March 17, 2009 Paradigm shift: 7 maxims of ultralight travel
The readers of OBOW are on the cutting edge of travel technique and technology, so it’s only right that they should help shape the manifesto for an emerging travel trend. I am increasingly convinced that our preferred mode of travel should not be called light or one-bag, but should henceforth be referred to as ultralight. Having only one primary, unchecked bag (with or without personal item) is not light travel if the bag weighs 30 pounds. To my mind even a 22-pound bag does not represent ease - it’s lighter but it’s a chore to carry. So here are my draft ultralight travel maxims:
- Ultralight travel is not for everyone.
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Ultralight travel is not just traveling with one suitcase.
- Ultralight travel means carrying 15 pounds or less.
- Ultralight travel does not mean the traveler must look, smell, or feel bad.
- Ultralight travel requires a certain amount of specialized gear and clothing.
- Ultralight travel means the traveler must commit to doing a certain amount of sink laundry.
- Ultralight travel means a traveler must make a conscious effort to minimize, miniaturize or eliminate electronic equipment.
I’ll flesh these out more later, but in the meantime I want your responses.
Frank@OBOW
On the 15-pound issue: here’s an old post that links to a story of interest. There’s a apparently an orthopedic rule of thumb (spine?) that says you shouldn’t carry more than about 10 percent of your body weight on your shoulder. If you’ve got a great pack, weight 225, or are in exceptional shape then obviously you can carry more. Personal experience tells me 15 pounds is the comfort limit for most of us.
Frank@OBOW
And be sure to see our luggage weight poll (or see right hand column) to see how close most OBOW readers are to the 15-pound mark.
Reader Comments (25)
Carrying 15lbs or less is definitely my comfort weight. My carry-on backpack weighed approx 21lbs on return from 3 weeks in Europe in December. Not a weight I have problems handling in every day life but when travelling, it became literally, a pain in the neck....and back, yep, I felt bad!
My backpack although a great little bag, is not the best to 'wear' above a weight of 15lbs. Ultralight travel means using a comfortable bag you can wear, unburdened, hands-free.
No. 6 = definitely sink laundry. Or the whole bag at a laundrette (if time is on your side) or rent a serviced / vacation apartment supplied with washer &/or dryer.
#6 was included because ultralight types are generally (I think) not staying at 5-star hotels or staying in one place for long. I'm generally up and gone by 9am and usually in one place for no more than two nights - not conducive to hotel laundry service. And 9 out of 10 places I've stayed in Europe have no laundry equipment available.
Very true.
I used to travel like that but am slowly becoming an ultralight type that is staying longer in places, using them as a base to explore areas and then travelling on to the next 'base'. It's called turning 50, or "time to slow down and smell the roses." ;-)
This led me to thinking about older travellers, I know a few ultralights who became that way because of aging. It is changing me slowly...how I travel, packing method and the type of place I stay at. If I'm going to base at a location, I now look for apartments to rent. Last trip we based in London for five days, rented a serviced studio apt, the rate was equal to a 4* hotel (off season) but with plenty of room, a fully equipped kitchen and space to hang drip-dry clothes. A one bedroom in the same building would supply a washer/dryer.
First thing that comes to mind is:
Ultralight travel depends on your definition of comfort and style. If comfort and style come from things (things having a certain weight and more things being more comfortable and stylish than less things), then ultralight travel is not your cuppa. If comfort and style comes from not being weighted down and from a certain freedom of material things then this is for you. I met a Buddhist monk on an flight from EWR to AUS. He had nothing at all with him for a three day trip he undertook to consecrate a new temple in Austin. Just clothes on his body and his ticket in a pocket or fold of his clothes. He asked me if he could use my cell phone to call a friend. I was glad to help him out. He later wrote me a nice letter thanking me for helping him. Now, that's Karma, baby!
Till - Carl the groundskeeper (Bill Murray) in Caddyshack now supplies my mental image of you - after the monk story. Surely you remember that Carl caddied for the Lama. Your bringing that up reminds me of something I intend to explore - light travel over time. For example, those who traveled by horseback or on foot (before the invention of hi-tech packs) were ultralight travelers by necessity. Those who could afford a coach or travel by steamship (steamer trunks) could carry much more but you can find larger loads than any Victorian entourage ever carried at the baggage check-in of your local airport any day of the week. And of course, Jesus sent his disciples out and wouldn't even let them take an extra cloak. So ultralight travel is more reclamation of an old art than a breaking of new ground.
As for style - are you familiar with the term "flashpacker" - well-heeled backpack travelers with lots of bling and tech.
Here's my suggestion with the items (making sure to go with the positive statements)
1. Traveling with one piece of luggage small enough to fit under most airline seats.
2. Total weight of less than 20 pounds. (mine is 17 lbs, anything less is too expensive or less fun for me. The whole point of ultra light is enjoyment. The extra 4.5 pounds allows for ultralight travel+anything that survives #5)
3. Requires a certain amount of specialized gear.
4. May have to commit to on-site laundry. (If you are gone long enought to need to clean and have the resources then launder it, if not sink-it.)
5. Must make a conscious effort to scrutinize, minimize, minituarize or eliminate all items. (Books, clothing, and "I've got to have's" are just as bad as electronics)
6. You can look, smell and feel good while doing it.
Ultralight means leaving ME behind. One bag yes, no check bag yes, 15 pounds no.
I have electronics and clothes and female lotions and potions. 15 pounds is not enough for me. I take taxis, metro, etc., and then stay in one place for awhile. I'm willing to deal w/22 pounds to from airport/train for the 'little extras" I take.
On rare occasions I am in one place for 2 days and then go somewhere, stay 2 days, and then go somewhere else. Then, and only then, do I drop down to 15 pounds.
(Also posted as follow-up to main post)
On the 15-pound issue: here’s an old post that links to a story of interest. There’s a apparently an orthopedic rule of thumb (spine?) that says you shouldn’t carry more than about 10 percent of your body weight on your shoulder. If you’ve got a great pack, weight 225, or are in exceptional shape then obviously you can carry more. Personal experience tells me 15 pounds is the comfort limit for most of us.
I've made it to each of the 7 continents with only carry-on luggage, but haven't ever met this definition of ultralight. Sounds like a fun challenge!
Now you're talking! I'm tired of seeing the emphasis on one-bag travel get dominated by the need to cram as much as possible into a maximum size bag, or what you can sneak past the gate agent.
Unless I'm traveling for business, I'm always between 5-10 pounds. For business, the skills I have in traveling UL mean that I can carry my engineering rig with me even onto tiny planes. When you only have one prototype, you want it next to you! Minimizing both personal items and making an efficient business kit are key. It helps that I work in relatively filthy environments where no one expects a rolling leather laptop bag, but the filth means that unless I want to carry two outfits a day I have no choice but to sink wash. Most of the people I work with wear jeans but they don't bat an eye at the technical fabric pants that I wear.
I will admit that I usually use two small bags for business travel due to the dirt issues. In a pinch I can probably cram one into the other but no one's bothered me about it yet since they can both fit under the seat together in most cases.
One of the ideas I've been tossing around is no-bag travel without stuffing everything into a bulging vest. I've been thinking about this for a while and trying a few things out on my last few short trips:
-Wearing an outfit comprised of layers (should be obvious to all of us by now!) where I have technical underwear that can double as quick-wash sleepwear or a swimsuit. This way, I can wash the whole outfit at night, hang the thicker outside parts up to dry and have the underwear layer dry in minutes on my body in a nice warm hotel bed.
-A scarf/furoshiki that I can tie into a bag or purse as necessary, also good as a small blanket on the plane.
-Wallet: I use a Sprigs wallet that can be worn around my wrist. I tape my house key to the back of a card for extended travel.
In pockets:
-A ziploc with my Passport (if necessary), my Photon light, and my iPhone charging cable. I also use it for my sunscreen, deodorant, toothpaste, and toothbrush. Backpackinglight.com sells great refillable dropper bottles that I use for all toiletries.
-iPhone and headphones for music, note-taking, books, and camera.
Some things I haven't figured out yet are rain gear - do I carry a micro-umbrella or use a rain jacket that I can pack into the furoshiki when necessary? I recently got transitions lenses in my regular glasses so I don't have to deal with sunglasses anymore.
I think another maxim is to be willing to improvise as you go along. Most of the time you'll find that you don't really need the thing anyway, but making a salad bowl out of a newspaper is always a fun activity.
I really love the idea of getting rid of my attachment to carrying even the basic stuff listed here - that monk is my hero! I'm willing to push my comfort zone enough that a few things get left every time, but I just can't seem to do it all at once. One day...
Kit, thanks for the Furoshiki link. Very interesting. The Monk is my hero, too. But I will never get there. No luggage Nirvana for me. :)
Brad, I've heard about flashpackers but never really met one. For me it defies, in a hypocrite way, the idea of minimalism and ultralight packing. They are not making any restrictions. They just buy what they need, when they need it and then trow or give it away. This is rather wasteful, IMHO. However, I can see how in a few circles it might be seen as "chic".
For me the biggest single problem is tech gear. Right now, I don't want to spring for an Iphone but I think it would really help me lose a ton of weight. I would get a phone, internet access, music and a camera all in one integrated device that does not need a heavy charger or extra batteries. For private travel, when no laptop is really needed to work on documents, this would be wonderful. One can also ask a friend to use his/her computer or go to an internet cafe for private trips. On business trips time/convenience is literally money. The netbook might present a solution but it is yet another gizmo. You know what I mean.
Brad, thanks for mentioning the wrist wallets. I've never heard of these before, but being a regular walker, this is something I'm going to try! For overseas travelling light, I'm not sure where you'd put your passport, but that's a problem that surely can be overcome!
I'm all for the ultralight travel and have been working on that with my US business trips. I've gotten down to 12 lbs so far for a 4 day trip. However, I work for an international organization and many of us also travel to the developing countries where we work and some of the things that work in Europe or the US don't work in developing countries. So traveling ultralight takes on a whole new meaning and especially since those trips are usually 2-3 weeks long. Using an umbrella rather than a raincoat since it packs smaller and is more effective in the downpours you find closer to the Equator. Instead of a jacket a long sleeved shirt and a length of fabric. The fabric works as a wrap for warmth (temps can go as low as the 40s in areas) and packs lighter than a jacket. Sandals that can be washed clean of mud in the sink and will dry quickly. ....
As for raingear, I really think an ultralight rain jacket (like the Marmot Precip or one of the GoLite models) are indispensable. You can't layer an umbrella either! A light wool shirt and raincoat - even the ultralight ones - will take you through a huge variety of temperature changes.
I love the criteria, they really seem to fit. I'm glad to see that the use of wheels wasn't banned as point 8. Though even I will admit that I don't often use a wheeled bag when I'm under 15lbs total... I guess I must have a bum shoulder or something...
Similar to the "you might be a redneck if..." jokes, perhaps there can be a topic of "you might be an ultralight traveller if...":
...you know the weight of your bag empty
...you know the weight of anything you might pack to the tenth of an ounce
...you've weighed your underwear
...you've customized a bag to make it smaller
...you've sought out ways to buy smaller rolls of tape
...you think a full travel size toothpaste tube is a waste of space and weight
HIgh Roller - excellent as always. Here's the mea culpa - I'm only guilty of four offenses on your list!. And as to wheels, I think the Zuca is tempting a few OBOW readers.
The 15 pound limit is also the max weight for carry on baggage for a number of Asian airlines (Singapore Airlines, Air Asia, Qantas) and thus is the de facto max if you don't want to check in that part of the world.
I've played around with getting a good set of bag, clothes and gear to fit under the limit for an extended trip and it is hard to do without using a lot specialized "travel" clothes.
http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/before/plan/cabin_baggage.jsp
I highly recommend the line of "Lightweight Travel" bags Patagonia has been rolling out the past few years. The original Lightweight Courier, a bike messenger style sling bag but with a zippered top, holds 1,400 cubic inches but only weighs 7 ounces or so, is great. (The current model shrank by a couple of hundred inches.) Their Lightweight Travel Pack, Lightweight Travel Tote and Lightweight Travel Duffel offer different styles, capacities and weights - the Duffel is awesome with 2,196 cubic inches for only 14 ounces. With hidden backpack straps!
15 pounds (actually 7 kg) seems paltry on the Asian international flights, but having carried on a large day pack weighing 17 pounds (I used a "reverse butcher's thumb" to fake out their scale and pass muster) and on another occasion a duffel weighing 25 pounds (I had to talk my way out of trouble on that one), I can assure you that despite being in top physical condition I wasn't happy with the bulk or weight of either bag either when making my connection or upon arrival. It's just too much to be burdened down during transit.
Since my travel is based on a long airflight followed by "base-camping it" (hunkering down in a hotel with maybe one bus side trip to the beach, leaving the duffel in "left luggage" for my return), I've devolved to the point of carrying only minimal stuff into the airplane cabin in a 1,400 to 1,600 cubic inch, ultra light bag, aiming to keep the weight down to 10 pounds maximum. That's plenty, with sink washing, to enjoy (not merely survive) my vacations even if my medium sized, 2,700 cubic inch, 14 ounces empty REI housebrand duffel, checked in, gets lost. YES, I admit it, checked luggage is GREAT. All my "luxury items" (extra shoes, gym gear, extra denim pants) go in my checked duffel, I just carry Ex Officio No Brainer pants in my carry-on with some synthetic shirts, underwear, and socks.
(Note that my checked bag is chosen with an eye to lightness, too, and with an eye to fitting into a small foreign taxi and/or mini-bus.)
(So far I haven't had to carry a laptop or lighter, smaller netbook, relying instead on internet cafes and hotel business centers to keep up with news and blogs.)
And, of course, wear all the heavy items (cotton jeans, cotton polo, jeans jacket, Smart Wool zip-neck pullover, medium weight).
Hey it doesn't have to be an either or world out there - you don't have to either go on-board with only a fanny pack on, and feel lost and helpless if your checked bag is lost, or try to carry EVERYTHING for every activity and eventuality onboard. Just make a decision to carry on enough for 3 days without sink washing, pack the other goodies in checked luggage, and worst case you resort to sink washing during your holiday.
I absolutely loved this thread. Several years ago I switched my regular, everyday wardrobe to several items of "technical" clothing used by travellers and climbers. I'm getting ready for my first international travel experience myself. I would be packing incredibly light, and could get by with probably just a fanny pack if it weren't for other crap I need for the purpose of the trip. I'm going to have to take laptop, power cord, mini video camera, charger, and power converter, but even with all that I think I'll be at the 15 lb limit discussed here.
Unfortunately, I'm going to have to check my figure skates. A commenter mentioned Zuca bags - extremely popular amongst figure skaters. I don't have one myself, but I think 80% of my fellow skaters do. The new Zuca Pro is actually being marketed specifically to frequent travellers, since it fits in the carry-on bin, wheels and all. Not to mention you can get them in the most fascinatingly garish colors imaginable.
Michael W, You are so right, it isn't an either/or world. I first got started on travelling light because my checked in bags were lost a few times. Whilst they always turned up eventually, I got into the habit of carrying on enough clothes and essentials for 3 days.
I like to travel with a single carry-on these days but equally I don't mind checking in a bag if I know that will work best for the particular trip. Like you, the difference is that now my carry-on will always have everything I need for an indefinite stay.
This blog has given me some good ideas, but I agree with another post on here...it is not black or white; there are many shades in between.