In the past year I’ve been on three trips that required flying and I’ve been packing lighter and lighter. So far, it’s been great. In the past, I’ve taken probably too many clothes, and too many gadgets. Besides the practical aspects of not having to carry as much stuff (space and weight), it has also freed me up to enjoy the vacation more. I spend less time worrying about what lens to put on the camera (since I haven’t got any) and more time just snapping a photo which is “good enough” and then enjoying the scene using my eyes and ears.
Camera gear: This is the big one for me. Although I took a lot of photos using my big dSLR, it put a damper on my traveling experience. If I bring my dSLR around, then I feel I have to bring at least four lenses too! This adds up in space and weight (and shoulder pain). Plus, these items are not just things that I could throw in the suitcase and unpack at the destination, but stuff that I have to carry with me at all times. Did I mention shoulder pain earlier? Now I have slimmed down my photo equipment to just my point-and-shoot Panasonic camera and my cellphone. The Panasonic is small enough to wear around my neck or thrown in a pocket. It’s also waterproof and shockproof, so I have less worry about breaking it. I guess it lightens the burden on my mind as well! I may go back to carrying a larger camera in the future (my eyes are on the Sony A77), but for now I am enjoying the P&S.
Clothes: I’ve also really cut down the amount of clothes I take. Basically it’s one pair of shoes, sandals, a pair of jeans (and/or khakis), synthetic boxer briefs (they pack smaller than cotton), a couple pairs of synthetic socks, synthetic shorts, a light jacket,boardshorts if I am going swimming, and a few shirts. I really like the synthetic clothing because you can basically just wash them in a sink (or the shower) and by the next morning they will be dry or close to dry. No need to pack one for each day! In the winter, I bring a heavy jacket, gloves, and a scarf, but if I throw in a synthetic long-sleeve tshirt and synthetic long underwear (both pack super-small) I find that I can handle winter in Japan with ease. The synthetic base layers are so important. They keep you warm in the winter, but also cool and dry in the summer. (I wear them under my riding gear when I ride my motorcycle) Plus, these layers can be washed in the evening and will be ready in the morning.
Computers: On the computer front, I now use the Dell Inspiron 11z, which is thin and light and I also have a Microsoft Arc Mouse which folds flat. I don’t actually need the mouse but it’s so small it doesn’t really make much of a difference. I carry both of these in my shouder bag. The charger is relatively slim as well. It also helps that the battery still holds a good charge so I don’t have the mental burden of worrying if I have enough juice to do anything (like write this blog post!). Although I have my charger in the bag, not having to break it out every time I wan to use the laptop is nice!
Other Stuff: I bring my Kindle with me too. It is so light and hardly takes up any space. I’ve got a large variety of books I can choose from, and don’t need to worry about battery life since it seems to last forever. Even though paperbacks are light, most of the ones I have are still too thick.
All of my clothes and toiletries can easily fit in a rolling carry-on bag with space to spare. I can pretty much go for any amount of time with this setup. A couple of caveats here, however. I realize that being a guy has it’s advantages to packing light since we are happy with towel drying our hair and using whatever shampoo (or soap!) is available. No make-up bag to bring either. And since I am a married dude with kids, I feel less of a need (or none at all) to dress-to-impress. As long as what I wear isn’t an embarrassment, it’s good enough. (My windbreaker comes close to crossing the line, soliciting a couple “Members Only” comments on the last trip)
Another thing that packing light does to make my traveling more enjoyable is that I spend a lot less time worrying about my own things (since I haven’t got much) and more time making sure the kids and wife have all the things they need. I guess it’s a form of being selfless? Who knows, but I do like it, and I do get fulfillment out of caring for my family. Hooray for traveling light!