Here I am at 9:48, still packing for a one-nighter in a snow trench. It's a Ski Patrol Mountain Travel and Rescue outdoor class.

You'd think I would know by now that even an overnighter takes a half day to pack and I've only been at this since 7 PM and must get to bed at 10:30.

So why am I typing this instead of packing? Because I need a BREAK from it. A break from choosing and packing food, clothes, emergency gear, cooking gear, skis, boots, poles, and the inevetable "etc." of minutae like ski wax, climbing skins, compass, GPS, "etc."

Why isn't there a "Packing Service" I can call on Angie's List?

AAAARRRRRRGGGHH!

Hey Eric,

I always treat my SAR training trips as full run throughs. ie, I need to be packed and out the door in under an hour. This makes me focus on what I need to have ready for a call out. It also makes sure that I'm storing the stuff I need, and only that stuff in a tub so I don't have to make decisions inside the hour cutoff. My brain doesn't work so well at 3am.

My friends changed my name to P. R. O'crastination.

I hate packing too... so I just STAY packed.

Seriously, I keep a backpack packed and ready at all times. The only things that I don't keep in the pack are my various sleeping bags and some consumables. Everything else is rotated by season, but otherwise packed and ready to go at a moments notice. My sleeping bags are hanging in the closet and my consumables (except water) are kept in a green storage bin next to my pack.

If it's a beautiful day, I like to be able to make a quick decision and leave my house to go backpacking in under 15 minutes.