PlanetEye

January 15th, 2008

Do Yourself a Solid Packing Job

Brendan

The Global Nomad

Before you leave home, keep in mind the three key factors to consider when packing for long-term travel: weight, volume and number (you could also add value, but that will mostly impact you when you lose or break something.) Keep these three under control and you won’t be cursing your backpack by the end of week one.

Before you commit to carrying any item in your bag for months on end, ask yourself: how much does it weigh? How much of my limited space will it take? How many of these do I really need? While I am hardly the poster child for minimalist packing (my guitar alone has been to at least 40 countries), it’s good to know where your biggest hogs are in each category.

In the weight category, I find there are two things in my bag that are the real killers: paper and liquid. By paper, I usually mean books, and although as a guide I carried reams of documents and notes, in the end it was books that felt like an anvil in my bag. Guidebooks are useful, but make sure you aren’t carrying more than you really need. If you are only going to Peru and Ecuador, don’t carry the whole South American guide. Remember, you can always buy along the way. Even better, trade—many traveller’s hubs have book exchanges, and for recreational reading it has often led to my discovery of great books I might not otherwise have chosen.

Liquid is easier to reduce, yet many people underestimate how much extra water can weigh. I’ll never forget the friend who stayed with me in Tokyo as her first stop on a round-the-world trip. By the time we made it to the apartment she was ready to light her pack on fire; when she opened it she was carrying full-size bottles of shampoo and conditioner! Buy or transfer to small containers and refill along the way.

Solid alternatives can extend the life and reduce the weight of key stuff in your bag. My favourites are solid shampoo/conditioner pucks made by British natural cosmetics company Lush, and those natural crystal deodorant sticks. Both last practically forever, take up minimal space, and weigh less than liquid alternatives. [Caveat: I find the crystal works fine unless you are at super hot, sweaty places—try it first to see if it works for you.]

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