We’re down to just over a week before I leave on the big trip. That means I’m assembling (at least mentally) the things that will need to go with me. You may have guessed from previous posts and from what you know about other things I’ve done, that a good chunk of this trip is going to be me hiking a good chunk of the Camino de Santiago in Spain. That would be a good guess, and that fact of my itinerary imposes some fairly severe constraints on both volume and weight for what I can bring with me. Everything for the six weeks I’m gone (in seven different countries and climates from north of the 59th parallel to south of the 34th parallel) needs to fit in my Osprey Kestrel 38 liter backpack and not weigh more than 20 lbs (sorry to mix the metric and imperial units… I’ll give some other options for units: .32 Barrels of volume and 1.4 Stones of weight).
More than 10% of that weight is devoted to carrying water. I need to bring a 32 ounce (75 Tablespoons) water bottle, which when full weighs more than two and a half pounds (.001134 tonnes).
Also remember the purpose of the trip is for research and writing. I’ve made the decision that I’m not taking my laptop though. I’m bringing an iPad that has an integrated keyboard cover. That only saves me about six ounces in weight, but doesn’t feel quite as precarious stuffing into a backpack and seems more fitting with the kind of journey I’m undertaking. My phone is now equipped with an Orange eSim card that says it will allow data connectivity and hotspot capability in all but one of the countries I’m visiting. So that should keep me tethered to the virtual world that (sadly) I can’t seem to sever myself from completely. I’ll also have a smart watch because I like to have instant access to how far I’ve been walking, and some earbuds. All of these devices need charging cords, and a multi-function adapter for the different kinds of outlets in these various places.
Then there is clothing: I need some things that are quasi-professional looking, as the first week I’m speaking at a public event. But I think I’ve convinced myself that my Kühl hiking pants, Eddie Bauer hiking shirt, and Merrell hiking shoes will be presentable enough for this — particularly because the event happens before any serious hiking takes place. That means I can get by with only one other pair of shoes — some recovery sandals. Add to that another pair of long pants, two pairs of hiking shorts, and some swim trunks; and a couple of t-shirts and two other collared hiking shirts; a fleece and a rain jacket; 3 sets of underwear and socks; a hiking hat and a baseball hat; sun glasses and case, travel towel, and toiletry bag; wallet, passport, and collapsable day bag. I think that should allow to me live reasonably well on the road for six weeks.
But there are two luxuries I’m bringing that allow me to not just live but perhaps even thrive and flourish. First, a foam travel pillow that scrunches down pretty small for packing into my backpack, and gives my aging neck the proper kind of support while sleeping. And then a cordless hair clipper. I’ve been worrying what to do about hair grooming while I’m on the trip. The last time I paid to have my hair cut was in 1991, and I’d like to continue that streak. And it’s not like there’s much there left to cut! But if I go more than about a week without buzzing it, I start to look pretty shaggy. So for $21, I found a cordless trimmer that says it has 80 minutes worth of charge. So I won’t need to bring a charger for five cutting sessions at fifteen minutes each (which is a more than generous allotment for these purposes). And it only weighs 5.5 ounces (2406 grains) with the 1/8th inch (3.356 x 10^-19 lightyears) guard.
All that fits in the backpack and weighs less than 20 lbs. What am I missing?
I appreciate the conversions of units of measurement, especially into light years.
Chargers and adapters appropriate to the countries, of course. Your trimmer might be able to be charged by the same block with an appropriate cord, just a thought. And a hat, if not on the list. Of course, that could be carried on your head.