dulciusexasperis

What to pack is a topic that comes up regularly on travel forums. Packing too much is one of the two commonest mistakes that travellers make, along with trying to see too much in too little time. Over time, my wife and I have refined our packing list to reach a balance between comfort/safety and weight. So here is my packing list:

*Pack:* Vaude Triset 25+4. I’ve had this pack for a few years now and the fit for me is excellent. I like the Aeroflex back and find that with a wicking t-shirt my back stays dry (sweat free) all day. It’s more than big enough.

*Clothing:*

*3 wicking T-shirts* Columbia Omni-Wick. 2 short sleeve and one long sleeve. I may try one of Columbia’s new Omni-Freeze instead of the standard Omni-Wick I’m used to.

*2 long sleeve shirts* Royal Robbins Expedition Light. Light weight, wicking, UV protection, low wrinkle and smart enough looking for anywhere.

*3 pair pants* North Face Paramount Peak. These are convertible to shorts (zip-off legs) and easy to wash and dry overnight.

*1 rain jacket* North Face Venture. Packable into one of it’s own pockets. Edit: this jacket weighs 14 ozs. And I am now looking at changing to a Marmot Micra which weighs 7 ozs. That will save nearly half a pound!

*1 down vest* Ralph Lauren. A lightweight down vest that can pack into it’s own pocket. Don’t ask, it was a gift but I have to say at least it doesn’t have a big RL logo on it anywhere.

*3 pr. Underwear* Icebreaker 150 merino wool. Keep you cool, don’t smell, feel great and dry quite quickly.

*3 pr. Socks* Rohner original merino wool medium weight. I’ve worn this brand for many years. Arguably the best hiking sock made.

*1 pr. Hiking boots* New Balance H710 Very light, breathable and fit like my skin. These were the first light weight hiking boots made. In 1984, Lou Whittaker wore one of the first pair to the top of the North Col of Mt. Everest. They’ll take you anywhere you are likely to go.

Other items:

*1 first aid kit* My own assembly of items.

*1 toiletry kit* The usual but only smaller quantities ie. Toothpaste. A 4 oz. bottle of Couglan’s concentrated camp soap will wash anything you can wash in water. You, your clothes, your hair, dishes, etc. You use a very small amount so it will usually last around 3 months.

*Miscellaneous* A swiss army knife (never leave home without it), compass, map, baseball hat, 2 – 1 litre plastic water bottles, bandana, small LED flashlight, space blanket, sunglasses, matches, a couple of energy bars. The ‘ten essentials of backpacking’ are covered. Also passport,tickets, money, bank cards, etc. (no wallet, I use my pocket)

Here is my weight chart. Pounds rounded up to 2 decimal places.


Pack: 1200 grams/2.64 lbs.

T-shirts: (4.8oz. x 2, 6.2oz. x 1= 15.8 oz.) 448 grams/0.99 lbs.

Shirts: (5.0 oz. x 2 = 10.0 oz.) 284 grams/0.63 lbs.

Pants: (17.6 oz. x 3 = 52.8 oz.) 1500 grams/3.30 lbs.

Rain Jacket: 400 grams/0.88 lbs.

Down Vest: 284 grams/0.63 lbs.

Underwear: (3.0oz. x 3 = 9.0 oz.) 85 grams/0.56 lbs.

Socks: (2.82 oz. x 3 = 8.46 oz.) 80 grams/0.53 lbs.

Hiking boots: 454 grams/1.00 lbs.

First aid kit: 354 grams/0.78 lbs.

Toiletry kit: 340 grams/0.75 lbs.

Miscellaneous: (approximate) 454 grams/1.00 lbs.



Total all items: 6.21 kg./13.69 lbs.


Off course you have to add the weight of water carried, 1 or 2 litres at 1kg/2.2lbs. per litre as well as a ‘picnic lunch’ when hiking usually. Say another .5kg/1.1 lbs. But then you have to subtract what I am wearing and therefore not carrying in the pack. That can be as low as 1.15 kg./2.54 lbs. (shorts, t-shirt, socks, underwear, boots).



Total carried (dry weight): 5.06kg./11.16 lbs.



Maximum load carried (wet weight): 7 .56 kg./16.67 lbs.

I’d love to break that 7 kg. maximum but just can’t see how to get there without sacrificing comfort or safety. Of course I am well under it when in a town or on the plane.



My wife’s weights are slightly less primarily due to smaller clothes sizes and therefore slight weight reductions on each item. She carries a small make-up kit instead of a first aid kit and her miscellaneous items differ as well. She carries a skirt in place of one pair of pants on my list and a pair of ‘dressy’ sandals. On our next trip she will carry her Ipad for taking photos, making calls (Skype) and internet access (I don’t care about any of those). It’s relatively heavy at 652 grams/1.44 lbs. but she feels it’s worth it. Overall her list is basically the same for clothing. Her total dry weight is just under 5 kg./11 lbs. Her wet weight is almost right on the 7 kg. mark.

I call this the 3 for 3 pack. Good for three seasons and any number of days from 3 to infinity. Whether on a city break or in the country; whether travelling for 7 days or 7 months, on streets or hiking trails, it makes no difference. We have dined in Michelin starred restaurants and stayed in 5 star hotels with this kind of packing as well as spent weeks hiking in the Alps or sailing in the Virgin Islands.

The only other item sometimes added is a pair of Teva sandals. They are only added if it will be really hot weather or we plan on visiting beaches. They weigh 680 grams/1.50 lbs. but generally when we need them we don’t need a rain jacket or down vest and so the overall weight remains the same. If travelling alone, some items that are shared would have to be carried by the individual and would increase overall weight by perhaps 7-8%.

The key to successful packing is to always take the lowest weight item you can find that will do the job. Look for multiple use items (like camp soap) that can replace several individual items. My wife adds, colour co-ordinate everything to look good. Pack smart, not heavy. Packing light does not mean doing without, it means packing the right choices for each item.

Your problem rankourabu (or Mrs. rankourabu's) is not the length of time you travel for or climates you encounter, it is knowing how to pack light enough to go with a carry-on bag only if that is what you want to do.