Needs vs. Wants

Let's begin with basic definitions: If I need something, I would suffer considerable hardship, and/or death/injury without it. If I want something, I would be unhappy without it, but would get over it in time.

Do I need to have that Quarter Pounder with Cheese, or would the McDouble from the Dollar Menu suffice in its stead to satisfy my hunger and nutritional requirements?

A new restaurant/movie/video game/bestseller has hit the scene. Do I need to check it out? Is it my job to do so?


I have 5 random chairs floating around in my apartment that I salvaged from departing neighbors. Do they need to be taking up valuable space? How many guests do I normally entertain?


After an invigorating workout, I pass by a smoothie bar and it immediately strikes me how refreshing one would be... But do I need one?


Do I need to bring that laptop on the trip? Am I expecting to do work while traveling? Can I not just pop into a local internet cafe, or the hotel business center?


Getting to work or school, do I need to drive? It it possible to carpool, take a bus, bike, or walk instead?


Although, I wouldn't shun all wants. I just need to realistically assess whether I am in a place where all my needs are in fact taken care of, before considering how much a want would benefit me emotionally/mentally - and then prioritize those wants accordingly.


**Physical health is a need.

Thoughts After Coming Back from China (3 weeks)

Just came back from a 3-week trip to China with the Tom Bihn Western Flyer as my only piece of luggage.


Flew into Shanghai, then participated in a bus tour covering Shanghai, Wuxi, Suzhou, Huangshan, and Hangzhou. Took a train to Beijing, flew back to Shanghai, and finally flew back home.


I packed two extra pieces of warmer (read: bulkier) clothing, since Huangshan and Beijing were expected to be cold. This definitely paid off, as it was cold and raining at Huangshan and windchill was crazy in Beijing.


However I did learn some things:


1) My iGo Green Charge Anywhere battery charger that I brought along as a backup battery for my iPhone 4 nullified the need for me to also bring along the standard Apple USB Power Adapter that came with the iPhone.


-1 ounce


2) Recycling is good, when it isn't unreasonable: I brought along an old Motorola phone that was still locked to T-Mobile even though the contract expired ages ago, with the hopes of unlocking it cheaply in China and getting a local SIM card for it for cheap calls. Unlocking is apparently not done cheaply in China anymore (if they even know what you're talking about, since it's only something foreigners have to worry about) and it turned out it wasn't worth it to pay to unlock the current phone which required a transformer to charge the battery, vs. buying a new phone in China at the same or cheaper price. In the end, we ended up not doing either.


-11 ounces


Those were two things I learned regarding my own luggage.


My mother, whose luggage I also had to schlep, had a 50-pound behemoth on wheels that I had to lift and carry up and down about 50 different sets of stairs (no exaggeration - most of the subway and train stations do not have escalators or elevators) and onto and off of multiple buses, subways, taxis, and trains; as well as two other suitcases also weighing in similarly. Thankfully, those other two suitcases stayed put in Shanghai while I only had to lug the one across China.


The basic lesson from that portion is this: If you cannot afford to travel lightly, you need to be able to afford to NOT travel cheaply. Plane->expensive cab ride->hotel with elevator and porter->expensive cab ride->plane. Don't forget those luggage fees. My mother would not have been able to manage all three of those bags alone, nor would the airline have let her check the third without a fee.

Montreal/NYC 11 Days, 1 Tom Bihn Western Flyer, 14.5 lbs: AAR

AAR = After-Action Review

14.5 pounds and it still felt heavy.

I could have done without the camera - I barely used it, and never used the charger. My iPhone did just fine for pictures.
I didn't wear that pair of dress pants after all.
To my surprise, the hostel did provide towels so I didn't use the Packtowl at all either. (It does pay to contact your lodgings to check!)
The Teko (hiking) socks ended up being a bad fit for dress shoes - I got a small blister on my r. little toe.
In retrospect I really shouldn't have brought the luggage lock for the hostel locker since it was a private room.

 Everything else either worked well or I was glad to have along for insurance anyway.

Oh, I probably could have used the Arc'teryx Gore-Tex I was thinking of bringing when it was pouring rain and we were out on the water. Didn't expect that one.

All in all, though, a good trip!

Packed Up and Ready to Go: Sub-15 pounds!

11 days in Montreal + NYC, 1 Tom Bihn Western Flyer

Inside the Tom Bihn Packing Cube Backpack:
black Icebreaker Meridian short sleeved shirt
black ExOfficio Kizmet Camper 1/2 sleeve shirt
striped white BR shirt
grey pants
black Banana Republic dress pants
black Columbia shorts
5x ExOfficio Give-N-Go Bikini Brief, 1x Jockey bikini brief
1x VS bra
2x Teko socks, 1x dress socks
pink plaid shorts
black Nike Dri-Fit tank
Packtowl
1x ziploc gallon sized bag
2x ziploc 2-gallon sized bags

Tom Bihn Packing Cube Shoulder Bag:
light grey/clear slippers (aka flip-flops) in plastic bag

3-1-1 bag:
Olay moisturizer/sunblock
mini A&H toothpaste
mini H&S shampoo
sunblock
Blistex
NIVEA lip balm

Tom Bihn 3D Clear Organizer Cube:
travel toothbrush
Dr. Bronner's tea tree soap bar
Soap container
Salux Washcloth
face washcloth

Tom Bihn FOT Pouch:
Brookstone nail clippers
Band-aids
Immodium, Tylenol Cold, Benadryl

Tom Bihn Small Organizer Pouch:
Wet wipes

Tom Bihn Passport Pouch:
Passport
Colored Key Strap

Tom Bihn Clear Mini Organizer Pouch:
Thumb drives

Tom Bihn Kit:
Memory cards
Camera
Camera charging cables
iPhone backup power supply

Coach bag:
sanitary napkins

Trip info printed out and put into folder, Extra copy of passport
Wallet
handkerchief
black belt
Surefire flashlight
Flashlight extra battery
sunglasses
TB cleaning cloth
Laundry line
iPhone
iPhone bumper
iPhone charging cable
Murder on the Orient Express mass-market paperback
Luggage lock for hostel locker

Grand total (weight): 14.5 pounds

What I got rid of, as I lay everything out and thought about each item:
Nike Free shoes
TB Absolute Strap
Dr. Bronner's liquid soap (2 fl oz)
Purell hand sanitizer (2 fl oz)
Packtowl personal
Playing cards
Guidebooks x2
Fleece sweater

What an exercise! I gave myself a bit more leeway on clothes, taking 3 tops and 3 bottoms when I really should have only packed 2 and 2. I learned that even the most innocent-looking things can weigh a pound or more. I began to really be honest with myself and realize that some things I'd put on my packing list were going to be more trouble than they were worth and end up going unused. If the weight was really going to be an issue, I had thought about even leaving the camera at home - the charging cables were so bulky and heavy and I figured the iPhone could have done in a pinch.

Going to be hosteling it, which is why things such as towel, soap, etc. were packed. A few minor modifications to this list and I'll be ready for China in October!

Not included in list: RL polo, dressy jacket, light pair of jeans, Merrell shoes, 1 set of undergarments, watch, eyeglasses (all worn)

Honolulu, USA, July 2011

I live in Hawaii, in the city of Honolulu on the island of Oahu. I went downtown into the business district to take a look at some non-beach wear typical of paradise.

Personally, I think it's a tempered "anything goes" - most dress is casual, but you still wouldn't show up to a nice restaurant or work in a t-shirt, shorts, and slippers. Most men wear patterned short-sleeved button-up shirts in an office environment. Women, patterned tops or dresses. Many college students show up to classes in beachwear.

A Late Realization, Or A Woman and Her Baggage

I'd not posted for an interval of time following the "Hiroshima, Japan, June 2009" post. The last line of that post was "Also, take note that just about every adult female has some sort of baggage."

Previously I had been convinced, even in my daily life, that a handbag just gives thieves a convenient target to snatch and grab. I also felt that by carrying a minimal amount of things in my pockets, I freed myself from having to always need to watch my bag, from having to find an appropriate place in a restroom to set said bag down, from having one hand constantly on the strap, etc.

However it never occurred to me just how WEIRD it was to go around, as an adult woman, without any sort of bag, purse, or stroller. Until I started actually paying attention. And it never failed. Every woman who I could identify as not having some sort of personal baggage (who wasn't engaging in exercise) looked extremely out-of-place and awkward - the overwhelming impression was "unattractive lesbian."*

I had no idea how obviously my orientation was being proclaimed by my lack of baggage! And also the unattractive part, what was up with that! Well, it turns out that women look better when it doesn't look like they have tumors coming out of them in inappropriate areas! Imagine! So loose clothing (so as to better shove things in your pockets) and bulging pockets (so as to better carry your unbagged possessions) did things to one's attractiveness level that even makeup couldn't hide!**

So here's the situation: Adding a bona-fide bag to the list (the Tom Bihn Passport Pouch isn't gonna cut it) would add weight to the list that I had found "unnecessary" on previous trips. However, since I am now more conscious of not looking like a fool, it had become necessary. I haven't weighed everything on my list so far, but I'm pretty sure adding a handbag or two is gonna add in the neighborhood of 4 pounds. My actual luggage is gonna weigh 3 pounds. To go 15 pounds or lighter meant I'd only have 8 pounds left for clothes, toiletries and electronics.

Well. I accept this challenge!

*I added this star in case my statement was taken out of context and twisted into some kind of hate speech, of which it is not. I accept that the underlying reason why my brain defaulted to "lesbian" may be because I am sensitive to such perceptions. Please feel free to discuss in the comments below counter-examples if you have them.
**I don't actually wear makeup, so double whammy!

How to travel anywhere on $20 a day, by Ryan Estrada

(image copyright Ryan Estrada)

Ryan Estrada is an artist who has had an interesting life so far, and an interesting way of living it. In the PDF linked in the image above, he explains how he travels cheaply - and survived to tell the tale!

One of my favorite parts is when he says he only starts looking for a place to sleep when he is ready to sleep, thus not needing to pay transportation back to an already-paid-for, far-away place of lodging. This, among other things, is possible when you travel ultralight!

EDIT 26 JULY 2011: Wow, it looks like a lot of you are here via Ryan's link! Welcome!

Hiroshima, Japan, June 2009

I wonder if it's because I come from somewhere more country than country, that adults wearing shorts is normal? In most other places, I've gathered, it doesn't matter how hot it is - shorts are simply not acceptable for adults unless they are 1) at the beach, or 2) working out.

Also, take note that just about every adult female has some sort of baggage.

Inspirations, or Giving Credit Where It's Due

Travel, and packing for travel, is somewhat of an obsession of mine. Perhaps you could tell by the title and subtitle of this blog. The earliest trip I can remember was at age 4, where I got some sort of eye infection in Guangzhou and then threw up in the unbearable heat of a Shanghai summer. A good start.

There were many more trips, but yet my travels were limited to China, Hong Kong, or Los Angeles until college. That's when I joined the US Army. The military sent me to South Carolina (no idea what that place is like off-base); Sierra Vista, Arizona; Monterey, California; Zama, Japan; Seattle, Washington (thanks for the frequent flier miles); Killeen, Texas; Kuwait (same as South Carolina); Afghanistan; and other places along the way. I ventured out on my own to Atlanta, Georgia; Taiwan; and other areas in Arizona, Texas, California, and Japan. With friends to Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu in Peru and Bogotá in Colombia. Of course, being based in Oahu, I've also visited Kauai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii with school/school friends.

The feeling of getting on a plane or train (or helicopter) and just... leaving... It has always appealed to me. It's terrifying sometimes, like once during lift-off when I realized I'd forgotten to pack the tickets to the very event I was flying to attend. But mostly I sit back, let go of what's not important - most things in life - and enjoy the freedom.

That's likely why when I read this post on One Bag, One World: Paradigm shift: 7 maxims of ultralight travel, a light bulb went off. One-bagging isn't enough. I need to go ultralight. Here are the ultralight maxims quoted from the above article:

Ultralight travel is not for everyone.

Ultralight travel is not just traveling with one suitcase.

Ultralight travel means carrying 15 pounds or less.

Ultralight travel does not mean the traveler must look, smell, or feel bad.

Ultralight travel requires a certain amount of specialized gear and clothing.

Ultralight travel means the traveler must commit to doing a certain amount of sink laundry.

Ultralight travel means a traveler must make a conscious effort to minimize, miniaturize or eliminate electronic equipment.

I may be female, but I consider myself low-maintenance, and I'm at or below average height for women my age from the US, which helps with not needing as much fabric to cover myself with and therefore carry. My make-up kit consists of moisturizer/sunblock and lip balm. I decided to take the 15-pounds-or-less challenge... In fact, I would take as little weight as I could, but with 15 pounds as the maximum.

I found further inspiration in the following links:

• Travel Light, Travel Anywhere: The Ultimate Light Packing List, whose toiletries I scrutinized and took particular note of the Vitamin E Oil for dry skin and the Tea Tree Oil for antiseptic purposes for further trial/research.
• What to Pack at travelindependent.info, similar to the veritable OneBag.com's annotated packing list, and of course
• OneBag.com itself, the king of One-Bag Travel sites.

When I've got my packing list set, and am ready to throw it all in the bag, I'll be sure to take some photos and post what I'm bringing along. Incidentally, I've decided that I'm leaving even the Tom Bihn Side Effect mentioned in this post at home - the Dyneema Tom Bihn Passport Pouch will do double-duty suitably for my needs.

Helping the elephant avoid the chopping block, an ounce at a time.

Shanghai, China, June 2009

P6220200, a photo by arestocracy on Flickr.

Locals dance on a city sidewalk near People's Square. Most Shanghainese dress very stylishly, and dancing in public is common. There are even dance gatherings in public parks in the evening.

Kamakura, Japan, June 2004

Kamakura is a good place to:


See a giant Buddha,


Eat sweet potato ice cream, and


Hit the beach.

On the beach fashion front:

Shorts are okay for schoolchildren,


And exercising.


Don't fit into either of the above categories? Thou shalt wear pants! Even if you're on holiday and it's summertime!

T-Minus 60 Days and Counting: What I've Culled So Far

It's about 2 months out until the first trip and I've been creating my packing list since a month ago. Today I tried wearing and lugging some things for a leisurely 2.7 mile walk.

First to go was the Tom Bihn Large Cafe Bag. The shoulder bag deal just wasn't going to work well with 1/2 the tops I had planned. That subtracted about a pound.

Then the umbrella. Dumb, I put it on the list because I figured an umbrella could guard against the sun PLUS protect more than one person from the rain... Truth is, an umbrella is useless in wind and I'm sure I could find some sort of shelter from the elements fairly easily if need be. Another pound gone.

Lastly, the jeans. Unless I lose a great deal of thickness from my thighs in the next month or so, the jeans I had picked out (the lightest, thinnest pair of the ones I prefer) are just going to be uncomfortable for travel purposes. One more pound culled from the list.

Total culled today: 3 pounds.

Previously culled: Switched from Tom Bihn Aeronaut to Tom Bihn Western Flyer - weight savings 0.18 pounds. Not much, but points in the small form factor/ease of handling category.

Thinking of replacing the TB LCB with the TB Side Effect. Contents are likely to just be things like hand sanitizer and sunblock, so not worried about pilferage. That setup will cost me a little over half a pound, so total weight savings vs. LCB is just under half a pound.


Tom Bihn Side Effect in Sapphire

Why I've Forgone Zip-Ties

I used to zip-tie the zipper sliders on my luggage closed. I'd read about many people doing so when they were forced to check luggage, or as added security for a carry-on bag (for example, when left in a hotel room). It's a pretty good idea - no locks to be picked, and those zip ties are pretty impossible to get through without some sort of blade or cutting instrument. Also saves one from the worry of losing the keys.

Then I was introduced to videos such as these reminding us of a simple fact of engineering:





What's the point, eh?

Wearing the Same Clothes

From a comment on Rick Steves' Graffiti Wall:

Wearing the Same Thing Day After Day

Your pictures know. About ten plus years ago we really committed to the the one bag. But my wife's chief concern was being seen in the same clothes all the time especially in pictures. About a hundred pictures were mounted in an album (just prior to the digital age). After friends and relatives had viewed the album, I always asked the same question, "Did you notice anything odd or unusual about our pictures?" Of course, the answer was always no. "We are wearing the same clothes in nearly all of the pictures." "I didn't notice." End of discussion and she has never raised the objection of being seen in the same outfit day after day.

Frank
Denver, CO USA 01/11/2010

I admit, this was something I thought about a lot. Sure, no one but your travel companions will notice but those PICTURES, the horror!

Then I realized that such worries were:

1) Unfounded because I will actually have more than 1 set of clothing to change into, and
2) Entirely modern-age, first-world problems.

I also read this article from A Suitable Wardrobe: Packing Light for Business, but what struck me in particular was the image that accompanied it:

I was reminded that travelling heavy is a modern disease, brought about by too many supposed "necessities."

What "Packing Light" Entails, Personally

I read a thread over at Fodor's Travel Forum about someone whose idea of packing light was to take older clothes intended to be tossed or donated, in order to end up with an empty bag for souvenirs on the return.

That is NOT my idea of packing light.

1) Taking older clothes intended to be tossed does not jive with my plans to not look like a fool.
2) You're actually packing HEAVY that way - both on the outbound and the return.

Packing light means:

- Taking very few pieces of clothing that one will look good in, can be mixed and matched, and are appropriate for the culture/weather.
- Being prepared to do laundry while travelling
- Leaving all the "might need" things behind
- Being choosy about buying souvenirs at the destination

As I've discussed in my first post, 15 pounds or less including the bag is my goal. That'll be the goal for both Montreal/NYC in September, and China in October. China in October might get chilly and we'll be staying in a number of different cities but I'm confident my September packing list for Montreal/NYC will work with little to no modification.

Doing Laundry - Underwear/Socks

Many light packers talk about packing only one or two pairs of underwear/socks, and washing one set while wearing another. In order to keep out of the hotel maid's way, the underwear/socks are of the "dry overnight" variety. Here are things that often go wrong with that (from experience):

- Absolutely nowhere clean to hang laundry/laundry line
- Traveling with friends and/or embarrassed
- Too exhausted to do laundry upon return
- Stayed out too late, laundry's not going to be dry by the time the maid comes around
- Checking out early the next morning
- Not willing to fork out the change for specialized underwear
- "Dry overnight" underwear and socks found to be uncomfortable
- Accidents happen

Personally, for trips 1 week or longer, I still find myself packing 6 pairs of each, and keeping an eye out for laundry facilities when searching for accommodations.

We'll see if I change my mind as I pack and weigh for my upcoming trips.

Near the Harajuku Station, Tokyo, May 2010

The sun is shining, it's a pretty nice day. Everyone is still wearing long pants/long sleeves and/or jackets though. Near the end of May it starts to warm up.

Shanghai, China, October 2008

More images from my archives:






It is fall, and while it is not yet cold, long pants all around. Primarily it is the young students who wear jeans and sneakers. You'll see Chinese men hike up mountains wearing the same long-sleeved dress shirt, dress pants, belt, and dress shoes.

Miraflores, Lima December 2010

PC230248, a photo by arestocracy on Flickr.

Peru. The cautionary note would be that there were a number of backpacker hostels in the area. Locals? Travelers?

How Did Things Get This Way?

Early 1990s. Elementary school. Fourth grade. Summer camping excursion. Beachfront cabins. If I'm remembering correctly, we were to be gone for 3 days. I packed one tiny duffel bag, probably 16" long and 8" in diameter (that's about 800 cubic inches for those of you who are counting). Everyone else in class was lugging larger bags. Many had huge rolling monstrosities. They were all extremely amused by how little I was taking along. I did not understand how they were taking so much; we'd only be gone for three days, so I had three changes of clothing in there, a swimsuit, some sunblock, a towel, and basic toiletries. My underwear went in one Ziploc bag, toiletries in another. Everything turned out more or less fine, although I admit I should have brought two other things along: A pair of flip-flops (didn't occur to me at the time) and one extra Ziploc bag (sunblock exploded on the way back).

Flash forward to a certain trip in 2009. This is after OneBag.com, after TomBihn.com, after much military travel. Something went wrong.

Japan. Nagoya. Summer. Just came from Morioka, where I'd re-injured my knee in an indoor rock climbing fall. For this trip, I'd decided that since I was carrying a laptop, the extra laptop bag didn't count against "onebagging" so I was carrying a Tom Bihn Western Flyer and a Tom Bihn Checkpoint Flyer, both stuffed to the gills! Did not count on getting injured. To get to my hotel, I had to traverse (read: limp up and down the steps of) two pedestrian bridges, and cover a lot of distance from the station besides. Reverse and repeat for getting back to the station on the return. That trip had me schlepping all my gear to 3 more Japanese cities, 2 Chinese cities, and Taipei on my injured leg before the ordeal (I mean my 6-week long vacation) was over.

And what about China! For whatever reason I didn't feel out of place in Japan, but in Shanghai it was painfully obvious to me that I stood out like a sore thumb! Apparently the only adults that wore sneakers, shorts and/or capris, and t-shirts were either foreigners or from the countryside... Being non-Caucasian, I was effectively treated like I was a country bumpkin! Shameful!

That brings us to this blog:

1) Don't just one-bag, pack light!

I'll discuss my trials and tribulations in the quest to travel light (15 pounds and under, including the bag). I have probably not ever achieved this since that trip in the fourth grade. This will include commentary on luggage, electronics, clothing, and the like with special emphasis on weight.

2) What the heck do people wear in these areas anyway?

I'll take pictures, and post pictures I've taken, of people on the street at places I've been to, tagged by city and months (DecJanFeb, MarAprMay, JunJulAug, SepOctNov) along with any observations I may have had.

A travel note-keeping journal, if you will.

With that, let's lift this blog off!