How to pack light, some tips
 

http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/packlight.html

Re: How to pack light, some tips
 

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] oups.com...
> http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/packlight.html

There are tips here that I couldn't follow in a million years, but to each
his own.

One paragraph that turned my stomach is below. I find no pleasure in
tearing up books. Next kommt the burning!

--
Ian Burton
(Please reply to the Newsgroup)

Travel Book Country Removals: Weight Saved
This time around, I bought the cheap $15 Let's Go Europe "On a Budget"
edition. Then I cut out the stuff I won't need. There is a certain pleasure
in chopping out Let's Go sections, perhaps because the writing is so awful.
Many fellow travellers agree: you only buy Let's Go because their data is
reasonably good, and the paper is lighter than Lonely Planet.

Re: How to pack light, some tips
 

> "Ian Burton" <[email protected]> wrote:
> One paragraph that turned my stomach is below.
> I find no pleasure in tearing up books.
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Travel Book Country Removals: Weight Saved...
>> Then I cut out the stuff I won't need. There is a
>> certain pleasure in chopping out Let's Go sections...

A better idea is to copy just the pages that one wants
to use. That way, you can mark up the pages, enlarge
them, and thow 'em away or pass 'em on, and still have
the book whole for next time. :-)

I also like to copy parts of maps when I'm only using
a section. The copy can thus be enlarged to make it
readable while driving. =R

Re: How to pack light, some tips
 

On Aug 19, 10:10 pm, "Ian Burton" <[email protected]> wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected] oups.com...
>
> >http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/packlight.html
>
> There are tips here that I couldn't follow in a million years, but to each
> his own.
>
> One paragraph that turned my stomach is below. I find no pleasure in
> tearing up books. Next kommt the burning!


And the chapters on crappy places you'd never want to go to make
interesting reading when you're stuck waiting for a bus or train. I
always love to see what Lonely Planet has to say about places like
Blackpool or Benidorm or Pattaya.

> Travel Book Country Removals: Weight Saved
> This time around, I bought the cheap $15 Let's Go Europe "On a Budget"
> edition. Then I cut out the stuff I won't need. There is a certain pleasure
> in chopping out Let's Go sections, perhaps because the writing is so awful.
> Many fellow travellers agree: you only buy Let's Go because their data is
> reasonably good, and the paper is lighter than Lonely Planet.


You buy Let's Go if your budget is $20 a day, you want to eat
McDonalds and cafeteria food instead of real restaurants, stay in the
shittiest youth hostels or in college dormitories, and drink beer with
other Americans instead of actually seeing any sights.

Re: How to pack light, some tips
 

On Sun, 19 Aug 2007 20:13:44 -0700, Iceman
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On Aug 19, 10:10 pm, "Ian Burton" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>
>> news:[email protected] oups.com...
>>
>> >http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/packlight.html
>>
>> There are tips here that I couldn't follow in a million years, but to each
>> his own.
>>
>> One paragraph that turned my stomach is below. I find no pleasure in
>> tearing up books. Next kommt the burning!
>
>
>And the chapters on crappy places you'd never want to go to make
>interesting reading when you're stuck waiting for a bus or train. I
>always love to see what Lonely Planet has to say about places like
>Blackpool or Benidorm or Pattaya.
>
>> Travel Book Country Removals: Weight Saved
>> This time around, I bought the cheap $15 Let's Go Europe "On a Budget"
>> edition. Then I cut out the stuff I won't need. There is a certain pleasure
>> in chopping out Let's Go sections, perhaps because the writing is so awful.
>> Many fellow travellers agree: you only buy Let's Go because their data is
>> reasonably good, and the paper is lighter than Lonely Planet.
>
>
>You buy Let's Go if your budget is $20 a day, you want to eat
>McDonalds and cafeteria food instead of real restaurants, stay in the
>shittiest youth hostels or in college dormitories, and drink beer with
>other Americans instead of actually seeing any sights.

Actually, I agree on the logic of selecting only the bits
you need from the travel books and cutting the rest. When
you're visiting multiple countries that paper weight is no
fly weight.

The best books I used in the USA were the ones I picked up
on arrival from the AAA; but they were a lot of weight after
we left the car behind so we sent them home too.

I also packed up all the souvenirs and other stuff collected
along the way every month or two and sent it home. However,
that can be an exercise in itself, being ripped off by
foreign mail systems.


Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
latest: Slovenia
http://loraltraveloz.blogspot.com/
latest: Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest

Re: How to pack light, some tips
 

> I find no pleasure in tearing up books.

I feel the same way, but it's a lot easier to carry only the pages you
need. And guide books are kind of disposable items anyway, since the
info becomes dated.


> A better idea is to copy just the pages that one wants

That's a good alternative, especially if you only need a few pages.

James

Re: How to pack light, some tips
 

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] ups.com...
>> I find no pleasure in tearing up books.
>
> I feel the same way, but it's a lot easier to carry only the pages you
> need. And guide books are kind of disposable items anyway, since the
> info becomes dated.

That can make them even more interesting years later.

Colin Bignell

Re: How to pack light, some tips
 

Ian Burton wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected] oups.com...
>> http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/packlight.html
>
> There are tips here that I couldn't follow in a million years, but to each
> his own.
>
> One paragraph that turned my stomach is below. I find no pleasure in
> tearing up books. Next kommt the burning!
>
Don't see why, a book is only a manual storage unit. Nobody minds
throwing away magazines when they're finished with. No difference.

Re: How to pack light, some tips
 

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] oups.com...
> http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/packlight.html
>

This guy carries a HUGE bottle of shampoo, vitamin pills and aspirin, but
doesn't carry Imodium or a mobile phone...

He carries a towel that weighs half a pound...

But he doesn't carry a change of trousers...

He carries an electric shaver and a dictionary, but no phrase book...

Very odd.

He also recommends you buying batteries when you need them, which does
rather seem to indicate that he doesn't get off the beaten track much...


--
William Black


I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Barbeques on fire by the chalets past the castle headland
I watched the gift shops glitter in the darkness off the Newborough gate
All these moments will be lost in time, like icecream on the beach
Time for tea.

Re: How to pack light, some tips
 

[email protected] wrote:
>> I find no pleasure in tearing up books.
>
> I feel the same way, but it's a lot easier to carry only the pages
> you
> need. And guide books are kind of disposable items anyway, since
> the
> info becomes dated.
>
>
>> A better idea is to copy just the pages that one wants
>
> That's a good alternative, especially if you only need a few pages.

But be careful with that--copy paper is generally a heavier grade than
what travel books are printed on and it's easy for the copies to build
up to as much weight as the book. Copies aren't free either. Might
turn out to be cheaper to just get two copies of the book, one to cut
up and one to keep.


--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Re: How to pack light, some tips
 

On Aug 20, 12:08 pm, "William Black" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected] oups.com...
>
> >http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/packlight.html
>
> This guy carries a HUGE bottle of shampoo, vitamin pills and aspirin, but
> doesn't carry Imodium or a mobile phone...
>
> He carries a towel that weighs half a pound...
>
> But he doesn't carry a change of trousers...
>
> He carries an electric shaver and a dictionary, but no phrase book...
>
> Very odd.

It is somewhat bizarre. Most of the things he packs (including writing
paper!) he could easily buy at his destination, per his own
suggestion...

Re: How to pack light, some tips
 

William Black wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected] oups.com...
>> http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/packlight.html
>>
>
> This guy carries a HUGE bottle of shampoo, vitamin pills and
> aspirin, but doesn't carry Imodium or a mobile phone...

Or an ace bandage or any other kind of first aid items.

> He carries a towel that weighs half a pound...
>
> But he doesn't carry a change of trousers...

Maybe he carries the big towel because that's what he wears when he's
washing his jeans in the sink in the bathroom in the bus station.

Then there are his jeans. He's obviously never gotten soaked to the
skin in cool weather in jeans and then had to live in them or go
naked. And his recommendation to cut them off if it gets hot--so what
does he do if it then turns cool?

A couple of pairs of nylon convertible pants would weigh less than his
towel and jeans and be far more comfortable and convenient but not as
stylish.

> He carries an electric shaver and a dictionary, but no phrase
> book...

I thought the electric shaver was a bad call but thinking about it I'm
not sure it's any heavier than a disposable and a can of shave cream.
But then he has "buy a cord when you get there"--he obviously hasn't
ever tried to find a "cord" to fit an off-brand electric razor
anywhere where there's no Radio Shack (Radio Shack's not good for much
but generally if I bring the thing in they can match a wall-wart and
connector to it).

> Very odd.

And then after all this effort to reduce weight, he suggests lugging a
bicycle around. Not _riding_ it mind you, but carrying it onto and
off of all sorts of public transportation, most of which is decidedly
bicycle-hostile. If I was in shape to ride a bicycle all over the
place I'd just ride the damned bicycle and not bother with the public
transportation.

> He also recommends you buying batteries when you need them, which
> does rather seem to indicate that he doesn't get off the beaten
> track
> much...

Or carrying one set of rechargeables and a charger, which says the
same.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Re: How to pack light, some tips
 

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:08:41 GMT, the renowned "William Black"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
><[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected] roups.com...
>> http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/packlight.html
>>
>
>This guy carries a HUGE bottle of shampoo, vitamin pills and aspirin, but
>doesn't carry Imodium or a mobile phone...

I carry a small bottle of shampoo, because I don't like the free
stuff. Maybe 200ml, which could last for several weeks. Not having a
mobile phone seems silly.

>He carries a towel that weighs half a pound...

Screw that. What kind of place won't supply a towel? Even a dump
should have them if you ask.

>But he doesn't carry a change of trousers...

Ewwww!

>He carries an electric shaver and a dictionary, but no phrase book...

Electric shaver?

>Very odd.
>
>He also recommends you buying batteries when you need them, which does
>rather seem to indicate that he doesn't get off the beaten track much...

Depends what kind of batteries you need... AA cells and 9V batteries
are available just about anywhere. If you need special photo batteries
then you'd better have spares outside cities.

When travelling really light for pleasure, I liked to take along
discounted hard cover novels, which can be left behind as they are
read, thus making room for other stuff that accumulates.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
[email protected] Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

Re: How to pack light, some tips
 

"Spehro Pefhany" <[email protected]> kirjoitti
viestissä:nl3jc3pki22123egcss1f7vrbitem9vb0v@4ax. com...
>
> I carry a small bottle of shampoo, because I don't like the free
> stuff. Maybe 200ml, which could last for several weeks. Not having a
> mobile phone seems silly.
>
Why? When travelling on holiday, you need a phone. I don't need one.

Re: How to pack light, some tips
 

On Aug 20, 7:08 am, "William Black" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected] oups.com...
>
> >http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/packlight.html
>
> This guy carries a HUGE bottle of shampoo, vitamin pills and aspirin, but
> doesn't carry Imodium or a mobile phone...
>
> He carries a towel that weighs half a pound...
>
> But he doesn't carry a change of trousers...
>
> He carries an electric shaver and a dictionary, but no phrase book...
>
> Very odd.
>
> He also recommends you buying batteries when you need them, which does
> rather seem to indicate that he doesn't get off the beaten track much...


His "principals" alone was a bit strange. It wasn't clear if he
was
attempting to "save money" or just be "light". He's lugging a
bike around, but he comments about "renting" one. You can "rent"
a car too, and then luggage weight won't be much of an issue at all.

I've got more of a 3 part equation for figuring out what to bring.
Items get considered on three factors.

1) Likelyhood I'll need it
2) Cost of buying it there
3) How much it weighs.

Something can be cheap to acquire, but I know I'll need
it almost immediatly upon arrival, if not sooner, so I'll
frequenlty just take it with me. There can be things that
are just too heavy/bulky so I'll just plan on acquiring them
upon arrival, or soon there after. There are things I'll need/want
and they are expensive, at least to acquire there, so I'll
take the ones I already own.

Clothes I own and it can be time consuming to purchase
them there so I tend to take them with me. Some clothes
are unlikely to be needed so if I do end up needing them,
I'll buy them there. This is especially true of something
bulky like a jacket or sweater.

Chargers, converters, cameras, computers, etc. I own
and it can be time consuming and expensive to
shop for them upon arrival, so I tend to bring them.
Film, simple batteries, some toiletries get limited to
what I'll need at a minimum and the rest gets bought
along the way. First aid stuff gets brought for the
occasional need, but if I'm going through bandages
I'll stop somewhere and get more.

I usually pick a bag and then fill it up. If I find myself
packing alot of "extra" stuff, I may reconsider my
bag choice. But an awful lot of the "extra" stuff is
small and light and unless it's stone cold cheap
where I'm going, what the heck.