Oooh, I am so jealous. I visited in 1998 and 2000, and I would love to go back, provided I can spend a day or two in Lijiang. I want to see the pics, too, when you get back!
Anyway, here’s the number one rule to maintaining rationality in packing. There’s only answer to the statement, “I should bring this, because what if…” and that answer is: “Buy a new one if that happens.” Worried about spilling something on a sweater? If it happens, buy a new one. Worried about bringing some Pepto because you might get upset stomach? Buy some if it happens.
Unfortunately, the TSA people get a little squiggy when you try to explain why you have an HK MP5K, a Gryphon M35 combat/utility knife, and twenty feet of detcord in your carryon.
Okay, I’m kidding–it’s usually a Benchmade clip knife, a SAK or Leatherman, and a SureFire flashlight, along with whatever tools I may need–but I’m generally forced to check a bag when flying. Damnit. But when I don’t, I can jam a week’s worth of wear into my go-bag, a Patagonia Critical Mass Bag.
A backpacking trip would probably cure you of the overpacking syndrome. There’s a reason backpackers will reject a piece of equipment for being as little as a few ounces more than another. Because of past backpacking and other travel experience (running from one end of the Houston airport to the other to catch a flight after a storm delay; something like a 1.5 km run with a moderately heavy pack), I usually have only an internal frame backpack as luggage on most trips. The heaviest things I pack are books.
On my last trip to the US to visit relatives, they all asked me, “that’s all you’ve got?” when they saw that I’d only brought that backpack and a small backpack which was my carry-on piece for a three week trip. Of course, I left with that and a large duffle packed full of stuff that I can’t get in Japan, so they probably thought it was more reasonable by then.
My mother, for our frequent childhood day trips to Disney World, 90 miles away, would make us bring two extra outfits (outer and underwear) each, in case something horrible happened and we got stranded there overnight. In addition, she would take two or three bags of chips and a couple of 12-packs of soda for the drive. This drive was a 3 hour roundtrip.
I drive her mad when we go now, because I’ll get up in the morning like I’m going to work or class and want to just hop in the car and go. I don’t know why going from one well-populated metro area to another less than 2 hours away requires packing of any sort.
When I go out of town for an overnight, I pack fairly lightly:
[ul][li]One outfit per day of travel, up to five (any more than that, and I’ll launder them while there)[/li][li]One nice outfit[/li][li]One set of underthings (socks / underwear) per day of travel, again up to five[/li][li]One pair of nice shoes to match the nice outfit[/li][li]iPaq and charger[/li][li]Cellphone and charger[/li][li]Small travel toiletry kit – razor, deodorant, shaving cream, and 2-in-1 shampoo in a 4x6 zipper pouch[/li][li]Camera[/li][li]Whatever I’m wearing, which is usually comfortable shoes and shorts and a t-shirt[/ul][/li]
Depending on the length of the trip, that’s one wheeled suitcase or a wheeled suitcase and a messenger bag. I don’t understand needing more, and I could probably do with less. Sorry Lissa, but I’d have to shoot myself with all that stuff going with us on vacation.
On our many weekend road trips, this is…ahem…standard issue:
1 x Hi-Lift Jack
1 x spade
1 x Engel fridge
1 x coolbox
1 x box of coffee/tea making goodies (just in case the coffee is crap at the venue)
1 x gas cylinder
1 x gas cooker
40l extra fuel in jerry cans
1 x tyre repair kit
1 x compressor
1 x toolbox with full range of sockets, rings and flats, screwdrivers etc
1 x pop riveter (it’s a Landrover, pop rivets are cool)
1 x cordless drill and drill bits
1 x Wolffpack filled with impressive selection of nuts, bolts, pop rivets, screws, WD40, silicone sealant, spare bulbs, V-belts, contact adhesive, duct tape etc
1 x torch
1 x axe
1 x knife
1 x Glock
20l water
Selection of tiedowns
Camera bags
Binoculars
Dri-z-bone
High visibility emergency jacket
First Aid kit
3 x kit bags
3 x sets of clothing per day (mostly shorts and tee shirts, non-bulky)
Spare pairs of boots, sandals
GPS
Two way radios (so that Junior can go walkabouts)
Books, books and more books
3 x bicycles
3 x camping chairs (of the lounging sort)
Every time I travel I pack a little less. This Christmas hubby and I went to NY to visit his folks for the holidays. I knew exactly how many days we’d be there and where we’d be going each day so I figured out exactly what I’d wear each day and that’s what I packed. I wore every piece of clothing I packed at least once and so did hubby. We each brought only 1 pair of shoes and 2 pairs of slacks. Our 5 day trip we had 1 duffle bag and our laptop bag, that’s it, for two of us. I love traveling light.
I don’t overpack on clothes anymore- a week of shirts, socks and gonch, one skirt, one jeans, and the cotton pants I travel in. It’s the incidentals and medical junk that takes up the space. I get sick when I travel, and it’s never the same plague twice. Raging head cold in Italy the day I was to fly home. In China, one swig of the local firewater and my digestive tract shuts down for two weeks. In Tibet, excema over 60% of my body (and a trip to the hospital in Chengdu!). I take vats of drugs, solvents, ungents, any RX I’ve been prescribed in the past five years and enough Immodium to clog the intestines of the Red Army garrison in Lhasa. Hell, I never want to have to be in a foreign drugseller’s trying to pantomime 'do you have anything for a yeast infection?"
I take an empty duffel for purchases too, and the Daypack of the Damned for plane rides (change of clothes, drugs, munchies, water,music, books, immodium, snot drying drugs) in case in case some tornado or Osama bin Dickweed event requires a 4 day airport camping trip.
Okay, guys, I took some of your comments to heart, and tried to pack a little less. We ended up with four bags-- a huge one for the clothes, a duffel for our meds/hygiene, a duffel with the dog’s supplies, and an entertainment bag with the PS2 and three books each.
We were pretty unhappy with the results. The first thing Hubby said was, “You didn’t bring the sheets or comforter?” I was cold because I didn’t have my bathrobe, and Hubby asked several times for things from the med bag which I hadn’t packed because they were what-if items.
“No problem,” says I. “We’ll just go to Wal-Mart and get the items we need.”
Well, turns out we must have been staying in the last community in the United States which doesn’t have a Wal-Mart. The nearest one was 40 minutes away, and the little stores in the town were closed.
So, I think that despite the burden and bother, we’ll go back to our old ways.
