testrun
Under construction - as test runs are added
The Test Runs with Ultra Compact Luggage. From 1 oz, 30 g, and only one set of clothes.
For reports about the gear, techniques etc used on these test runs see: http://sites.google.com/site/1ozluggage/
In the hot and humid tropics, highlands of Africa, very hot and dry Dubai, temperate Europe and very cold air conditioned places.
Seven trips, 10 months in 14 countries.
When I travel "heavy" I carry extra: one pair of trousers and two shirts, which weigh 23 oz, 650 g.
Travel Light, I say, becomes a sport when you go well below that weight.
Countries visited: India, Ethiopia, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine, France, Dubai, Yemen, Djibouti, Madagascar.
© Copyright Anders Ansar 2006 - 2009.
Contents
1st. India and Africa, February, March 2006.
2nd. Europe, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia May 2006
3rd. Golden Pagoda and Moulmein in Myanmar. One week around Christmas 2006.
4rd. Addis Ababa and Dubai. Feb, March 2007.
5th. Ukraine, Europe, in June 2007.
6th. France, Dubai, Yemen, Djibouti and Addis Ababa. September - December 2007.
7th. Madagascar, east of south Africa, cities: Antananarivo and Tamatave. March 2008.
8th. Europe Peru, to be added.
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 (pen works as handle), lock and wire for hotel cupboard, shaver, painkiller, deodorant (far right) and a bit more.
World's smallest luggage?
No, I read abut a guy traveling with a toothbrush only.
My definition of luggage: "That's what I take with me when I check out of the hotel."
Copyright Anders Ansar 2008. Image may be used if URL, http://sites.google.com/site/travelulcomp/ , is included.
In Dubai on the way to the airport.
This time I carried a lot by Travel Ultra Compact standards, some 6 lb, 2.8 kg. See 6th test run below.
When I pack really light weight of all, clothes and gear, except sandals is 2 lb, .9 kg. The sandals weigh 1.45 lb, .66 kg.
Total weight 3.4 lb, 1.53 kg.
Any check in luggage Sir? No I have it all here in the pocket. - It's just a 3 months tour to the tropics.
Copyright Anders Ansar 2008. Image may be used if URL, http://sites.google.com/site/travelulcomp/ , is included.
1st. India and Africa, February - March 2006.
Only one pair if trousers plus one pair of wind trousers I didn't use.
Abstract
My Tropical Travel Ultra Compact outfit
Upper row is my Essential Tropical Travel Ultra Compact Gear, Feb. 2006: compass, toothpick, light, comb, keys, disinfectant, shaver, deodorant, aspirins, toothbrush, mosquito oil, sun glasses and pen. Weight 90 g, 3 oz.
Middle row, some would say not needed, but I carry: hand fan, locking wire with lock, for cupboard in hotel, umbrella, carry on bag for flights. Weight 220 g, 7.9 oz.
Lower row, optional: camera charger (camera has the same outline size), camera adaptor, video cable, MP3 player, Fm radio, and thumb drive.
A 0.5 liter water bottle is placed in the picture for size comparison.
Weight of all in picture, (except water bottle) including camera used to take the picture, 590 g, 21 oz.
One pair of trousers with large inside pockets on the legs. One shirt.
I wear: Pen, sun glasses, reading glasses, wrist watch.
Footwear: sandals.
India, Mumbai, Juhu Beach
Driving lesson Addis Ababa style.
Addis Ababa. If I got it right guards stay inside this type of boxes at night.
Quite a lot of characters pass through Addis Ababa. Guys on bicycles or motor bikes or in cars coming from e g Europe.
This lady had started in the Netherlands and was heading for the South Pole..... The local guys did seem to loose some of their macho when she drew by them.
Planned route, conditions last trip, this trip
On an earlier trip I traveled for the first time with no bag, but with a vest with many pockets. This was in September in mid Europe and we experienced temperatures from 30 deg. C, 86 F and down to some 10 deg. C, 50 F. Then a vest was useful to keep me warm.
In total I had three shirts, two pair of trousers, a wind jacket and the vest.
For that trip see:
Now I am planning a trip in the tropics where most of the time one pair of trousers and one shirt, both in airy material, is enough to keep me warm. So, no vest.
Planned route: Yangon, (Myanmar, former Burma), Bangkok, Mumbai, Goa, Rajasthan, Yangon.
Depart beginning of February. Return one month later.
Apart from Rajasthan, where the temperature can drop to freezing at night, it is a trip in the tropics with temperatures mostly between 25 and 35 C, 77 and 95 F. In Rajasthan I expect temperatures when I am outdoors will be down to 18 C, 64 F.
Garments and footwear for the trip. Large pockets needed for the gear.
Here the Travel Ultra Compact Gear is arranged like it is carried. Middle up sun glasses. Middle left, umbrella carried on hip belt loop. Bottom right clothes in leg pocket. Etc.
How it worked out
How it worked out - continued - I make a Ultra Light replacement for the sweater. See Report 4. Features of Compact Warming Clothes.
When you are down to these weights, weight is mo longer important. If I e.g. could find a replacement for a sweater with very small volume I would not mind if it was much heavier. This way your pockets looks less stuffed, you look more normal.
How it worked out - continued.
Setting an example? Is the travel light bug contagious?
On the previous trip, carrying my few items in a vest only, I traveled with a friend. Once we walked uphill to a castle for an hour - a bit of extra sweat for him with his some 15 kilo, 33 lb, back pack. As we were next heading for the rail way station I had suggested he take his luggage so we save time.
When I later met him in Addis Ababa it didn't appear he had been bitten by the travel light bug. On the contrary he had added a DVD player to his outfit.
Maybe he had got some inspiration to decrease luggage in some areas and then had room to ad another function.
Another friend know of my travel with all in a vest. When I traveled with him next time I had no vest and no bag. He was weighed down with a back pack and two other bags.
Neither he had been bitten by the travel light bug. So one thing is clear, this bug is not highly contagious! For a comparison of our luggage see link just below.
What is it they have 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, mine, 10 grams, two items, disinfectant and aspirin. His photo kit weighed...
Thoughts after the first test run
Next journey in the tropics Ultra Compact again? I don't know - may be it was a one off experiment: "Yes I have tried it."
Traveling Ultra Light in the tropics is not much of a challenge. Keeping the volume down of gear that is fine from hot to colder climates is trickier as you need insulation.
Next trip in colder climate - I must try my ideas of improved gear! So I guess I will have new gear made and I will look forward to testing it. And then new improvements, and a new test run. And then another climate. Maybe test in freezing temperatures.
It is always nice to have a compact and light basic outfit. Then you can add a few thing and still travel compact and light.
2nd May 2006. Albania, The Balkans, Europe, ....
Major change: no camera charger, extra battery instead
Gear of the first test run.
Route and expected conditions
I traveled from Yangon in Myanmar to Tirana in Albania, Europe, for two weeks travel on the Balkans. Expected temperatures when outdoors were from 30 down to 16 C, 86 down to to 61 F.
Garments
Garments carried, except for the basic airy tropical outfit of one pair of trousers and one shirt, was wind shirt, insulating vest and wind jacket.
For this trip discarded or modified items
These items are underlined below. See photo left.
Upper row: compass, toothpick, light; smaller, comb; used the nails instead on my short hair, keys, disinfectant, shaver, deodorant, aspirin; one, toothbrush; kid's size, mosquito oil, sun glasses and pen.
Weight a bit down from 90 g, 3 oz.
Middle row: fan, locking wire with lock (e.g. for cupboard in hotel), Mosquito catching net, umbrella, carry on cloth bag for flights. Weight some 190 g, 6.8 oz down some 30 g, 1 oz.
Lower row: camera charger; instead I started with two fully charged batteries, camera adaptor, video cable, MP3 player/thumb drive.
Weight down some 100 g, 3.3 oz. Volume off some 180 ml, 6 fl oz.
Weights and volumes
Total weight of items carried in warm weather when I was dressed only in the basic outfit of trousers and shirt was: 550 g, 20 oz. Weight of my camera, optional, with one extra battery 150 g, 5.4 oz.
The thickness of wind shirt, insulation and wind jacket when compressed in plastic vacuum bag 18 x 22 cm, 7 x 8.7 inches, is 4 cm, 1.6 inches. The volume is 1.6 liter, 55 fl oz. Weight: 240 g, 8.6 oz.
Items I plan not to carry next time
For airline check in I carried a carry on shoulder bag, in which I put my pocket stuff and some empty water bottles to make it look like had some luggage.
I think it would look suspicious if I turn up with no bag at all, with all in my pockets.
Volume of the bag rolled tight is some 50 ml, 1.7 fl oz.
Next time I will simply get hold of: See The Report: Ultra compact luggage, except clothes.
I carried a lockable cloth bag to put my passport etc. in when leaving these things for safe keeping at a hotel.
Volume 20 ml, .7 fl oz.
On this trip I never left things for safe keeping. I will consider not to bring this bag next time. Instead I will use e g an envelope.
Weight of all in picture on previous trip, including camera, was 590 g, 21 oz.
On this second test run same was down to 420 g, 15 oz.
When traveling Ultra Compact there is a difference between soft and hard items. Soft things, like a shirt, you can put "anywhere" e g in a trouser back pocket, and sit on it. Hard items, e.g. a camera battery charger can break or hurt you in the same pocket.
Albania. Three of the many bunkers the communist regime put up against invasion, it worked - no invasion. I presume they were originally covered with sand up to the bottom of the cupolas
Beautiful Dubrovnik
Lovely Greece, Santorini. Here is a guy traveling heavy with surf boards.
3rd. Golden Pagoda and Moulmein in Myanmar. One week around Christmas 2006.
Luggage carrier at the Golden Pagoda, Myanmar. If you travel Ultra Compact you can make the half hour uphill walk without a porter.
At the Golden Pagoda
Moulmein bus
Golden Pagoda Myanmar
4th. Addis Ababa and Dubai. Feb, March 2007.
Dubai
The creek
Bus stop with air conditioned heat shelter
Burg al Arab the 7 star hotel
Major changes
Abstract
I think some people would not like to wear the same shirt and trousers for weeks - I don't care. It comes to my mind what somebody said: Those who know me know that I am rich. About the others I don't care.
Anyhow I found some fabrics with a different color on each side so now I have a two shirt, a jacket and a two pair of trousers that can be combined in many different ways.
5th. Ukraine, Europe, in June 2007.
I carried an extra pair of very light wind breaker type trousers to get a more flexible washing schedule. I used them once for this purpose - to try - not really needed as drying conditions was very good with a stand fan in the room. They were very light wind breaker type and very basic with only side pockets.
I managed to time my visit to Odessa to coincide with a European Championship for model airplanes. I am interested in aerodynamics and i really enjoy to be able to indulge in some of my interest while visiting new places.
Odessa Opera?
I asked the locals what is this? It's the Matroskij Club! Seamens Club. Looked more like the Admiralskij Club to me. Maybe it was, before the revolution.
Kiev has an excellent airplane museum.
A TU-104, the worlds first jet airliner in continuous service. The British Comet went into service first but was grounded because of crashes due to design faults.
6th. France, Dubai, Yemen, Djibouti, Addis Ababa. September - December 2007.
This time plenty of luggage - 2.8 kg, 6 lb. It is amazing how easy it is to increase the weight. Roughly I only added these functions (in volume order): 3 shirts, 1 pair of trousers, 1 wind breaker to be able to compare two windbreakers, mains charger for camera and an alarm clock.
Expected temperatures when outdoors were from 40 to 14 C, to F.
I took two wind breakers to be able to compare them in colder weather - can't be done in Asia, not cold enough, where I started.
One had a silvery layer on one side. As this layer can reflect some body heat radiation back onto the body I wanted to know if it was better than a wind breaker without this layer. No difference!
Total number of garments:
4 shirts, one of which wind breaker.
2 pair of trousers, one pair very light windbreaker.
2 windbreakers.
Footwear; 1 pair of sandals.
I went to Icarus Cup in France, most famous for its masqueraded fliers using e g para gliders, where I expected to take many photos. So I would not have time to charge my camera at the internet cafe - if there even was one. Therefore I brought a camera battery charger and an extra battery. Some 90 g, 3 oz, extra.
Also I brought some material for possible business in Dubai. Some 200 g, 7 oz.
Length of box is 2.4 inches, 5.9 cm.
A world's first?
Preparing for this trip I made my luggage smaller, small enough to get it into a match box.
Yemen, the capital Sana, hotel room interior.
I like this country style restaurant in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
7th. Madagascar, east of south Africa, cities Antananarivo and Tamatave. March 2008.
A very small 1 oz, 30 g, addition to your wind jacket makes it a good rain protector for hot climates
Average temperatures when outdoors, in high altitude, Antananarivo, 64 to 77 F, 18 to 25 C. In coastal Tamatave plenty of heavy short rain showers, temperatures 77 to 84 F, 25 to 29 C.
This time packing Compact: 1 extra pair of trousers and 2 extra shirts, except for the basic one pair of trousers and one shirt.
Rain protection
When it is hot and humid wearing a wind breaker/rain jacket is not good - you get steam boiled.
The easy solution was to bring an umbrella - but very bulky if you are traveling Ultra Compact, also weighs some 6 oz, 170 g.
I brought , of lightest wind breaker cloth, 1 oz per square yard, 33 g per square meter. 1 yard wide an as long as the bottom of my windbreaker. Along the long edge I put some ten mini safety pins.
Then on Madagascar I was on my way home with my travel friend when it started to rain heavily.
The piece of extra cloth was already fitted, with a bit of overlap, with the safety pins, to the inside of the lover edge of my wind breaker. I pulled out the combination, held the top of the jacket spread out above and ahead of my head with my hands. My friend joined me close behind my back under the remainder of the combination. We got home pretty dry.
I used my combination a couple of times.
Not bringing the umbrella was the right choice.
Mesh shirt
I brought a short sleeve mesh shirt for hot Tamatave. I used it ones - an got sun burnt, although I was protecting myself with a newspaper held over head. Sunburns are not good, may give you skin cancer. I very rarely use sun protection cream.
Bringing a mesh shirt was not the right choice for me.
Rickshaw, a common mode of transportation in Tamatave
Links
Links to some related sites I liked: The Human Swiss Army Knife, One Bag Only, Light Weight Trekking, What is new in Wearables and more.
Links to my travel pages
Traveling super light, without a bag. A bold experiment? - My trip with all 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, mine, 10 grams, two items, disinfectant and aspirin. His photo kit weighed...
Traveling this light is extreme? Check out my extreme Stand Inside Ice Wing Sail, 120 km/h, 75 mph!
Here I sail one of my Ice-Wing skate sails, on ice. The wing hangs on my shoulders. I wear ice skates. The front of the wing is transparent. Top speed is around 120 km/h, 75 mph.
To my, Anders Ansar's, home page.
Email, Postal address & Telephone number.
For reports about the gear, techniques etc used on these test runs see: http://sites.google.com/site/1ozluggage/
© Copyright Anders Ansar 2006-2018. 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 Apr. 2018.