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)