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OBOW Light Travel Forum > extended (years) one bag travel

am i the only one here that does this? i have been traveling for 6 years. 2 of them in one carry on bag. this includes north america, east and south east asia. i work as a touring theatre technician. am i the only one of my kind?

November 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterNoah

I'll bet you're not the only one, but surely you're one of the few. We'd love to hear more about how you do it, what you've learned...

November 26, 2008 | Registered CommenterFrank@OBOW

Hey Noah,

Can you tell us more?
What bag do you use?
What do you carry?
How long do you normally stay at your destination?
What is the nature of your travels?

November 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterMarc

I use an MEI Voyageur. I would like a smaller bag. I keep eying them, but I have to carry 2 sets of clothes. one set of work clothes and, unless I never want to look nice, a set of play clothes.

For winter clothes, I use mostly REI, (the bulk of my clothes are REI quick drying stuff), sub layers. So, my warm weather clothes fit in an Eagle Creak half cube. Except of course jackets. I have a Columbia combo set. They live, while it's warm, in an Eagle Creak compression bag, along with my single pair of jeans.

Since I am at work out here, I have to have my laptop (a Dell 1330), and associated gak. I use an iGo power system, with tips for all my electronics. In fact, if iGo doesn't have a tip for it, I don't buy it. The nice thing, apart from only one power cable, is it does the power transformation. all i need is the plug adapter. I use the Kensinton one piece sliding kind. I also have a Monster 4togo power strip. since plugs can be scarce, and my girlfriend has the same setup I do. My camera, a Canon G9, has a charger. No way around that.

Toiletries, of course, are a problem. I am low maintenance, so hotel brands suffice. I just left China, where there are no liquids allowed in carry on at all. No matter what the size. So, I had to check my bag. Therefore, I am trying to go liquid-less. I dumped my shaving oil in favor of a shaving bar. Works great, and doesn't gum up the razor as much. I got a shampoo bar, as a backup, from Lush. Like that as well. I am left with toothpaste, and cologne. No ideas on cologne yet.

My girlfriend, forgot some hand sanitizer in her carry on one China jump. Before confiscating it, the airport security guy poured some in a spoon and set it on fire at the security check. we figured, if he was going to do something that cool, he could have it.

For laundry, I have Tide bars, I picked up in China. They last longer, and, I think, get clothes cleaner. I use a surgical tubing clothes line, and carry 3 inflatable hangers. between 2 people, we use them a bit.

My girlfriend has largely the same setup, however, she uses an Eagle Creak roller. and a Pacsafe backpack. I also have an Eagle Creak packable daypack, to put under the seat in front of me and use as a backpack during our sit downs. Which, in answer to Marc's question, range from 1 day to a month.

As I have been traveling for 6 years, I don't have a home anywhere. I have a storage unit that i visit once or twice a year and drop off stuff i collected. For the most part, though, once something wears out or outlives it's usefulness, I toss it and get a new one. Curious are kept to magnets, pins, key chains and lots of pictures.

As I write this, I am sitting in Hong Kong, possibly traveling to Thailand on Sunday. Unless the PAD doesn't leave the Bangkok airport. I am in month 5 of 9 for our Asian tour. So, I missed all the economic fun back home. It's hard to restock in Asia. China was impossible. We had our mothers ship us a care package. Some new underwear was nice.

Marc, the exact nature of my work is, I am the Technical Director for broadway style touring shows.

All the info i find on one bag travel is geared towards vacation or business trips. it's hard to find info for one bag travel as a life style. Of course, I'll be happy to answer any questions.

November 27, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterNoah

Thanks for sharing your packing list. It's very useful information and helps me look at my packing list with a fresh eye.

If you're looking for a non-liquid toothpaste, Eco dent tooth powder is what I use. Because you don't have to use a lot, it will last you a while. I bought mine from Food Fight, but I think that Amazon also carries it.
Lush carries several solid perfumes. They have two scents that are suitable for guys, Go Green and Olive Branch. I have a used container of Go Green if you're interested in trying it.

November 28, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterEsther

thanks esther. i do actually have a bar of a lemon deodorant from lush. i might run by there before i leave hong kong. who knows? might like the smell better than my drakkar.

i am leaving on sunday to go on a short (10 day) dive trip in thialand. before heading to bangkok. if it's still there. i have my dive gear, newly purchased in hong kong, with me, so i had to go lighter on my luggage.

i bought a smaller backpack, and pulled the bare essentials out of my voyaguer. so, i guess, if i go on vacation, i have to go super-light. apart from my dive gear (jen, my girlfriend, and i are sharing a 24" roller for that) i only have a backpack worth of stuff now. Jen says, soon i'll be one of those guys who travels with no luggage. i hope not.

but i realized, that if your world is already in a carry-on bag, and you want to trim it down a little for vacation, there is still some wiggle room. i went from about 32 pounds to probably 15 to 20.

November 28, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterNoah