I'm thinking about a time when it took five minutes to pack for a weekend trip. All you had to do was get a suitcase, throw in an extra pair of pants, some clean socks and fresh underpants. You grabbed a book, a deck of cards, some music, then threw the suitcase in the car and off you went. Simple as that.

The problem? Modern technology. Yes, it's made our lives easier in many ways, but it's also burdened us with so many things; stuff we now have to think about, find in the house and pack up before we go away.

That's not so much trouble, but then there's the digital camera. It gets put away somewhere different every time. You could just not bother, but you know that you'll be sure to encounter the most spectacular piece of scenery, the funniest expression on your child's face and a UFO with little Martians that will step out and ask to have their pictures taken. And you won't have your camera.

And don't forget the extra batteries, the battery recharger, an extra memory card and downloading cords. Where did you put all that stuff again?

The next thing is your laptop. You'll need this to assuage the guilt of going away without finishing the work you were supposed to do. Of course, you probably won't do the work, but the laptop will make you feel virtuous.

You'll need your power cord, and whatever you do, don't forget your backup storage device. Trust me on this, people: Computers know when you don't have your backup device. They will torment you by crashing and munching up all of your data like a yummy piece of pizza. Such is the evil that lurks in a computer with no backup storage device.

You may also want to think about the video camera, you know, in case you see the Martians. And oh yes, get your IPod. Now where did you put that again?

Surely now, you must have everything. But of course, you don't. That's because you now have to start thinking about other people's stuff. Where to start.

Like computers and digital cameras, games need power cords. And don't forget to charge them up before the trip so the players can use them in the car. This means you should start thinking about what you're going to pack at least 12 hours before you leave.

There will also be the Nano IPods and the credit card-size digital camera, these tiny miracles of electronic genius that in their smallness have a way of getting lost, and getting lost often.

It would be easy not to bother with all of this stuff, but if you'll be in the car for more than an hour, it's worth the extra work of finding them for the peace and quiet they will yield once you get going.

And by the time you find everything, assemble all the peripherals and get it all packed in the car, you will need that peace and quiet. Trust me.

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