Travel
Small and Stay Comfortable
You might not be planning to
travel all seven continents, never by jet, like me and Cyndy are, but if you
have any kind of travel in your future, you need the right luggage, clothing,
gear and occasional gadgets to make life easier. After all, it’s the journey
that counts, right, and you can’t enjoy the trip if your gear fails you.
Two
Bags - 7 Continents
Many of you have asked how we’ve
gone about packing our bags before heading around the world the slow way so
we’re here to fill you in. We thought about how to travel small before we left
because we knew we would be galivanting in all climates, all seasons and to
more than 100 countries.
Imagining the trip is easy. And you can have a fine time sitting in bed with your iPad, flying the world on Google Earth. But it's another thing entirely when the journey actually begins. How were we going to pack everything we needed into our bags without getting a hiatal hernia?
We needed to find the right gear
for camping, writing, working, eating and sleeping on the run; keeping track of vaccinations, passports and
international paperwork. And we had to find clothing for every kind of season
and geography, which would have to fit in bags small enough to carry whether we
were on a train, in a car, on our feet, hopping a ferry, ship or saddling up on
a horse or camel.
So far we’ve survived our
odyssey, and our gear has survived us. We’ve covered 19,000 miles, through
eight countries, on three continents, four seasons, at elevations between zero
and 9,500 feet. Maybe the next time you’re making an excursion, a few of the
choices we made will work for you too, even if you aren’t nutty enough to carry
nearly everything on your back across seven continents.
Here’s
how we did it.
We packed everything inside two
small suitcases and one daypack. The first suitcase rolls, the second can be
carried like a backpack or a normal suitcase, and the third, a daypack, can be
emptied and stuffed away until needed. We can pull the rolling bag along with
us as the second one rides on our shoulders to keep our hands free for
ticketing and passports. Within one of these two bags is the third, a tote,
designed to be stashed away until needed for day trips and hikes, picking up
food, carrying water, storing books, journals and computers, but just for the
day. You can be sure that the fit inside
those bags has been snug. (The word snug, by the way, comes from a 16th century
low German or Dutch word that means “shipshape,” compact, ready for trouble.)
The roller bags we bought are manufactured by Briggs and Riley. Cyndy bought one years ago and I bought one more recently. Both have travelled from China to Istanbul and all over Europe, Morocco and as well as the United States and still run like new. They aren’t cheap, but they are granite-tough and carry a lifetime warranty. We’ve never seen even a trace of a zipper blowing out or wobbling wheel. It’s 12 by 21 inches and about a foot deep after packing.
Why
We Bought It
These suitcases are beautifully designed. Our version has gone the way of the dinosaur, but the new version (see below) has improved with an outside carry strap, new pockets on the inside (always useful), an interior strap mechanism for keeping different types of clothing or essentials snug and organized. To roll, just snap up the handle at the top and pull up (two positions) then roll off in any direction. Outside there’s a nice little zipper handy for stashing documents, snacks or vitamins you might need to grab. Another nice feature we found especially useful is a zipper that allows you to expand the bag. Once you have everything inside and zipped, closing this bag compresses the bag even more.
How
Much?
$429.00, but if the bag lasts twenty years (and this
one will last your lifetime because it's guaranteed) the cost comes to just
under $2 a month. Free shipping over $99 to the contiguous states & free
returns. You can buy the bag in four
interest-free payments. Details at Briggs
and Riley’s website.
Where?
You can check any good luggage
store or explore the internet, but here’s the link
to Briggs and Riley, and the bag in question, so you can get a closer look
at the details. Sometimes they have decent sales.
The
Briggs & Riley Small Suitcase
The second bag required some
thought because not only did we need it to strap comfortably on our backs and
sometimes act as a regular carry on, we needed it to be rugged, and outfitted
with lots of easy to reach compartments. Eventually, I found just the thing.
What
It’s called the WITZMAN RETRO
CANVAS TRAVEL DUFFEL BAG and designed to go anywhere and keep your stuff
protected. It’s roughly the same size as the Briggs & Riley. We have really
pounded this bag, stuffed it, shoved it, dropped and dragged it and it’s still
looks nearly as good as the day we bought it. It has a nice touch that enables
you to unzip the back of it, roll it up to reveal the bag’s straps and so you
call pull the bag onto your back. But if you are planning to check it at an
airport and don’t want the conveyors to snag the straps, you can zip it back up
and hide them away. If you’re carrying on, you can pull the strap supplied on
the inside and hook it to each end. Your preference.
Why
It’s made of tough canvas and
leather, loaded with three roomy outside compartments that can handle
computers, iPads, passports, notebooks, books and a variety of other gear. It
holds plenty of clothing (and all of our resistance bands for travel workouts -
more on that in another Dispatch), and inside has another section where you can
put a larger computer, notebooks, pens and business cards. It’s intelligently
designed, especially for our needs. Plus the price is unbeatable…
How
Much
The one we found one that sells
for a remarkable $66 (a 25% discount right now
as of June, 2022). Details below.
Where?
Try here,
but you can also search online for other stores and on eBay. I couldn’t find a
Witzman online luggage store for this bag, but, again, search online and you’ll
find some good deals. Here below is a picture of the tan version.
A
brown and orange Witzman canvas duffel bag with should straps
The
Witzman Retro Canvas Travel Duffel Bag
The third bag we found was one of
the best day packs I’ve ever come across. For it’s size, you can stuff far more
than you’d think inside of it. It will easily get you through a day of hiking
and exploring while you leave your larger bags stowed elsewhere. I’ve put
notepads, snacks, water, jackets and sweaters and a phone, computer or iPad
inside. Since we wanted to stuff this bag within our other bags, but have it
handy to yank out when needed, we were looking for a pack that could also roll
up into almost nothing, while being as tough as a Pittsburgh steamfitter. With
this pack, we found just what we were looking for.
What
REI’s nomenclature for this is
the Flash 22 pack. It’s made of breathable, stretch-mesh with fold-over padding
for the straps. Two great stretchable side pouches for gloves, umbrella, water
bottle or scarves. It weighs nothing and is made of rip-stop material that has
yet to snag or even look worn. There’s a roomy outside pocket where you can
keep things like notebooks, books or electronic gear handy, a top pouch for
snacks, Swiss Army Knife, tissues, and glasses and the main pouch for
everything else. There’s even a place for a camel pack for drinking if you want
to get fancy (inside) and lots of loops for adding other gear, like a hat or
eating utensils (see a future Dispatch on all of that).
Why
It’s hardy and when you stuff it
in another bag, it takes up almost zero room or weight. When you fill it up,
you’re set for the day. It’s indispensable, especially in our situation when we
can’t afford to be lugging everything around all day.
How Much
The version we bought is now
gone, but a new version has been released by REI for the same price: $59.95.
Almost as much as our canvas Witzman bag above, but worth every dime.
Where?
You can get the new versional any
REI store or online here. The
nice thing about REI products is they are eco-friendly and well made, but REI
is also a co-op and so you become an owner of the store if you become a member
(which costs nothing). After a year, you get a gift card based how much you
purchased. Something worth considering.
A
gray REI Flash 22 bag
Do with these recommendations
what you wish. We hope they help. And please feel free to share your ideas and
thoughts about what you find useful in your travels because we are always
learning, and in future Dispatches and posts we’ll share what we find from
other fellow vagabonds. You can also share your comments on this article online
below. Future “Meta-Dispatches” will be coming on other travel related products
- electronic gear, gadgets, clothing etc. So if you’ve signed up for our
Vagabond Adventure Dispatches, you’ll be notified. Look for them soon. If
you’re haven’t signed up, you
can do that here.
Resource: https://vagabond-adventure.com/library/want-to-travel-the-world
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