I've been traveling now throughout the world for twenty years. Tack on my three years of high school weekend trips up to Quebec City that we made say a dozen of back in those days
(we'd drive four or five hours up, three or four of us in the car, inevitably get harassed and have the car searched by Canadian customs ( we were straight edged hippies with long hair: so we *deserved* it. Canada: by far the worst migra in the world for US Citizens in my experience, and I've been to Bulgaria when it was still communist - Anyway, we then would spend the weekend in Quebec City on thirty or forty dollars apiece, including gas money. Slept in car, snuck into le Chateau Frontenac, where we'd wander the halls and steal uneaten food of from abandoned room service carts outside of rooms - then we'd go out to Chez Dagobert - the discotheque by the walls of the old city and get the ritual Fuzzy Navel - I was a near teetotaler back then, and did not get drunk, but every time I went to Quebec in those days I'd get a fuzzy navel, which is orange juice mixed with a couple ounces of peach schnapps, something I would never think of drinking now, but that back then seemed to me to be exotic and hopelessly romantic - there's simple pleasure in youth and idiocy.. Inexperience makes for revelation in everything. It's really one of the few good reasons to be young.. So.. In Quebec we'd go to the mall and try to meet girls - we'd meet them, speak excrebable French - back in those days I could barely deploy a sentence - and make awkward - and I think mildly charming fools out of ourselves.. )
and I can say that I've been tramping about the planet now for over two decades.
I've learned in my time some things. I've got my travel down to a near science.. albeit a science that I nearly always violate on one principle, that of parsimony in almost all things, knowing that I'll regret it mildly, but never truly repenting:
I almost always bring too many books with me. More than two books is alway too many. You need (maybe) a guidebook, and one good novel that you can read while on the bus or whatever. No more. That's all you need, but I rarely have the discipline to keep myself to that. This trip I am carrying three bags- a 46 liter main bag (carry-on size, but cavernous and very well built Osprey Porter 46 - 5 stars, tough, humble, pure in it's simplicity. If you need luggage, and want functionality and do not care about making a fashion statement, get this bag), a camera/laptop carrier made of tough canvas (carries both 13" mac and my Nikon, a bit tight, but adequately), and a daypack for my books and computer peripherals. That's it. I carry a convenient cloth sack to throw my book of the moment in, and snacks and drinks for long bus rides and things like that.
I'm slightly overpacked, but I can still walk-on to a flight and not have to check anything if I really wanted to.
It's a minor pain in the ass to carry everything, but not much of one. I can, and have, walked with my stuff for miles on several occasions on this trip.
Here is a list of things that I've decided that I will always travel with, that many people might consider extraneous.. But that I have been using over and over again with great pleasure here in Mexico profundo:
1.) a small spray bottle of alcohol. Cleans everything, and keeps my hands clean after touching uncouth things.
2.) several packs (when you plan on being gone for months like I am) unscented baby wipes. These are utterly crucial. Used to keep clean on buses, in nasty bathrooms, anywhere.
3.) a 6' extension cord with a 3 plug end. This makes it possible to plug everything in at once (in Mexico the current and plugs are the same as at home) - I have a converter plug that I attach on it that makes a three pronged plug on my long mac cord (with the third round grounding prong) into a normal double pronged plug, as well. I can easily plug everything I need to in (battery rechargers, computer, clippers, whatever) simultaneously, even when (as is often the case in cheap Mexican hotel rooms) there is only one or two double pronged plugs in odd, inconvenient places in the room..
4.) a compass. This is useful everywhere, but especially in strange cities. I have decent sense of direction, but still can make mistakes. A compass orientates a map every time, with no confusion, which can save you time and many senseless walked blocks of frustration..
5.) a small stack of plastic cups. A small luxury in cheap hotel rooms without glassware, when you want to drink soda or tequila or wine or whatever. Very pleasant addition.
6.) A compact Swiss Army knife with only six things: a 2" blade, a bottle opener, a can opener, a corkscrew, an awl, and a short 1" blade. I also have a toothpick and slight tweezers in mine. This is the essential picnic tool. You can open anything, anywhere, and cut food to size. Essential. Just be careful to put it in your stown luggage if you fly, or they will confiscate it (Go Homeland Security!) .. It sucks having to pay a 20-30$ idiot tax every time you fly like I've done a few times.. I don't forget putting it in checked luggage, anymore. I carry a spoon and serrated steak knife with me, too. Eat anything, anywhere.
7.) your marine band harmonica, key of C. The best instrument in the world.
8.) your iPod with many books on tape on it, and the essential road mix.
9.) earplugs and eye cover for sleeping. I'm also carrying a 20$ compactly stuff able pillow (attached to the outside of my bag with a quality carabiner) and a sleeping bag liner, which acts as a convenient blanket on buses. Makes any uncomfortable situation much more pleasant.
10.) a half dozen good carabiners. Attach anything, anywhere, fast.
11.) packing cubes. I organize everything in a set of multi colored see through waterproof mesh bags when I pack. You find things much easier, and everything in you luggage is always in order by type.
12.) a good travel alarm clock that gives to the time in multiple timezones, illuminates, etc.
13.) I believe in fiber. I carry a small thing of metamucil, and take a teaspoon or two every day or so. Keeps the innards in order, no matter where or what you are eating.
14.) that's not it, but that's all I'm going to type this afternoon.
I have a sleeping bag stuffed in a compression sack (carabined to the outside of my large bag) as well as a 5 x 10' tarp with four stakes and lines, as well (and this was a big splurge in packing, one that I have yet to use, but know I will eventually) a small packed hammock. The sleeping bag has been key, and the tarp may be, if I need to sleep out. I debated bringing all of these, but am glad I have, especially the sleeping bag.
There. The hard distilled agave of many years experience. I'm going to look for some tacos, now.. Salud.
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