How do you pack your shows?

A good friend recently e-mailed to ask "How do you pack your shows?"

My Lefler table has all the props that I use in more than one show such as The Axtell Magic Drawing Board (it's in four shows and I don't want to buy four of them, though I do have one as a back up that I keep in my office). I also keep brochures and catalogs in the Lefler table and a plate easel that I use to display certain things. The plate easel is in 2 or 3 shows. I keep a sponge cake in the Lefler table, even though it is only used in one show, but the box that I pack that show in won't keep it from getting smushed, so I keep it in the Lefler table instead. I also keep a small electric fan for hot summer months, a small extension cord, a multi-tool screwdriver, a big gob of ticky-tack, and a few other things that I could need at any given show.

In addition, each show has ONE other box or container. Some have two, but I prefer to have it all in one box. Color Your World, I cram everything inside the doghouse igloo that I use as a dragon cave. In Arctic Express, it all fits into a big plastic tub. In The Wild West Reading show, it all fits into my "time machine" (a giant mirror box where the mirror drops flat). So this is a pretty good system, though it does have minor flaws in that I occasionally have to buy two or more of the same prop if it is in different shows.

For example, I use a rabbit wringer in 2 shows, but I don't want to carry around a heavy, breakable rabbit wringer in my Lefler table, so I bought two of them, one for each show. I have dozens of thumbtips in different boxes (if I need one, I pack two just in case, so I have at least double the number that I actually need).

Sorry it was such a long answer to your question but I wanted to give you an idea about how I pack. Normally certain things stay in my truck 24/7 unless we are going on vacation somewhere. My sound system, the Lefler table, the speaker stands, the two side tables, and a custome made box that holds my mic, virtual soundman, wireless mic unit, power strip, extra batteries, minidisk player, etc. These things all stay in my truck almost always. Then all I have to do is take OUT the box that holds the props for the last show, and replace it with the box (or maybe two boxes) that contain what I need for the upcoming show.