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Packing and Gear Tips
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1. Rubber Bands. I came up with this idea a few years ago and it's worked pretty well for me. When packing my clothes, I fold them and then roll them up. Then I put a rubber band on either end. The rubber bands hold the roll in place so if I have to dig through my bag (which is often) I don't have to refold any of my clothing.
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2. No towel. I am a huge Douglas Adams nut and to travel without a towel seem a bit sacriligious. But I think you don't need a towel if you bring a sarong and a bathrobe. Between the two, a towel is superflous. Get a good terry cloth bathrobe, I recomend one with a crest if you can swing it. You can wear it at campsites or relaxed hostels in the mornings, or all day if you please. Mine has big pockets so I can carry around whatever I might want to have on me. The sleeves can be used for a face towel or a hair towel (if you've got short hair), and it's stylish. The sarong can be used as a light towel, or a sarong on beaches, or something to lie on. A sarong can also be used as bedding, either to lie on or under. And they dry very quickly. So ditch the towel and buy a bathrobe and sarong.
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| 3. Bags. Try to compartmentalize all your different things in small bags. This makes it easier to find things and your main pack tidier. I have clips on most of my bags so I can also hang them on the outside of the pack if my pack's getting tight for space. |
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4. Silk clothing. I wear mostly silk and synthetic boxers when I travel because they dry very quickly. If you're good about doing your washing, you can travel with simply three pairs of boxers washing them every day or every other. I also have two silk Hawaiian shirts which I can wash each day and just wear the two of them while traveling. Again they're easy to wash and dry and if it's hot out and you're carrying a heavy pack your back often gets sweaty quickly. The silk shirts dry quickly in this case too which means your shirt is wet all day from your sweat.
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5. Travel roll. I carry several things on my travels which are bulkier items. Instead of putting them in my pack, I roll them up together and lash them to the back of my pack. This is how I'm able to travel with my drinking rug and my bathrobe without them filling up my pack. I also have a therm-a-rest sleep pad in the roll which I really like for camping, combined with the drinking rug.
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| 6. A backscratcher. A cheap one is fine, even preferable in case you lose it. My backscratcher is a simple bamboo one I bought for a dollar. But if you get bit on your back but insects, it's simply heaven to have that scratcher handy. Plus, you can take care of any normal itches. I'd like to get a head scratcher too, frankly, I think they'd be nice on the road as well. If you have a travel roll you can simply slide the backscratcher into it, and it take up no room at all. I don't think it'd take up much room in the pack either, but it could snap more easily there. |
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