Packing the Crate

Three years ago, I had to decide if I wanted to move my things overseas via crate (sent on a boat) or just pack them into suitcases and pay extra luggage fees.  Back then, I decided to go with suitcases.  I had several reasons why.

1. I didn't own enough stuff to fill a crate.
2. I was overwhelmed with the idea of packing a crate.
3. I didn't want my stuff sitting in storage in America until I finished language school.  If I'd stayed in North Africa for Arabic, it could have been at least two years before I saw my stuff.

So, between several short trips to the states, and one trip where I brought 8 pieces of luggage with me, I'd gotten most of what I own across the ocean.  This trip, however, I was offered the chance to crate--and it would be the last time my company would allow me to send one from the US.  I decided to do it.  

Step one: find out how much space you are allotted in your crate.  My company wrote and told me I'd earned 54 cubit feet...which is not very much.  Master Yoda did the math and measured it out for me one day and we figured out that it was about the size of a coffin.  Six feet long by three feet wide and three feet high.  I came back to him a few days later and said that I didn't think my company was going to mail me an empty wooden box the size of a coffin and tell me to fill it.

Step two: find out the dimensions of the crate.  After the coffin discussion, I contacted the company and asked them the specific dimensions of the crate.  It was approximately four feet cubed.  That's much better than a coffin.

Step three:  pick up boxes from shipping company and begin to fill them.  The company I work for, in providing the full crating process, provides even the boxes and packing tape that is necessary for the crate.  I talked with friends who have crated recently to get some tips, and decided that packing the boxes myself (instead of letting the packers do it on boxing day) would be the least-stressful way (for me) to go about this whole thing.

Step four:  packing boxes and making inventory lists.  As I packed each box, I made an extremely detailed list of what went into it.  By the time it was all said and done, I had several kinds of lists.

1. A list for me: the most detailed, item by item (sometimes even with descriptions) and the price it would cost me to replace the item (full price).
2. A list for insurance: a less detailed, with generalized items.  ("Linens" vs.  "2 large bath towels") and the yard sale value.
3. A list for customs: same as the insurance list, but with the prices removed.
4. A list for packers: same as the customs list, but cut up into sheets according to each box.

I put the cut up pieces of papers into the box that was numbered to match it, on the top, and did not tape the box closed.  After the fact, I realized that I could have taped the boxes closed myself, and just handed them my list for them to copy, but I didn't know that going in.

Step five: arrange boxes to approximately the size of the dimensions that you were told.  Once I'd measured about the almost four foot cube and put the boxes into that space, I realized...uh-oh!  I didn't have enough stuff!  So Mom and I headed out to Sam's Club to buy toilet paper.  Many people have asked me about that since then.  France has nice toilet paper, don't you worry.  But by that point, it was the only thing I could think of that took up space and was cheap to buy and necessary for every day life.  I didn't need any more stuff.  I didn't want to fill the space with food.  So what else does one need that takes up space?  Toilet paper!  (And paper towels and tissues!)

I thought I had done pretty well and came close enough to filling the space I'd measured out.  Then Boxing Day arrived.  I quickly saw that I was wrong.  Here's almost everything (except the toilet paper) in the crate.

He started filling in holes with toilet paper and then turned to ask me if I had any more.  I ran inside to ask Mom and Dad if I could have the rest of their toilet paper and paper towels and tissues.

Obviously everything all fit!  I think, when it arrives, I'm going to have enough toilet paper for a year!

 Closing it up...

 There was still so much empty space that he filled it with packing paper.  I can't even begin to imagine the spectacle opening this crate on the street in front of my apartment building in Marseille is going to cause once it arrives!

Nailing it closed.

 And there it is.  54 cubit feet of stuff that was pretty much bought all new in December, waiting to arrive here in France in approximately 2-3 months.  It'll be like Christmas all over again opening it up!

All in all, it wasn't scary or overwhelming, especially once I knew the dimensions.  Packing all the boxes myself was totally worth it to make those (required) inventory lists as my own pace.  Stay tuned for further posts in a few months about Receiving the Crate.