As someone who travels a lot, I’ve learned a thing or two about how to make the experience as painless as possible. I’ll write about some of those things from time to time on this blog.
For this post, I’m going to share my #1 rule. It’s about packing. Here it is:
Eliminate stuff you don’t really need. Especially if it weighs a lot.
Stuff you don’t need adds weight to your bag, and weight is the enemy. You don’t want unneeded weight when you are suffering through delays, running to catch a flight, or slogging through the heat.
Extra stuff also consumes space in your bags. Space consumption is not as big of a problem as weight, but in these days of tight carry-on restrictions, every little bit of saved space counts.
How do you eliminate stuff you don’t need? Apply the Six Month Test.
The Six Month Test
To make sure I really need what I carry, I go through my bag every couple of months. For each item in my bag, I ask myself:
have I used this in the last six months?
If the answer is “no,” out of the bag it goes. Lots of stuff has been ejected from my bag based on this test.
If the answer is “yes,” I ask a second question:
was it worth the weight and bulk it added to my bag? Again, if the answer is “no,” out it goes.
The six month test has really helped me streamline what I carry, and made travel a lot more pleasant.
Some Examples
Over the years, I have wasted precious ounces carrying all kinds of things I didn’t need, and, in many cases, things I didn’t use.
A good example: the
Belkin 3-Outlet Mini Travel Swivel Charger Surge Protector with Dual USB Ports. It’s great, but really how often do I need a multi outlet surge suppressor? It is rather bulky and weighs over 3 ounces. In the first 18 months I carried it, I needed it once. Gone.
Another example: the
Grid-It cable organizer. This product nicely organizes my cables, but it weighs a whopping 12 ounces. That’s almost a full pound! Gone. I can live with a .5 ounce pouch for my cables instead!
Why did I carry these things? I read gushing reviews about them posted by bloggers who probably travel 5 or less times a year. I never really stopped to think realistically about how useful they would be for
me. They’re out of my bag now, and my back is thanking me for it.
Exceptions to the Rule
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule.
One example is medicine. I hope you never need Immodium on the road, but if you do, you’ll be glad you have it! (Check the expiration dates in your medicine pouch once a year.)
Another example: anything you occasionally need to get your job done. For me, that means a backup and HDMI dongle for my Macbook Air’s display port. I’ve only it once in the last several years, but it really saved my skin the one time my primary failed.
Think About You
Keep in mind: the elimination of weight is a rule for
me. What is important to
you may be different. What is important to a tech blogger may be different.
But if you travel a lot, give it a shot. Go through your bag, and ask yourself: do I really use this? Do I really need it? You might be surprised how much you can get rid of!
