Principles Of Weight Loss

I glossed over this topic in an earlier post, but I thought that it didn't quite ramble enough.

1. The Half Rule Of Packing

If you lay out all the clothes you want to bring and reduce them by halve, you will still have enough to wear. True to this rule, I ended up wearing only half the clothes I packed during my China trip.  It may be challenging to think beyond "just in case", but why pack something that you'll use once or twice? A place that has cold snaps is sure to sell scarves if you are caught without one. A place where it rains sometimes will surely have umbrellas if you need one.

2. Need Versus Want

Be honest with yourself. Do you need it, or do you just want to have it with you? There are some things we can go without, but the trade-off may be that we are a little unhappier without it. It's a matter of balancing light travel and creature comforts.

• Sleeping bag: Some argue that you never need to use your own because there are ones available for hire or accommodation will always supply enough warm bedding for their guests. 
• Jeans: Your favorite pair of comfortable jeans is hard to leave behind, but they're heavy, difficult to wash and take ages to dry. On the other hand, they're warm, durable, make you look less like a tourist than cargo convertibles and can be worn casually as well as be dressed up. If you're not fussy on jeans, you can buy a cheap pair at your destination and then donate it once you're through. There are some "travel" jeans on the market that look and feel like jeans but are lighter, wrinkle less and dry quicker.
• Hairdryer and straightening iron: This is a no-brainer to leave behind, but then these are things that I rarely use at home. Depending on your accommodation plans, you may have access to these while you're travelling.
• Waterproof jacket: Some people say that they never end up using them because they're uncomfortable and hot, but they may be useful if you're anticipating a lot of rain. I tend to think that a poncho is better in that you can throw them over your small backpack too.

If you can't leave some of these things at home, consider the next rules to help at least lighten your load.

3. Think Multi-Purpose

Bringing things that can be used as other things and "making do" means that you can leave other things behind. For example:

• Multi-tool: Cut back on packing fiddly gadgets and get a Swiss Army Knife or a Leatherman with the essentials like a knife, scissors, tweezers, can opener, bottle opener, metal file... though note that it must go into checked baggage at the airport.
• Buff: Great for cold weather and sun protection; use it as a neck scarf, beanie, head band, eye mask, balaclava, dust mask, muffler...
• Sarong: A dress, wrap, privacy screen, curtain, table cloth, towel, beach rug, bed sheet... it's quick to dry and packs small.
• Baby oil: Fine for shaving, as a lubricant, massage oil, used very sparingly as a body moisturiser or hair conditioner to control fly-aways and dry static hair. If it's good for baby, it's good for you!
• Shoes: Don't bring winter boots, summer sandals, sneakers, dress shoes and flip flops. Where are you going to pack it all? Your shoes should be suitable for more than one kind of condition or season. Read my entry on The Magical All-Purpose Backpacker's Shoe.
• Convertibles: They make you look like a tourist, but these pants have zip-off legs to convert into shorts. There are varied lengths of shorts you can get, from short to long to capri. Also worth a look at are skirt-dresses that can be a strapless knee-length dress or a long skirt.

4. Miniatures And Light-weights

Many things are usable in travel-size, can be packed small, or are lightweight because of advanced design and material technologies. They cost more but could be worth the investment.

• Towels: Small chamois that professional swimmers use or microfibre hair and travel towels take up much less space. You don't use all of a full size towel to dry yourself. My hair is halfway down my back and a 40cm x 80cm microfibre towel can absorb excess water from my hair as well as dry my skin completely without reaching saturation point. They dry quicker than cotton towels too. If you want something larger to lie on at the beach or to cover yourself, use your sarong.
• Travel guitars: Can't live without your guitar? There are many travel sized guitars on the market, acoustic, electric-acoustic and electric. They are easy enough to sling over your shoulder for camping, and some are small enough to fit into a bag and the overhead compartments of airplanes. Read my article about travel guitars.
• Down insulation: Down sleeping bags and jackets are warmer than synthetics, yet are lighter and pack smaller into compression bags. Their main disadvantage is that if they get wet, they are heavy, take forever to dry out, and lose all their warming abilities.
• Quick-dry: Packing clothes that dry quicker can mean packing less items if a shirt is ready to be worn again after washing it a few hours ago. 
• Menstrual cups: Instead of packing bulky sanitary napkins and tampons, or finding out where they are sold (they can be scarce in some places), ladies can use a menstrual cup. They're made of silicone or latex and are washable, reusable, take up no space and are good for the environment because they produce no waste. Popular brands include DivaCup and MoonCup.

Taking these principles on board could help lighten your load and make your trip more enjoyable if you keep your mind open to innovation, making do and adventure. Leave your princess at home!