How does he do it?

I am a gear fanatic. I spend unnecessarily obsessive hours doing product research on fabric weights and breathability ratings of outdoor apparel and travel accessories. When it came time to travel, I had a carefully-selected jigsaw puzzle of quality travel gear that fit, with room for food supplies, into what is classified as a daypack. The trip has lasted 6 months; that means summer as well as winter gear had to fit into the fucker. And you know what? It fit into the overhead compartment on the plane.

Friends and acquaintances, upon hearing descriptions of this endeavor, bestowed upon me nicknames such as two-pants Eytan and other such insults (compliments), but as soon as they saw my pack, they asked me how I did it. This blog is my answer.

Know that none of the products listed here were supplied to me, and I received no money for lauding their virtues (sadly). Now it is time for the magician to reveal his secrets.

How to pack light

We will start with general concepts, then move on to specific suggestions.

1) Pack less shit. You'd think this was simple, but nobody follows this rule, despite being the most important. They simply keep stuffing things into the pack "just in case." Then they throw it in the trash on the road because they realize they don't need it. Instead of thinking about what you can add, try to think of what you can cut out. A famous man once said that. His name was Bruce Lee.

2) Mail shit home. Instead of buying stuff all the time, buy souvenirs in spurts and go to the post office. A medium-sized package will rarely cost more than $20, it will arrive in a week or two, and if you're worried about it not showing up, mail two small ones. You'll be happy you don't have to carry all that garbage around for a month.

3) Leave the laptop at home. Yes, I know Facebook is important to you, but you're traveling. Live a little! There is nothing you can do with your laptop that you can't also do from an internet cafe, and if there isn't one, there won't be wi-fi either. Internet access is free at most hostels, and if you do have to pay, it won't be much.

Packs

See the photo? That's an 80 liter pack next to my 20. That's 60 liters of shit you don't need.

To figure out what size you need, take everything you're going to bring with you, fold it neatly, and pile it into a tower. Then buy a pack half that size and cut shit out. 30 to 40 liters should be enough. Most people bring 50 to 60.

Definitely go to a camping or hiking store and have one of the experts help you get it fitted. Packs are made to distribute weight evenly, and you should barely be able to feel the weight of a fully loaded pack. If it hurts, it doesn't fit right. You can cut weight by buying an ultra-light pack, but don't overdo it. Find something that feels good, regardless of size. Better to have a heavy pack that feels good than a lightweight one that sucks. You can always leave it half-empty.

One thing to look for is a pack with a ventilated back panel. This allows air to circulate and sweat to escape, making you less disgusting and more presentable. Osprey and Gregory make a few of these that seem to earn excellent reviews.

Base Layer

People asked me how I had 6 months worth of clothing in a daypack. The secret is to carry clothing for 1 week, and wash frequently.

The outdoor apparel industry is the standard bearer of endless technical revolutions, and in the last few years, has become fashionable as well. All my clothing is hiking clothing. It is extraordinary performance apparel, and looks really cool.

1) Shirts. Do not buy cotton. It offers no insulation value, soaks up sweat, and stays wet all day long. Get polyester or merino wool. Both wick sweat and dry quickly, thereby keeping you cooler in the summer, and warmer in winter, and you can wash them in the sink. I am a big fan of Patagonia's Capilene line, which offers excellent performance, and also contains an anti-odor treatment (polyester usually soaks up body odor), and the lightest weight version looks like an ordinary t-shirt.

If you're not familiar with merino wool, it is a super-comfortable natural fabric that provides similar performance abilities, but feels even less clammy than polyester. It is also itch, shrink, and odor-free. You can wear it for a week and no one will know. However, it is also twice as expensive at $50 a t-shirt. It also dries a bit slower than polyester, making sink-washing a bit slower (it can also over-stretch when soaked; wring it out gently and lay flat to dry). This can be mitigated by buying the lightest weight fabrics. Brands include Icebreaker, Smartwool, Ibex and Patagonia. All use the same material, so just pick what fits and looks cool.

I prefer ultra-light t-shirts rather than heavy pieces. They work in summer to cool off, but still work as winter base layers. If you buy warm base layers, you can only wear them in winter, and you'll have to carry t-shirts anyway. Secondly, they dry faster, making sink-washing easier. I prefer to leave the insulation to the other layers, which you won't need to wash as often. Lastly, buy stuff that looks cool. There should be no difference between daytime performance and evening coolness. If you feel awkward wearing it, you will end up not wearing it.

2) Underwear. The same rules apply here. Let me tell you, having performance underwear feels just as good as it sounds. Spoil yourself.

In winter, you should probably get at least one pair of long underwear. It will prevent the heat loss from your legs and keep your entire body warmer. I like to wear regular underwear underneath them, so I don't have to wash the long underwear as frequently. I went with green, so I can look like Robin Hood.

Tip: if you go clubbing in them, you will feel as if your legs are on fire. If you plan on going out, leave them and deal with being cold on the walk to the club.

Pants and Shorts

You will probably ignore my advice and just bring jeans. This is fine for moderate conditions, but they are bulky, heavy, too warm in summer, and dry slowly. If you get caught in heavy rain, they will be wet for the rest of the trip.

However, I believe the industry has some work to do in offering alternatives. Most hiking pants are made of ultra-thin nylon, which is lightweight and breathable, with a million pockets and zip-off legs to double as shorts. These are nice, but look a bit silly, and they are awful in the rain. Hikers have rain pants, but these look silly too.

A few companies use Schoeller Dynamic, a fabric which is comfy, stretchy, breathable, lightweight, packs easily, but is also water-resistant, able to shed light rain and dry quickly. It also looks like ordinary cotton. It is awesome. Companies using this fabric include REI, Montbell, Cloudveil, and BeyondFleece. Patagonia and Arcteryx make a few pieces with similar proprietary fabrics. However, these all look rather hikery.

Tip: if you get pants that actually fit, you can skip the belt. This saves weight, and the pack straps won't force it to dig into your hips. If you want a belt, consider one of the lightweight, thin webbing ones (though if you wear your pants low, this won't be a problem).

Guess what? If you get quick-drying nylon shorts, you don't need to pack a swimsuit. And ladies, remember that most foreign countries are rather progressive. You can pack lighter and smaller by going topless, and wearing a thong. :)

Outerwear

Learn to layer. It is better to buy a couple small pieces you can wear in cool weather, and then layer them together when it gets really cold, rather than buying one big parka you can only wear in Antarctica. Learn the nuances of the term "warmth-to-weight ratio." Heavier does not mean warmer.

1) Insulation. Two main choices: fleece, or down/synthetic insulation (those big puffy jackets). Fleece is light, warm, soft, breathable, comfy, insulates even when wet, comes in a variety of weights, and even windproof and water-resistant styles. Think about what you'll need and plan accordingly. Again, I prefer a lightweight, simple sweater as a midlayer, expecially since I have nothing but t-shirts, as it looks more casual than a heavy-duty fleece jacket, and can be worn indoors without looking weird. Alternatively, the merino wool companies make a number of midlayers that perform nicely.

For colder conditons, you should strongly consider down or synthetic insulation. There is nothing on the planet warmer for its weight than goose down, nor anything more compressible. It is triple the warmth of fleece for the same weight, and packs down to half the size. Since the down is contained within a nylon shell, they are also windproof and water-resistant, making them good outer layers. Synthetic insulation offers the same advantages; however, it is heavier and less compressible than down; the advantage is that it performs in wet conditions, whereas down does not. I live it Seattle, so I went with synthetic. The last thing to consider is that since the shell is nylon, it can get clammy if you're sweating. It usually feels nicer to have something underneath it. Again, for this reason, layering is important; I had a fleece sweater underneath, which felt comfortable, and the synthetic down jacket on top, which made an excellent outerlayer.

I cannot find enough good things to say about Montbell's line of ludicrously lightweight down jackets. Mine earned a nickname ("the 8-ounce"), and no one believed it was warm. Nothing on the market compares in terms of weight or compressibility; they start at 7 ounces and go to winter parka size. The only real competitor is Patagonia, which has a similar, slightly heavier item called the Down Sweater. Both companies make hooded versions, as well as synthetic ones.

2) Raingear. Do not be a pansy and stay inside when it rains. Buy yourself a rain jacket or an umbrella for $3 and enjoy your travel experiences without wasting away a day fooling yourself into believing the weather is too atrocious to venture out into. Jump in a few puddles. Go crazy.

I believe we are all familiar enough with Gore-tex and equivalent materials that I do not need to pontificate on such topics. Suffice it to say you will need something waterproof and breathable, which is 99% of rainwear these days, so just get something lightweight that fits nicely and looks good. You will not need to spend $500 on some super high-tech bulletproof contraption with crazy panels and fluorescent neon colors. If it looks weird, you will leave it in the pack. Plenty of $100 models such as the Marmot Precip perform perfectly nicely and don't make you look like a storm trooper. Also, don't get something insulated. Layer underneath if it's too cold. What will you do with an insulated rain jacket on a rainy day that is also warm?

Socks

This deserves its own category. Remember what I was saying about merino wool? It cut its teeth in the sock market.

The day I bought a pair of these, I threw out all my white cotton gym socks and replaced them with merino socks. Seriously, there is nothing more comfortable for your feet. It absorbs sweat, so they don't feel clammy, warming in cold weather and cooling in warm weather, dries quickly, and even insulates when wet (within limits). It is also soft and plush, doesn't itch and actually gets softer with extended use. If I haven't convinced you yet, they are also odor-free. It takes about a week of heavy use for them to retain any odor, and if you air them out overnight, they will be like-new by morning. Oh yeah, seamless toes.

There are a million brands out there, Smartwool being the biggest. They have a rather extensive line (do they really need separate socks for snowboarding vs. skiing?) I'm a fan of their "Adrenaline" series for warm weather. I've also used Patagonia and Dahlgren and have been satisfied with all of them.

You won't be able to find a sock out there that works both in summer and winter weather. It will simply be too thick or thin for all purposes. My solution was to buy light to midweight hiking socks, and just wear 2 pairs in winter. This could get a little stuffy in all but cold weather, but I think layering is better than buying twice as many socks you can only use half the time.

Tip: after sink washing, hang the socks by their toes. The water will drain to the ankle and calf area. If they're not quite dry by morning, this is better than having leftover moisture in the toe area where it will be inside a shoe and will have trouble drying out.

Shoes

Here is a major suggestion. Get only one pair of shoes.

I met a guy with one pair of hiking boots, one pair of running shoes, and one pair of nice shoes. How about: get shoes that look good...AND feel good?

I know you think you will, but you probably won't go hiking, so you don't really need hiking boots. If you are going hiking, remember you are cutting the weight of your pack down to a minimum, and can get by quite easily with light hikers, a few of which look like--that's right--ordinary shoes.

I think the ideal is something along the lines of Timberland-style boots, which offer excellent traction and support, and are styled like what old people call casual shoes, and what young people call dress shoes. Just find something you'd feel comfortable wearing at a club--beauty is in the eye of the beholder--and then walk around in them for a while and see if they're comfortable. Remember, you will be walking around with them all day, every day. Do not cut corners on footwear.

I went with something in the "casual shoe" section of a camping and hiking store, where they only sell high-performance footwear, meaning they were casual, but felt fantastic. These went with me hiking, climbing, clubbing, raving and everywhere it between. They looked nice and my feet never, ever felt sore. Sadly, 6 months of day in, day out use eventually wore a hole in the sole through which puddles snuck in. I picked up a pair of what I thought were the coolest looking waterproof light hikers I could find.

I did, however, have a pair of flip-flops for summer use. Also, if you know you're going somewhere with rain or snow, get something waterproof. Cold, wet feet will ruin your whole day.

Ladies, you might have some trouble with this one. The whims of female fashion are more vicious than they are for men, and you may have to break down and get a pair of fancy shoes for evening attire. Just know that you will only need one of these, as you are traveling. You will not meet anyone twice who will be able to point out you are wearing the same pair of shoes, except other scruffy backpackers who are in no place to make comments.

Toiletries

I believe we have all showered frequently enough that I do not need to make any suggestions here, except that you should--

Get a microtowel. This is by far the easiest and cheapest way to save weight and space. Microtowels are made from super-absorbent polyester, wring out 90% dry, and dry quickly. They weigh practically nothing, take up no space, and cost under $20. By the way, you don't really need a full-size one; I got by with a washcloth size and it was okay.

Remember that we talked about washing clothes in the sink. I used CampSuds, which is super-concentrated stuff that requires several drops per item. It is also bio-degradable. They make a citronella-infused one that is also a bug repellent. If all your clothes have been washed in bug-repelling citronella, you might not need to apply bug spray as often (if you're going somewhere where it's needed).

Ultralight hikers tend to shave off some weight here too; you can put medication in plastic bags instead of bottles, use a comb instead of a hairbrush, or skip it altogether, and so on. Everything adds up.

One last thing--if you only budget for travel-sized items, you will have trouble on the road as it is hard to find these sizes in ordinary stores, and you will probably end up buying larger ones anyway. Just make sure to budget the extra room. And by the way, the stupid airlines have banned bottles above 100 mL (3 oz). This is a stupid, stupid, stupid rule, but just remember to have small bottles. To circumvent the rule completely, you can buy lots and lots of small bottles. It doesn't matter how much liquid you carry, as long as they are in small bottles (does this make sense to anyone? god I hate airlines).

Photography

If you demand on bringing one of those football-sized SLRs so you can take beautiful pictures all the time, good for you. You will have beautiful pictures.

For the rest of us there is a plethora of super-compact cameras on the market that take excellent pictures as well. I'm sure I don't have to convince you of the advantages of having a camera that fits in your pocket vs. having a camera that needs a wheelbarrow. For those of you who want to backup your pictures, don't bring your laptop. Bring the cable or a little USB reader and upload the pictures once or twice a week to an internet photo website like Flickr. Comfort, security, no extra weight.

Canon seems to be the leader in the microscopic camera category, though Sony has some strong models as well. The only things that matter to me for cameras besides photo quality are ease of use and battery life, the latter of which Sony and Casio seem to lead the pack. But I'm not the camera expert. Check out www.dcresource.com.

Sleeping Bags

You do not need a sleeping bag.

What's that you say? You're going camping? I'm sorry, I don't believe you. Ah, I see. You MIGHT go camping. Maybe. Listen, you are not going camping. I will bet you a beer.

Ah, you're getting it so that you don't have to pay for the sheets at hostels. Yes, this is true, sometimes you have to pay $1 for sheets. I agree, it's totally worth bringing a sleeping bag with you all day, every day, for the once-per-month-or-two cost of $1 or $2. Totally.

Here's an idea. Buy a sleeping bag liner. It will take up no space at all and will provide a perfectly comfortable (non-winter, indoor) night's sleep. They are generally made of base-layer material, which means they wick sweat, regulate temperature, and don't smell.

If in fact you are going camping (I owe you a beer), then check out the ultra-compressible 1 pound (half-kilo) works of art now on the market. The ones that use goose down, just like jackets, are the warmest things on earth for their size and weight--meaning for reasonable warmth, they will be tiny. Some are as small as a 1-liter Nalgene bottle.

I made do with an emergency sleeping bag, which is made of ultra-thin metal and is super warm. It is windproof and waterproof, which means it isn't breathable, so if you sweat at all, you will feel like you are trapped in a wet garbage bag. I can't recommend this for long-term use, but it's not a bad idea for, as the name suggests, emergency (stuck in bus station) situations. I expect that slipping a sleeping bag liner inside would mitigate the problem, as would cutting vents in the side to let it breathe.

By the way, do not get a winter-weight sleeping bag "just in case" you might go winter camping someday. I bet you 5 beers you will never, ever go outdoor winter camping. Ever. Ultralight hikers nowadays buy summer sleeping bags, and simply wear their warm clothes while sleeping. This saves weight, space, and money. And remember those sleeping bag liners? They were designed to add warmth to the bag, and you can wash the liner instead of the bag. So the combination of ultra-light sleeping bag, ultra-light liner, and ultra-light warm clothing can combine to provide a very, very comfortable night's sleep. But you probably won't need all that anyway.

Tents have undergone similar ultra-light revolutions. Enjoy.

And for god's sake, do you really need a pillow? Roll up some clothes and don't be whiny.

Water Treatment

This section is not so important.

The majority of you will go somewhere with easy access to clean drinking water, and the rest of you will likely buy bottled water when in need. I was in questionable areas, so I bought a water purifier. Important: water filters clean out most of the dangerous material; purifiers clean out everything. Get a purifier.

I bought a Katadyn Extreme XR Purifier for $50. I liked how it is entirely hassle free, with the system contained within the bottle. You simply fill up and drink. Others use cumbersome pumps, take up space, and you need a separate bottle anyway. The purification system needs to be replaced after about 100 liters, for about $20 to $30. If you do the math, it does not save money over buying bottled water. However, it was nice to know that when in need, I could fill up from the sink.

If you do extensive hiking, there are other, more expensive options that will eventually pay for themselves, as they do not need replacement parts. The simplest option seems to be the SteriPen line of devices, which use ultraviolet light to purify. Several models exist ($80 to $150), including one contained within a water bottle, which includes built-in filtration (which might need replacing, I don't know). The process takes only 90 seconds. These devices require electricity; if you get the solar charger or rechargeable batteries, water is essentially free.

Much cheaper (though not in the long-term) are iodine tablets. The water will taste funny, but $6 of tablets will do 25 liters--just wait half an hour for the chemicals to work. I think this is a convenient option if you plan on buying bottled water, but can resort to the iodine when in need. It will also be the smallest and lightest option out there, and will probably last if used only in those infrequent cases.

Deconstructing Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet and other guidebooks are great. The practical information is extremely useful, and the historical and cultural info will distinguish you from the people who come just to party. Ignore the people who look disdainfully down on guidebooks. They won't know anything about where they are. However, they may be out meeting people and having a good time; use the guidebook, but don't keep your head stuck in it. On the other hand, they are heavy, awkward and annoying to carry around. Thus we have the following solution.

This is a major arts and crafts project that will require a whole evening to do properly. You are going to cut apart your guidebook into individual country or region sections, thus needing only a small pamphlet-sized stack of paper that fits in your back pocket. Go get a saw.

There are two schools of thought on the matter: you can saw off the spine, thus removing the binding, and then staple the left edges of each chapter; this is more difficult for larger countries. Alternatively, you can put the saw into the book like a bookmark, and saw into the spine, thus preserving the glue, and therefore the binding. However, you may need to staple anyway. I prefer sawing into the spine to preserve the binding, then stapling the booklets that need it.

Hardcore enthusiasts can go an extra step and trim the margins. Only the top margin has something useful (the page numbers) and those aren't so important anyway.

Finally, you need to apply a strip of packing tape along each edge. The booklet will last a long, long time.

Congratulations. You now have a super-convenient pocket-sized guidebook and will be the envy of all other weary backpackers along the road. Hand out chapters as you leave each country. Have everyone write their emails on the back page and see how far it goes!

Final Thoughts

Congratulations. You are now a thoroughly converted acolyte of the ultra-light revolution and have every right and should take every opportunity to brag incessantly over your intellectual superiority at having managed to shrink your pack down to the size of the one you carried in grade school.

I plan to include a photograph of everything I packed with me on the trip, and I am in the process of doing so. Extra items not included in the above categories included a book, a bandanna, snacks, and a pair of sunglasses; come winter I bought a hat and some gloves. Not a lot of ounces there. For those who are concerned with cost, I know all these items are expensive; patrol eBay and look for sales ahead of time. Be stingy, but cut corners on quantity, not the quality of purchases.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this at least 1% as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you enjoy preaching its virtues to the many pitifully overburdened kids you'll meet on your travels. Stroke your ego to your heart's content while exploring our magnificent world.

Go forth and conquer!