Travel System 4.0

[kaiball]

My Time as a Human is a longer format essay style blog intended for the general public. The scribblings are being crossposted here for your convenience, but please feel free to visit the site itself, http://mytimeasahuman.com

It doesn’t take much to kick off a bold and stupid new travel scheme. My injured knees cried just thinking about

Comments

[zuleikhajami]

I did 6 weeks in Morocco with a rolling backpack. I did not have snazzy quick drying clothes. I did have lightweight skirts/dresses. It wasn't really hard to do, but I had to buy a suitcase for the way back.

I was ecstatic, however, when I bought a new dress in Spain.

[ext_331561]

I'm so jealous of summer dresses! Girls have it made. They roll into tiny bits and they are entire outfits in themselves!

Yeah, if I buy things I'll just pick up a duffel. But I'm trying not to buy things, as I still have a minimal life to maintain in China!

Of course, you guys will need a special backpack for trips these days..!

Missing you, great woman.

[zuleikhajami]

The best part about one of my summer dresses was that it was reversible. Two outfits in one! Complete score.

I didn't buy the suitcase until I was preparing to go home. I bought two rugs, so the suitcase was a must.

Miss you, too! You're going to have to do an S.F. visit when you get back and show off your Chinese. :)

[aq777]

I was leaning toward a backpack but Justin insists that a rolling carry-on will be okay. I think I am romanticizing the backpacker-Dharma Bum character. I do have a good day pack. We did the rolling carry-on/daypack combo in Europe for a month and it worked fine.

I hear you on the new quick dry fabrics. I have been stalking the Goodwill near campus to find Columbia, North Face, Under Armor, Rei, and the like. I additionally need knee length for modest countries (everywhere except Bali) and darker colors that don't stain. It's fun being efficient. I have a Rick Steves rubber bungee clothes line and carabiners.

Yep

[ext_331561]

The backpacker-Dharma Bum character is actually about using one of the nice big mountain trek packs. I really like this scheme as well (with a tiny backpack or shoulder bag for daytime use rolled up inside). But given my opportunity to push the limits of small and light I had to try it! (I'm all about schemes and experiments.)

I've never actually used a rolling suitcase. I guess I'm just too much of a mountain man at my core and that felt like something that required pavement and roads. Honestly, though, a lot of travel ends up being through cities with roads.

[ripresa]

which pants are these?

there's a whole book on lightweight backpacking, but these people go out in the middle of the mountains with like 6 lbs.

Yep

[ext_331561]

Yep. That's the book. That's my goal. I haven't mastered it in the mountains yet, but I'm close. For now I'll do it urban style.

Re: Yep

[fulguritus]

So who made these pants? I'd love some.

Sweet

[kaiball]

Sweet! Of course you're the one many steps ahead of me! I was torn about the shoes too, funnily enough. I finally decided that if I was really on a beach I should be barefoot, and I've gotten used to wearing shoes in summer instead of sandals. (This also makes sense in cities where there are all kinds of thing you might want to protect yourself from.) Kayaking etc are a little trickier, and so I almost brought my vibram 5-fingers. They are very light and I think if I had one more pair of anything, that would be it hands down.

Thankfully, I never have to look much better than this. That helps too. ;-) I was hoping to tango over here in Taiwan, and I will the next time, so that will put a strain on the system.