Round the World . . .Packing Challenge

[ktmrider]

Well, I just returned from my third motorctcle trip to Alaska where I carried an M2 with a fifty and a waterproof Olympus point and shoot. I loaned the Olympus to my sister who was riding on the of the HD and she loved it.

I am leaving on a 6 to 12 month trip round the world at the end of September with the first stops being Hawaii followed by the Philippines. I will also be hiking in NZ, traveling by motorcycle in SE Asia, then on to India, Egypt and Europe. I have decided to do the trip entirely with carry on luggage so the camera gear will be limited to an M9 with 35/90 and the waterproof Olympus. Unfortunately, I will be leaving the film M's behind. I am also packing a Macbook Pro and only two sets of clothes.

If anyone wants to comment on equipment or any lessons learned from similar trips, I am sure open to suggestions. And any must sees.

 

[sanmich]

a 12 months trip with a carry on only?
just wow!

 

[ornate_wrasse]

When I was younger, I carried only a backpack for 6 weeks in Europe. This was before computers, so I didn't carry a computer 🙂 It's definitely doable. One thing that you should carry are a few clothespins and a small clothesline. Since you're only taking two sets of clothes, they will come in handy. You can do your laundry in your room and hang it up to dry. Voila! Clean underwear without a trip to the laundromat!

As for recommendations on must sees, I can recommend a couple of things in Hawaii. If you will be in Honolulu, check out the USS Arizona Memorial. it's a very moving experience. I would also recommend taking the hike to the top of Diamondhead. The views are beautiful. Don't know if you will be in Maui, but if you're going there, you should go see the sunrise at the top of Haleakala Crater. You leave in the middle of the night in order to get there at sunrise. it's very cold at the top, so you'll want to make sure you have a jacket to wear, but the views are worth it.
You can also be taken up to the top and bike down.

http://www.bikemaui.com

Sounds like a great trip.

Ellen

 

[nongfuspring]

I haven't been only any single trips as long as yours, but I do tend to spend at least half the year travelling with just a carry on. I'm normally travelling with a fuji 35/18, a compact-ish 35mm film camera (P&S, Canon GIII, Contax SLR, or most recently a Rollei 35) and an iPhone. As much as I love the film cameras I've honestly been thinking of leaving them at home recently. It's hard to get through the development backlog after a big trip and often I'm not sure if the results justify the cost/time. I used to travel with a Macbook Pro but it's such a burden in so many ways, just carrying an iPhone was extremely liberating - I can still do my emails and upload pictures from my camera via eyefi/NFC, if the typing gets tedious I use a foldable bluetooth keyboard. I'd definitely recommend it, or at least an iPad.

 

[ktmrider]

I lived in Hawaii between 1980-84 so some of those things I have done. Pearl Harbor is on my list as I landed on the USS MISSOURI in 1983 and it is moored next to ARIZONA. And I will be visiting friends on Maui and plan on hiking the Haleakala crater.

In the Philippines, I want to follow the route of the Bataan march and check out Corrigidor. Also, I plan on renting a motorcycle for 7-10 days to explore Luzon. After the Philippines, it may be Malaysia or Indonesia as I do not want to roam to far as I am meeting my daughter for two weeks in SE Asia, probably Cambodia or Singapore. Also, I am interested in visiting WWII battle sites, especially in the Pacific involving the Marines. I may try and dive at Iron Bottum Sound depending on how hard it is to get to. Since I plan on buying airline tickets or booking activities as I become interested, the trip is very fluid.

And I plan on writing a blog while traveling so I have traded the bulk of film for the bulk of a laptop. I just purchased the 40 liter pack I plan on using at REI so now I need to see what actually fits. Technically, I am still on the Alaska motorcycle trip as I am in ABQ and won't get home until tomorrow. Have five weeks to finalize packing and travel details to Hawaii.

And all my travel clothes are light weight quick drying fabrics, especially the underwear. And I have certainly not ruled out buying things as needed.

 

[Peter David Grant]

You might find this site useful:

http://www.onebag.com/

That said, you already seem more clued up than most people!

Sounds awesome though! Good luck and enjoy!

 

[ktmrider]

Tried but could not do just a 40 liter carry on. I wanted more then just one change of clothes and the computer and camera were still to be added. Have a 50 liter pack and a messenger bag for computer and M9.

 

[ktmrider]

And for those curious, I have decided to take the same camera and focal lengths as last year's 90 day trip to Europe which is an M9 with 21f4/35f1.2/90f2.8. I want to give the M9 some extra low light capability. Last year I took the 35f2.8 C Biogon. I will also be adding a Olympus waterproof point and shoot for diving and beach work. Finally, my 13 inch MacBook

 

[michaelwj]

ktmrider, I am insanely jealous of you constant travel plans. I think you should be who the rest of us ask about what to take, you seem to have done it all.
Carry on only round the world! I'd ditch the computer and just take extra memory cards. Computers are pushing 2kg with a charger, that's 10% of your pack weight. I use a phone for Internet while travelling to book things ahead of time, do banking etc, and never use a computer as much as I think I would. Save the editing for when you get home.
It's my view that if you can carry on for a week, then you can carry on for a year. It does get tricky when you need cross seasons though.
Have a ball.

Edit: my wife writes her blog on an iPhone 6. If you really want to blog, I'd get a tablet.

 

[taemo]

if you're going to be in asia, you could perhaps buy some cheap clothes to wear over there then throw/donate them away once no longer needed.

you mentioned 35mm 1.2 as your lens, i would recommend a smaller/lighter weight lens to carry around like a summicron or even a voigtlander 1.4?

are you carrying a towel too?

im currently backpacking in europe with the wife for 20 days, have a 65L backpack for clothes and think tank 5 camera bag.
the cameras i have with me is a m240 w/ 21/35/50 and x100, for film i brought a af600 and 10 rolls of neopan 400 but my most used camera is my iphone 6 plus!
what im learning on this trip is that i can still travel lighter than now (we are backpacking asia in march) and might just bring the m240 w/ 21/35/50 next or x100 w/ 28mm converter
for clothes, i packed about 7 shirts, 2 shorts, 5 underwears, a sweater and pants.
i think this is perfect as it allows me not to do laundry for 3-4 days

 

[seajak]

Tried but could not do just a 40 liter carry on. I wanted more then just one change of clothes and the computer and camera were still to be added. Have a 50 liter pack and a messenger bag for computer and M9.

Carrying more than one change of clothes means you are just carrying dirty laundry 😀. I got that from this article which is the best I've read on travelling light. I spent a month in Laos last Xmas and 5 weeks in Thailand the Xmas before using that list as a guide. I did replace the diving gear with a set of thermals and a light fleece and rain jacket. If I was going somewhere colder I would add a down jacket. I know a month isn't a year but I travelled for 6 months in India some years ago with a similar amount of luggage and, as a previous poster said, you can always buy or rent other things you need as you go. My camera was an X-E1 with a 35 Summicron. Since than I've bought a XF 27/2.8 which I would take on the next trip probably with a little CV 50/2.5 for extra reach. That would get closer to the M6 with 35 'cron and 90 T/E I had in India. The X-E1 was in a compact LowePro pouch that carried the M6 in India. My whole family was with me on the last two trips, my wife, two adult daughters and 14 year old son. We had day packs ranging from 30 l to 40 l. One daughter had her study notes and a small laptop, the other a tablet, music and a pocket trumpet 😱 but we were all within Air-Asia's 7 kg carry-on limit. I am totally sold on travelling that light, it is really liberating especially on local transport or looking for accommodation late at night, and a quick clothes wash at night takes very little time.

Here is another useful guide for packing light.

cheers,
clay

 

[markwatts]

Clay,

Thank you for those links. Excellent reading.

 

[ktmrider]

Well, I am not adverse to traveling as light as possible or buying stuff as I go. Presently, it is two sets of clothes, raingear, electrical adapters, water purifier, and waterbottle are in the pack. The M9, Macbook Pro, and waterproof p&s are in the daypack as carryon.

My experience in Asia is that even bottled water should be treated (thus steripen). I plan on a jungle trip in New Guiena and mountain routes in NZ so a good rainsuit. I want to write a blog and find using a tablet or phone for writing or manipulating photos to be a pain in the rear (as I hunt and peck on my tablet for this post).

I admit if I was a little more technologically savvy, I could get by without the laptop, I could leave the M9 at home, I really do not need the notebook and pen for writing, and the binoculars are a luxury for birding. If I wanted to be a purist, I could board the plane with passport and credit card wearing only a speedo and shoes but we travel to enjoy certain activities and the stuff I want to have along will not fit in 40 liters but does great in 50 liters.

And Taemo, buy two sets of quick drying underwear. Wear one while other pair dries.

And a good friend shoots for NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, you should see what he carries!

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

I would ditch the laptop. If you really need the tech get an iPad or similar, but a full laptop is a hassle and weight you don't need.

 

[raid]

I agree with the last suggestion; take an Ipad instead or a smart phone.

 

[ktmrider]

Actually, I have a tablet and find using it a pain in the ass. That is an item not subject to debate just like the M9 with 35/90. May take 35f2.5 vice 35f1.2 and 21 or leave 21 at home but M9 and 35/90 is going. I am not planning on moving every day, in fact I may set up in an apartment for a month or more if I find I like the environment. Am not on any timeline nor in a rush to return to the US.

I figure the only thing I might miss in the US is the Republicans and the field of clowns in the 2016 elections.

 

[f16sunshine]

You're probably right to take a laptop.
I take my Macbook air 11" on all my trips.

One thing though. Since getting the iPhone 6 plus, I have been carrying a bluetooth keyboard in my bag next to building plans.
Typing emails on the phone with the keyboard is actually really slick!
Since I started using eye-fi cards for transfer to the phone and then Cloud back up, I could see the days of carrying both a phone and laptop coming to an end.
Jpeg Images go from camera to iphone to Flickr storage. Raws stay on the Card until I get home.
I tested it with my old M8 that a friend now owns. The eye-fi card works great and would with your M9 also.
Bluetooth keyboards weigh next to nothing compared to a laptop.
Just a thought. With large screen size, high storage capacity, and wicked processor power of the New phones out there..... carrying a full laptop just to have a keyboard may be a thing of the past 🙂

The same could be said for a pad. Once you add a keyboard to a tablet you almost have a Laptop sized device so what's the point.

Travel light by Adnan, on Flickr

 

[Lauffray]

I can't remember the last time I traveled with a laptop but then again I don't shoot digital.
All recent trips I've done with just one carry-on, but I haven't traveled as long as what you're planning.

That said, I'm very jealous of these trips you keep going on !!

 

[seajak]

My experience in Asia is that even bottled water should be treated (thus steripen).

+1 on the Steripen, great little gadgets, much better than any other water treatments I've used over the years. Unfortunately mine died in Laos (replaced under warranty) and we had to make do with bottled water. Next time I might carry my ceramic filter as a back up although it won't take out viruses.

clay

 

[ktmrider]

For those who wonder at my ability to travel, well I spent 33 years working for the US government in a fairly hazardous profession (aviation combined with law enforcement). There is higher retirement as part of the compensation package. My wife is in education and has a few years before she can pull the plug. Our expenses are low, kid is gone and I travel very cheaply (camping, hostels etc). So far, the health is going fine (hiked 150 miles last year in Europe in Scotland and Spain.) This trip looks more like diving and jungle hiking as well as motorcycling.

I would enjoy meeting any RFF's. Met a young woman (30 or so) in Guatemala in March when she pulled a 500C/M out of her bag. I introduced her to an M2 and later sold her my X100. She is an attorney from Yale and living in Brooklyn. We still correspond.