Hope 2019 is going well! I know you’re excited for your upcoming trip, and I’m excited for you. A friend asked:
“Hi David,
Can you share with me WHAT to bring in my backpack for my trip to France and Italy?!
You had mentioned your packing “learnings” : )
I will be traveling for 2 weeks in April!
Thanks in advance for any help,
Susanne”
Here’s how I would make the decision on what to bring, then what not to bring, and what I brought my last 2-week trip in India.
Deciding what to bring
1. Clearly articulate to yourself the purpose of the trip.
– Get your travel buddy’s input to see if you miss anything. “To make memories” is great, maybe also “and to spend quality time” with whomever, and “to try new/world-class foods”. Your purpose should be your north star when it comes packing.
2. Also consider the purpose of packing light. If you score 100% on “minimalist packing” what benefits would that provide?
– Maybe it’s to allow flexibility in lodging or letting you carry everything with you around the city. Or less mental clutter since you don’t have as much to decide whether to carry around vs leave at the hotel.
3. Predict weather and activities (hiking? nice dinners?)
– Many shirts/pants/socks combine every quality I seek (see point #3), so they can be worn no matter what I’m doing.
4. The qualities that help reduce # of items I need, in order (depending on climate) are:
– Oder-resistance
– Fashionable enough for planned activities (clubs, dinners)
– Quick-dry for convenient washing (often means it also keeps you cool in heat or is sweat “wicking”)
– Wrinkle-resistant
– Thin, so “layerable”
– Sun/insect-protection (sleeves/pants)
5. Here are my key principles, in-order, for each type of item, and recommended brand/type:
– Shoes: inexpensive, comfortable enough, all-black (for dinners/clubs), durable, water-resistant, grippy, and light so you don’t get tired no matter how long you’re on your feet. What kind of shoe has all these? You won’t believe me, but nothing beats an indoor-soccer shoe! Crazy I know! This shoe got me around India twice, Japan, and Europe. Watch-out is you won’t have the padding of a normal shoe, so buy them a month early and wear them daily to test comfort. Buy flip flops at the beach and toss em.
– Sock: odor-resistant, thin, quick-dry, warm “enough”. Smartwool ultra-lights are my go-to. Wool is the best odor-resistor.
– Pant: Fashionable enough for dinners, cool, water-resistant, odor-resistant, and light/thin. Prana and LuLu lemon make good ones. REI has a nice selection of most travel clothes (get the membership!). Jeans actually work well because they look better than any travel pant and you don’t have to pack them if you won’t be too hot or active. If you’ll be hot/active you need to bring a cooler/flexible travel pant. I’ve never “needed” shorts on a trip.
– Belt: Don’t bring a belt, unless you must tuck in your shirt somewhere before having a chance to buy a cheap one there. This assumes you have pants that fit.
– Undies: Obviously odor-resistance, quick-dry, and thin. Two-three pair get me through because I often go commando. The only brand that I’ve ever needed is ExOfficio, which make re-wear less of an issue (science?). Find them at any travel gear store (REI, Benchmark Outfitter in Blue Ash).
– Shirt: fashionable, plus all the same qualities as socks. Long sleeves are the way to go unless you’ll be super hot. Smartwool again, REI has several other brands.
– Wearable Accessories: must be essential (used daily or required for your purpose) and cannot be bought cheaply there. Default is “no”. None. Zero. I have benefited from a travel towel when staying in hostels but that’s probably not on your list…
– No sunglasses unless they’re prescription. Buy cheap ones there, something tells me the French/Italian cheapies are fancy enough for Instagram!
– Utility Accessories: Essentials, or really small. 1 phone charger, 1 portable battery (get a good one like Zendure, and maybe a small $20 1-charge stick for your pant pocket on a hike). 1 TSA combination lock if your bag will exposed to pick-pockets or hostel-stayers. headphones of choice for plane/working out. 1 folder for printed visa/passport/papers–thin and doesn’t add to your pack. Finally, a pen+pocket notebook can help in social settings where you don’t want to be on your phone. I often get comments about the practicality of this, which I carry literally every day at home, work, or abroad!
Deciding to not bring something
Basically, pick up each item and ask: “If I didn’t have this but ended up wanting this, could I buy it easily there before needing it, and at a reasonable cost?”.
– Only bring it if you would want to buy it, but it would be inconvenient or expensive. For example, bring a phone charger because it would be hard to buy quickly if you need it while hiking. Don’t bring sunglasses because you’ll know in-advance if you’ll need them and can buy them easily. Same with a belt.
My most recent pack
You should be good with the pack you have. I’ve done 2 weeks in India with both 22L and 15L packs, though both times I didn’t have room for gifts to bring back. Here’s my last pack, including what I wore on the plane, starting at top-left:
basic toiletries, 1 pair shoes, pen, notepad, playing cards, sunglasses (regret), 1 polo, 2 long Ts, 3 short Ts, 1 jeans, belt (regret), Zendure battery, headphones, stick battery, phone charger, 3 socks, 3 boxers, 1 travel pant, combo lock, phone cable, travel towel, bug spray.
What tips have you picked up from other travelers? I’d love to hear!
Bon Voyage,
David