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!