Buy It, Borrow It or Do Without
How do I fit everything I will need to live for three weeks on the other side of the world into a single backpack? Will I even be able to lift it when I am done?
The items from my packing list sit in neat stacks next to my backpack. Mind you this is not my large external frame pack – that pack will not fit in the carry on compartment of a plane and I am not about to let my photography equipment out of my sight. No, this pack is only 22 inches high. I thought I did a pretty good job of paring down my belongings, but it becomes obvious that all of this stuff is not going to fit in the pack. I evaluate each item stacked neatly on the bed, towering much higher than the black and red backpack, which now appears much smaller than I remembered.
How many pairs of sock and underwear do I REALLY need? Is a pair of white capris REALLY a savvy move in the jungle? Do I REALLY want to carry my super cute black shoes when I am not wearing them? Can each item serve a dual purpose? How can I pack for jungle, beach and city life in a single backpack? Do I really need this?
The pile of clothes gets much smaller. I decide upon khaki capris, khaki long pants and khaki shorts, with three lightweight white long-sleeved tops and a couple of colored tank tops. I have nifty little detergent strips for washing my clothes in the sink in my room and hanging them overnight to dry. No jeans. They are heavy and take too long to dry. I will stick to a neutral wardrobe, a statement piece would be quite noticeable if I wear it every couple of days. My pile continues to shrink as I evaluate the necessity of each item. With the magic of hand rolled vacuum bag technology I am able to fit, in a very organized manner, everything I will need to have for three weeks in Asia. The bulk of my belongings are camera gear. I have a small flat bag of shirts, one of pants, smaller bags for underwear and socks, all of which are devoid of air and more closely resemble raisins than bags of clothes. The only “just in case” items in my pack are first aid related products– a dozen band aids, some alcohol prep pads, a supply of broad spectrum antibiotics, Tylenol and safety pins.
Somehow this “less is more” concept is nearing extinction in our culture. Few people can fathom having three weeks of life folded neatly in a single carry on backpack. I know people who carry comparably sized make-up bags for trips of much shorter duration, huge suitcases of clothes so they can change into several outfits per day and fancy jewelry. I once helped schlep a duffle bag that I began to suspect contained a full grown man and his bowling ball, only to discover 2000 miles later that it was filled with enough shoes to make Imelda Marcos swoon. It has long been my practice to be minimalistic in my travel shopping as well. I purchase a single piece of local handicraft to be made into a Christmas tree ornament, allowing me to reminisce and display my treasures once a year.
Perusing the growing pile of items that didn’t make “the cut” I feel the need to minimize in other aspects of my life. There are so few material things that I really need. I look forward to similar purging upon arriving back home.
When people learn that I am only bringing what I can carry, I am asked almost daily what I will do if I discover that I don’t have something I need, and I reply with my mom’s travel mantra “Then I will buy it, borrow it or do without.” After all, Girl Scouts know exactly how “MacGyver” became a verb!
