Things you seriously don’t have to pack
There is nothing more unpleasant than carrying a heavy backpack from place to place and finding out too late that one or the other thing was really superfluous. Here is a short list of things that have proven to be useless on my travels or that performed too badly in the weight-place-usage ratio.
What I leave at home
- Hiking boots. I used to always have them with me, and it’s nice to have sturdy, warm, waterproof shoes (I see the advantages!). But in the end, the hikes I do are not demanding enough for the weight and space to pay off. But if you like to do demanding multi-day tracks, it might make more sense for you to leave your sneakers at home or just to have more with you. That’s a matter of personal consideration.
- Trekking pants. I wore mine three times so far. In nine years. Superfluous. I walk in leggings, short pants, light summer pants, depending on what the circumstances are.
- Umbrella. Better to invest in a good rain jacket.
- Trekking stick. I’m just looking for a stick along the way.
- Function towel. I do not like it’s feeling on the skin. I always have a cotton towel with me, it does not take days to dry either.
- Expensive Jewelry. I always forget to put it on and worry about losing it.
- Everything more than three pairs of socks. Especially when you travel to a warm country one is actually enough.
- Shower gel and shampoo. Way too bulky, here are the alternatives that I’m using instead.