I am moving across the country in 15 days, how do I start to pack?

I’d say that you should ride out the rest of November on half of your clothes and shoes. Pack the rest. Also, I would assign one part of where you live to be the “packing area”. Put everything there throughout the day/week, and pack it when convenient. Also, anything that you aren’t bringing/is trash, throw it away rather than waiting until the last minute and having a bunch of stuff that’s not travelling.

—Sell or give away as much as possible.
—Procure your boxes, padding, tape, etc.
—Put aside whatever you need over the next two weeks. Pretend you’re traveling, make it light.
—Pack everything else

Remember that there are stores in SF. What you save on shipping and airline fees, you can use to replace stuff. And that’s the point; it’s only stuff. Ship and pack what you love; donate your non-special art supplies to the local middle school and get a tax deduction, give things away to people who need them. You can buy worn jeans in any of the second-hand shops, remember.

Start with little baggage. It is very freeing.

You might want to pack your boxes a little lighter, 70lbs is very heavy, and you can just ship UPS or regular USmail yourself. Can you send the boxes to a friend or relative in your destination city? You can start now, and even ship 3 or 4 boxes now, and the final 3 or 4 just before you leave.

I will be moving 50 miles probably between Xmas and New Years. 18 years in 900 sf apartment with lots of closets and cupboards, boxes I haven’t opened in years. I do have a plan. I have started with the kitchen tossing out battle scarred pots and pans. The day after Thanksgiving I’ll have a charity pick up cast off clothing and ill advised purchases, like the food dehydrator, the bread machine and the 6 cup rice cooker (I live alone-what was I thinking?)

During the 1st 2 weeks of December I will touch/toss everything I own and decide what will be moved, what will be donated and what gets hauled away. On moving day -2 I will bring in my cleaning lady and her sister to help me pack everything except what I need for the next 48 hours. On Moving day -1 I’ll call in the charity truck to take anything they want that isn’t being moved. On moving day the movers will be scheduled for 1st thing in the morning, 1–800-GOT-JUNK will take everything remaining in the afternoon and the day will end with the rug cleaner. I will leave all the keys on the counter and walk out the door forever. What could go wrong?

One of your movers will arrive stone-drunk and have to go home, leaving the men one short; there’s the flu, and the moving truck, when it arrives, will get stuck in 12’ mud and have to be towed out.

I invent nothing here. But I do wish you luck.

How did you miss the Bay Bridge falling apart and the biggest rainstorm of the decade and a power failure. The moving company is a green one that has moved several friends and tenants of my building, If the charity company fails 1–800-GOT JUNK hauls everything away. (They are supermen) My cleaning lady is too well paid to fail, but if she does we’ll have a packing party. My friends are so happy they aren’t being asked to move me, some of them offered to help pack for pizza, beer and big screen sports. And if the carpet cleaner doesn’t show, oh well, it’s 40 yo and they have to replace it anyway. I’m just cleaning it because I’m a good tenant.

Give every single thing you do not absolutely need to a charity thrift store, and replace it from the charity stores when you arrive, or go on Freecycle.org for all your needs (giving and receiving).

Really, do not take anything you can live without.