Sasha Muir, founder of the beloved butter LONDON nail polishes and creator of my favorite wallet (ever!), will have you raiding your kitchen for the ultimate packing aid.  Given her frequent jaunts between Seattle and London, this woman knows exactly what she’s talking about.  And she’s kind enough to share her tricks with us in En Route With…
Sasha Muir
Founder, butter LONDON | Co-Founder & CEO, BEVEE
When I pack for a trip, I tend to oscillate between spending a lot of time on the perfect packing strategy OR I pack everything in my closet in a mad last minute dash. Neither is optimal.
When I do give myself time, I try to pack well in advance depending on the size of trip. If I’m going on say a family surfing trip to Costa Rica, I’ll start at least three weeks in advance, but if I’m visiting New York on business three days feels like enough time.  No matter what, every trip starts with a list. When I’m choosing my clothes, I’ll take pretty much my entire wardrobe, lay everything out on my bed, think about the possible outfit combinations that I’m ‘feeling’, and get rid of items that don’t work. It’s a constant filtering process. At the end I’ll end up with outfits that have one or two top options to every one bottom and add jewelry.
My secret packing weapon is the Ziplock bag. Yes, I am obsessed! I place each outfit into a large Ziploc bag, squeeze the air out to make them super compact, and pack them separately. Sometimes, if I’m really on it, I label the bags with what’s inside or where I’ll be wearing it.  I only pack one type of each shoe style that I need for the trip – one pair of flats, one pair of heels, etc. The shoes have to work across all of my outfits.
I always carry my passport and other airport essentials in my BEVÉE convertible clutch wallet. I wear it as a crossbody through the airport then detach the strap and toss it in a tote bag in flight. Short or long trip, I always invest in a high-quality rolling suitcase. I’m a strong believer in making investments in quality materials and products that last.
Unfortunately my ultra-planned packing style doesn’t typically translate to my day of flight tendencies. If I’m traveling on my own, I’m always running to gate. I’ve only not made it once (which is a small miracle!) – it was a business trip and my charm wasn’t working that day. I couldn’t persuade anyone to let me on the plane!
The worst thing about cutting it fine is being in line, knowing that you should be boarding your flight, and security is moving like a glacier. When that happens I find a friendly person in line and start chatting with them to take my mind off of it and relax.  When I travel with my family, I allow lots of extra time. My three children (under 9!) are expert travelers, but my husband usually requires more time! I don’t know why but he’s a magnet for TSA checks!
Once I reach the front of the security line, I pass through quickly. I already have everything organized for the bins. I travel with my iPad and keyboard, so I don’t have a laptop that I have to take out of my bag. I wear shoes that I can slip on and off easily and have my toiletries separated ahead of time (more Ziplocks!).  I bring my empty Contigo water bottle and fill it up as soon as I pass through security. If I’m flying out of Seattle and have extra time, I might pop into a butterLONDON varnish and get my nails done or camp out by the closest electrical socket and make sure my devices are fully charged. But honestly, I’m usually running to the gate as fast as I can.
Once I’m in the air, I do a little bit of everything. My iPad is my go-to device and that’s what I spend most of my time on when I’m flying, but I always bring one serious magazine like Fast Company and one fluff magazine like People.
If I’m traveling alone, I’ll use my in-flight time to respond to email and gather my thoughts around any pressing work issues. If I’m taking an international flight to London to visit friends and family, I may turn on a movie I’ve seen a million times and just listen until I doze off.  I’m a friendly traveler. I prefer the aisle seat because I drink a ton of water to stay hydrated during the flight and I don’t want to bother my neighbors by constantly stepping over them. I always say hello to my neighbor – I love to find out why they’re traveling and where they’re going. I’ve met some cool characters on my flights.
РZiploc bags РiPad РContigo water bottle Рbutter LONDON РBev̩e wallet
