Of the many poor decisions modern travellers can make, overpacking probably is the most detrimental to their health. Sure, doing drugs could land you in jail, but a filled-up 70 liter backpack might condemn you to a wheelchair for the rest of your life.
Many a time Hannelore and I exchanged knowing glances as we overtook some troubled soul hellbent on punishing himself by carrying the contents of his entire apartment on his back. “Wouldn't self-flagellation be quicker?”, we 'd ask ourselves, then hasten our step to avoid any association with this mule-ish creature.
Checklist
So, you may wonder, what did you pack for your four month trip, Hans? I'm glad you asked.
- Two pairs of pants
- Two cotton t-shirts
- One merino wool t-shirt (doesn't stink and dries quicker than cotton)
- A fleece sweater
- Swimming trunks
- Two pairs of socks
- Four pairs of boxer briefs
- Flip-flops
- Palladium boots (fairly ugly, but relatively quick to dry and sort of a nostalgia trip for me)
- A silk liner bag
- A mosquito net
- Lonely Planet's South-East Asia on a shoestring
- Duct tape
- Medical kit
- Wash bag
- Quick-dry towel
- Camera
The best thing about packing modestly - besides the fact you won't have to rummage through a lot of stuff you don't really need in order to get to your toothbrush – is you can leave that Vespa-sized backpack behind and invest in a smaller carry-on model. You'll never have to worry about losing your luggage in transit again.
Wooden snake
Hannelore and I both bought a Kelty Redwing and were very happy with our choice. Whenever a t-shirt was worn beyond recognition, we'd throw it out and buy a new one. At certain moments my incurable tendency to amass books threatened to impede our progress, but the Kelty always offered a hidden pocket for one more paperback.
Only at the very end of our trip, when we started traveling towards our final destination Bangkok, did we surrender. We bought an extra sports bag that we could fill with souvenirs for the folks back home (“Forty baht for a wooden snake? It's a steal!”). Hey, we might be judgmental pricks, but we have families too!
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