Pack Lite

There’s something pretty cool about opening up one of my favorite blogs, Pack Lite Go Fast, and seeing a photo from my flickr feed from my No Baggage Challenge for Charity, where I spent 10 days in Japan with no bags and just Scottevest clothing to store things in. Oh and the photo wasn’t even submitted by me.  A big part of the reason for the trip was proving that no baggage travel was possible while visiting a modern society like Japan. If people are finding pictures like the one above, it’s because they’re looking into no baggage travel. Hopefully my experience is instructive to other travelers and provides a jumping off point for their own ultralight traveling.

Two Weeks, One Bag

I’m off on a two week trip for work. The first week will be in an office setting in the Bay Area, followed by another week at a political tech conference happening on an island a couple hundred miles north of Vancouver, British Columbia. On my flights to the West Coast, I’ll be wearing jeans, a t-shirt, button down, socks, underwear, and a Patagonia Houdini jacket. I’m wearing a pair of black Keen slip-on shoes that work for business settings, but are waterproofed and comfortable for walking long distances in. If I get to do any hiking around the conference, these shoes should be able to handle it without too much trouble.

I have packed:

• Another pair of jeans
• 3 button down shirts
• Scottevest Q-Zip pullover
• 3 t-shirts
• 3 pairs underwear
• 3 pairs wool socks
• 1 pair of board shorts
• Patagonia Ultralight Down Shirt
• MacBook Air
• Kindle
• Assorted Chargers
• Toiletries, including laundry line & detergent
• Sea-to-Summit Ultra-Sil backpack

It’s all packed in my Tom Bihn Tri-Star, which may be the perfect lightweight travel convertible bag. Normally I use a shoulder strap, but due to a tight connection today, I’ll rock the backpack straps and be able to get through the crowds quickly.

I’m taking a bit more clothes than I’d normally take, but given that I’m spending two full weeks in work settings and one of them in a conference, I want to have a bit more flexibility and less repetition than I’d normally be comfortable with. I didn’t weigh the bag before I left, but I’d guess that it comes in between 10-15 pounds.