What kind of person?

Who makes a determined effort to travel light? And why? Interesting questions. After five years of traveling like this and three years of blogging about it I have a few observations. First, what a resourceful lot. There's hardly a travel question one of us hasn't considered (witness the travel plunger thread). And there's almost no question, once posed, that we won't comment on. Creative, inquisitive. Probably boring at dinner parties too, unless we have the sense to talk of something besides our travel proclivities. It's fine to weigh your underwear. I salute you for it. Just don't expect normal people to.

Comments

[Till]

Sh#t. Are you talking about anyone in particular here? ;) I feel concerned. :D

The funny thing is that most people who travel a lot will be delighted to learn some of the tricks we eagerly employ. Even if they never thought of it before. I have quite a few friends where I played missionary and they all came back to tell me, they travel so much better now.

It is actually a fun subject to talk about at dinner parties and does get interest because it's different from the other subjects usually discussed and everybody has a travel story to tell about lost luggage or other things that could have been prevented by a little extra thought.

[Monte]

I don't go to dinner parties with "wheelies" so that leaves me out of the social loop where being a bore is a concern.

[Maria]

Monte - that's why we all hang out here!

I travel light because:
- I don't want my things to get lost (yes, I'm also a little obsessive)

- I prefer to use my travel time wisely or how I want - rather than waiting at a luggage carousel.

- I don't want to be burdened by my things when I am trying to move quickly

- I enjoy the sense of "freedom" that I can live with just the contents of the bag I carry...and not need anything else. Perhaps this relates to when I was a child and would "run away" with my own small floral print suitcase filled with stuffed animals. I knew then that I couldn't last long with such, despite one bagging it and it being very light in weight. Although it was cumbersome and I could not bring it with me on my bike - no wheel luggage or carry straps back then!. So the next time I decided to bring a box of raisins - thinking that would help me last a little longer. I was maybe six. Still wonder - whatever happened to that pretty little suitcase?)

One bagging it? I started early. It's been a learning experience / journey on packing LESS and yet taking MORE.... than stuffed animals and a box of raisins.

Cheers!

[Dan]

While there is a time and place for everything, I am glad to have
discovered this web site where we can come together and share
our ideas and glean good insights and helpful suggestions in
everything related to one bagging and travel..Not to mention some
good humour along the way.

Keep up the good work .

[Paula S]

I chose lightweight / carry-on after:
I hurt my back and shoulders lugging a heavy case.
I watched my dad hurt his back with a heavy case.
Toronto security slashed open the bottom of my duffle bag in 2002, I was lucky the contents stayed inside, they were ready to spill onto the baggage carousel.
With too many clothes, I spent too much time deciding what to wear each day of my trips.
If I could find a reasonable way of travelling without a bag.......I would.
I prefer that my bag arrives at the same destination as me and not off somewhere more exotic.
I travel around on public transport abroad, small bags make that easy.

People don't believe me when I tell them I carry-on only, until they see me in action.

Favourite travel mantra......."If you want to get away from it all, why take it with you."

[Alan Birnbaum]

While Erica Jong may have suffered from "Fear of Flying," prior to joining the discourse on this site, mainly I had "Fear of Packing." Perennially I had been disorganized getting ready for a trip. When I did pack, often procrastinatingly late, I almost always ended up taking TOO MUCH, in a wheeled suitcase that was TOO LARGE. I often returned home finding I had used only a bit more than half of what had been packed.

Allowing my NOD (number obsession disorder) to direct my thinking about what I would or would not want to take with me, has led to my buying some new items, but especially constructing a series of three or four basic lists has been more important than any of the new gear. It matters not that much if the suitcase has wheels or not, backpack straps or not, or what brand. It does matter that it is SMALLER, only possible by following a LIST appropriate to the trip.

[K-eM]

I learned to pack light at age nine when, while we lived in Africa, I went off to an international boarding school in the next country. I got three years of practice.

You can only take so much on an 8 seater plane with 7 kids. We were each allowed one bag and we all had to get weighed in order for the pilot to manage the weight balance of the plane. So Mom and I learned to pack everything I needed for one semester in one suitcase. Since normal every day items such as shampoo and toothpaste were not reliably available back then my packing had to include enough to get me by until Mom could send more via another flight during the semester or our houseparents got lucky and found some in the market.

When my husband and I started traveling I indulged a bit and over packed for awhile and found it just didn't feel right. So I went back to what I was used to. Now it's almost like a competition with myself to see what I can do to make my packing more efficient.

My one blind side is the shampoo, toothpaste, and soap. Left overs from boarding school I guess. I have trouble keeping in mind that when traveling in the US or Europe I can go get that stuff when I arrive.