Still going

BAD HAIR DAY - BUT THE CLOTHES ARE FINEWe woke up this morning hearing sheep bells in a Swiss mountain village and by sunset we were at Lido di Jesolo on the Adriatic near Venice, so we covered some ground. Along the way Verona was delightful and not too warm. The REI pants continue to impress. I’ll definitely pick up some more. I’m just washing a couple a shirt and undies tonight. Tomorrow will be 9 hours in Venice. Don’t think this one-bag thing is saving my back: tonight I lugged a bunch of 40 pound cases up four flights of stairs for some of our tour participants - chivalry is not dead!

Dry and not so dry

The weather is lovely in Switzerland, but a late night and a very early morning made for not so dry sink-laundered closthes. No worries, we’re at this hotel for another night. I’ll remember to leave the bathroom window open next time. I should have packed at least one more casual shirt for wearing around the hotels and streets at night - that would be worth a pound. The REI Adventures pants are much better than expected. The extra pockets are low-profile, incorporated in the side seam. One will hold the passport nicely and neither you or anyone else know it’s there.  Here’s a wonder - I wore the antii-microbial ExOfficio underwear fabric was free of odor after 36 sweaty hours - hard to beat.

Here’s the view from my hotel balcony:

Cool in Switzerland

After four flights (including a re-route through Heathrow, got to see T5 for the first time) we are in Switzerland at a beautiful moutain hotel. Thankfully this hotel has a nice big sink in my room which is about to receive the clothing I’ve been wearing for 36 hours. So far so good. My wife’s checked bag was mishandled so she’s roughing it until tomorrow (she knows better). I can say that 9 pounds on one shoulder and 5 on the other is a delight even if you have to queue for 20 minutes. My personal comfort level is exceeded at much over 15 pounds - the magic number.

How much luggage can a coach-load of American students amass? The answer:

Are you kidding?

Of course my bag fits. I’m smirking because I (and 29 others) have been chewed up and spit out by American Airlines today. I know, join the club. This trip is in fact 13 days if you count the travel days so it’s now “13 days/13 pounds.” And thanks to a missed flight tonight it’s four countries. We’ll reach Zurich via Heathrow instead of a direct flight from JFK to Zurich.

First leg, Western Flyer family

We didn’t really plan it but me, my spouse, and my son all boarded with some
version of the Tom Bihn Western Flyer. Wife and son checked (not too heavy)
bags, but opted for the WF as their carryon. My son has the one with
backpack straps, my wife iis carrying the original prototype that Tom sent
me long ago and I have the standard sling version. They fit great under
regional jet seats or even perpindicularly in the overhead. With my Cafe bag
and netbook removed the WF feels great at under 10 pounds. So far so good,
but unfortunately no free WiFi at DFW.

Final weight

The bag is packed and the final weight is in: 13.5 pounds. Remember, this includes my day bag, sleeve, and computer which are all stuffed in the main bag (which happens to be my trusty Tom Bihn Western Flyer since the new TriStar didn’t arrive). Here’s how the weight is distributed:

• Western Flyer and shoulder strap - 3 pounds
• All clothing in a full-size cube which takes up all of one of the WF’s two compartments - 4 pounds
• Tom Bihn Large Cafe Bag - 1 pound
• Samsung NC10, charger, and sleeve - 4 pounds
• 3-1-1 bag, camera charger, AC adapter plug, two microfiber towels, and two hangers - 1.5 pounds

After I get through the regional jet leg I’ll pull out the Cafe bag and I’ll have a sub 10-pound bag on one shoulder and a 4-pound bag on the other.

I’ll post some pictures tomorrow during our first layover.

FIVE POUNDS OF COMPUTER STUFF/BAGWF & CUBEBEACH BUNDLE CORE

ALL CLOTHES IN CUBE

WF & SCALE

THE TOTAL

Packing list, weigh-in

Here’s a rough packing list for the 11-day/12-pound trip:

TRIP’R IN EXCITING GRAYMAIN BAG (maybe a Western Flyer, TriStar if it arrives in time)

• One pair REI Adventure charcoal pants
• One white ExOfficio Trip’r l/s shirt
• One black poly s/s collared shirt (sorta cool)
• Two pairs poly underwear
• One ExOfficio white undershirt
• Ugly swimming trunks
• Uglier flip flops (we’re staying on the beach at Venice and may hit the beach in S. of France)
• Plastic regular hanger & plastic pants hanger (no need for clothesline with these)
• Marmot Precip rain jacket
• One pair Smartwool socks (naturally odor-resistant)
• 3-1-1 bag
• Disposable razor
• Charger for digital camera

Weight: 7 or 8 pounds

I LOVE BROWNDay bag (Tom Bihn Large Cafe)

• TB sleeve (Soft Cell)
• Samsung NC10 netbook
• Charger
• Adapter plug

Weight: 5 pounds

TOTAL ON-THE-SHOULDER WEIGHT: 12-13 pounds

Worn/pocket items

• Khaki Savane Cocona pants
• Gray ExOfficio Trip’r
• Khaki Orvis sportcoat
• Smartwool socks
• ExOfficio undies (shirt & boxers)
• Clarks leather lace-up shoes
• Canon digital camera
• Old iPod shuffle

I’ll tuck the day bag in the main bag to eliminate any possibility of gatecheck on the regional jet first leg. After that I’ll split them up so I’ll have two very light bags. Without the computer I’d be well under 10 pounds.

Cheats: My wife is checking so she’s carrying less than a pound worth of stuff for me including an item or two that would have landed in my 3-1-1 and a couple of extra AC adapters.

Things I may add: another poly under/casual shirt (not white), sink stopper, clothesline, microfiber towels that double as washcloths

More to come, with pictures…..

Follow the trip, optional

Nothing’s more boring than someone else’s vacation pictures, right? I’ve never been one to write about my own travels unless I’m testing a major product or making illustrative allusions. The Euro trip will be a little different since I’m trying to see how light I can go - with a netbook. If you have any interest in seeing other photos from the trip or want to see what life on a group student tour is like, you’re welcome to follow on the blog I set up for tour participants which will be updated daily with non-OBOW stuff.

Crack - netbook pain

My sharp-eyed son was using my little Samsung yesterday and (curses!) noticed a tiny crack near one of the hinges. The computer has never been compressed or dropped. Suffice it to say I’ll have a report on how well Samsung honors their warranty. I’ll still be taking it on my next trip.

48 hours from departure

Look for updates as I finish packing for my 11-day/12-pound/one-bag-wth-netbook Eurotrip. I hope to live blog the experience so my dear readers can decide if the whole thing is wonderfully instructive or woefully ill-conceived.

Whole body imaging petition

If you don’t like having your soft tissue displayed on a TSA monitor, consider signing the Privacy Coalition’s petition:

The Privacy Coalition is engaged in a campaign to suspend the use of “Whole Body Imaging” — devices that photograph American air travelers stripped naked in US airports. The campaign responds to a policy reversal by the TSA which would now make the “virtual strip search” mandatory, instead of voluntary as originally announced. EPIC and others say that there are inadequate safeguards to prevent the misuse of the images. We are asking Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to suspend the program and allow for public comment. For more information, see EPIC’s Whole Body Imaging page.

Organizations, experts, and air travelers are invited to sign on to the letter below urging Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to suspend the program until the privacy and security risks are fully evaluated. - sign letter/petition here

(Thanks to Til for finding this)

Update on May 20, 2009 by Frank@OBOW

The TSA, gotta love ‘em. If you want avoid the virtual strip search just act like a hyperactive toddler and wiggle, alot:

“This question keeps popping up on our blog as well as other forums around the internet. Will children be screened by Whole Body Imagers (WBI)?

Yes and no.

Anybody can opt out of WBI screening. Adults, children, Klingons, etc… If you opt out of WBI screening, you will receive a patdown search in lieu of the WBI screening.

Children are allowed to be screened by the WBI if they’re able to stand motionless with their arms outstretched and feet shoulder width apart for 5 seconds. (If your child is like my 4 year old, they can’t stand still for a single second unless they’re watching that yellow sponge guy who shares my name)” - TSA Evolution of Security blog

Carry-on girl

Tips from a decidedly more stylish and feminine source:

One of the most daunting tasks for a traveler that I find positively riveting is the packing of the suitcase. I used to be a high-maintenance packer, frenzied that I’d desperately want the one top-bottom-shoe combination I didn’t pack, and the entire trip would be ruined. But since then, I’ve learned both what my wardrobe multitaskers are and how to better combine items, and that combined with lots of travel has made me quite the light packer. - New York Girl

And her part two, makeup and jewelry:

When packing beauty supplies, like clothing, it’s important to bring multitaskers. Benetint doubles as blush and lip color, and Benefit 10 Bronzer has both bronzer and highlighter to use anywhere on your face. Now is not the time to try trendy makeup or to paint layers on your face. In my case, Italy will be very warm and I’ll want to keep it simple and pretty, as well as lightweight.

Book ban - double plus ungood

In Merrie Olde England, land of the Magna Carta, a grandmotherly woman has her paperback novel confiscated because it has (gasp) a picture of a gun on it.

As Mrs Burgess placed her Robert B Parker novel, A Triple Shot of Spenser, onto the security tray she had it snatched away from her because it ‘might upset passengers’ on the plane. It had the image of a handgun on the front.

‘I must have looked stunned, as I am past my half-century and not perhaps the most obvious terrorist,’ said the Royal Bank of Scotland clerical worker. ‘I honestly thought they were joking. It seemed so silly. I was half way through merrily reading my book.’….

A spokesman for BAA said: ‘In certain circumstances, a passenger carrying an item which features an image or slogan that could be perceived as aggressive may be asked to cover it up or remove it. Security officers are advised to use common sense when making these requests.’ - Jersey (UK) Online

BAA might consider working up some common sense retraining seminars - I don’t think the current approach is working. I’d suggest they thumb through 1984 except I’m afraid they’d view it as a treasure trove of policy suggestions.

Another account says she got the book back with - surprise - some thoughtcrime-type conditions:

Eventually, after three officials had consulted each other on this serious matter, Mrs Burgess, a 58-year-old bank worker, was told she could take the book on the plane – provided she kept it in her bag and didn’t read it.

Major TSA policy change

STAND BY FOR A MAJOR CHECKPOINT POLICY CHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE TSA BLOG:

Starting this week, officers will be asking passengers to put their shoes directly on the X-ray belt instead of in a bin at the checkpoint.

This will help to declutter bins and give officers a better view of shoes coming through, as well as everything else. Our officers are seeing some pretty packed bins with shoes, electronics, wallets and other items, and when they can’t get a good look, a cluttered bin is more likely to get pulled aside for additional screening. Nobody likes that.
If you don’t hear the directions or put your shoes in the bin by accident, fear not - you won’t be sent back to the end of the line for a do-over. - Evolution of Security blog

You won’t need to go back through the line because you misplaced shoes will be run immediately through a shredding machine! OK, I made this last part up.

The scourge of convertible pants

Kevin at Practical Hacks asks, do you hate convertible pants?

Of course there are those who think that convertible travel pants are the quickest way to brand yourself a tourist; just a couple of examples:

@wikiHow:  How to Avoid Looking Like an American Tourist

@everywheremag.com:  Lose a few style points…

What do you think?  Have you traveled internationally with convertible travel pants?  Or do you think their functionality is trumped by their (perceived) cheesiness? 

Hate them, resoundingly. I’ve long lamented the dearth of good-looking, functional, quick-drying pants…with legs that don’t zip off! Or have pockets on the sides large enough to hold a sandwich and a paperback.

We’ve done it before, but please share your favorite travel legwear…

Traveler, can you spare a bill(ion)?

Those pesky checked bag fees (including the occasional bogus gate check) made money-losing US airlines an extra billion dollars in 2008. That extra $1.15 billion (to be exact) in travelers’ pockets might have eased the recession a bit, but we’ll never know.

Lightest roller

Thanks to Buzz for this tip - an ultralight rolling bag. The Landor & Hawa Sub-0-G bag is 42.5 linear inches and weighs 4.8 pounds. The low weight is apparenlty  achiieved by using aircraft-grade fiberglass instead of aluminum for the frame.

Update on May 14, 2009 by Frank@OBOW

Gadling no has a detailed look at this wispy bag with large and helpful photos. Thanks to Scott at Gadling for acknowledging OBOW!

New recurring feature?

Any thoughts on a SWPL-type series of posts on Stuff Light Travelers Like? There are clearly some humor/infotainment possibilities here. My only fear is that the occasional Googler who stops by may not know how to take it. Maybe an explanatory disclaimer appended to each post would take care of that. (By the way SWPL is not racist; it just makes fun of trendy urbanites and progressives -and the author is a trendy urbanite progressive)

SWPL does travel too and pokes fun at a few of our favorite thing like taking a year off, Moleskines, and performance clothing,

Reason to go light #677

My wife teaches teachers. That means books - lots of big, heavy textbooks and teacher’s editions. She’s also a doctoral student. That means stacks of journals and reams of printed articles, plus more books not to mention several pounds of Mac stuff. As a result she has injured her shoulder quite badly. It’s “just” a pulled muscle but she’s in constant pain and has been for a few weeks. And her book bags weigh less than many travelers’ carry-on luggage. Frightening. Are wheels the answer? No, she started with a wheeled bag but it grew so heavy she could hardly get in the the car. The only hope may be some future Kindle-type product that can easily capture all types of content including databases, journals, and works from small academic presses.