VACATION! What to pack?

[bolaberlim]

Last week was the annual baseball trip, this year to the destitute and scorching burg that is Houston. I brought an exchange of shorts and t shirt, along with some fresh boxers. Also a spartan dopp kit. This all in a light daypack with room to spare. I was worried about having overpacked. And horror of horrors, I saw and ultimately bought a painting while there and dragged it home with me. It might have broken an unwritten code on these trips, but it now remains as the most epic baseball trip souvenir. I imagine someone will have to get a tattoo on one of these trips to top me. But, I'm the only one out of the dozen-plus of us that gets ink, so I think I'm in the clear. Years ago, I might had said someone bringing home the clap or something similar would have been a more noteworthy souvenir, but these days we're all faithfully married with children, making us fairly boring in that regard.

But I digress: for short, casual trips, pack as light as possible. It's not like you're going to the moon: if you need another pair of socks or a shirt, just procure one on your travels.

It will be for two weeks and I don't want to wash clothing, so 2 shorts and two shirts seems... scarce?

[bolaberlim]

First of all, for a summer vacation, you're woefully underpacking underclothes. I tend to pack 1.25-1.5 sets of undershirts and underwear per day, with a maximum of four extra sets. Sweating sucks, and it blows to be in undershirts that smell. When I went to Europe last summer, I took four extras and used them all.

Of course, if you're going a place where you can do laundry, you don't need as many extras.

I can do laundry, but I don't want to . It will be hot but I'll be in the pool or poolside most of the day most days, one shirt per day should be enough, but I think I'll follow your advice and add a few extras I seem to recall that last year I did have to do a wash.

Thanks!

[geoffbot]

Also a spartan dopp kit.

Wut?! I could Google this but I'd rather ask you.

[CanadianStraps]

Wut?! I could Google this but I'd rather ask you.

Dopp kit: toiletries, condensed into a purpose-built case. Spartan because it was so stripped down. I would normally take essentials for shaving, etc. On a trip like this, it was a toothbrush and an underarm bar, along with some advil.

[Nokie]

What about the watch?

[bolaberlim]

What about the watch?

A protrek PRG70T, it is my default vacation beater, does everything in a light titanium package, and the titanium is a real big plus for me.

[synequano]

I'm keeping tab on this thread as well,since I plan to go to Europe for Camino de Santiago and volunteering for a week or so...even though I'll do the camino with a tour group that will arrange my luggages,I don't want to carry too much items

And yes,I'm still deciding whether I will only carry a single Gshock,or a Gshock and a Seiko (most likely a LE land tuna on Zulu)

And since it's a watch forum...Gshock 9200,9300 or 9400?

[gnuyork]

The iPad is practical, I can use it for reading, gaming and email, it's a iPad mini so the weight is not that high and I'm used to reading on it, so it can do what the reader does and more. The only downside is battery time, but I can charge it every night.

But, but, but...with the e-reader you can read outside in the sun without glare. And you can do all the other stuff on your phone. What do I know though. I don't have an iPad or an e-reader. I'm about to have a Kindle tomorrow though. I just ordered one for traveling instead of carrying books. I was on the fence about reading this way, but I think there are a lot of advantages (reading at night without a light while my wife sleeps, instant access to libraries, lighter weight than a 1000 page hardcover book, etc.)

[Jeannie]

But, but, but...with the e-reader you can read outside in the sun without glare. And you can do all the other stuff on your phone. What do I know though. I don't have an iPad or an e-reader. I'm about to have a Kindle tomorrow though. I just ordered one for traveling instead of carrying books. I was on the fence about reading this way, but I think there are a lot of advantages (reading at night without a light while my wife sleeps, instant access to libraries, lighter weight than a 1000 page hardcover book, etc.)

I love my Kindle.

Jeannie

[bolaberlim]

But, but, but...with the e-reader you can read outside in the sun without glare. And you can do all the other stuff on your phone. What do I know though. I don't have an iPad or an e-reader. I'm about to have a Kindle tomorrow though. I just ordered one for traveling instead of carrying books. I was on the fence about reading this way, but I think there are a lot of advantages (reading at night without a light while my wife sleeps, instant access to libraries, lighter weight than a 1000 page hardcover book, etc.)

I can also read with the ipad outside in the sun, there is some glare but not a lot. The e-reader would be one extra device to carry, i'de take the iPad anyway, the phone is just too small for quite a number of tasks.