#travel #bag #minimalism
Another „What’s in my bag“? Yes, one more – but perhaps from a new/different perspective. On the internet, you can find many entries that all describe how great the combination A with B is, that accessory C is definitely a must-have and you can buy it under this affiliate link, etc. etc. etc. This has particularly annoyed me because I was looking for something completely different. I am not interested in how well the lens of manufacturer H works with the camera of manufacturer K, nor am I interested in why a wallet for the particularly hip cosmopolitan should not be able to take cash.
So, as I often do when I can’t find what I’m looking for, I decided to write my own „What’s in my bag“. But before I start criticizing, I need to explain what I’m trying to achieve: I often find myself packing my bag, only taking what I think is important or necessary. However, I then find that my needs, the contents, and the bag don’t match up. I could list what I pack and what I could leave behind, that I need a bigger bag, etc. – but what I’m really interested in is thinking about why I’m taking something, what I want to do with it, is my approach correct, and does it work in practice?
So, we come to phase one: Do everything as before – very important. Then, while traveling, observe what you use from your bag and how you use it. How often do you really need one thing or another. And I’m not talking about a piece of soap (top tip from the influencer crowd: you can buy soap everywhere, leave it at home. Wow, I’ve been traveling much more carefree since then…), but rather finding compromises. For my camera, I have a wide-angle lens 10-24mm and a standard lens 18-55mm. If I pack the wide-angle five times and only use it once, I’ll leave it at home in the future. The same goes for the famous spare pants – do I really need them on every trip? What about the fully packed electronics bag? If my laptop lasts 8 or 10 hours on battery (no, not that overhyped gadget that doesn’t keep its promises), then I might not need to bring the power bank. The same goes for the smartphone or feature phone – if they last longer than a day and a half – then I don’t really need a power bank (I have a Japanese one that lasts two days). Shoes would be the next topic. I often travel for both business and pleasure. So, I always have to consider which shoes to bring. These ultrafancy blue-neon sneakers (yes, I really have them) or the serious black loafers? After a few trips, I’ve noticed that shoes are only semi-relevant. So, I now wear black sneakers for mixed activities. They work for both business and pleasure. I briefly considered white sneakers for business meetin… just kidding.
Phase two: You come back from a trip, and the way you pack quickly loses priority, so you forget about it. I think that’s the biggest mistake. Before you unpack, you should consciously think about what you needed. Then take every item out of your bag individually: a pile of what was important and useful and a pile of what was not useful or what you didn’t use. Then, for the pile that shouldn’t come with you next time, consider if there are things that should still be included. For example, I always have a cutlery set (spoon, fork, and knife) with me, as well as a reusable water bottle and a small multitool (with knife, bottle opener, file, 5cm ruler, etc.) on my keychain.
So now we know what we probably need and what we’ve been carrying too much. What’s missing is what changes per trip. If someone is going to Sweden in December, they will probably take different clothes than if they were going to Provence in July. So, always keep in mind that the composition can change depending on the trip.
Phase three (final phase): On the next trip, we will proceed with the insights gained from before. First, pack what you definitely need (over time, a solid basis will emerge that will definitely be with you). Then add what seems useful for the specific trip. And then the most important part: Make sure to repeat and record whether your assessment was correct. This will give things priority. Of course, my smartphone can take photos (quite good ones), but it does not replace my camera. Since I like to take photos and enjoy photography, the camera (priority) must come with me.
I hope this helps and clarifies what I meant. And the photo at the top was a bit of a joke 😉