Fear the Gear
John Flinn wrote a great article in yesterday’s San Francisco Chronicle about purchasing and packing gear for a trip:
As individuals, and as a society…we rely too much on gizmos to keep us safe. True security comes from the things we do, and don’t do.
His piece comes right on time for me, as I wrap up my final gear purchases and move to the more challenging task of reviewing what is absolutely necessary and deciding what should be returned?! I don’t think I’ve gone overboard, but even things like the hostel sheet and soap holder need to be scrutinized one last time…do I REALLY need them? Flinn mentions Magellan’s, where I just finished spending a $50 gift certificate given to me a few months back. It was a lot harder to use than I thought, especially because they do have a lot of these “bells & whistles” products that just didn’t appeal to me. I’m going very low-tech on this trip, so I wasn’t attracted to many of their security-enabled items. I did consider the socks with the zipper compartment, but then decided they were unneccessary — I’ve got a money belt, travel smarts and a simple plan to making sure my valuables are safely stored at all times. So, I used the gift certificate to buy a small travel wallet, some mesh packing pockets and a tiny travel umbrella. When those items arrive this week, I’ll do the final dress rehearsal. If the bag is too heavy, I’ll repack it again and again till it feels comfortable and secure. My biggest fear is bringing too much of the wrong stuff. I’m sure I’ll make one or two miscalcuations along the way (I’ll bring too many socks and not enough underwear!) but here’s hoping I don’t make any major gear goof-ups.
Tags: Europe 2006, Quotes, Tag Index
Kel
February 6th, 2006 at 11:51 am
Hey, don’t worry, you’ll be in EUROPE. So if you don’t have enough underwear, I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to buy some there. Plus, it will be an excuse to go shopping.
Also, if you bring too much, not that you necessarily want to throw stuff out, but of course you can if you need to.
I’ve never traveled for as long as you are planning to, but I always regret the number of outfits I bring. I think I would be happier rewearing clothes and washing them at night than having to carry around multiple outfits that may or may not end up being useful. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted for a piece of clothing while traveling, but there are always pieces that I wish I wasn’t carrying around!
Anyway, good luck with packing. Have you managed to fit it all in your bag yet to make sure it fits and that there’s still a little room to spare?
February 6th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
I did a practice pack last week and everything fit, including a mini detergent tube, since I will def be doing wash every few nights. But I have a few more mini things to get before the final pack test! There won’t be much spare room but I’ll be chucking some old winter clothes after the first month, so that should help… I’m sure I’ll continue to minimize the clothes I’ve selected, and will look forward to spring shopping in Brugge or Amsterdam. As Rick Steves says, you should look forward to running out of toothpaste in Bulgaria, it makes things that much more fun 🙂
February 8th, 2006 at 4:05 pm
My gear always miraculously expands to fill all available space after a couple of days on the road…