My No Baggage Challenge is officially complete and raised a total of $525 in donations for Give Kids the World, surpassing the original goal of $500. Many thanks again to friends and family for your generosity. Your support made this trip not only fun, but also meaningful, and your donations go toward helping the dreams of dying children come true.
If you pledged to sponsor me, you can donate directly online on Give Kids the World's website. Contributions are tax-deductible.
Here is additional information if you'd like to read more about Give Kids the World or about how my trip raised money for them. (People sponsored me for $1/day for each day I traveled without luggage, for 15 days. My travels with no luggage ended up going so well, I extended the trip by two extra "bonus" days in New York City.)
Here are some photos of my visit to Give Kids the World a couple weeks ago. I volunteered there on a weekly basis for about 7 years when I lived in Orlando. I used to dress up like a wizard, do magic tricks for the kids, and help Mayor Clayton (a giant rabbit and mayor of GKTW village) tuck the kids into bed at night. I count these experiences to be among the best things I've ever done.
Below is a photo of me volunteering at GKTW, fresh out of undergrad. You can see Mayor Clayton in the background. This is at a party a few minutes before Clayton and I went around the village doing tuck-ins for the kids. Somehow the little girl next to me managed to steal my magic hat.
I finally got home late last night after 17 wonderful, fun-filled, friend-filled, bag-less days of travel. I took the Bolt Bus home from New York to DC yesterday and had a wonderful experience, as usual. With free (but slow) Wi-Fi and only $15-$20 one way, what's not to like? It would cost me more in gas and tolls if I were to drive myself -- not to mention the headache of finding/paying for parking. Being able to read and play with my iPad along the way only sweetens the deal. I had two seats all to myself last night and got home around midnight.
This whole No Baggage experience has been absolutely wonderful and went far better than I had hoped. I will be sharing more thoughts on the experience and some reviews of the gear I used soon.
Twenty-five degrees outside and my No Baggage wardrobe is holding up well. Just got back from hours spent walking in the cold today, including a 45-minute walk home. (With a quick stop by the 24-hour Apple Store, of course.) I spent a similar amount of time outside yesterday too.
The key to my wardrobe success has been good use of layering (listed from base layer to outer layer):
Other than my spare pair of pants, socks, and boxers (and third t-shirt that I have yet to use), I am wearing all of the clothes I brought. I wore the same outfit yesterday, but am rotating the location of the t-shirts and quarter-zips to cut-down on odor retention and vary my appearance. (Speaking of odor retention, my Merino wool pieces have proved impossible to stink-up.) I am also rotating the pants I wear on a daily basis.
Today, would have been absolutely miserable if my Ecco shoes were not lined with Gore-Tex. Had to slosh through many puddles of slush and melted snow all over the streets of Manhattan.
I have several pieces that have been to Antarctica with me and back. They continue to perform admirably. These include:
Mountain Hardwear Windstopper Fleece Cap
Mountain Hardwear Gloves
Icebreaker Wool Neck Gaiter
Icebreaker Wool Quarter-Zip
I continue to be impressed with the versatility of my wardrobe and how well (and warm!) I’ve been able to travel with so little.
A photo of the gear I’m carrying on this trip, minus the clothes that I wore on the first day. Not pictured are a thin softcover Moleskine notebook, Kindle, Gorillapod, PackTowl, and a printed 40-page academic article I was reviewing for a journal (finished my review in Florida and then threw out the article).
Here's a list of everything I brought:
Clothing
SeV Carry-On Coat
SeV Sport Coat
Mountain Hardwear Windstopper Vest
3 pairs of travel boxers (1 SeV, 2 Ex Officio)
3 pairs of socks (actually Smartwool sock liners I’m using as socks)
3 t-shirts (1 SeV Performance, 1 Icebreaker wool, 1 Smartwool)
2 quarter-zip long-sleeve shirts (1 SeV Q-Zip, 1 Icebreaker)
2 pairs of pants (1 SeV Hidden Cargo, 1 Blue Jeans)
Electronics
iPhone
iPad
Kindle
Canon Pocket Camera
Chargers
3G Juice extended battery pack for iPhone
iPad stylus
iPad Camera Connector Kit
6-foot, 3-outlet extension cord
Toiletries
Sea-To-Summit Shaving Strips
Sea-To-Summit Laundry Strips
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Hair Gel
Mini-Deodorant
Multi-vitamins
Tylenol
Other
Thin, large softcover Moleskine Cahier notebook
Pen
Pencil
Pocket Memo Pad
Gorillapod
PackTowl
Printed 40-page academic article
It’s now day 12 of my No Baggage Challenge and, by washing clothes in the sink each night, I have only used 1 pair of socks, 2 pairs of boxers, and 2 t-shirts so far. I see little reason I couldn’t continue this process on a trip of much longer duration.
As I mentioned before, the only thing I’ve missed having is a laptop.
It is now Day 9 of my No Baggage Challenge and I am still on my first pair of socks! I have been washing my socks and underwear in a sink each night. Each morning, my socks have been dry enough to wear so I decided to see how long I can get by on only one pair. One trick for making this work is to wring the socks out as best I can after washing, and then wrap them in a towel and wring the towel tightly to absorb even more water. Works like a charm — my socks have been perfectly dry every morning after doing this. Also following this process with my boxers and have only used two pairs so far.
Things I brought that I haven’t used:
Second and third pair of socks.
Third pair of boxers.
Third t-shirt.
Mountain Hardwear fleece vest (I expect daily use of this in New York City).
Cold weather gear (gloves, fleece cap, and neck gaiter – also expected to use in New York City).
Kindle (surprising to me).
Moleskin notebook.
PackTowl Travel Towel.
It will be instructive to see how this list changes by the time I get home.
The only thing I’ve missed having at times is a laptop. Nothing else.
Ironically, I packed the least amount of clothes I’ve ever taken on a trip of this length and have never received more compliments on how good I look. Probably a combination of wearing my SeV Sport Coat nearly every day and having recently lost 25 pounds. Plus the clothing I brought mixes and matches well and I’ve discovered quarter-zip shirts seem to travel much better than button-ups (less prone to wrinkling and able to layer on top of each other). Having a more limited wardrobe also makes it a snap to figure out what I’m going to wear each day.
Yesterday, I visited Give Kids the World for my first time in several years. It brought back many amazing memories of my years volunteering there. I miss this place dearly. A couple of GKTW staff members, Amanda and Shari, were kind enough to take these photos of me while I was there, in support of my fundraising efforts.
If you’re interested in sponsoring me for my No Baggage Challenge please let me know. Friends and family have been pledging to donate $1/day for each day that I travel without luggage ($15 total). So far, $430 have been pledged. I’m hoping to raise at least $500 through this trip. If you’d like to contribute, either email me or leave a comment and I will add your pledge to the total. Simply donate directly online to Give Kids the World once my trip is done.
An awesome time reconnecting with old friends in Orlando on New Year's Day. A wonderful reminder of how blessed I am to have so many great friends. Both cool and humbling to have our annual gathering named after me. Had a chance to show-off my SCOTTEVEST Carry-On Coat and SeV Sport Coat all packed-up for 15 days of misadventure.
Don’t forget: This challenge is benefiting The Haiti Plunge – They are building a road and a new medical clinic among other things in a rural part of Haiti. Please take a second and support them HERE.
Today is the day when the SCOTTEVEST No Baggage Challenge for Charity becomes a reality and moves into high gear. Yes, tomorrow morning Larry and I both fly out for Las Vegas and the Consumer Electronics Show 2011. That means today, Sunday, January 2, 2011, is the day when we need to pack our clothes into our luggage. Scratch that, not into our luggage but rather we need to pack our clothes and electronics into our jackets. Yes, that’s the deal with a No Baggage Challenge for Charity. You can only bring whatever it is you can actually carry on your person in your SCOTTEVEST clothing.
The process of figuring out how to make this a reality has been an interesting one. It required both Larry and me to put far more thought into the process of packing than we normally would. Larry is one of those people who will bring at least one complete outfit per day when he is traveling and I’m one of those people who does the same but often it ends up only using half of what I brought.
So here’s a quick rundown of some of the decisions we made along the way and how it will all fit together.
Dan and Larry of Geardiary.com prepare to leave for their own No Baggage Challenge to CES to raise money for Haiti Plunge. Follow the link to check out their packing videos and for links to further information about their trip.
Day 1 of no baggage travel went off without a hitch. Felt a slight panic when first walking out the door with no luggage. One of the easiest times I've ever had going through airport security. Slept like a baby on the plane to Fort Myers, FL. Wonderful seeing my friends, Frank & Crissy, & their new home. Drove to Sanibel & Captiva Island. The adventure continues tomorrow as we drive up to Orlando for New Year's Eve.
Walked out the door this morning for two weeks with nothing but what I could fit into my trench coat. Couldn't help feeling a little like John Muir who was reported to often go into the wilderness for weeks at a time with nothing but an overcoat and a bit of bread.
I plan to travel for 2 weeks luggage-free through FL, TX, & NY from Dec. 30 to Jan 13 to raise money for Give Kids the World, a charity for terminally-ill kids I volunteered with for 7+ years. I've asked friends and family to sponsor me for $1/day that I travel with no bags (15 days total). So far, people have pledged $415 in donations. I'm hoping to raise at least $500. If you're interested in joining in, let me know and I'll add your contributions to the total. Simply donate your pledge online directly to GKTW once my trip is over.
You can follow my adventures here: http://bit.ly/hGEQvF
Me with my SCOTTEVEST Carry-On Coat packed for 15 days of travel without luggage through FL, TX, & NY to raise money for Give Kids the World -- a charity for terminally-ill kids I volunteered with for 7+ years. Leaving in about 8 hours. Friends & family are sponsoring me $1/day I travel w/ no bags, pledging $415 in donations so far. If you'd like to join in, let me know & simply donate your pledged amount directly to GKTW online after I get back.
After spending so much time and effort trying to win the SCOTTEVEST No Baggage Challenge contest to travel around the world with no luggage (and coming in as a runner-up in the contest), I've decided to go ahead and do my own No Baggage Challenge to raise money for Give Kids the World, a charity for terminally ill kids I volunteered with for 7+ years. I'm asking for friends, family, readers, and anyone else who is interested to sponsor me by donating $1 a day to Give Kids the World for every day I travel without luggage through Florida, Texas, and New York -- up to a maximum of 15 days. My trip will last from December 30th to January 13th.
If I can raise at least $100 in sponsorship, I will commit to traveling without luggage for the entire two week trip. I will also match dollar for dollar up to the first $100 pledged. I already have a friend who has committed to the first $15 (i.e., $1/day). If you'd like to sponsor me you can either send me an email with the amount you'd like to pledge or else leave your name in the comments below. Once I've finished my journey, you can donate money directly online to Give Kids the World here.
While traveling, I will document my journey with frequent photos, videos, and blog posts.
GIVE KIDS THE WORLD
Give Kids the World is a fantastic organization that helps grant the last wish of dying children to see Mickey Mouse. Give Kids the World partners with Disney, American Airlines, and many other organizations in Orlando and around the world to provide terminally ill children and their families a free six-day, all-expenses-paid vacation to Orlando. While there, the families stay at the magical Give Kids the World Village (a very special 70-acre resort in Orlando) and the 'Wish Kids' get special badges the get to wear that gives them special treatment at all the parks in Orlando (no waiting in lines, special attention from all the Disney characters, etc.). At the Village, families continue to receive special treatment with lots of activities for the children and their families -- including giving parents a badly needed night off.
I had the privilege of volunteering at Give Kids the World on a weekly basis for 7 years while I was living in Orlando. I used to dress up like a wizard and do magic tricks for the kids, dance with them at their pool party on Monday nights, and then go around with a giant rabbit (Mayor Clayton) and tuck the children into bed. To this day, I consider my involvement with Give Kids the World to be among the best things I've ever done and I miss it dearly.
If you'd like to read more about more about Give Kids the World, be sure to check out their website. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Below is a video for a fundraiser in 2006 that gives a good overview of Give Kids the World Village and a virtual tour of this magical place:
You can also read more about the original No Baggage Challenge with Rolf Potts who traveled for six weeks around the world with no luggage and SCOTTEVEST, the clothing company that sponsored him.
If you're interested in sponsoring me as I travel for two weeks without any luggage, simply e-mail me with the amount you'd like to pledge to donate to Give Kids the World or write it in the comments below.
About a month ago, I entered into the SCOTTEVEST No Baggage Challenge Contest, hoping to get chosen to travel around the world with no luggage. (See my entry, including videos, here.) I received tremendous support from friends and family, with many votes for me on Facebook and via e-mail. I even went so far as to do a trial run no baggage trip over Thanksgiving -- traveling for five days with nothing but what would fit in my jacket.
Scott Jordan, Founder and CEO of SCOTTEVEST, announced the winner today. Two others and I came in as a runners-up and Scott's generously decided to give each of us a significant credit for some SCOTTEVEST gear. This was totally unexpected and a wonderful surprise. (And comes in on the heels of me winning a free SCOTTEVEST Carry-On Coat from Gear Diary yesterday -- a total of ~ $500 SCOTTEVEST gear in two days!) In addition, I also received a personal video message from Scott shortly before he announced the winners to the general public. This was an incredibly classy personal touch that left me deeply impressed.
I was already a huge SCOTTEVEST fan. Scott has succeeded in making me an even bigger one.
I returned home from my 5-day experiment traveling with no baggage over Thanksgiving. Overall, I'd call the trip a resounding success and would love to try some form of traveling like this again. Next time I hope for a longer trip involving air travel. I just found out late yesterday that I won a SCOTTEVEST Carry-On Coat in a contest held by Gear Diary. I can't wait to receive that jacket and see how well it works for this kind of a trip.
If you haven't done so yet, read my previous post for a video showing what I brought, thoughts about the experience, and impressions about the gear I used. Below are some final reflections with some tips and tricks for no baggage travel, lessons learned, concerns I had and whether or not they were valid, further impressions of some of my SCOTTEVEST gear, and how I would change my no baggage system.
TIPS AND TRICKS
Two Pairs of Socks and Underwear Are All You Need: This is all I used for five days and really all I'd need for a trip of any length, provided I was washing them in a sink every day. I'd bring one extra pair of each (for a total of three) -- just in case. (Ex Officio Travel Boxers and SmartWool black sock liners.) But that's all I require -- a huge saving in luggage space. I can't emphasize enough how impressed I am with the Ex Officio boxers. I find having different colors for each pair is a good way for keeping track of how often each pair has been worn.
Layering T-Shirts: The best trick I came up with this weekend is, when cool enough, to wear a t-shirt underneath a SCOTTEVEST Q-Zip with another t-shirt worn over the Q-Zip. (See photos in my last post.) This allows you to bring two t-shirts (all you really need) without having to pack any away and adds visual variety to your wardrobe. By alternating the shirts each day, you give the one worn on the outside a chance to air. If need be, you can wash one while wearing the other underneath the Q-Zip. The SCOTTEVEST Performance T-Shirts and Q-Zips match perfectly for this. I'd recommend two of each for this kind of trip with all of them being different colors from one another.
Layering Q-Zips: As I mentioned in my last post, another trick is to wear two Q-Zips -- one on top of the other. This not only adds extra warmth, but also allows you to carry two without packing either of them. Having the inner one zipped up all the way and the outer one unzipped also creates a nice look. (See photos in my last post.) When cool enough outside, there's no reason you couldn't combine this with the previous tip and wear a second t-shirt on top of both Q-Zips.
Wringing Clothes In A Towel: When washing clothes in a sink, a good idea is to wring them out in a towel afterward to remove excess water. This helps them dry much more quickly. If you know you won't have spare towels where you are staying, throwing in a medium-sized MSR PackTowl for this purpose might be worth its size and weight in your no baggage kit.
LESSONS LEARNED
Don't Dunk the Detergent: I washed one pair of socks and one pair of underwear each day in the sink using the Sea to Summit Laundry Detergent leaves. On Sunday (my final day home), I accidentally took out one too many leaves. Unfortunately, in trying to get the errant leaf back in the case, I managed to drop the whole pack in a sink full of water -- fusing the whole thing together. Lesson: keep the detergent away from the sink.
Substitutes: Following up on my detergent incident, I could have easily substituted shampoo or hand soap for detergent for washing my socks and underwear and hand soap for the shaving soap. These substitutes might not be 100% as good, but I'd be willing to bet they'd be good enough.
We Live With a Powerful Safety Net: When traveling in most parts of America (other than hiking in the backwoods), chances are you're no more than 30 minutes away from accessing anything you might need and, between services like FedEx and Amazon.com, you are probably no more than 24-48 hours away from anything you might want (outside of specialty medical or prescription needs). Your safety net gets event stronger when visiting family or friends who can help you out or loan you things in a jam. Getting convinced of this is incredibly liberating and one of the primary benefits of traveling like this. The more you realize how true this is, the less you will feel the need to bring. I'm convinced more than ever than much of what we carry with us when we travel has more to do with psychological comfort than practical necessity.
CONCERNS
Odor: One of my biggest concerns was that my clothes would begin to smell -- particularly my t-shirts and pants. (I only had one pair of pants which I wore consecutively for five days.) I'm happy to report that everything remained odor-free for the entire trip. If the t-shirts had gotten bad, I could have washed them in the sink, but I alternated between the two I had and smell never became an issue. In fact, it was so not an issue, I wore my SCOTTEVEST Performance T-Shirt again yesterday (what would have been my sixth day) on top of an Icebreaker wool shirt. I had several people compliment me on how nice it looked and no concerns whatsoever about odor. Odor ended up being a completely non-issue.
Bulk: Carrying my iPad in my SCOTTEVEST Tropical Jacket/Vest makes the jacket incredibly bulky if I pack anything (clothes, cables, etc.) in the pockets behind or in front of the iPad. The opposite side of the jacket gets bulky if I try to compensate by moving more items over to it. It's manageable to wear, but borders on looking ridiculous. I am exploring some ideas for how to pack and keep things more slim, but carrying the iPad in the "pub pocket" limits my options. I hope the Carry-On Coat I just won will do a better job of holding clothing without looking ridiculous. Bulk was a legitimate and ongoing concern.
Monolithic Wardrobe: One of the disadvantages of traveling so light is that it necessitates wearing the same clothes repeatedly for many days. Besides the odor/cleanliness issue, the other drawback is looking the same -- day in and day out. As I mentioned above and in my last post, layering the shirts in different combinations and mixing them with the jacket and windstopper vest made this a minimal concern. Also, if my future travels are like my former adventures, I tend to stay on the go a lot -- minimizing this concern. Overall, wardrobe variety was a non-issue.
ADDITIONAL IMPRESSIONS OF MY SCOTTEVEST GEAR
SCOTTEVEST Tropical Jacket/Vest: I really like this jacket and it is the core of my current travel kit. However, as I mentioned, the pocket design on it causes it to bulk up if I put my iPad in the largest pocket. The jacket would be far more versatile for this kind of travel if it had a second "pub pocket"/document pocket on the right side of the jacket in lieu of the sunglasses/camera pocket. I would prefer that arrangement much, much more. At a minimum, it seems the camera pocket could be deepened and a mini-pub pocket could be put above/behind it without any more pocket layering than on the left side of the jacket. The current design practically dictates the left side of the jacket will always be overloaded relative to the right side when used for no baggage travel. I'm concerned the Carry-On Coat may share n this design by placing both the iPad pocket and toiletries pocket layered on the same side of the jacket. Adding a second pub pocket on the right-hand side would make SeV jackets far better for carrying an iPad by allowing owners greater versatility for distributing weight more evenly across the jacket.
SCOTTEVEST Hidden Cargo Pants Pockets:These pants far exceeded my expectations for multiple days of wearing. After five days of continuous use, there were no odors whatsoever. The more I used the layered front-pockets, the more I fell in love with that design. Basically, both the right and left side have normal front pockets like you'd see on regular khakis plus an additional deep pocket which is accessed through a magnetic closure at the top. (The placement of the magnets give me minimal concern about them affecting credit cards and electronics.) This combination of two layered pockets on each side make it much easier to organize items and keep your pocket from getting cluttered, the deep pockets are a great place to carry a pocket digital camera, and the magnetic closures should keep pick-pockets at bay allowing the deep pockets to substitute for a money belt. These are quickly becoming my favorite pair of pants. (The only problem is with my recent weight loss, the pants are quickly becoming to large for me.)
CHANGES I WOULD MAKE TO MY TRAVEL SYSTEM
Pants: I love my SCOTTEVEST Hidden Cargo Pants and would certainly travel with them again. However, I think for a trip of any longer duration, a second pair of pants would be preferable -- or at least some lightweight shorts or a bathing suit -- particularly so one pair could be worn while washing and drying the second set (or simply giving the second pair a chance to air).
Leave the Computer at Home: Between my iPad and access to my parent's computer(s), I really had no need to have my laptop with me. (To be fair, the only reason I bought it on this trip was to show it to my brother.) My iPad will do ~ 75% of what I want a computer to do -- an in a pinch, my iPhone will probably do ~ 75% of what I want my iPad to do. My MacBook Pro was the only item I brought that did not fit into my jacket and I could have easily left it home. For anyone traveling without a computer, I strongly recommend using Dropbox and LogMeIn for remote access to your files and your computer respectively. There are apps for both services on the iPad, although you can use either through any standard web browser and any modern computer with Internet access.
OPEN QUESTIONS
Kindle? If I have my iPad do I really need to bring my Kindle too? I'm torn on this issue. I use both on nearly a daily basis. I am an avid reader and find the Kindle much less obtrusive, useful for reading outside, better for one-handed operation, useful for reading while walking, and with far better battery life. It's also single-purpose, limiting the potential distractions which might pull me away from reading. Given the quantity I read, the Kindle is one luxury item that probably justifies bringing it along. Having said that, the iPad works great as an eReader too, making the Kindle somewhat redundant. In a pinch, I can also use my iPhone for reading books.
iPad? I love, love, love my iPad and use it for a myriad of purposes. It's a great eBook and PDF reader, wonderful for looking up maps and information about new locales, allows me to do research, send and receive e-mails, write-up blog posts, etc. However, it's also by far the largest item in my travel kit and the one piece most responsible for the "bulking" of my jacket. It creates the most problems for packing without any luggage which begs the question of whether or not it should stay in my kit. During my last week-long trip to New York City in August, I used my iPhone nearly non-stop but my iPad less than expected. There is also something to be said for going "off grid" from time to time -- something I admittedly struggle to do. For now, I would say my iPad stays, but this experiment and recent experience has me questioning this.
No Baggage or Low Baggage? Finally, the question comes up if "no baggage" is worth the hassle of traveling over "low baggage"? Bringing a small bag -- even something as simple as a cinch sack or small shoulder bag for the iPad -- would help solve the issue of jacket bulk. It would also make it easier to set my gear down if needed, remove (or check) my jackets, etc. Candidates for good bags for low baggage travel might include items from Tom Bihn such as the Synapse, Buzz, or Western Flyer. Or even something more simple like the Tom Bihn Packing Cube Backpack or Eagle Creek Packable Daypack. I've made four recent trips -- including a week in New York City and two trips to Kansas City with only what I could fit into a North Face daypack. Using a SCOTTEVEST jacket and techniques from this No Baggage Challenge, I'm confident I could whittle this down to a significantly smaller pack. I'll give the no baggage vs. low baggage more thought after I receive my SCOTTEVEST Carry-On Coat and get a chance to play around with seeing how well it packs.
WOULD I TRAVEL LIKE THIS AGAIN?
In a heartbeat. I love the simplicity this kind of exercise forces me into. There is little room for excess gear and the size and weight of every small item matters. Whether my next trip is no baggage or low baggage, this experience has helped underscore that I can bring far less than what I am accustomed to and still have an enjoyable journey. In fact, many times bringing less means experiencing more. I'd like to experiment with no baggage on a trip where I'm more mobile for the entire journey to really get a feel for the freedom (and potential headaches) traveling this way would bring. The only way to discover this is to hit the road and give it a try. I can't wait!
I recently entered a SCOTTEVEST contest to travel around the world with no luggage. (Watch my entry video and follow-up video.) This Thanksgiving weekend, I decided to put my gear to the test and travel home for 5+ days with nothing (other than my laptop) but what I could fit into my SCOTTEVEST clothing.
WHY I'M DOING THIS
Scott Jordan, CEO of SCOTTEVEST, is holding a contest this weekend for people using SCOTTEVEST clothing to get through airport security. The winner of the contest wins a free Carry-On Coat. (In order to win, your video has to get the most views.) Since I'm not traveling by air, I decided to the next best thing I could and show how SCOTTEVEST clothing could be used to travel by car for an extended weekend. (My trip is actually more representative of how most Americans are traveling this weekend — out of 40 million traveling, only 1.6 million are doing so by air.) My hope is that Scott Jordan will consider this a good demonstration of his gear and a valid entry for this weekend's contest.
As I mentioned, I recently entered into SCOTTEVEST's No Baggage Challenge contest to travel around the world with no luggage. I thought this weekend would be a great chance to put my proposed travel kit to the test and see how it performs before taking it on an extended journey.
I made it to all 7 continents successfully without checking a bag. My last four journeys, including a week in New York City, have been with nothing other than what I could fit into a North Face daypack. I love the idea of traveling light and am challenged by Rolf Potts' and Matt Hamlin's examples of traveling without any luggage at all. I was intrigued by trying this out myself and seeing how well it works.
As long-time readers will know, I also love the idea of simplicity in general. This has been strongly influenced by my travel experiences. I thought a challenge like this would help remind me of and reinforce these ideals.
WHAT MY SCOTTEVEST TROPICAL JACKET HOLDS
(Click on image to see associated notes.)
Watch the video to see where I packed everything into my clothing. Below is a photo of all the gear I was able to fit into my SCOTTEVEST Tropical Jacket and Hidden Cargo Pants. (Click on the image to see associated notes.) In addition to what is pictured below, I was also able to smuggle in an Apple TV in my jacket — a birthday present my brother and I got for my Dad.
About 30 minutes after I recorded the video above, I received an order I made last week from SCOTTEVEST. It contained two new Q-Zips and a Performance T-Shirt. (I lost 20 pounds in the last 10 weeks as a self-experiment in weight loss and get great compliments every time I wear my Q-Zip. I figured I better get a couple more.) Since these arrived before my departure, I decided to replace one of my SmartWool T-Shirts with the Performance T-Shirt and the Icebreaker wool shirt with a second Q-Zip.
Here's my final gear list (plus cables, chargers, and camera connectors):
Clothing
SCOTTEVEST Tropical Jacket/Vest
SCOTTEVEST Q-Zip * 2
SCOTTEVEST Performance T-Shirt
SmartWool T-Shirt
SCOTTEVEST Hidden Cargo Pants
Ex Officio Boxers * 2
Tilley Travel Briefs
SmartWool Socks * 3
Ecco Shoes
Icebreaker Wool Cap
EMS Waterproof Baseball Cap
Mountain Hardwear Gloves
Toiletries
Sea to Summit Shaving Soap
Sea to Summit Laundry Detergent
Deodorant
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Razor
Hair Gel
Electronics
iPhone
iPad
Kindle
Canon SD1000 Digital Camera
MacBook Pro (I would normally leave this at home)
HOW IT'S BEEN WORKING SO FAR
I am now in Day 4 of my trip and am tremendously enjoying how this is working so far. Granted, I'm just an hour away from home and staying in a very familiar environment (Mom and Dad's), but there is no reason to think this manner of travel couldn't be extended long-term with little difficulty. Although I am currently close to home, I am not doing anything differently than if I were 1,000 or 10,000 miles away.
Unpacking: One of the coolest things about traveling with no luggage so far is how effortless it was to unpack. When I got here, I simply removed my iPad and Kindle, put my socks and underwear in a drawer, removed my toiletries, and then hung up my jacket and shirts — and I was done. No bags to contend with, no extra junk cluttering up the room, no nothing. In about 60 seconds, I was unpacked, more organized than I usually am when traveling, and my room was just as clean as it was when I arrived. I expect my re-packing to go equally quickly.
Laundry: So far, since I am stationary for a few days, I have washed my socks and underwear each morning in the sink just before getting in the shower. I'm trying out Sea to Summit laundry strips for the first time and they are working brilliantly. They consist of a set of 50 leaves that dissolve in water. I've been using 2 per day, so a pocket-sized pack should get me through close to a month of travel. My socks and underwear are dry by nighttime. I would expect them to be equally good at drying over night. Since I'm only four days out, I haven't had to wash my t-shirts yet.
GEAR IMPRESSIONS
As much as I have been inspired by Rolf Potts and Matt Hamlin, one thing I was hoping to see more of in their travelogues were details about how their SCOTTEVEST products and other travel gear worked — both pros and cons. Here are a few of my thoughts so far:
Tropical Jacket/Vest:This piece is definitely the core of my current travel kit. The jacket is of good quality, although I am a bit concerned about the longevity of the zipper for the iPad pocket. I haven't had any issues with it so far — other than that it often takes two hands to zip and unzipped — but it feels like the zipper pull could twist if I'm not careful and seems to be weakest part of the jacket. I'm also still not a huge fan of the clear-touch fabric for the iPhone pockets — they also feel like they might be a future failure point and are at risk of damage if you run them through a dryer. I also own the SCOTTEVEST Fleece 5.0 jacket and wish the Tropical Jacket also had external chest pockets like the fleece has.
Despite these three minor concerns, this is one of my favorite jackets ever. I like the fact the sleeves zip off, turning it into a light vest in warm weather. As I mention in the video, the back pocket is large enough to hold a spare t-shirt. This has far more pockets in it than any other jacket I've ever owned (other than my Fleece 5.0 jacket) — making it a great alternative to a small backpack or shoulder bag for traveling. The fact it can fold into it's back pocket is an extra-plus for days you don't need it or want to wear it, but still need to be on the go with it packed away.
One of the greatest strengths and weaknesses of the Tropical Jacket is that it is very light-weight warmth-wise — exactly as advertised. It works decently well as a water-resistant/wind-resistant shell over a warmer base layer, but won't provide too much extra warmth on it's own. This makes it usable in a whole host of conditions — IF you layer properly. I've had a chance to wear it in the rain a time or two and it does a decent job keeping light rain off, but it will soak through if you're out in the elements for too long. It dries very quickly and should keep rain off for short-periods of time or if you're in a pinch.
(If you anticipate being in a wet or windy environment, you might want to check out SCOTTEVEST's Revolution Jacket. It's water-proof, has a removable hood, and still converts into a vest. It also has chest pockets (no back pocket, however) and strikes me as a little more stylish and better general-use shell than the Tropical Jacket. I've seen the Revolution Plus at the International Spy Museum in DC and it looks very sharp, although a little too warm for typical DC weather. The Revolution jacket sounds nearly ideal for travel.)
Before heading home for the weekend, I decided to load up my Tropical Jacket to wear while walking around Arlington running some errands. It worked well enough — although carrying the iPad in one pocket caused a very large bulge if I packed anything in the pocket in front of it. While not uncomfortable to carry, I definitely felt a little puffy with all the pockets loaded up. I met two friends for lunch while "packed" — one of them said they couldn't tell I was loaded up while the other thought my jacket did look a little bulky and suggested I get a longer jacket for packing like this. Without realizing it, she was suggesting I get something like the SCOTTEVEST Carry-On Coat to help with the bulging. I agree with her that a longer jacket would probably work better for multi-day trips. (Although you'd lose the versatility of converting it into a vest and folding it away when not in use.) The other option would be to leave the iPad at home and/or try to figure out how to pack a little lighter.
Q-Zips: Next to the Tropical Jacket, my Q-Zips are by far my favorite SCOTTEVEST products that I own. As I mentioned above, I recently lost 20 pounds in the past 10 weeks as part of a self-experiment in weight loss. The Q-Zips have a fairly athletic cut and I get many compliments about how trim I look while wearing them. They dry very quickly when wet, are incredibly wrinkle resistant, and pack relatively small — making them ideal for travel. A good idea for travel is to layer two of these on top of each other — both for extra warmth and as a convenient way to carry them (like I did with the Q-Zip and wool Icebreaker shirt in my video). Layering also has the added benefit of varying the appearance of colors by unzipping the outer layer while keeping the inner layer zipped up. (See below.)
Performance T-Shirt: The Performance T-Shirt is made out of the same material as the Q-Zip and has a similar athletic cut. I've only owned it a few days but my impression is highly positive so far. My main concern about it compared to my SmartWool t-shirt is to see whether or not it has an issue retaining odors if I have to go 2-3 days of wearing it without washing. (SmartWool products are nearly impossible to stink up.). One trick I learned for giving more versatility to my wardrobe (and potentially aid in packing) is to wear the Performance T-Shirt on top of the Q-Zip, with another t-shirt underneath. (See below.) Of course, you can always wear them alone as another way to add visual variety to what you wear.
Hidden Cargo Pants:These pants have several hidden pockets with magnetic closures and could easily substitute for a money belt. The pants have an unusual drawstring inside to help tighten them — but it is not suitable as a substitute for a belt, limiting its usefulness. I have to be careful to make sure this is tucked in or else it will stick out above the waist of the pants when I first put them on. I think the drawstring could easily be removed without affecting the functionality of the pants. (Again, a minor issue.) Of all the items in this wardrobe, these pants are the most wrinkle prone. (No better or worse than "regular" khakis.)
I do like the extra-deep pockets on the pants, but they are no where near as useful as the pockets on the jacket. Still, these are sharp looking khakis and perhaps their best feature is that you can't tell there is anything special about them by looking at them. By the time I get home, I will have worn them for 4-6 days without washing. So far, so good. After four days of constant wear, I am happy to report they are still completely 100% odor free.
For longer-term travel, I would probably prefer something more quick drying and would be less concerned about the number of pockets. I would probably also prefer to bring more than one pair so I could wear one while I wash and dry the other. (Depending on the time of year and locale, shorts might suffice for my second pair.)
Ex Officio Travel Boxers: These Ex Officio Boxers are by far the best travel underwear I've ever owned. They are quick-drying, odor resistant, and (unlike my Tilley briefs) I have never experienced any chaffing while wearing them. At some point, I'd like to try a pair of SmartWool boxers, but would be very comfortable traveling the world with only two pair (maybe three) of Ex Officio Boxers.
SmartWool Socks: Actually, these are SmartWool sock liners but look like black socks — only more durable, odor resistant, and (relatively) quick drying. (My boxers actually dry faster.) These come about as close as anything to the ideal travel socks that I've found, but are not good insulators (as I recently discovered while camping in near-freezing temperatures near Harper's Ferry a couple weekends ago — I finally figured out to wear two socks on each foot). I wish they dried a bit faster, but are otherwise great socks.
Smart Wool T-Shirt: Like the socks, these t-shirts are nearly impervious to odors (something invaluable for a long-term trip with limited clothing) and dries relatively quickly. I am still trying to test out how I think this stacks up against the Performance T-Shirt. I like them both.
Mountain Hardwear Windstopper Vest: This is a thin, but surprisingly warm, fleece vest with windstopper technology which blocks wind from getting through. I have found the vest to be useful in a greater range of temperatures than a traditional fleece jacket and quite stylish as well. It also packs smaller than a full jacket and gives added variety to my wardrobe when worn over another garment. (See below.)
Sea to Summit Laundry Detergent & Shaving Cream: These two products have been one of my more recent discoveries and I am delighted to have found them. Basically they consist of small leaves (similar to Listerine breath strips) that dissolve in water -- either turning into detergent for doing laundry in a sink or else lather up into shaving cream for shaving. Each small container holds 50 leaves and so can last for quite a while. (I find one shaving cream leaf a day is sufficient and two detergent leaves are enough for washing one pair of socks and one pair of underwear in the sink.) Since these are non-liquid, you should be safe keeping them out of your TSA 3-1-1 ziplock bag and are small enough to fit into nearly any pocket or bag. I like the shaving leafs much better than shaving oil I've tried in the past or than carrying a trial-size can of shaving cream. Highly recommended!
CLOSING THOUGHTS
If you can't tell, I'm really enjoying this experience so far. Both from a practical and a more philosophical perspective. Despite having traveled all over the world without checking bags, this experiment makes me feel like I've always been an overpacker. It is experiential proof that we really do need less than we think we need.
I will follow-up with more thoughts after I get home in a few days.
