7 Things I Stopped Packing and You Should Too! (Secrets Revealed)

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👉🏻 CURIOUS ABOUT MY FREE ACCOMMODATION ADVENTURES?

👉🏻 CURIOUS ABOUT THE ULTIMATE TRAIN CHALLENGE?

00:00 - Introduction
01:09 - Gear gone wrong
03:14 - Shrinking the bulk
06:25 - Why I switched
08:53 - Footwear faux pas on the trail
12:13 - Solar-powered dilemmas
13:14 - Hostel essential I never used
14:34 - Convenience vs. Space

#travelgear #minimalistjourney #packingtips #packlight #ad #unboundmerino

____________________
Greetings! I'm Nora Dunn, aka The Professional Hobo. I've been a digital nomad since 2006. I help people design their lifestyles and arrange their affairs so they can travel long term while working remotely. (I also have a ton of crazy travel tales to share from almost two decades of lifestyle travel).

And let's connect on my other social channels!

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[NoraDunn]

👉🏻 BAREFOOT SHOES



👉🏻 OTHER STUFF I MENTIONED


📖 LUGGAGE ARTICLES!




📖 LUGGAGE REVIEW VIDEOS





👉🏻 CURIOUS ABOUT MY FREE ACCOMMODATION ADVENTURES?

👉🏻 CURIOUS ABOUT THE ULTIMATE TRAIN CHALLENGE?

[joyceb]

I always pack a 2-gallon Ziplock bag and a couple of laundry soap sheets like Earth Breeze. I put underwear, socks, etc. in the bag with water and a cut-off portion of the laundry sheet & I have an instant washer. Just swish the closed bag around a little, drain, wring out clothes & refill the bag to rinse items. Takes up minimal space tucked in a corner & saves finding a laundromat when none are nearby. If you don't need to do laundry, the bag is useful for other things like wet bathing suits.

[MoonbeameSmith]

If you use a backpack Always take along a $1 store type laundry bag. They are sacrificial so bring several. They are cheap and take up almost zero space and If you are required to check your pack, put it in the laundry bag/sac This will keep all your straps and hang-ons safe from being ripped off (in more ways than one) If your trip is long a spare bag can be used as a second checked bag "just n case" I buy ones in ridiculas colours so I can spot it on the belt upon arriving. I usually write my name on the outside with a marker.. and also if I'm bored I draw polka dots or other silly stiff.. no mistaking my bag. Even if the laundry bag gets damaged or scuffed or even filthy, the contents will be safe.

[jenniferrauch]

I tried to travel carry-on only last week to Iceland - ended up not having the hiking poles or cleats when we were walking on icy places, so just used caution & grumbled that they weren't doing much good where they were! The day's scheduled excursions never seemed quite clear about what we'd need. Wished I'd left them home! Do kinda need the structure pf hiking boots for weak ankles on rough terrain at age 75. I wear them a bit loose with compression sox. But planned to wash my underwear a little every time I showered - squeezed soap on a part of the garments & as I showered, sloshed them around with my feet, rinsed when I rinsed myself. I take a few clothespins or plastic pants hangers & hang in the shower overnight. They won't be dripping by morning, & sometimes I then hang in the closet, but definitely are dry by the next day!

[lorrytrujilloperezphd]

I pack a carry-on soft sided roller bag and a 30L backpack. One item that is an easy thing to pack and comes necessary more than one might think is swimwear! Going to natural springs or a spa might not have been in the plans but might present itself as a treat! One time I had the opportunity to go to a really lovely spa and needed a swimsuit so I ran off to Primark for a cheap one but it was so yucky that I threw it away once I was done at the spa. A bikini can even come in handy as extra under garments if it came down to it and they are so small anyway, it's worth always packing. One thing (or things) that I do not pack are basic toiletries. I've found that I can always pick up travel sized items once I've reached my destination. Plus I'm a hotel traveler so hotels always have shampoo and body wash, no need to buy and carry around all those travel decanters. It's fun to buy a 'necessary' thing while I'm traveling because I get to use it then and there and it's also my souvenir to use at home with wonderful memories: a sweater from Iceland, a tartan scarf from Scotland, an umbrella and flat cap from London and the like.

[proehm]

One thing that has been on, off, then back on my travel loadout - a small "totes" travel umbrella. I don't need it often. But when I do, I need it bad. (Lookin' at you, Phoenix.)

[agoogleuser]

Important question: just how heavy is that carry-on bag or backpack? I remember when I was planning to go to Europe and I realized my wonderful USA carry-on suitcase weighed 11 pounds, fully half of my weight allowance.
The weight of your bag alone sure matters.

[KnownAsLeo]

The only thing I am guilty of was packing too many clothes, I wised up by staying at places with laundry on-site or nearby so now I just take a few days worth and cycle through them. One takeaway from a recent video is using a more efficient/effective personal item bag. I've purchased a 15-liter backpack to go along with my carry-on sized hard shell suitcase. With many airlines cracking down on baggage weight limits (15 pounds / 7 kilos for many carriers), dividing up your items into a pair of 10-pound pieces allows you to keep control of your things at all times and overall easier mobility when in transit.

[RolandoNispiros]

Love the tips! I’m not a very good traveler, especially when it comes to packing clothes. I almost always bring more than what I need. I’m getting better, but not perfect. Whatever I need I just buy where ever I’m at. But for electronics, I always bring my own cords, power banks, etc.

[pi-sxmb]

By far the most versatile, high-quality, single-pack option for adventure travel that I've used quite a lot is the Osprey Fairview 55 Travel Pack. It is two backpacks in one - a generously large pack to schlep your stuff from place to place, and a detachable small day pack that is functional when attached to the main pack, but zips in and out of the full pack to use as a day pack or a "personal item" to keep at your feet for a flight.

It is carry-on compatible, and if you have to check it at the gate for a flight because overhead bin space is full, you can quickly disconnect the day pack and securely tuck the straps out of the way leaving a smooth main pack with a grab handle. Combine this with packing cubes and you have the best of all worlds.

[WillNGo]

Good tune up for my traveling. People who aren't familiar with deserts should always ask, Is where I am going a desert? Every night Los Angeles gets cold. Most of Canada in the warm months never gets this cold. But you just need more layers, maybe a sleep sack (I always have a sleep sack.)
Borrowing and renting is a great idea. If you're big and heading to Asia, like Japan, be careful. I'm 173cm and Large in North America. In Japan this is XXL and the arms and legs are a bit short - but okay for 173cm guys. I've seen XXXL but not in most places.

re: Back packs. First never trust any ads even by a 'reputable' camping source. End of the day they are just selling stuff. The Reviews are helpful.(Today REI sent me a link to day bags, only 2 were waterproof, neither had bottle pockets on the outside. Deal breaker.) I've traveled a lot with my large Osprey. Large 70l doesn't mean you have to fill it up. Get a back pack duffel. This helps eliminate airline baggage handling problems or delays. I would always travel with three packs. The big backpack (check in), a 35l Sea to Summit drybag pack - that's my carry on, and a smaller very light daybag that is in the drybag until I'm on the plane. This has my key stuff, laptop, etc. Now I can mix and match for a day out, a few days in the wilderness or a major move. I can even put everything in just the large pack. If you aren't heading to the outdoors and long hikes -- don't take a back pack.
I disagree about wheeled backpacks. Far too much extra weight, and the designs are bad. Instead if you do need wheels get a folding handcart. I bought one of these in London between back pack hikes. Terrific. USD$20-25 It fits easily into a backpack duffel so its not a separate piece of luggage. If you abandon it, someone will be happy to have it. (And of course at airports like LAX where they are charging a fortune to use a luggage cart, get dropped off at Arrivals instead. Just grab a cart someone just unloaded. Then use the elevator.)
I like wheeled luggage, but the wheels are still too small. And watch the self appointed online 'rating experts.' The Wirecutter in the New York Times will tell you can't possibly travel without a $400 suitcase. The $80 one on Amazon is just fine and the dirt cheap one I bought with my son at the discount Don Quixote store in Tokyo lasted several years ( heroically dying in Vietnam last year.) Expensive luggage shouts 'Steal me!' Cheap luggage like the max size suitcase I carried all the boat parts in: cheap enough to give to a friend before we sailed. There was not enough room on the boat for it. In Canada at the other end, I just ordered another one from Amazon, delivered to the hotel. (Then I loaded it up with all my sailing gear >35kg and sent it UPS to my home $100USD. But after I crossed the border on the ferry.)

Good tip on shoes. I like the low rise hiking shoes for back country, and everything else. You do have to wear them on travel days. And I'm not that stylish anyway. The alternative is trial runners. (That's what a lot of very long backpackers wear.) Don't know about the barefoots, but they sound great. After reading the book "The World's Greatest Runners, the Tarahumara people of Canon del Cobre in Mexico", I learned flatter, less padded is better. They wear DIY sandals made out of old car tires, for 100 mile races. Flatter is more stable, lasts longer and it's not all the marshmallow padding that saves your feet, it's feeling the ground. (As Nike made shoes more and more padded foot injuries never went down.) My feet have never been a problem since. I even like standing up, for hours.
Huge fan of yoga mats. I always backpack with a 60cm x 60cm square. Smaller one for other travel. The standard yoga mats 1/2" 12mm are available everywhere I can remember being for $15-20USD. They're great for sitting on, insulation, making your pillow a bit higher (my sea kayaks are full of yoga mats. Seat/back padding, footrest, insulating the bottom.) The exercises I find most beneficial while traveling are Pilates leg overs, to stretch and exercise my lower back. I was on a boat in the Bahamas when one of the other crew said, 'If you don't do some back exercises on a boat, it's going to give you problems.' My back it so happened was starting to ache a bit. I can do these in bed.
And if you know you want a yoga mat, or folding handcart at a destination. Order it on the local Amazon sent to your first hotel reservation. I've never had any delivery go missing. I did find the hand cart in London at a great price, but it was difficult to find. Cheers.

[lillianbarker]

Believe it or not we used to do yoga without mats in the old days. We’d sometimes use beach towels. 😂

[Cajundaddydave]

Yes, only bring items that you are certain to use at least weekly, even several times per week.
We are avid travelers and have followed the Rick Steves method of packing light. We also walk a LOT which may include 10 miles in cobblestone streets or several 15 mile treks in the Andes. I followed the advice of many and ditched my favorite hiking boots for a pair of trail runners on our trip to Peru. This turned out to be a huge mistake. As an older traveler my feet are no longer as robust as in my 20s. Over several days on the Inca trail which is mostly stone I badly bruised and damaged the soles of my feet from impact that was only lightly protected with trail runner soles. My feet were permanently damaged from this experience and are forever highly sensitive to impact to the ball of my feet. As a result I am back to always bringing my light weight Merrell boots with Vibram😮 soles. These offer the foot protection I need to continue our epic walks without further injury. I can also stuff all of my underwear and socks in them for travel so they still rate as a carry-on item.

Lesson learned: Do travel light but always protect your feet.

[DavidWood]

I love that you acknowledge that your trade-offs might not apply to others. As a disabled traveller with multiple disabilities, travelling without checked baggage is impossible, but I limit myself to checking one bag and a folding wheelchair. I have to bring everything with me from home, as I cannot risk trying to source regular and emergency medication as well as medical disposables at my destination. However, like you, I've pared back my packing list over the years to reach a point where I will use 90% of what I take on every trip and the other 10% of contingency items are used on some trips or are needed in reasonable but often time-sensitive emergency situations.

Layers are key - there is no point in taking inflexible bulky clothes that you will rarely use when you can layer other more flexible items. You will have to compromise on some items, but that is always the case when travelling. I will also leave out some items on my list according to when and where I am going; there is no point in taking winter gloves in the height of summer.

[davidburrow]

I love your call on going shopping to find yoga mats. People often think they need to pack absolutely everything, as if things they need won't be available elsewhere. Except in EXTREMELY remote places, that's almost never true. And you're right, going shopping for something specific is one of the best ways to explore a new place.

[IsabelCurdes_photos]

Hahaha...I have gone through basically the same learning curve while traveling for the last 3 years, from backpack over hiking boots (and funny enough I ended up with the same Xero shoe) to layers of clothes and specialized equipment. In addition I downsized from a laptop to a tablet. Great video!

[bcloetta]

I lugged skis to France 3 years ago. Probably NEVER again. Lugging that ski bag and the hour wait for the skis to show up in baggage were just not worth it. I think I would pack my boots however and likely just check a bag😰. But yes to wool layers for winter travel. Unbound and Woolx are my 2 favorite brands. When one of them comes out with a turquoise dress, I’ll make my next purchase! I can make 3 t’s, 2 long sleeve t’s, a scarf, 1 cashmere sweater, 1 dress, 2 pretty blouses, and 1 legging, one short, and 1 jean with a puffy coat go for weeks in a winter destination. And that includes runs! All my underwear and socks are wool too.

[cynthiakleyn-kennedy]

Thank you for this and ALL your videos. I so appreciate your thorough and comprehensive info, plus you share so intelligently and charmingly while quickly getting to the point. So refreshing!

[julieanncheshire]

Gotta travel with salsa shoes! Salsa=instant friends everywhere. :) I am about to go on a month-long trip to Spain that starts with meeting up with some of my salsa friends from around the world.

[flutingaround]

I'm doing a ten month trip around Asia this time, and I got rid of my yoga mat fairly quick. I have some grippy sun gloves and yoga socks that double as slippers. The sun gloves are also great to protect the hands for various activities like resistance bands, kayaking, hiking, etc. Do you hike with trekking poles? For me, they are absolutely essential