About Report 3.
If you didn't come here via the main page the other reports are at http://sites.google.com/site/travelulcomp/
How I manage without some 30 items common in luggage and commonly carried when walking around town.
Certain items I always carry.
Under wear? Not in hot weather!
And more.
I don't expect many readers to apply all of the following techniques but hopefully you will be able to take some of the items mentioned below out of you luggage or replace them with a smaller variety.
You VS Survivorman
When you carry little luggage you may sometimes need to come up with makeshift solutions to solve problems.
It is a town and road variety of the TV series Survivorman or Man vs. Wild. |
And it can certainly get much tougher for you than Man vs. Wild as you, unlike Grylls, don’t have a script, prearranged problems etc. You don’t have a camera crew and assistants who have have worked for days on your upcoming “makeshift” solutions. |
If he makes a lousy leaking shelter “on a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean” it is not a problem as he sleeps in a five star hotel on Hawaii.
If you check in at a lousy accommodation you may have to spend the night there! If the roof leaks onto your bed the best option may your own makeshift solution.
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Travel lite is about managing without a lot. From towel to nail trimmer in the luggage. From day pack to wallet what you carry on your body on town.
Part of the joys of travel for me is the various challenges of it. The lighter I pack the greater the challenge - and the fun. |
If you are not into traveling light these techniques enables you to ad many nice items/functions to your gear. Just as an example, I can add 34 light long sleeve shirts and still stay below 11 lbs, 5 kg!
I have a sneaky feeling that the reason most backpackers are carrying some 35 pounds, 15 kg, is that, that what they can carry for some distance without crumbling. It is not what they need. |
I think if we were able to carry 220 pounds, 100 kg, most people would carry that amount.
And for sure, if we could only carry 10 pounds, 5 kg, that would be what most people would carry unless they wanted to spend on porters. |
As mentioned, also below, regarding the price of the report
Maybe you save this sum already the first time you don't need a taxi because your luggage is light. Or because your negotiating power with taxi drivers is vastly increased - you say you will walk to the main road, and they will believe you. Further savings are pure profit, hundreds of $$$, if you do some travel. And you may also save some US$ 150 now and then because you don't need a (new) back pack and day pack.
Below I have summed up the approximate price of the items that you may manage without to $ US 750
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Bra folds into bag
One way to reduce luggage is to combine several functions in one item.
Is this one practical? I am not sure. Maybe the lady wants to wear her bra at the same time as she needs a bag. Bra folds into night cap I think is more practical.
I have some more practical combination, I think. |
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Self Cleaning under wear
I read there is work going on in this field. I am certainly looking forward to self cleaning clothes - it would make travel with little clothes much more convenient.
These panties have a pocket at the front.
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How I manage without
- Extra trousers and shirts.
- A printed: Travel Guide, Phrase Book and Dictionary. A diary book. - Substitutes from 0 weight!
- A Day Pack and Wallet when I walk around town. (Wallet or no wallet can be a matter of life or death! My experience in the report) .
- A "look normal" carry on cloth bag for flight check in. I used one before as without any visible luggage you may be look suspicious.
- And much more. Altogether some 26 items common in luggage.
Why I always carry a light, mosquito oil, compass and earplugs.
Practical points about underwear
Maybe you already know
| Don't leave anything locked with a 3-digit combination lock out of sight for more than 8 minutes. Why not? |
If you travel from home to A-town, then travels around and returns to A-town before continuing you can save weight by..... |
Are you planning to bring some exercise gear? No need in Asia where there are plenty of elephants. :) Even in down town Bangkok - no tuskers though, babies.
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More about Report 2
Number in bold is possible saving in $ US for cheap item.
How I manage without these items in luggage
A bit in volume, weight order.
Extra trousers and shirts 3 x 40=120 + 5 x 30=150 =270
Back pack 150
Travel guide book, substitution from 0 weight. 30
Phrase book, substitution from 0 weight. 20
Dictionary book, substitution from 0 weight. 20
Towel 10
Soap 5
Soap box 5
Toothpaste 3
Tooth brush case 3
Shampoo 5
Shaving cream 5
Alarm clock 10
Toilette case - when I used one it was self made had two uncommon useful features. 10
Case for camera kit 20
Washing powder 2
Washing line 5
Diary 5
Note pad 5
Comb (I sincerely regret lugging around a 2.5 cm, 1 inch, comb for years :) ) 5
Underwear* 4 x 10=40
Socks 4 x 5=20
Boxes for sun and reading glasses. 2 x 10=20
Nail brush for sole (of feet) cleaning. 5
Nail trimmer 5
Magnifying glass 5
Door knob alarm. My loud substitution is found in most hotel rooms. 10
Universal sink/bath plug 5
That's some 30 items I don't carry in luggage.
I probably forgot a few indispensable things. Please tell me!
*Underwear is a very recent invention in the history of mankind - maybe it is only a parenthesis if the planet gets hotter. Perhaps only polar explorers will use them in the future.
Some $ US 700 worth of gear I don't carry
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How I manage without these items when I walk around town
Day pack. 20
The few compact things I carry usually goes into the pockets - or I put them in a plastic bag. If you can't live without a day pack I have tips on how to relatively easy achieve a lighter and more compact version.
You can carry your bananas as the locals do. On the head!
Well, I checked with the population where I was in Asia: Men don't carry things on their head unless they are very poor. Foreigner, who are "boss" - rich, don't carry things on their head.
Wallet. 10
Also suggestions for where and how to keep you money. Many people take out their fat wallet when they buy e. g. peanuts.....
Maybe the way I keep my money saved my life when a robber, with a big knife, it turned out, probably was waiting for me to take out my wallet, read more in the report.
Why I always carry
Light, mosquito oil, compass, earplugs and a small reading glass.
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I no longer carry a "look normal" bag for check in. 20
Before I carried a small cloth bag to use when checking in for a flight - presuming you might look a bit odd with no visible luggage.
Although small this bag was a sizable part of my shrinking luggage.
I now use...
Some $ US 50 worth of gear I don't carry
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Spare reading glass
I used to carry one reading glass lens on my pocket key chain. I used it e. g. to read a menu when out in the evening without the reading glasses.
I sincerely regret all those years I carried it, -:) . Now I use something a fraction of the size.
If I would take a soap
I would certainly not take it in a soap box. I would take it in ...., see the report.
Back pack warms your back
When you are too hot in warm weather a pack on your back certainly doesn't make you cooler as it hinders transpiration and heat transfer from your body.
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Total from some $ US 750 can be saved!
;)
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I have makeshift solutions for
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Umbrella as a sun, UV and heat shield. One is far more effective than the average umbrella in stopping UV rays and heat. Freely available.
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Umbrella as a rain shield. |
Why I don't use
Underwear
Socks |
Why I am lugging around a deodorant |
Are you bringing any pills?
E.g. Malaria prophylaxis? There may be some volume to save.
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I think we have it in the genes: Take as much as you can! Don't discard anything!
| Sure e g, when man set out to cross an unknown mountain, millenniums ago and until today, it was wise to bring what might come handy. In many cases it was life saving. |
The natural selection has seen to it that those who traveled with too little luggage died earlier and left less offspring. |
To act against the genes is not easy.
First time I traveled with only one pair of trousers it was not an easy decision.
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Also if you have something with you which you don't expect to use during the rest of you trip I think most people have difficulties to part with it: give it away, throw it away, or send it home by mail. |
So I suggest: Bring just what you really need!
If it rains a lot there are umbrellas to buy. If it is cold there are nice local sweaters for sale - can be a nice souvenir. If there is diarrhea there are antibiotics. Etc.
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Items with several functions can save volume and weight
A well know example is the umbrella/parasol that protects from rain an sun.
Photo of Gigantic Swiss Army
Knife maybe coming here.
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The Swiss Army knife is an example of an item with several functions combined in one unit. Such combination can save volume and weight. Although this one really looks a bit bulky for me. | |
I have combined some functions:
- Five functions in a compact .2 oz, 6 g, item! (Not rocket science! but still.) See Report 1.
- Wind breaker sock that doubled as a ...... See Report 7.
- The equivalent of a nose hair cutter that doubles as... See report 1.
- A map can also be used as... (certainly no rocket science). See report 2.
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Items can be combined to get a new or improved function - saves volume and weight
| I have two items with me which combines into a magnifying glass, see Report Manage without. |
I also have one 1 oz, 30 g, item that combines with an item I always carry to make a rain protector for hot climates, see end of Report Misc.
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Long story short - you don't need all that you think you need! And if applicable, don't ask your mother if you can manage with this little!
Buy now!
It will take time to get your gear in order. Maybe you want to test it by not using nothing else at home, say for a week, before traveling. Content of report lasts a lifetime!
Some 14 pages (letter size/A 4) report with some 9 pictures/illustrations.
Maybe you save this sum already the first time you don't need a taxi because your luggage is light. Or because your negotiating power with taxi drivers is vastly increased - you say you will walk to the main road, and they will believe you. Further savings are pure profit, hundreds of $$$, if you do some travel. And you may also save some US$ 150 now and then because you don't need a (new) back pack and day pack.
On payment, you'll receive a download link via email for a Microsoft Word document.
Buy at/go back to: http://sites.google.com/site/travelulcomp/ (Where also the other reports are presented.)
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Last modified Nov. 13, 2009.
