Pack Light

Now that I've been away from home or any permanent sort of home for a little over a month, I feel like I have a handle on what's really needed and what's not when it comes to packing light. I'm talking about the kind of packing light where the amount of stuff you have can only fill up something the size of a daypack, the kind of backpack you'd wear to school. Of course, the climate you're heading to can be a limiting factor, and some of it assumes you'll be in urban areas in developed countries. Nonetheless, I hope my list is useful.

- A towel. Douglas Adams was right. Something, somewhere, sometime will be in a state of wetness when you want it to be in a state of dryness, and there won't be anything else around but your trusty towel. Mine is one of those compact, ultra-absorbent, quick-drying camping towels, and it's already gone far beyond its worth of $20.

-A pair of jeans. Your favorite pair of jeans. You might wear them for a week or two without washing, but they're sturdy, and it's not like anybody is going to be smelling your pants, unless you've been all but begging for that.

-A pair of shorts. These serve at least four purposes. 1. If it's hot. 2. If you want to go swimming (hopefully the shorts are good for that). 3. If you prefer to sleep in shorts. 4. When you're washing your jeans.

-Two shirts. These are both suited for the average climate of where you're heading. Too hot? Roll the sleeves up. Too cold? Put the other shirt on, on top of the one you have on now. They should be extremely durable, because they're going to be absorbing sweat, food, smoke, and more. Don't worry about the smell, because it's just what Axe Body Spray is going for these days anyway.

-Toothbrush and Toothpaste. It goes without saying, but brush after every meal, if you can. The toothpaste can also serve as mouthwash or a breathmint.

-Dental floss. You'll get stuff stuck between your teeth, and it's good hygiene to floss anyway. It can also serve as emergency string.

-Reusable Water Bottle. It doesn't matter what kind you get, and it's really your choice if you want one with BPAs floating around in it - they're delicious. Use it for water, and try to keep it full wherever you go, because you never know when you might need it. Of course, you can always fill it with some other beverages or even use it as a container when cooking.

-A non-computer with wi-fi connectivity. I use my iPod touch, and a lot of cell phones are also great for this. You can check your email, Facebook, whatever, and really, you don't need to post your pictures until you get home.

-A Jacket. Either fleece, or a combination fleece+rain jacket. Sweatshirts are far too bulky.

-A Rain Coat. Either get a compactible one that you wear on top of your jacket, or, as above, just have a warm jacket that has a waterproof layer.

-One Book, and only one. You're not going to have time to read the other one.

-Drugs: one bottle of painkillers, one bottle of stomach relief. These two should be able to fix 90% of the ailments you run into, whether you ask for them or not.

-A pen/pencil. You'll need to write notes sometimes, but you'll always be able to find something to write on, at the very least, yourself.

-All-purpose Soap. This soap can be used on your hair, body, face, clothes, and almost anything else. If think you need a bunch of cosmetics, you're never going to pack light.

-Underwear and Socks as needed. I find that 3 days per pair is the normal maximum, and you can go over if necessary. Really, unless there's dirt or bugs on the stuff, it's nothing to worry about.

I think I've left a few things out, but that brings me to another point (again, it might only apply in developed countries):

-If you leave something out, you can always get it at your destination.

Happy travels!