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A few of the advantages of traveling light
Links further down lists more.

Drawbacks of Traveling Ultra Compact

Unsolved and solved Ultra Compact Travel problems.
  Any MacGyver, "the makeshift gadget god", types out there?

Check the weather along your planned route!


Links to my travel pages

 

Seven trips, 10 months in 14 countries.
India, Ethiopia, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine, France, Dubai, Yemen, Djibouti, Madagascar.

From tropical climate down to some 10 C, 50 F.


  Traveling super light, without a bag. A bold experiment?

   My trip with all the gear in a multi pocket vest - no bag.

 

What is it they carry in their back packs that I don't have? 

  When I was testing my "Tropical Travel Ultra Light Gear, 250 grams. No bag!" I traveled with a friend and took the opportunity to compare some parts of our luggage. His medical kit weighed 800 grams, 29 oz, mine, 10 grams, .3 oz, two items, disinfectant and aspirin. His photo kit weighed...



Links to some related sites I liked


Baggage of nomads

Clark Wissler. A fantastic article about the luggage of nomads. When we are traveling we are "nomads". Excerpts: Man alone of all the creatures of the world carries baggage. The aboriginal natives... carry the least.  ...champion light travelers. no need for packing reserve clothing.   baggage load carried....12 pounds plus the baby ..by an Australian woman.

One Bag

  Doug Dyment, a very good site. The Art and Science of Traveling Light.  Listed advantages: Security Economy, Mobility and Serenity.


What to Pack

is very good, lots of experience behind it and lots of sound advice - I have little to add except when it comes to travel ultra compact.  Lists e g  good reasons for traveling light. Also Avoiding theft. 

 

 Light weight trekking

Ray Jardine. Book: Trail Life. Creative thinking! Moving this art forward! A very inspiring site, for some body into the related field of Ultra Compact Travel.

 

Packing & Traveling Light Recommendations

by Mark Veber.  A nice and extensive travel light site. Many links. List advantages of traveling light - but he doesn't suggest carrying all in the trouser pockets. 

  

Peter Cochrane's Blog

Published: Tuesday 27 September 2005.

"In my wilder moments I dream of a 'no bag' future where I travel wearing everything including all my technology in a fly fishing style jacket including all my extra clothing neatly hidden inside my top coat. The basis being that the airlines measure and weigh bags but not people. But that is something for the future."
  I think the future is here now.  If not, I think my "Unorthodox way of reducing volume of gear like camera, phone, computers etc." can make the difference.

 

The human Swiss Army Knife, Eric

"carrying permanently about his body more than 1,000 useful objects."  No bag! Sure a colleague! 

 

An-apartments-worth-of-furniture-in-a-box
 A bit related - many pieces of furniture goes into a quite small box.

What is new in wearables - Engadget

Wearables fits the concept of traveling Ultra Compact as long as they are small


To my  Skate sailing in wings, an article, which can be of common interest. Also building plans are for sale.


Top speed is around 75 mph,120 km/h.

About the author


Anders Ansar's list of Magazine Articles


To my, Anders Ansar's, home page.

Email, Postal address & Telephone number. 

All comments are welcome! Remark about the site, the content, your wishes, etc. Are there any display errors ?

Webmasters, you may include links on your site to my web pages. You are welcome to take up to three pictures and up to one hundred words to illustrate a link.

Google Sites is excellent but have some minor problems

This is a Google Site. I have some problems completely saving changes. I can't (yet) control tables widths and line spacing. And a bit more.

That said, Google Sites is excellent! I can work on home pages in Internet cafes on the road. I just open the page and edit.
Previously I needed an Internet cafe computer with MS Front Page installed. That is rare. Sometimes I managed to get it installed before I moved on. Then I had to transfer the page to a friend who put it on my homepage.

uc

  About Report 1.

If you didn't come here via the main page the other reports are at http://sites.google.com/site/travelulcomp/

Shrink your luggage! iPod Nano size possible. It can go into your pockets!

I don't suggest that you bring your luggage all the way down to iPod Nano size. It looked like I could so I tried. But without too much effort and with little sacrifices in functions you can probably make your luggage much, much lighter.

Traveling light is not only a matter of light gear. Being able to manage without many things commonly in luggage and carried around town is as important. See those reports. 


This is not for you if you can't stand the bewildered and devastated looks of the bellboys when you turn up at the hotel check in desk carrying no luggage that they can grab - and expect a tip when delivered to you room.


My definition of luggage: "That's what I take with me when I check out of the hotel."






 
In recent years I shrunk my luggage. Now it goes into this iPod Nano case.

Weight some 1 oz, 30 g.

As you can see everything you can possibly need is there: Toothbrush head, lock and wire for hotel cupboard, shaver, painkiller, deodorant (far right) and a bit more.

World's smallest luggage?

No, I read about a guy traveling with a toothbrush only.

Inner dimensions of case: 3.5 x 1.6 x 0.27 inches, 8.9 x 4.1 x .7 cm.

Volume .85 fl oz, 26 ml.

Copyright Anders Ansar 2008. Image may be used if URL, http://sites.google.com/site/travelulcomp/ , is included.


Contents

The iPod Nano size luggage. Weight 1 oz, 30 g. All in the pockets - no bag! Lightest item:  .01 oz,  .31  g. What and where to buy, how to modify etc. 

Are you bringing something in hard containers?  E.g. Soap, tooth brush, malaria pills etc.

Why I am lugging around deodorant.

Some examples of how I made gear smaller.

  

Packing list

Deodorant. For about one week daily use.
Toothbrush part. Combines with.....
Shaver
Disinfectant
Aspirin
Thermometer, .31g, .01 oz.3. Carried so I know how far down in temperature my clothes go.
Padlock with wire to lock hotel cupboard.
Nail tool
Need a nose hair trimmer? I have a small equivalent which goes into the iPod Nano case. And it is very easy to make!


Some 10 Items, 1 oz, 30 g.

Most items are specialized. If you take standard items the volume/weight will be some ten times larger - that is a big difference! - when you travel compact.

Defaults like Passport, tickets and travelers checks are not included.


  With luggage this size I may carry it even when walking around town to show to other travelers.

I also have miniature: Body temperature thermometer, .04 g, .0014 oz. Alarm clock (self made, goes into the ear, not yet perfected). I think it goes into the iPod Nano case.  A pair of tweezers - not yet well working (haven't seen them for a while though - maybe I lost them). Both goes into the case .

Possible further reduction of packing list

If I would reduce luggage further I think items would go in this order: The deodorant, the lock with its wire, the aspirin.


Ultra compact luggage, except clothes, from some 1 oz, 28 g. How to achieve it.

In the Report you find information on where I found the gear, how I made or modified gear etc. Some of my gear has been gradually modified for compactness. When relevant I detail these variants. You may prefer the slightly bigger size, usually easier to achieve and use.

To shrink your essential luggage you need to know

Deodorant. In what varieties of containers to carry it. How to get it into the container. How to get it from the container to armpits. I think my application method uses less deodorant than "roll on". Brand and type.
Toothbrush part. Combines with ... to make a toothbrush.
Shaver. How to reduce size. Make and fit a handle.
Disinfectant. In what varieties of container to carry it. How to get it into the container.
Locking wire for hotel cupboard. How to make.
Nail tool, 1/60 ounce, 5 g. Anyone can make it
Nose hair cutter. What you can use.



Taking traveling light to near 0 weight and volume! Thinking outside the "One bag only".

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! 


What you need when traveling depends on how and where you travel. I stay in inexpensive accommodation. I eat in restaurants. I travel longer distances by air. Back pack travel without the backpack. Ambient temperatures mostly from very hot down to 61 F, 16 C.


Slim your luggage now! Before it is time to pack. Then it is too late.

You will save money, hassle and perspiration.




It is partly a Do It Yourself Project

 
 You have to invest some of your time, partly it is a Do It Yourself, DIY, Project, and possibly money, to get compact travel gear. Also you need special knowledge. But once you have it you will travel much, much more comfortable. I have tried to make combined sun and reading glasses. Those pictured you had to take off and rotate to make the change.
  No good design so far. Also combined glasses are probably more prone to damage then separate ones.
 

Photo Copyright Anders Ansar 2008



Travel Ultra Compact stuff

Swiss Army Sunglasses - available?




Photo maybe coming.



I saw this picture on Internet. Not sure they are in production. 

Pen fishing rod



Traveling Ultra Compact doesn't necessarily mean that you can't bring fishing gear.


 


 

I am aiming at:

Not looking stuffed with all gear in my pockets. If some need arises (especially if temporary) e. g. more body insulation or shielding from the sun I first try to use  something freely and or easily available.

That's more sport than buying! 

Straw men
I saw some pictures of men wearing big dresses stuffed with straw - they looked stuffed!. In Evelene or something like that in Switzerland?

If I find them again I will put a picture here.

 

It will take time to get your luggage 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 18 pages (letter size/A 4) with some 21 pictures/illustrations

You may start saving money already at check in for you next trip. Many airlines now charge for checked in baggage. Or because you don't need a taxi as your luggage is light, or because your negotiating power with taxi drivers is vastly increased  - when you say you will walk to the main road and catch a bus they will believe you. Further savings are pure profit, many $$$, 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.
On payment, you'll receive the report as a Microsoft Word document attached to an email .

Buy at/go back to: http://sites.google.com/site/travelulcomp/  (Where also the other reports are presented.)

This is a Google Site. I have some problems saving changes - mostly slow connection here on the road. I looks like it is saving correctly - but sometimes changes are not saved or partly saved. I can't (yet) control tables widths and line spacing.

That said, for me Google Sites is a really great improvement, it is excellent! I can work on home pages in Internet cafes on the road. I just open the page and edit.
Previously I did need an Internet cafe computer with MS Front Page installed. Which is rare. Sometimes I managed to get it installed -before I moved on. Then I had to transfer the page to a friend who put it on my homepage.


© Copyright Anders Ansar 2008-2009. You can use pictures and text from pages as long as an adjacent link is provided to that page/s. All rights reserved. All lefts reserved too.

 Last modified Sept. 5, 2009.