret to packing is to lay everything out first on a bed, and make sure that colourways match. The silk wrap on top of the packed items here, on the left, is ready for going to the ballet in Tbilisi, of– the creases will quickly fall out when I hang the shawl, away from direct water, when taking a shower. The yellow T-shirt to the left serves for gym workouts as well as really casual gear. Trousers are packed with the knees folded not in the same place (the single, rather than double fold, does actually save a little space and everything helps). Oh yes, professional packers know all the tricks. Take several spare plastic bags and lots and lots of elastic bands, and things that double up – I have a long black and gold scarf, thin weight, that is my exercise stretch band, and can also be a belt or, as in Cape Town last week, a cord to tie my bathroom door open (not saying which hotel).

There are many reasons why I like this Porsche Design Rimowa. It has an integral net screen, with strong metal surround and two zip pockets. I can see what is inside. This is main storage, for those plastic bags, and spare adaptors for the MacBook Air and so on. Another reason it is so good is that, when closed, it has a central handle on the upper lid which makes it easier to pluck off security belts at airports. And, let us be honest, arrive at any luxury hotel and an item that says Porsche Design adds to the overall first impression.