Packing Tape Is Your Friend

This blog is primarily for content of a pastoral or theological nature. But there is a piece of entirely secular wisdom so valuable, so hard-won from 12 moves in the span of 10 years, that I feel compelled to share it here. That piece of wisdom is this: when it comes to loading cardboard boxes, packing tape is your friend.

You are probably familiar with the classic over-under-box-top-foldy method of closing a cardboard box. Like this:

This method, unlike packing tape, is NOT your friend. You inevitably bend a piece of the cardboard, or you lose track of what goes under and what goes over and have to start all over again, and most importantly, you end up with a wobbly box. This is fine for a little box – although even with little boxes it makes them harder to stack – but it can spell disaster with a big heavy box. Woe betide the unsuspecting soul who picks up an overpacked over-under-foldy-closed box and attempts to carry it down the basement stairs. Behold:

What is the alternative? Packing tape. This is obvious in the case of, say, international moves, but I contend that the same is true for moving a box of old electronics from the garage to the back of your car for a trip to the recycling depot. Look at the difference, holding the same box, nicely sealed with packing tape:

Any minor objections to this method can easily be overcome. Packing tape isn’t always handy? KEEP it handy, in your basement, garage, and kitchen. It makes the box harder to open? Box cutters and scissors make quick work of it, and you can keep them handy too. It’s more expensive? This is true, but you can get all the tape you need for years for less than 15 bucks. (Note: this blog post was not sponsored by, nor do I endorse, any particular brand of packing tape. I’m lazy, and that’s the first result on Amazon.)

So, there you have it – the most valuable piece of entirely mundane wisdom that I’m likely to share on this blog. Blogging on more spiritual subjects will resume shortly.