The Joy of Packing! — Capitola, CA
Details, details, details.
Fourteen days before we leave on a Very Big Trip. What started as a discussion about going to Thailand for a few weeks has now blossomed into a multi-month trip with 5, maybe more, countries on the list. Such is the danger of being retired.
I've never been there, Alan, the BF, has been several times. In fact, he spent nearly a year in the region when he was a much younger lad. We have our passports to Myanmar or Burma and multi entry visas for Vietnam. I’ve decided to take a backpack, which makes figuring out what to take and not take a scientific endeavor. My plan is to only take things that I would be okay leaving behind in case I have too much weight or want to trade the space for new things. I can imagine that by the end of the trip I will have replaced most of my clothes with trinkets and special things from this region, but who knows? My techno garbage weighs the most and is taking up the most space but how can I leave one of these behind?
*net book for blogging and journaling
*classic kindle for reading on the beach
*android phone
*ipod
*camera
And all associated charges, cords, etc. It is a lot of stuff, but I really need all of it. Not that my medical kit is a small item. But I refuse to compromise on it because it has saved my ass (and toes and fingers) on numerous occasions. Add to the med kit all the travel drugs that my doc loaded me up with and it probably weighs a good 3 lbs. Alright then, 3 lbs of medical stuff, 5 lbs of techno garbage, backpack weighs around 4lbs and I want to keep a 25 lb limit – so that leaves me about 13 lbs for clothes, shoes, comfort, towels, sleep sheet, beach sheet, mozzie head net, paperwork, sharpie, notebooks, phrase book and all the liquids that go in the ziplock bag…. It’s gonna be tight. I am also taking a light weight day pack and a cheap duffle bag.
There are a few things that I always carry with me on trips that have come in quite useful include duct tape and tiny zip ties. I am a duct tape addict, but nothing beats it when you are right under an air con vent on a bus trip that is supposed to last all night, or something breaks or you want to make sure your bandage stays on to avoid a nasty infection. I don’t take a whole roll; rather I make a mini roll using a straw as a base. Zip ties are the handiest of things when it comes to keeping things closed, like your backpack zippers when you are in a sketchy crowd, or when you want to make sure your stuff isn’t opened when you leave it at the hotel. I carry a little fingernail clipper to cut them off. No, they won’t keep your stuff from being stolen, but they do keep honest people honest. Next time you want to fall asleep and not want to worry about your day pack, try giving it a zip tie to the nearest bench, or your shoe. At least it will give you a warning if someone is trying to swipe it.
Frankly, I love packing. And repacking. Sorting and resorting. Prioritizing and eliminating. With a trip like this I like to play a game with myself where I "must" eliminate one item from my bag. I do this several times until I get to the point where I know I will make myself uncomfortable or unhappy. I set the “eliminated” items off in a corner and wait a couple of days. Then I get to put anything back that I think I will miss. I also realize that some things that I eliminate can become souvenirs that I pick up along the way – like T-shirts or an extra pair of sandals.
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