Rolf rips scruffy packers

Rolf’s week two report contains this gem:

In general, I’m surprised how easy it has been to stay clean and odor-free while traveling without luggage. When standing in line for train tickets with a group of European backpackers in Fes the other day, I was intrigued at how unkempt my fellow vagabonders looked. Even with their rucksacks full of spare gear, they looked as if they hadn’t washed any of their clothes in over a week. I felt like I had just scrubbed up for a job interview by comparison. - Rolf Potts no-bag RTW blog

He’s right. This is what you don’t want to look or smell like. And it’s quite possible not to.

Comments

[Monte]

Please, I need some help understanding this. Here's a guy standing there looking like a cross betwee a ninja doll and the Dear Leader of North Korea, stuffing his stuff in his pockets, bad mouthing fellow travelers, and he's telling me how to dress nice and smell good? What am I missing?

[Andy Mesa]

The problem they have is they have so much crap that laundry is a hassle, and even their clean clothes get dirty and funky smelling in that big ass nasty bag.

This is why I only bring ONE change of clothes when I travel, as I did for my 95-day 50 city Europe trip and my 30-day 15-city North America trip. You wash one and wear one, and you're wearing fresh clean clothes every day.