Sara's Post on Packing

Sara's pack

We have always traveled with everything we needed in our packs, carrying them with us as we walk from point to point. For the first time, for one day on this trip we had our packs transported from Porlock to Luxborough, and it was actually rather nice just to share a day pack between us for the walk.

On our walk this time, several people we met commented on the fact that we seemed to be carrying little with us, and I could tell that people were curious about how we managed to keep our packs relatively light. Before we left, I weighed the packs--Ken's was 13 pounds, and mine was 12.5.

I thought people might find a post about packing interesting, so here it is!

My first comment is that packing is a really personal thing--what is essential to you will not be essential to someone else. I think the important thing is determining what is essential, and getting rid of the rest. Go through your list multiple times, and keep pruning it down. Learn from experience--if you didn't use something this trip, don't bring it on the next.

A second comment is that some of the things we include will be different from your packing list because we have chosen to live without a mobile phone. So you likely wouldn't be travelling with a laptop, paper notebook, camera, travel alarm, or paper documentation (and perhaps not even with the maps) that we include because we don't have a phone. On the other hand, our paper maps and notebook mean that if there is no Internet/wifi/phone reception, we're never stranded or at a loss.

A third comment is that I took the photos quickly before unpacking, and I didn't organize the items well according to the categories I use. I also included some items that I don't plan to take next time (like ear plugs). Sorry about that!

A fourth comment is that I admit I am a bit proud of packing light and carrying all of our stuff with us (though sometimes I wish we weren't). However, there will always be someone who packs lighter than you do, so you can't get too proud about it! It was humbling to meet a couple who were on a month's holiday wild camping. Their packs were about the same size as ours, and they were carrying their tent, their sleeping bag, perhaps a change of clothes, and the food for their dog. We are a long way from living that simply--our four changes of socks and underwear are quite luxurious in comparison.

My pack isn't large, and fits as carry-on on the plane. We like that we don't have to deal with checked baggage--everything we need is in our two carry-on backpacks. For the flight, I transfer anything I'll want during the flight (hand sanitizer, a book) into the daypack which I have as my "personal item." Both of our packs came with a pack cover for rainy days, and these covers have been invaluable.

My packing list is organized into categories. It's going to look like there are a lot of items, but many of them are small and light and pack down well. Think about the various compartments of your pack and find where things fit best and are easily accessible when they need to be.

Another tip is that you should distribute the weight throughout your pack rather than having all of the heavy things at the bottom. Usually I have dirty laundry at the bottom, then clean clothes, then perched on that my laptop (which is the heaviest item), and toiletries/travel items that I'll want to access. Having the laptop kind of "floating" in the middle of my pack seems to distribute the weight well and to create less drag on my shoulders. But the pack shouldn't be resting on your shoulders much anyway--the waist band should help the pack to rest on your hips and waist as you walk.

1. Travel documents and paperwork. This could include

• some kind of pouch/wallet to carry money and government documents (I also bring a change purse)
• passports and other necessary ID
• whatever monetary items you need (cash, credit card, etc.)
• any cards used for transit (e.g., Oyster cards for London transit)
• printouts of plane tickets, train reservations, etc. (though we've reduced the amount we now print out and take with us)

[clockwise from top] Toiletries, pouch for money, change purse, notebook, comb

2. Toiletries. Since I don't wear make-up and use few cosmetic products, my list is going to be more minimal than the list for many women. The picture above shows my toiletry bag, but the list below includes everything that Ken and I bring (I mean everything, so that you have an idea of how we pack light). There will be some things, again, that you would decide aren't necessary, like Q-Tips (but they do have the virtue of being light!). You could probably not bring shampoo and use whatever you find at B&Bs, but I like to have my own shampoo and hair conditioner with me.

• toothbrush
• toothpaste
• razor
• shaving cream
• dental floss (I tried dental flossing "picks" this trip but I think floss is better, and more versatile if you need string.)
• deodorant
• shampoo
• hair conditioner
• comb
• nail clippers
• manicure scissors (sometimes you need scissors when traveling)
• cleaning cloth for glasses
• Q-Tips
• sanitary products
• a hair elastic

 3. Medication/First Aid. Obviously dependent on if you have medical prescriptions. In this section, there are some things you bring that you hope you won't need to use, like the bandages and blister plasters:

• bandages
• blister plasters
• pain medication
• antihistamines (for allergies)
• antacid
• any prescription medications
• hand sanitizer--can also be used as a disinfectant
• [for next time, I'd like to buy one of those light plastic tick removal tools]

[clockwise from top] bag for "travel" items, plastic bag, hand sanitizer, travel alarm, kleenex, pain medication, hair elastic, earplugs, bandaids, blister plasters, compass, glasses cleaning cloth

4. Clothing. All of our clothing is quick-dry technical fabric except for our socks, which means that if you are disciplined and wash out a pair of underwear each night, you won't run out of fresh clothing during the trip. Unfortunately, I'm not that disciplined! There will usually be a B&B along the way that has laundry facilities or will do laundry for you for a fee. If a place has a heated towel rail, I'll just wash a few things in the sink using whatever hand soap has been provided, and dry them on the towel rail. A two-night stay means that drying the socks is possible if they're washed the first evening we're there. Here's everything that I bring as clothing:

• three T-shirts
• one long-sleeved fleece
• two pairs of trousers (one with zip-off legs so it can be converted into shorts)
• four underwear
• two bras
• four pairs of socks
• ball cap
• runner's gloves
• rain jacket
• boots

My strategy is to keep one pair of trousers as the "dressy" pair for the entire trip. I wear one pair for walking during the day, and it can get as muddy and disreputable as it needs to. I can zip off the legs and night and wash them out, while wearing my "good" pair to go to the pub or whatever. Since the good pair never gets really dirty, it lasts the whole trip without washing. Ditto for the second bra, worn only as the "good" one, while the other one can get sweaty and be washed out periodically. One shirt to sleep in also doubles as a "clean" shirt to wear when the others are dirty.

The ball cap has a brim that keeps rain off of my glasses, and also works as a sun hat/visor. The gloves are always a debatable item for me (should I bring them or not?), but when it is cold on a walk, they do help to keep you warm.

I noticed that I just listed the rationale for why I bring each item, which is probably a good thing to do. Every thing should have a compelling reason to be included (like the ball cap) and ideally it would have multiple functions (the cap keeps rain off my glasses and keeps the sun out of my eyes, so I don't need to bring sunglasses).

Ken's clothing list is similar to mine, except he has one more t-shirt and one more long-sleeved shirt.

The compressible day pack, a ball cap, and light runner's gloves

5. Travel Items. My catch-all category for everything else.

• backpacks
• a compressible, light daypack (NEW! for this trip, and it worked well)
• a water bottle (Ken carries a Nalgene water bottle, while I use a water bottle from a B&B which I refill a few times before using another one. Yes, I know you're not supposed to re-use disposable bottles, but I figure a couple of re-uses won't kill me.)
• camera
• travel alarm
• paper notebook
• pen
• travel guides (like the book on the Cotswold Way)
• Ordinance Survey (OS) maps. Ken always carries the maps: eight of them this trip!
• a plastic waterproof map case
• dry sacks (waterproof sacks for the maps and the laptop)
• a compass
• sunscreen
• a plastic fork/spoon (super light, comes in handy if you buy salad)
• a plastic grocery bag to sit on. This item is actually brilliant--it's light and folds up easily. You can just put it on the grass and sit down confidently even if it's a bit damp outside. The bag can also be used to hold dirty laundry or as a waterproof sack for items inside the backpack. If the bag gets really dirty, it's easy to get hold of another one.
• laptop computer, power cord, and converter plug (because UK electrical outlets are different from North American ones)
• the seals (because we wouldn't be walking with seals, otherwise)

That's all we take. This trip, I was not going to take a notebook and pen, but at the last minute I threw it in, and I'm glad. It's easier for me to pull out the notebook on a train, or at a picnic table, or hold it in bed and write down notes about the day, or to note down a book title Ken wants to find, or to keep addresses we need without having to take out a laptop and power it up. Again, most people would use a phone, but I really like my notebook and pen!